Disclaimer: The only things I own are the plot interpretations and the rapidly declining-in-humor disclaimers.
-Wheeze- This chapter kicked my rear end all over creation and left me for the vultures. To make the sequence in Kefka's Tower easier to follow, I used three different text styles for the three teams. It still gets a little confusing, though, even for me.
Chapter Twenty-six: Dancing Mad
She awoke in a cold sweat covering her nude body. Ever-recurring dreams of the past and visions of the future had left her shaken, almost on the verge of panic. It wasn't until she felt a warm arm around her waist and an even warmer body snuggled up against her back that she found some comfort. She looked over her shoulder at Locke, still asleep with a few strands of hair covering his eyes.
It was then she realized what had woken her up; there was a strange flutter in her stomach, a flicker in her mind.
As smoothly as she could, she lightly kissed her lover's forehead and slid from his arms. Quietly, she dressed, the odd feeling growing heavier with every passing moment. It was a want. No, that wasn't right. It was a craving, a shadow being cast over all else.
After clasping the Rune Blade to her belt, Celes glanced around the room, her eyes eventually coming to rest on the Ragnarok. She took a couple steps towards it, then shook her head and walked to the door. She reached for the doorknob, but her hand stopped and hovered just before it as she looked back over her shoulder at the Ragnarok. Her palms began to sweat and her pulse quickened as her heart pounded in her ears and her breaths grew shallow and rapid as her mind swirled and the room became a blur of colors, all mixing into each other as they seemed to dance in place until finally she walked back across the room, the floor threatening to pull her down with every step, and grasped the hilt of the Ragnarok.
The overwhelming sensation evaporated.
Her pulse and breathing returned to normal.
The room stopped spinning and her vision was again clear.
With a sigh, Celes swung the sheath onto her back and carefully buckled the strap across her shoulder and under her arm. Seeming to be calmed by the sword in her possession, the knight proceeded out the door.
((ooo))
Locke came out of his room, sleepily scratching the back of his head. He saw Shadow leaning against the tree by the inn, gazing off into the distance with his arms crossed.
"You're up early," the thief noted.
"I don't sleep," the ninja responded.
"Ah."
"If you're looking for Celes…" Shadow didn't finish his sentence, instead inclining his head towards a small hill just outside Thamasa. "She came out about a half hour ago and has been up there ever since, watching the sunrise."
Locke looked in that direction, indeed seeing her standing atop the knoll with her back to the village. He ran a hand through his hair and scratched the back of his head again, realizing that Shadow had been gazing at Celes when he came out of his room.
"You seem fascinated by her."
Shadow tilted his head towards Locke, and past the mask, the thief could see amusement glinting in the ninja's eyes. His answer, however, was quite humorless.
"Let's just say the lady and I have a rocky past."
Locke chuckled. "An assassin and an Imperial general… I can just imagine…"
A fleeting connection between what the two men had just said crossed Locke's mind, but as quickly as it came, it was gone, so he shrugged it off. A moment of consideration, and the thief turned towards the café. He was greeted by the sight of Terra sitting at a small table with a mug of coffee.
The mage gave a small wave. "Good morning."
"Doesn't anyone sleep around here?"
"Apparently not."
"We have a long day ahead of us…"
Terra smiled, but the sadness behind it was lost on the thief. "I'll have plenty of time to rest once this is all over."
"Yeah, let's hope."
Gradually, the others began to wander into the café. For the most part, no one said anything, opting to remain in comfortable silence. Setzer was the first to leave, mumbling something about warming up the Falcon, and Gogo soon followed. Mog tapped Umaro on the arm to get his attention and gestured to follow him out the door.
One by one, the others reluctantly stood from their chairs and made their way to the airship. When only Locke, Terra, and Edgar were left, the three met each other's gaze and nodded in an unspoken pact; they started this together, and they were going to finish it together. As one, they got to their feet and walked out the door.
