Chapter 9, The stage is set

The Returners dashed through the corridors, the newly freed prisoners being healed as they ran to keep up. Their escape wouldn't go unnoticed however as some of the few leftover servants and guards couldn't possibly miss such a large troop. They wouldn't be stopped however, Celes and Terra focusing on using magic at the threats to get them out of the way.

    Finally they reached the gate and stumbled out in the fading sunlight, dashing down the stair to the ground and continuing away as quickly as they could.

 "This way!" Clyde shouted, taking the lead towards the east as he knew Interceptor was there somewhere.

    Terra glanced around. Nobody seemed to be coming out of the palace yet, but it was surely only a question of moments. She couldn't see the Coliseum as Vector was in the way. Gestahl would have the entire army search through the area to find the escapees and surely also look for them from above. Their tracks could be found in the grass, there was nowhere to hide…

    Hide…

 "Guys, wait a second!" she called.

    Her friends stopped and looked at her in surprise, nervously glancing at their enemies' lair.

 "They'll find us easily if we don't do anything about it, let me just work a spell…" the half esper quickly explained, closing her eyes and focusing on chanting something that Phantom had taught her.

    As she moved her hands apart a dust of light showered her and her friends, and they all grew transparent.

 "I think this makes us invisible to others, we can still see each other as we're under the spell's influence," she said, "but we'll still leave tracks…"

 "I'll take care of that," Setzer said and fell into chanting.

    Moments later he waved his hands with a slanted smile and everyone's feet left the ground, rendering them floating upright a few inches from the grass.

 "Brilliant!" Edgar sighed with relief, "come on!"

 "We're just getting Interceptor, then it's to the south as there's more place to move there," Clyde stated, hurrying onwards.

    Soon enough they spotted something black in a distance and Clyde whistled to call his companion. Interceptor rushed towards the sound but slowed down as he began coming closer, sniffing suspiciously. It was quite apparent that he could feel the smell of his friends, but not see them.

    At least the spell worked, then. Terra and Setzer did their work on the dog too to let him see everyone and make it harder for the trackers to follow. After the first surprise Interceptor accepted the strange things happening and followed the escapees as they fled southwards in the deepening night.

 "Hey, where's Gogo!?" Relm suddenly called, though as their floating feet made no sound she didn't really have to overpower anything.

 "He stayed with his brother," Clyde grimly snarled without slowing down.

 "What?!" the Returners shouted.

 "I couldn't stop him! He said he would try to help us from the inside…"

    Clyde growled and shook his head.

 "Madness must be something running in their family…"

    He threw a glance over his shoulder, seeing the slowly more distant buildings begin to light up with torches and magical flames. By now somebody had to be alarming the emperor… the Returners could only hope that it would take time to find Gestahl in the Coliseum.

    Clyde knew how the empire worked; when something went wrong you always had to alarm the one who was in charge first, it saved time and truth not to go through several messengers.

    Right now it would hopefully stall the search just a little bit longer.

    But there was no way that Gogo would survive in there. Clyde could by no means bring himself to even hope that.

    The ex-ninja bitterly sighed and rushed on.

    Five friends had been saved, one had been lost. It was a win in a cold sense, but a tragic loss nevertheless.

    For a while nobody said anything, those who had known the strange man for a bit trying to cope with the loss while fleeing for their lives.

 'Terra…'

    The half esper almost stumbled as the voice in her head grievingly spoke.

 'Father? What's wrong?' she worriedly thought.

 'You forgot something…'

 'Oh no, what?' Terra thought, her head rushing with new anxiousness.

    Edgar came in between with the reply, however.

 "This might not be the moment but in case we get attacked, do you people have any magicite left?" he asked.

 'Magi…'

 "Magicite!?" Terra croaked.

 "Oh no, we didn't…?!" Strago shouted.

 "What about… oh no!" Clyde hissed, slamming his hand into his forehead.

 "Bloody crap!" Relm cursed, helplessly glancing over her shoulder at the place they were fleeing.

