Disclaimer: I don't own anything here except my imagination and my computer.
Originally, this chapter was going to go all the way through the Esper sequence. It turned out a lot longer than I had planned, though, so I broke it into three chapters under corresponding titles; I didn't want it to overshadow Chapter Eighteen, which is the big climax in the World of Balance. I'm getting there :)
Just a note: the title Red and Black is a (obviously) a reference to the Imperial colors, but it also alludes to the previous chapter when Celes saw red on her hands and black in her soul. Basically, Red and Black is a metaphor for Celes' turmoil.
Chapter Fifteen: Red and Black: Unity
"They're coming!"
"Setzer, pull up!"
Amidst the shouts of alarm, otherworldly beasts streaked by in flashes of light. The passengers were thrown to the deck as one of the creatures made contact with the airship.
"I've lost control!"
At Setzer's cry, Edgar staggered to his feet and ran to the stern to assess damage.
"The rear stabilizer's been hit!"
"Come on, baby, hold together," the pilot muttered.
The starboard engine erupted in a ball of flames, and the Blackjack jolted more violently and began a downward spiral.
"Everybody, brace yourselves! We're going down!"
The airship quickly lost altitude as smoke billowed from the blazing craft. The ground rapidly rose up to meet them, and worse, their course seemed dead set on Maranda. In desperation, Setzer jerked back on the flight controls, forcing the nose up, and by sheer stroke of luck, they overshot the city, instead plowing into the forest to the south.
((ooo))
"For the last time, Kefka, be quiet, or I'll have you gagged."
The jester was very nearly being dragged by his manacles down the long corridors of the Imperial Fortress, three soldiers plodding resolutely ahead of him, with Leo giving him an occasional nudge onward from behind. The young general could not describe his elation at seeing Kefka in chains.
"But this is unjust! I was doing my job!"
"And trying to kill your fellow general is your job?"
"She's not even dead," Kefka muttered as the prison guards opened the door to the cell block. "No harm, no foul."
"You instigated mutiny in her men and tried to have her executed twice. Her military career is treading on the edge of a knife, and you don't see the harm in that?"
Kefka's almost euphoric faraway look answered Leo's question. At that moment, a thunderous blast shook the fortress. Palace alarms rang, compound sirens wailed, and Kefka squealed in glee.
"An attack?" a guard guessed.
"Get Kefka in his cell," Leo ordered before taking off at a full run out of the penitentiary.
The arrested officer was prodded into the cell, and the door was slammed shut and locked behind him. Kefka, wide-eyed and cackling like mad, sat down on his cot and waited.
Leo sprinted down the catwalks and through the corridors of the fortress, heading straight for the throne room. Elite guards already barricaded the double doors, but they quickly parted to allow the general inside.
"Majesty!"
"It is the Espers," the emperor said calmly, not taking his eyes off his city.
Leo's captain ran into the room. "General!"
"Tamith, how far away is Celes?"
"She's still two days out, sir!"
"Send a carrier pigeon and get her here!"
"Yes sir!"
Leo turned back to Gestahl. "Majesty, orders?"
"The power they possess…" Gestahl mused in wonder. "We cannot fight them."
"My lord, we should move you to safety."
"I don't feel the need. The Espers are already returning east."
The general joined the emperor at the window. The city looked as though it had suffered every natural disaster possible at the same time: wind and fire, earth and stone, water and ice.
"You will send out aid?" Leo inquired. At Gestahl's silence, the general grew insistent. "My lord, you must send aid! Now is when the people of Vector need you!"
The emperor seemed to snap out of his trance. "Of course, Leo. I will send relief, and I leave you to facilitate it. Whatever funds and resources you need are yours to distribute."
"It will be done, Majesty."
((ooo))
Setzer kicked the Blackjack in frustration. The sturdy hull of the airship managed to withstand the impact, and the fires were extinguished, but the engines were either charcoal or scrap metal, the stabilizers were shot, the upper and lower propellers were corkscrewed around each other, and the cables for the navigation system had been singed and severed. Flight would be impossible until repairs were done. The pilot was only thankful his crew had suffered only minor injuries, and his passengers appeared to all be in one piece.
