Disclaimer: Home, home in Japan, where the team of Squaresoft plays. Where the money rolls in, and the games roll out, which I don't own the rights to at all…
Ok, enough of that. Stupid disclaimers. Now 'Home on the Range' will be stuck in my head for the rest of the day…
Well, this is the last of the Red and Black chapters, and it took me forever to figure out how to write it. Next chapter is the dramatic close of what I affectionately call Book I. And it will be a while before it's finished; it's long…and complicated…and delicious…
Chapter Seventeen: Red and Black: Destiny
Five days after leaving port, the passengers of the Imperial cruiser made landfall on the southern tip of Crescent Island. Shadow informed the generals of a settlement to the north, where the cliffs were too high and the waters were too rough to dock the ship.
Terra stepped off the gangplank and onto the sandy shore as if into a dream. Even through the eternal mist that blanketed the island, she could see specters of the rolling grassy plains, ghosts of the tall verdant forests, and silhouettes of the towering mountain peaks. The occasional call of an anonymous bird floated over the gentle crashing of waves. The thick scent of fog and sea hung in the air, the stillness of it moist and cool to Terra's skin.
But beyond the senses, beyond the reach of mere mortals, there hovered another presence, more dense than the mist, more potent than the tangy air.
"There's magic here," Terra said softly.
"Powerful magic," Celes followed from beside her.
The green-haired mage swept her gaze over the mystic lands, and a smile graced her face.
"It's incredible!"
Even the young general could not escape the girl's contagious grin, and for a moment, just a brief moment, she was able to forget the burden of her uncertainties.
Terra abruptly took Celes' hand and began running for the nearest bluff, half dragging her until the general regained her own footing. The two raced to the top, eager to survey the island from a new height and bathe in its mystical aura.
Leo shook his head at the sight of them. "Only Terra."
"That girl's got a hold over Celes, I'll give her that," Captain Brandt agreed.
As soon as all was ready, the two generals and their captains, the two Returners, and Shadow began their trek north, leaving the other Imperials with the ship. According to the mercenary, the people of Thamasa would most likely prove helpful to their quest, but also that it would be difficult to gain their trust.
Before entering the quiet town, Leo and Celes traded their Imperial capes for cloaks of a simpler and less imposing manner. They also removed their sword belts and handed the weapons to their captains, who would remain outside the village.
Walking down the dirt road leading into the hamlet, the now even smaller group saw a young boy standing near some bushes. His hands were raised towards the vegetation, and he was muttering something they couldn't hear. When he caught sight of the travelers, however, he stopped whatever he was doing and raced through the field into Thamasa.
"There are people coming! There are people coming!" they heard him yell.
Leo watched the child in puzzlement. "Odd…"
Upon arriving in town, the party noticed some denizens retreat into their homes, while others expressed guarded curiosity with their stares. Leo approached one of the seemingly less-intimidated, an older woman tending her flower garden.
"Excuse me, ma'am. I was wondering where I could find the elder of your village."
The woman looked up from her magnolias. "The elder? He's at home on the other side of town. But whatever it is you need, you'll have to speak with old man Strago first. Call it a screening process."
"I see. And where would Mr. Strago be?"
The woman's chuckle at Leo's use of a title was lost on the general.
"Just follow this path past the large manor. It's the next house on the right. If you hit the butcher shop, you've gone too far."
"Thank you, ma'am."
As they followed the woman's directions, Terra looked around. "Does something seem out of place here?"
Locke rubbed the back of his neck. "I was thinking the same thing."
"Everyone's nervous," Leo said. "Probably not used to having travelers come here."
"No, it's not that," Celes disagreed. "Something's here. Something…almost dormant. Terra?"
"Yeah. I feel it, too."
They reached what they assumed to be the correct house, and Leo knocked on the door. An elderly gentleman in a red cloak opened the door and narrowed his eyes at the strangers.
"What do you want with me?"
"Are you Mr. Strago?"
"Mr.?" He let out a hearty laugh. "Makes me feel like an old man. Just Strago will do."
"Alright then, Strago. I am Leo Cristophe, Knight and General to the nation of Vector on the Southern Continent."
"Vector? As in under the rule of Aurelius Gestahl?"
"You know of our realm?"
"Of course. We may be secluded here, but we are not ignorant of the outer world." He stepped aside and gestured for the group to enter. "What brings you here, Leo, Knight of Gestahl?"
"I assure you, we mean no harm. We are actually looking for something. Tell me, have you heard of Espers?"
Strago's eyes widened, but he quickly put on a look of confusion. "Espers? Nope, can't say as I'm familiar with that word."