    The place they couldn't go back to, it was too late now. The place where they had left two allies.

-'-

Gogo leaned against the glass wall, glancing between the door and his unconscious brother. He had locked the door to at least give him a few seconds to run for cover in case anyone would try to enter. The wardrobe would do, if he could get the doors shut in time. He had no intention to hide from Kerr, but should a soldier or even worse Gestahl come in he would most definitely be dead.

 'As if I already wasn't…' he bitterly thought.

    He could try to counter his brother's spells, but it was risky. If he did one mistake he'd be toast, and he was still trying to recover from the last two rounds.

    But… he just couldn't leave with his friends. This was his last chance.

 'I can't understand why you care about him, Gogo,' a voice suddenly whispered in his mind.

    The mimic jumped a mile, but managed to cut off his urge to call out loud of the surprise.

 'What...'

 'I'm Siren,' the female voice in his head said, flatly.

 'Siren...?'

    Gogo's eyes widened and his hand flew to one of the many pockets in his robe.

 'Oh no...'

    His fingers clenched around a pleasantly warm, smooth surface, but right the it felt more like a slimy mess to the mimic.

 'Goddesses, I... why didn't you speak sooner, I would have let the others take you to safety!' he thought, wildly glancing at the still unconscious form on the floor.

 'I was sleeping...' the spirit muttered, sounding suitably disgruntled.

    At that confession, Gogo had to blink in disbelief.

 'Sleeping?' he repeated, 'while we were in the Coliseum and Vector?'

    Siren bitterly sighed.

 'Sleeping not as you would see it,' she said, 'I was exhausted after helping Maudin watch over Terra while she was in a coma, and was slumbering ever since they found you. Had you summoned me I would have awakened at once.'

    She ended her explanation with a shudder.

 'And now?' she asked, 'the esper facility?'

    Gogo resolutely shook his head.

 'No, I won't let that happen.'

 'He's going to find me and you know it!'

    He thought that he could feel her move back and forth like a caged animal, but was unable to pinpoint exactly where and how he felt it. But it was unimportant. 

    Gogo shook his head again, even more determined this time.

 'I promise, I won't let him have you.'

 'You can't promise that! He might kill you when he wakes up!'

    The mimic let out a deep breath.

 'I know. I'm sorry, this wasn't meant to happen...'

 'You shouldn't be here either...' she muttered, frowning.

 'Yes, I do... I must find out.'

    He took out the magicite and ruefully watched the flame nervously dance.

 'Have to get you out of the line of fire at least...'

    Wardrobe...

 'It just has to work...'

    Gogo hurried over to the big closet and carefully pushed in the magic rock as far as he could reach in the narrow area between wood and floor.

 'I doubt anybody will check there,' he thought.

 'Let's hope so...' Siren mumbled.

    They both froze in some way as there was a low groan behind the Returner's back.

    A lot of things passed through Gogo's mind during half a second.

 'I'm insane, he's going to kill me... either that or he puts me in the wall and gets Gestahl, better he kills me... my brother, my poor brother... I'm completely crazy!'

 "What the... oh, I know... I'll tear their arms off... blasted..."

    Kerr got up, rubbing the back of his head with one hand and growling to himself.

    It took him a few seconds to realize that somebody was holding his other arm, supporting him.

    Very slowly he raised his gaze. Gogo used that time to force himself to stop biting his lower lip. It was about to start bleeding.

    Kerr's left eyebrow twitched by a spasm.

    Then Gogo was airborne again, crashing into the wall just beside the cupboard near the bed's end. The glasses inside of it dangerously jingled, but seemed to stay in one piece.

 'Gogo!' Siren helplessly called, unable to help him.

 "Die!" Kerr snarled, his hands flaring.

    Growling himself the mimic set his own hands magically on fire, looking straight at his brother.

 "We can do this for a while, no?" he said, setting all his hopes to one phrase he prayed his brother would remember.

 "We can do this for a while, no?"