"Well, it looks like we're grounded for a while."
When Setzer didn't get a reply of any kind, he turned around to locate his companions. They all stood at the edge of the forest, staring at something beyond, presumably Maranda. Curious, the pilot jogged over, then stopped dead in his tracks at the sight that awaited.
Houses were nothing but embers. Ash hung in the air. Blood stained the streets. Countless bodies were piled onto carts, waiting to be put in the shallow graves dug just outside the city limits.
"Gods…" Terra whispered. "What could do this?"
"The Espers?" Sabin guessed.
"No… They couldn't have…not like this…"
((ooo))
The doors to the royal chamber burst open, and the guards snapped to attention. A very flustered-looking general strode in, her cloak a white flurry behind her, and she dropped to one knee before the emperor.
"Welcome back, General."
"I made haste as soon as I received word, my lord," Celes answered as she stood.
She exchanged a nod with Leo in greeting, and the two generals relaxed their stances, waiting for their lord to speak.
"You have seen the city, Celes?"
"Briefly. And as far as I can tell, the destruction extends in at least a five-mile radius around the outer limits of Vector."
Gestahl nodded to himself, his worn features bearing wrinkles of deep thought. His gray eyes seemed to twinkle with a new light.
"The power of those Espers…beyond anything Cid can contrive…"
The emperor had a covetous air about him, and the generals traded glances of mild unease. Both believed that a man driven by greed was doomed to fall by it.
"Leo, Celes." When Gestahl had their full attention, he began, "What would you say if I told you to extend an offering of peace to the Returners…?"
((ooo))
It took nearly ten solid days of walking to reach the center of the continent. The Returners could see gray billowing smoke rising in the distance from Vector, smoke that wasn't from the city's industrial factories. Surrounding townships and cornfields smoldered. Streams and meadows were frozen over. And unnatural rock formations jutted out from the earth in massive upheavals.
When the Imperial metropolis came into view, the Returners stood in shock. Sections of the outer wall were crumbling, and half the city lay in shambles. Even the Imperial Fortress, sturdy as it was, bore signs of damage to the solid iron.
As if drawn to the wreckage, Terra walked through the collapsing gates, the others silently following. Though the streets were teeming with Imperial soldiers—many toting what looked to be food, water, and medical supplies—not one spared the rebels a second glance. Hundreds of homeless and injured Vectorans lay scattered wherever there was space, and the soldiers lent aid with whatever they had to offer. Food stations were set up every few blocks for those who could walk, while meals were brought to those who couldn't, and medical personnel tended to the wounded.
As they began crossing an intersection, Sabin tapped his brother's shoulder and got his friends' attention. The martial artist gestured down one of the streets to where an officer in casual uniform held a vial of some liquid remedy to the lips of a young girl.
"There's General Leo."
They watched as the general spoke soothingly to her while a hospital attendant set the child's broken arm. As Leo stood up from the girl's side, Edgar and the others walked over to him.
"Leo."
When the general turned, he smiled at the familiar face. "Edgar. Been a long time."
"It has."
Leo's smile turned more affectionate at seeing the green-haired mage. "Terra. Good to see you're well."
The young woman responded only with a shy nod, and the officer turned back to Edgar.
"What brings you all to the Imperial capital?"
"Our airship was damaged and we crashed just outside Maranda. We were on our way to Albrook when we saw the wreckage here."
Leo nodded sadly. "The Espers hit hard. Half the city was destroyed before we even knew what was happening."
"You seem to be handling it well," the king noted, referring to the operation around them.
"The emperor is doing everything in his power to get this city back on its feet. Which reminds me: the emperor was hoping you would come here, and he'd like to extend an invitation to you all under a banner of truce."
"Invitation?"
"To a banquet, where we can talk over our situations. Don't worry. No tricks." Leo put a hand to his heart. "On my honor."
Edgar looked to Terra and the others to judge their reactions and saw mostly surprise and suspicion.