Leo nodded, not thoroughly convinced. "Is there anyone here who might be?"
"You can ask around if you want, but I doubt you'll find anybody who knows about these Espers of yours."
The man's speech was rushed, and Leo detected some anxiety. Not wanting to seem threatening, he decided to concede, giving a slight bow.
"Thank you anyway for your help."
Just as they were about to leave, a young girl scurried down the stairs, her golden-blonde pigtails bouncing playfully. Strago sent her a warning glance, imperceptible to his visitors, but it went disregarded. The girl looked up at Celes and Terra. She tipped her head to the side as she studied them, and then her face broke into a wide grin.
"Hey! They can use magic!"
"Relm!" The elderly man turned back to his guests. "My granddaughter has quite the imagination. Please pay her no mind," he said hurriedly.
"That's so cool!" Strago tried to hush the girl, but she ignored him. "I thought only the geezers around here could cast!"
Terra mirrored the child's smile. "The people here can use magic?"
Over her grandfather's protests, Relm chirped, "Of course! This is the Village of the Magi!"
Strago nearly hit himself in the head with his staff. "Relm, what have I told you about telling strangers certain…aspects…of our lives?"
"Oh, what a fussy old man! What does it matter, anyway? They can use magic, too!"
Strago gave a heavy sigh of defeat. Celes quirked an eyebrow at Leo, and Shadow chuckled in amusement.
"I guess I should explain," the Thamasan began wearily. "We who dwell on this island are indeed descendants of the Magi. A thousand years ago, near the end of the War of the Magi, our ancestors were hunted down. Some escaped to this island and thus remained in seclusion to the present day, hiding from those who would kill them for their gifts."
Terra lowered her head. "People hated them for being part Esper…?"
Strago nodded solemnly. "Even those humans who did not breed, but merely learned from the powers of magicite were despised." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "So, you're looking for Espers, eh?"
"We believe they came here, yes," Leo confirmed.
"And what do you want with them?"
The general glanced at Terra before answering. "To make them understand the threat to their kind is over."
Strago stroked his mustache. "I'll have to speak with the elder before I can tell you anything more."
"Of course."
The sage turned to his granddaughter. "Relm—"
"I know, I know," she interrupted. "I won't say another word. You old windbag," she finished under her breath.
Strago offered to let his guests stay at his house until he returned from the elder's. When he left, Terra knelt down to Relm's level.
"Hi, Relm. I'm Terra."
"Nice to met ya!"
"So, you can use magic, too?"
"All my life." The child studied the older woman some more. "You've got power." She switched her gaze to Celes. "Both of you do. I can feel it."
"You have quite a sense for these things for someone so young," Terra noted.
"The Magi bloodline is really weak now, but Gramps says I'm special or something. I think the elder called me a prog…a prod…"
"Prodigy?" Celes ventured.
"Yeah. But I think they're just senile."
Leo shook his head at the girl's outspokenness, a smile playing across his face.
"What's so funny?" Relm demanded.
"Oh, you just remind me of someone."
"Really? Who?"
The general stole a glance to Celes. "A young girl I used to know. She had your spirit."
"What happened to her?"
Leo shrugged. "She grew up." He paused for a moment. "Oh, how rude of me. I'm Leo."
Relm shyly took the hand the man offered and shook it lightly.
"That's Celes, Locke, and Shadow," Leo finished.
"Shadow?" The girl cocked her head. "Funny name."
"And Locke isn't?" the assassin muttered.
"Hey! All good treasure hunters need a name that identifies with their trade!" Locke claimed.
Relm scrunched her face. "Treasure hunter? What is that, code for thief?"
That got Terra giggling, and even Celes had to cover her mouth with her hand to conceal her smile. The 'treasure hunter' glared at both of them (though inwardly overjoyed at the blonde's reaction), and Relm just blinked, not getting what the big deal was.
"Grownups are weird."
"It is not the same thing," Locke mumbled.
Ignoring him, Relm made another query. "What do the rest of you do?"
Leo took Terra's place in crouching down to Relm's level. The girl's candid enthusiasm was a welcome change from the strictness of his home.
"Well, Celes and I are Knights of our lord in Vector."
"As in swords and honor and stuff like that?"
Leo looked up at his fellow general. "Yeah, something like that."
"Cool. And Terra?"
"She's a mage who's acting as our…negotiator."
"What about Mister Broody over there?" Relm wondered, jerking her thumb towards the man in black in the corner.
"Mercenary," Shadow answered simply.
"That doesn't sound very friendly."