 "Aw, what the hell. It's midnight but who cares? Is there any coffee left, bro?"

    Kerr flinched, hesitating for half a second. Then he snarled and flames tore through the air, slamming into Gogo's defending ones and disappearing.

 "I said die!"

 "This isn't going anywhere!" Gogo harshly pointed out, parrying a second attack.

    He hoped that the light wouldn't reflect the sweat that trickled down his forehead. It was too complicated, he wouldn't be able to keep copying his brother for much longer.

 "Like I care!" Kerr snapped and raised both his hands, a nasty fireball forming between them.

    Gogo clenched his teeth and backed up against the wall. He wasn't sure if he would manage that one…

 "Listen to me, Kerr!" he called.

 "I might listen to people who exist!" the madman hissed, growling like an animal, "and you definitely don't!"

    It was too late to try copying it now, he shouldn't have hesitated…

    If he didn't think of anything fast he'd be roasted within a few seconds.

 'Gogo!' Siren screeched, 'call him Kefka! It might work!'

    The inferno was ready to be unleashed…

 "Kefka, wait!" Gogo shouted, grasping for the hay in the storm.

    The madman froze, the flames in his hands roaring. The two men stared at each other, faces perfectly alike apart from the sharp makeup that one of them wore.

    Slowly Gestahl's helper let his fingers bend, the fire he held falling with the movement.

 "Kefka?" he repeated, sounding almost confused.

    Not sure if he dared to believe in relief yet Gogo nodded, carefully.

 "Yes, Kefka," he assured.

    Slowly the lord tilted his head, somewhat reminding of a man in trance. His eyes were fully aware, though, and sharply watched the other robed figure.

 "If I am Kefka, then who are you?" he finally asked, soft as silk.

 "I am Kerr," Gogo almost whispered.

    Kefka straightened up then.

    And he smiled.

    A very strange one. But it was a smile.

 "That's better," he cooed, the smile turning to a full sneer.

    But that smirk wouldn't alarm Gogo, who smiled back.

 "Been a while, hasn't it?" he said, still on guard however.

 "Sure has. And how the hell are you dressed?" Kefka smirked, "you look ridiculous!"

 "Have you looked in a mirror for a while yourself?" Gogo retorted, although he managed to smile back he was moving warily when stepping away from the wall.

    Kefka raised an eyebrow.

 "What's wrong? You're walking like a mummy, bro."

 "I think you slammed me into the wall a couple of times too many, Kef. Can you be less rough next time?" Gogo said with a chuckle.

    Kefka laughed then, and his laugh pierced the air like needles, as it always had done.

 "What, I was only trying to break your spine for the goddesses' sake!" he finally snickered.

 "I'll get you back for that, mark my words!" Gogo scoffed and took a few careful steps.

    This time it was Kefka who imitated. They met halfway over the floor and their right hands slammed together a few inches from their noses. Kefka grinned, and Gogo somehow managed to do the same.

 'I can't believe my eyes…' Siren disbelievingly whispered in the back of the mimic's head.

 'I hardly do either…' Gogo thought in return.

 "I still don't understand why you'd come back here," Kefka said.

 "Well, I felt lonely without having anyone to listen to my babbling," the mimic carefully said.

 "Oh, babbling. That's what you do best," the madman chuckled.

 "And you listen."

 "Right ye are, bro."

    They smirked at each other. Gogo opened his mouth to speak again, but a loud knock on the door made them both whip towards it.

 "Kefka! Open the door!" Gestahl's voice called from the other side, lightly said in outrage.

 "Less rough, was it?" Kefka hissed and snapped his fingers.

    Gogo felt the air screech around him as he was sent flying again, somewhat softly crashing into the cave of robes that was his brother's wardrobe. The doors of the cloth-cave shut without a sound while Gogo managed to catch his balance again. But even if the gate to the world was closed, the mimic could see a little bit of the room through the thin crack between the two parts of the door.