"If you need time to think about it, you may," Leo offered.
"I think that would be best," Edgar replied appreciatively.
"Of course. If you do decide to join the emperor, the palace guards will escort you in. Feel free to wander about the city. You won't be bothered."
"Thank you."
"I hope to see all of you in the near future."
As they rounded a corner to continue further into the heart of the city, Locke looked back at Leo for a brief instant and swore he saw a flash of familiar blonde. Then, they were out of sight.
"You just missed them," Leo said to the approaching woman.
"Believe me, it was intentional," Celes replied, kneeling with a bowl of soup next to the girl Leo had earlier comforted.
"How are you ever going to get through dinner?"
Celes lifted a spoonful to the child's mouth. "By getting extremely hammered."
Leo chuckled at her mirthful insincerity. "Well, I suppose we should inform His Majesty of their arrival and prepare for the banquet."
Celes gave another spoonful of soup to the girl. "How are you so sure they'll show?"
"Edgar is not one to refuse a truce offering. Like father like son."
((ooo))
"You know, Brother, for someone who didn't trust Celes for being an Imperial, you certainly were chatty with Leo."
"Sabin, not now."
"Just an observation."
"I've known Leo a lot longer than I've known Celes."
"Noble, though he is," Cyan began, "thy acquaintance is still an Imperial."
"I know," Edgar conceded. "But I would still be curious as to what Gestahl wants."
Setzer casually rolled a coin over his knuckles. "Then you'd best be careful, Ed, or he'll end up owning you."
"Again," Sabin added.
The king bit back his angry reply, knowing there was some merit to their comments. His father, and indeed he himself, had made mistakes in dealing with the Empire. He wondered if he was doomed to repeat those mistakes.
"I think we should see what Gestahl wants. And Imperial or not, I trust Leo's word." The king sighed. "Terra, what do you think?"
"Well…I don't remember specific details, but I do know that Leo was one of the only two people I trusted completely…" She paused, trying to suppress her fear, as well as her sadness. She took a deep breath. "I think we should meet with the emperor."
((ooo))
The dining hall, like so much of the Imperial Palace, was an odd combination of cold industrial steel and warm luxurious accents. A plush red ornamental rug sat on the stone floor. Blood-red Imperial banners hung on the metal walls. A long rectangular table stretched across the dining hall, a white tablecloth of the finest linen covering it.
Emperor Gestahl was already seated on his regal throne in the middle, opposite the Returners. One seat to either side of him was empty, and the next two were occupied by men in crimson robes; the emperor's personal security force, no doubt. Four more Elite Guards stood at the back wall.
Edgar noticed a door at either end of the room and the two guards at each one. And, of course, there were the two guards at the door through which they entered. Obviously Gestahl was one who indulged in the security of his Elite.
Gestahl extended his arms in salutation. "Welcome, all of you, to the Imperial Palace. I am pleased that you decided to join me for dinner as friends."
Before taking their seats, Edgar spoke for his companions. "It is not my intention to insult your hospitality, but I feel that 'friends' is too strong a term for what we are here."
The emperor's smile faltered for only a second. "Of course." He gestured to the empty chairs. "Please."
As soon as they were seated, a train of servers filed in and placed full entrees before them, along with glasses of wine and bowls of sliced bread loaves. Edgar watched as the servers set plates in front of the vacant chairs and thought it odd. As if reading the king's mind, the emperor spoke.
"I have asked my most faithful servants to join us tonight. Allow me to present to you General Leo and General Celes."
The two side doors were opened by the Elite Guards. Jaws dropped in shock as the two officers walked in, both looking sharp in their formal uniform as they strode to Gestahl's side, Leo on the right, Celes on the left, both bowing to their lord and master.