As if to prove her point, the assassin looked away and didn't respond. It was then Relm noticed the dog sitting at Shadow's feet.
"Puppy!"
"Stay away. He bites."
Despite Shadow's warning, the girl rushed over. The canine, however, didn't seem at all bothered by the attention, and Shadow let his head fall into the palm of his hand when his companion's tail start to wag.
"Interceptor…"
When Strago reappeared, his guests, except for Shadow, focused their attention on him.
"I'm afraid the elder denies you any further information regarding the Espers, having found no reason to trust those of a 'warmongering nation,' as he put it. I'm sorry," he added at seeing Terra's crestfallen expression.
"You did what you could," Leo said.
"Feel free to stay at the inn overnight," Strago offered. "It's rare we have visitors, but Glenda keeps it up fairly well. I'm sure she'd give you a good deal."
Leo bowed. "Thank you again."
The older man held the door for his guests as they left. On the threshold, Shadow looked over his shoulder.
"Interceptor, come."
Obediently, the dog left Relm and followed his master. Once they were all outside, Leo turned to his fellow general.
"Celes, why don't you arrange accommodations at the inn. I'll go find Tamith and Brandt and tell them to join us so they're not stuck outside all night."
"Alright."
By dusk, the four Imperials were standing around a small wooden table in the non-private room of the inn. In an effort to decide their next move, they pondered over the crude map the two captains had come up with in their time outside the village. On one of the beds, Shadow and Locke were passing the time with a game of cards, with Interceptor dozing on the floor near his master's dangling foot. Lastly, Terra was curled up on the comforter of her bed, overtaken by sleep. The Imperials spoke in low tones so as not to disturb her.
"I think the mountains are our best bet," Leo was saying. "Celes?"
The blonde nodded her agreement. "I definitely felt the strongest waves of magical energy coming from that direction."
"Ok, we'll leave at dawn tomorrow. Sound good to everyone?"
Their were various mumbles of accord. When Terra began to whimper in her sleep, Celes, Leo, and Locke all looked over at her in concern. The mage had curled into an even tighter ball and was twitching faintly. Abandoning the map, Celes went to her own cot to pick up her cloak. With more gentleness than the thief thought possible, the general carefully covered her friend with the silk-lined garment, briefly stroking Terra's soft green hair, and the girl stilled.
With a tiny smile, Locke turned back to his cards. "She's been having bad dreams like this for a while now."
"Poor kid," Captain Brandt murmured.
Interceptor stirred and whined anxiously as a flickering orange light filtered through the thin window drapes, drawing the attention of the inn's guests.
"What is that?" Leo asked worriedly.
Leaving Terra's side, Celes walked to the window, pushing the cloth out of the way.
"Fire," she breathed.
Leo joined her at the window, and as soon as he saw the flames, both generals abruptly headed for the door.
"You guys stay here," Leo called over his shoulder as he and the lady general hurried out.
Locke sent Shadow a questioning glance, but the assassin shook his head. Interceptor gave another whine.
The two Imperials ran to where many Thamasans were gathered in front of the blazing manor. Strago was running in panicked circles.
"Relm's in there! Do something!"
Celes and Leo traded looks, coming to a silent decision. The latter unclasped his cloak in preparation to enter the house, while the former approached the house, stopping several yards from the front entrance. The door had already caved in, and the opening was engulfed in fire. Before either could do anything, however, Locke raced by and dashed into the building.
"Locke, no!" a now very awake Terra cried after him.
Cursing aloud, Celes closed her eyes in concentration, holding her hands slightly away from her body. When icy spheres of blue energy grew out of her palms, she dropped to the ground, slamming the energy into the earth. Two wide bands of ice took flight from her hands, combining into one stream and skimming across the surface of the soil.
Within seconds, the frozen river reached its destination. Snakes of ice slithered up either side of the entrance, solidifying the tongues of fire into a stunning crystalline frame around the door.
Beauty was not Celes' intent, though, and she poured all her focus into paving a path of ice to aid Locke in finding Relm. She remained crouched and now staring at the burning edifice, her hands glued to the ground with the energy flowing out of them. Beads of sweat began to streak down her face, as it took every ounce of her power and control to sustain her conjuring. Her breathing became shallow and ragged as her reserves drained, and, in the end, she collapsed.
"I can't do it… The flames are too strong…" she rasped as Leo and Terra helped her sit up.
Minutes seemed an eternity as they ticked by, with no sign of the thief or the child. Strago had calmed to more of a shocked idleness. Then, out of the flames leapt a large black dog, followed closely by a familiar mercenary, and lastly, the endearing thief. The two women and Leo were surprised to see that it was Shadow who carried Relm on his back.