 "Wha… what is it, emperor?" Kefka growled with a groan, reaching up to forcefully rub his head like he had done just when he had awakened.

    The lock opened by a wave of his hand and together with four armed soldiers Gestahl stormed in to see his right hand man crouching and snarling in pain and rage.

 "Where are the prisoners?!" the emperor demanded.

 "Where do you think they are?" Kefka snarled, waving at the wall, "the pretty little birds have escaped!"

 "How could they do that?" Gestahl growled.

 "How? How?!"

    Kefka straightened up and pointed at the door with a heated look at the soldiers.

 "You there, out! Find the fugitives!"

    The men looked at Gestahl in hesitant bewilderment, but the emperor nodded after a moment. Closing the door after them – since they realized there were important matters at hand – the soldiers left the room. Kefka snapped his fingers again and the walls momentarily flowed with a blue light.

 'Soundproof?' Gogo thought, trying to aim the question at Siren.

    Somehow he felt her nod, nervously.

 "I'll tell you how, emperor," Kefka snarled like an animal, "they had my brother with them!"

 'The Light forbid…' Siren bitterly whispered as Gogo pressed his hand against his face.

 'He'll hand me over…' he darkly thought.

 "Your brother?!" Gestahl shouted, "where did they find him?"

 "I have no idea!" the madman growled, "see now how they managed to knock me out? He was even trying to reason with me, pha!"

 "I see, still the nostalgic fool, isn't he?" the emperor almost smirked through the anger, "where is he now?"

 "In the bloody wardrobe!" Kefka snapped with sarcasm dribbling from his voice as he waved with his arms, "if he was still here I wouldn't be standing peacefully like this, now would I?"

    It took almost all of Gogo's willpower not to thump backwards of pure relief. Even Siren let out a deep breath of the welcome surprise.

    Gestahl rolled his eyes and nodded, clearly seeing the unarguable logic in that statement.

 "Still, I suppose he's the only reason I'm alive now," Kefka continued, his voice turning gruff with the scornful irony, "truly the nostalgic fool."

 "Either that or the blasted Returners are weaker than we thought," Gestahl mockingly commented.

 "Oh, I can feel the love…"

 "Though it served a purpose now, of course," the emperor added.

 'He doesn't seem to like Kerr…?' the hiding man thought with raised eyebrows.

 'Gogo, sorry to burst your bubble but I think you're pretty alone with liking him,' Siren rather dryly pointed out.

    She softened a moment later as she felt the mimic's pain.

 'I'm sorry,' she added, 'but the espers will never think fondly of him after all he did to us.'

 'And neither will the humans…' Gogo bitterly thought.

    He got a grip of himself.

 'Can you read Gestahl's mind?' he grimly asked, 'to see if he's got plans for the hunt…'

 'I'm not touching that!' the esper resolutely stated, 'both for safety and disgust.'

 'I understand.'

 "Well thank you," Kefka snorted and folded his arms, "now what do we do about this lil' situation?"

    Gestahl began pacing; Gogo found that even though almost two decades had passed and the carpet pretty much strangled it he remembered the sound of those feet.

 "Celes has escaped too," the emperor said with a snort, "but she'll still be bound with the armband…"

    He stopped and glared at Kefka.

 "Won't she?"

    The madman scratched his head with his pointing finger only.

 "The equation I used… I'm not sure if he would know it," he admitted, "I can't guarantee anything."

 "Hmph."

    Once again the pacing began.

 "The main problem is king Edgar," the emperor grimly said, "if word gets out that he has escaped it might stir trouble."

 "That's just politics, emperor," Kefka snorted and waved with his hand from the folded arms, "not my area. I take care of the rampage."

    Gestahl rolled his eyes but nodded.

 "Somebody has to do the dirty work, yes," he said.

 "I'm in for that wholeheartedly, sire," the madman smirked, "have you sent out scouting parties?"

 "Of course, but they're still rather scarce," the emperor said with frustration, "the Coliseum will from now on be forbidden for soldiers on duty."