They wore the traditional black and red garb of Imperial generals, with their stiff-collared leather jerkins of the purest onyx and red tassels hanging from the obsidian metal armor covering their shoulders. Black cloaks, with the Imperial insignia embroidered onto them, clasped beneath the armor and floated behind them, the crimson silk lining glistening like liquid fire. The long-sleeved tunic of black silk under the jerkin shimmered with regal radiance in the artificial light of the dining hall. Both wore black leather gloves, but Celes' left arm of course bore the longer iron-buckled gauntlet. Their black pants were crisp, and their leather boots were polished to a glossy black sheen, with Celes' steel-toed and more feminine boots reaching up past her calves and making a distinct click as she walked.
Celes still had her usual two small braids, but now she also had a larger braid on either side, pulled back and clasped together by a silver barrette. Locke also noticed the silver band pierced in her upper right ear.
Two more distinct observations about each could be made as the two raised their heads from their salute. While Leo's eyes shone with warmth and compassion, Celes' were cold and dark. The light once there was gone, buried under a bitter frost. No trace of the gauntlet's brutality was visible, and her expression was not vacant as they were used to seeing, but hardened by the trials of her re-ascension, composed and professional. Her manner demonstrated the authority of her rank, touched with a hint of arrogance. Locke cringed as he beheld her; once again every bit the commanding general.
As the two took their seats on either side of the emperor, Edgar half rose from his chair out of politeness to the lady. Leo had believed Celes had been overreacting, but he felt the tension rise almost immediately between the two parties.
"I'm glad you all came," Leo said warmly, trying to lighten the mood.
He glanced at Celes, hoping she would extend the courtesy of a greeting, but she was avoiding eye contact with all but the glass in front of her. Edgar, it seemed, was less proud.
"Lady Celes…a pleasant surprise, to be sure."
She gave only a slight nod of acknowledgement to the king. Finally, she lifted her gaze to the woman across from her.
"Terra. Glad you're okay."
"You too."
Terra opened her mouth to say more, but she stopped herself. This dinner wasn't about Celes.
"Well then, shall we dine?" Gestahl suggested.
Several minutes into the feast, the emperor began his proposal. "I'm sure you all wonder what has brought us together." With nods from the Returners, he continued. "I…I have lost the will to fight. Witnessing the power of those Espers has made me realize the grief and destruction war brings."
Though several quiet gasps came from the Returners, Edgar was doubtful. "You want the war to stop? Why now?"
"My original goal was to bring unity to the world, but I see now that somewhere along the way, that dream became twisted into a web of violence and misery. No good could come of that."
"And Maranda?" the king braved. "Where did that fit in your 'peaceful dream?'"
The Returners all looked to their spokesman, surprised he would dare such an accusing query. Leo spared another glimpse to Celes, but if she felt any guilt at all, she hid it well.
Gestahl lowered his head. "Maranda…was a mistake. I had heard of a rising rebellion and wanted it put down. By the time I had come to my senses, it was already too late."
"And the Returners?" Edgar pressed.
The emperor paused to collect himself. "…The Espers are angry, and rightly so. But they cannot be allowed to continue this rampage. This is why we need you."
"What can the Returners do that all the might of the Empire can't?"
"You have something we don't." Edgar raised an eyebrow. "You have Terra."
The king glanced in some alarm at Terra, but it was Locke who spoke out.
"Terra won't be your pawn anymore."
Gestahl raised his hands in plea. "Please don't think of it that way. Terra has a connection with the Espers that Celes can only hope to match. She's the only one who can bridge the gap between our two races and bring peace."
Terra abruptly stood from her seat, distress etched on her porcelain features. Celes also arose, and when Terra ran towards the doors, the general motioned for the guards to allow the girl out before sprinting after her.
When she caught up to the girl outside the dining hall, Celes took Terra's arm to halt her running. Tears streamed down the half-Esper's face as she turned to her friend, shaking her head.
"I can't! I can't go back to them, Celes, I just can't!"
Celes put her hands on either side of Terra's head to force eye contact and attempt to calm her down, and what she saw was absolute terror.
"Terra, no one's trying to force you back into the Empire."
Before Celes could protest, Terra's arms latched themselves around her, clutching her back tightly as the girl burrowed her face into the general's neck like a frightened child.
"Promise you won't let them take me!"
"Terra…" Celes sighed. "I promise."