Even while the Thamasans gave their praises to the two heroes, Locke dropped himself down into the grass near his companions, coughing the smoke out of his lungs. Celes looked wearily at him.
"If I had the strength, I'd hit you right now."
Locke returned her gaze, startled by her actually speaking to him. Was that concern he saw in her eyes?
"Why?" He flashed a roguish grin. "Were you worried about me?"
He could nearly taste the venom in her glare, and he cringed.
"I think the smoke poisoning has made you delusional," she threw back.
Though the anger behind it was greatly diminished by her exhaustion, Locke could still tell she bore continuing resentment towards him.
The lady general attempted to stand.
"Celes, I think you should take it easy," Terra warned. "You used a lot of magic, and the aftershock might—"
She was cut off.
"Terra, I didn't train all my life to be incapacitated by one overuse of—"
Celes very suddenly suffered a severe head rush and slumped backwards, submitting to darkness. Leo stepped into her to stop her fall, supporting her across her shoulders.
"Oh, yeah, you're fine," he teased. "Locke? Would you take her back to the inn for me? I'd like to check on Relm."
"Sure."
The thief took gentle hold of Celes, unaware of his own soft smile as her head lolled against his shoulder. Scooping the unconscious woman into his arms, Locke followed Terra back to their room. Once there, he carefully laid Celes down and pulled the blanket over her. Oblivious to Terra's inquisitive gaze, he watched the general for a moment longer as she slept. Finally, he shook his head and left her in peace.
((ooo))
"Feeling better?"
"I'm getting there," Celes replied with a yawn.
"Well, get there soon, because we're leaving shortly," Leo told her.
"What's got you in such a good mood?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.
"You know those mountains we were talking about? Strago confirmed that if the Espers are anywhere, that's where they'd be."
She raised an eyebrow. "I thought he wasn't going to tell us anything more?"
Leo smiled. "Last night he said he'd help us in whatever way he could in thanks for saving Relm."
"Convenient."
"Yeah. Just get ready."
Less than twenty minutes later, Celes stepped out of the inn, greeted by the morning sunlight and a quick question of wellness from Terra. Locke only expressed his concern silently through the brief moment of eye contact Celes allowed.
Relm bounded up to her. "Gramps told me what you did. That was amazing!"
Celes responded with no more than the tiniest smile at the girl's praise.
"Anyway, I just wanted to thank you."
The older blonde waved it off. "Don't worry about it."
It was then the lady general noticed the figure in black apart from the group. He crouched close to the ground, scratching the ears of his dog. After a short nod to Relm, she strode over to him.
"It seems I have served my purpose," Shadow said, not looking up.
"Looks like. So you're leaving, then?"
"Something has come up."
"Bad memories, huh?" she guessed.
"Something like that."
"You'll only get half your pay."
"I'm aware."
Celes motioned for her captain. "Two thousand."
As soon as the mercenary received his money, he called for his dog to follow and disappeared seemingly into the wind.
((ooo))
"Hey, Gramps, are you sure the Espers are here?" Locke asked, looking up at the towering peaks.
"Can't you feel it?" the old man murmured.
"Feel what?"
"The magic," Terra answered.
"It's so thick I could probably draw it into my blade," Celes followed.
"Even a normal human should be able to at least feel a tingle from its presence," Strago told him.
The thief glanced at Leo, who simply shrugged.
"Meaning?" Locke pressed.
"Ancient lore says the Espers were created deep within these mountains. This is holy ground for them, so if they're anywhere in this world, it's here."
It took them hours of navigating the maze of mossy tunnels and steep cliffs to reach a large enclosed space. Bottomless chasms lined the walls, but there in the middle, illuminated by a beam of sunlight cast in from a natural skylight, stood three golden statues. Locke's eyes lit up with a glint of treasure-lust, but Terra caught his attention and shook her head no.
"The Goddesses," Strago whispered reverently. "Creators of magic… They say the Espers molded these figurines out of respect to their makers."
Locke moved closer. "If these are just images, where are the real Goddesses?"
"Beyond the reach of humans, most likely. I'd say they lay dormant in their stone prisons deep within the Esper realm."
The others could only nod, dumbstruck by their fascination. When finally they moved on, which involved literally dragging Locke away from the gold icons, they rounded the corner and nearly ran over a short but familiar figure.
"Relm!" Strago cried. "What in gods' names are you doing here?"
"I wanted to help!"
"But it's dangerous here! Relm, you have to go back. Leo will take you, won't you, Leo?"