 "Well there is one good thing with that the full force hasn't been set free."

    Kefka's voice caught a dangerous tone.

 "I don't give a damn whether the others get torn to pieces or fed to the imps, but should my dear brother get killed…"

    He left the rest unsaid. Gestahl nodded.

 "Very well, I understand that. He'll be all yours."

 "Why thank you, sire," Kefka smirked, his thin tongue running over his red lips.

 "What did he look like then?"

 "Duh, like me."

    Gestahl growled.

 "Be serious Kefka, we have a precarious situation here! Has he changed over the years?"

 "Yeah, he was dressed in yellow robes with a ridiculous feathered helmet and hid his face with a veil," the madman thankfully nodded.

 "Good, shouldn't be too hard to spot."

    Gestahl glanced at his pawn with a grunt.

 "Do you need healing?" he asked, more irritated than concerned.

 "Bah, it's nothing," Kefka waved it off, "never mind my damn head, we've got people to kill!"

 "Hm."

    The emperor's eyes narrowed slightly.

 "How is your supply?" he asked.

 "What are you so worried about my health for all of a sudden?" Kefka smirked, "I've got half a bottle left."

    Gogo frowned.

 'What?'

 "I don't want any more incidents like the one when we obtained the statues, understand?" Gestahl said with an irritated frown.

 "So I lost control, it's not the first time it happens," Kefka scoffed.

 "But it better be the last time it happens that severely, and that's an order," the emperor sharply said.

    His helper shrugged but then wrapped his cloak around himself and bowed, more or less mockingly.

 "At your command, emperor."

 "Good. I'll brief the troops and call you when they've captured the Returners, I don't trust you to lead a hunt after getting beaten."

 "I am shocked by your distrust, sire," Kefka snorted and unwrapped himself.

 "We're finding Returners and bringing them here alive," the emperor growled as he walked towards the door, "that's a final, we need to get the information we need to catch the rest of the lot."

 "If you say so…"

    The door closed.

 "… Bastard," Kefka muttered and headed for the wardrobe.

    He opened it and smirked.

 "Found you," he commented.

 "Seems so," Gogo said and stepped out with a little support from his brother's hand, "you had me worried there for a moment."

 "What, don't you trust your own brother?"

    The mimic forced a smile.

 "What was that 'supply' you talked about?" he asked, quickly switching the subject.

 "Ach, don't worry about that, Kerr," Kefka cheerfully said, "let's have a talk."

 "Sure thing," Gogo smiled.

 'Something is foul here…' he thought, holding back a frown.

 'Sure is, and it's not only those demons,' Siren agreed.

 'I suppose you won't take a look in his head?'

 'Not even if Bahamut ordered me to.'

 'Alright, I'll just have to try and pry it out of him then.' 

 'Be careful.'

 'I'll do my best.'

 "You opened the lock on Celes' armband, didn't you?" Kefka snickered and plopped down in one of the armchairs, near the corner to the left of the door.

 "Yes, that calculation was simple enough," Gogo mildly said.

    Now that things finally were fairly peaceful the mimic could focus on other things than keeping himself and others alive for a moment.

    His brother's chamber was quite big, not much to a surprise. It had more the size of a normal living room, everything in one place. There were two armchairs and a small sofa in a surprisingly soft green color in the mentioned corner, surrounding a table in dark wood. A bit further down the longer wall was a door to what probably was a bathroom. Next came the cupboard that Gogo nearly had crashed into last time Kefka had tried to kill him.

    The bed was pushed into the next corner, with a  bedspread matching the robes the owner of the room carried. Next down the inner short wall was the fabled wardrobe… the magicite hidden underneath it unseen, thankfully.

    The other two walls was only the glass wall and the one with the door, the latter carrying a pair of tapestries with some landscape pictures.

    In conclusion, the floor was rather open.

 'Lots of space to threw unwanted guests around…'

    Gogo suppressed a chuckle at the macabre thought and took the free armchair.

 "What do you want to talk about?" he said.