"No!" the girl protested. "I want to stay! I can help!"
"No, Relm. Leo is taking you back, and that is final."
"No!"
The child darted under Celes' arm and behind her legs. The older woman stared down at her in surprise, but quickly closed that side of her cloak, concealing the girl completely.
Leo's brow raised in question. "What are you doing?"
"She doesn't want to go," Celes answered simply.
"And you would shield her?" Leo shook his head. "I always knew your maternal instincts would surface eventually. I just didn't think they'd be so backwards," he finished, ignoring her glare.
Celes switched her gaze between Leo and Strago as she argued on Relm's behalf.
"She's here already, and she'll be safer with the five of us than alone or just with you, Leo. Why not let her stay?"
The older general looked to the child's grandfather. The latter rubbed his forehead in exasperation.
"Alright," he yielded.
Relm emerged from within Celes' cloak. "That's better. Now let's go!"
The child began to skip ahead until she felt a hand on her shoulder holding her back. She looked behind her and grinned sheepishly at seeing Celes' admonishing, however gentle, expression.
"Or I could let someone go ahead of me," the girl amended.
At that, Locke, being the habitual cave-explorer, took the lead. Another hour passed before a narrow trail on the cliff-side finally opened into an echoing cavern. Terra was disappointed to see it empty of life. That is, until the shadows began to move.
Locke instinctively reached for his dirk, but Celes grabbed his hand, giving him a pointed glance of warning. The thief didn't know what stunned him more: the woman's touch, or the unearthly beasts that suddenly surrounded them.
One of the creatures took a step apart from the others. He had the appearance of a giant wolf standing erect, his yellow eyes bright and alert.
He looked at Strago and Relm. "We have no quarrel with you, Magi. But these humans…"
"Wait."
Another Esper stepped forward. His muscular form, curved horns, and shaggy mane of fur gave the impression a small behemoth. His eyes were kind, though, and he had an air of civility.
"I sense a familiar presence in these two. Maduin," he presumed with a smile to Terra, "…and Shiva," he finished in surprise with regard to Celes.
"The child of Maduin…" the first mused admiringly. "But of Shiva? That's impossible. Shiva never conceived."
"And yet her spirit lives within this one… I am called Yura. Tell me, children of earth and ice, what brings you here?"
Terra took a nervous step forward. "We…we're here to tell you the threat to your people is over. The emperor has ended the war and is hoping for peace between our realms."
The Espers all murmured to each other in a mixture of excitement and doubt. Yura hushed them.
"Truly?" he questioned.
Leo answered. "As representatives of Emperor Gestahl, Lady Celes and I can both assure you that the emperor has every intention of making a pact that will change the course of our worlds forever."
((ooo))
They had returned to Thamasa. Leo and Celes were exchanging apologies for various transgressions with Yura. Terra, Relm, and Strago had been chatting with the other Espers, but now stood watching the progression of the peace talks. Locke stood apart from them, a glum look on his face.
"What's with him?" Strago asked. "He looks so depressed."
Relm flipped a pigtail over her shoulder. "He's in love with his enemy's general. Did he expect it to work out?"
The old man looked down at his granddaughter. "Relm, it's not nice to speculate about others' personal lives."
The child crossed her arms defiantly. Terra just blinked. Then they noticed the thief in question cautiously approaching the now unoccupied lady general. He tapped lightly on her shoulder and awaited acknowledgment.
"Yes?"
"So… I guess you'll be going back to Vector then, huh?"
"That's right."
Locke didn't understand. He had watched the icy general soften for a child she barely knew, yet she still refused to say more than a terse word to him.
"Look, in honor of the alliance, why don't we start over?" He extended his hand in mock greeting. "Hi, I'm Locke. I'm…well, I'm a thief."
That caused Celes to meet his gaze, if only for a moment, before she had to turn to hide the bit of laughter that managed to slip out.
"I can't believe you just called yourself a thief."
"It got you smiling, though, didn't it?" he replied with an impish grin.
She shook her head in disbelief. "…I hate you."
The thief merely looked at her expectantly, and finally she permitted their eyes to meet again, allowing him to see her genuine smile.
"See Gramps! I told you!" Relm squealed.
At the girl's outburst, the eye contact was immediately broken and the smiles vanished when both Locke and Celes looked away from each other.
All seemed well, however, until an unmistakable laugh shattered the tranquility.
Author's Note: Ok, I admit I kind of skimped out on a couple of those scenes, but…I don't care. This chapter kicked my rear end all over creation, and I just wanted it done.