Before they reached the airship, Locke broke from the other two to get Celes. The knight still stood on the hilltop, and, partially concealed by the white cloak she wore, her Genji armor glinted in the orange light of the rising sun. As the thief watched, a zephyr of wind picked up, sweeping Celes' hair and cloak back almost majestically, and for a reason that eluded him, he felt sad.
((ooo))
Celes stared numbly at the ascending sun, fidgeting with a piece of faded blue cloth. Standing there, she felt a vague familiarity, an evanescent sense of déjà vu that she couldn't place. The Ragnarok pulsed once in its sheath, drawing her out of her daze.
The damned sword proved a paradox. It was comforting to know it belonged to her, but it was unsettling to know that she belonged to it. It's weight against her back was soothing, but its black tendrils of power weaving their webs across her mind and soul were suffocating.
Two arms snaked around her waist, and she jumped at their touch,
"Sorry," Locke apologized, tenderly kissing her neck. "Didn't mean to startle you. Are you all right?" As the blonde muttered something unintelligible, the thief noticed her tremble."Celes, you're shaking."
She shivered more as his warm breath brushed against her ear. "It's the Ragnarok."
Suddenly, Celes' head snapped up as her own words registered with her. The familiarity was now clear as day. A part of her wondered if she wasn't merely dreaming it again.
"What's wrong?"
"…Nothing," she lied, discreetly pulling out of his embrace. "You need something?"
Locke studied her for a moment, marveling at her mood swings. "We're all set to head out and, you know, save the world and stuff." He quirked a grin, but Celes' mind was obviously elsewhere. "You ready?"
"Yeah. Always."
((ooo))
"Anyone have an idea what we're up against?"
"Kefka is drawing on the power of the three Goddesses," Strago told them in answer to Edgar's query. "If we destroy the Statues, we may just have a chance at beating him."
Edgar noticed that his brother seemed to be brooding. "Something wrong?"
Sabin crossed his arms as he voiced his concern. "The Goddesses are the source of all magic, and their energy is what gives Espers life. So, if we destroy the Statues…"
Strago nodded solemnly. "All magic will no doubt disappear from the world, and the Espers with it."
"Then…"
Edgar finished for Sabin. "What'll happen to Terra?"
Save for Celes, Gogo, and Strago, they all looked to the green-haired mage.
Terra shrugged sadly. "What must be done will be done."
"But, Ter…" Edgar shook his head. "There has to be another way."
"There isn't."
"But…" the king's mind reeled. "How long have you known this?"
"A while."
While the Returners were quiet for a long moment, Relm's brows furrowed in deep thought. "Um, guys?"
Edgar looked at the girl. "Yes, Relm?"
"What about Celes?"
The woman in question gave a small bittersweet smile that went unnoticed.
Locke's stomach lurched in dread. "What about her?"
"Well… " Relm stared at the older blonde woman. "She's part Esper, too."
"Is that a fact?" Celes replied noncommittally.
The child didn't take her eyes off the knight. "I may be young, but I'm not stupid. It doesn't matter how artificial you claim it to be, Celes. It's still there. In me and Gramps, the Magi bloodline is so thinned it won't matter, but… Magic is a living part of you, and if it dies…"
Relm couldn't finish the thought, and everyone's gaze became fixed on Celes.
The blonde sighed to herself. "Kefka must be destroyed," she looked Terra straight in the eyes, "no matter what the cost."
The half Esper gave a supporting nod to her friend. Locke's heart sank, and the others were again speechless as they absorbed this new revelation. Both women took the time to put a little distance between them and the group, moving to the railing at the back of the Falcon.
"We're doing the right thing," Terra affirmed, sounding as though she was trying to convince herself. "They'll realize that someday."
Celes simply nodded, and slowly, Terra's eyes welled and her bottom lip quivered as her strength melted away. The others could only look on as the green-haired mage leaned her head on the taller woman's shoulder, her tears rolling down the blonde's armor.
"I don't want to die," she whispered.
Unseen by the others, Celes' vision blurred with her own unbidden tears. She opened her mouth and tried to admit that she didn't either, but her pride wouldn't let her. Instead, she said the only thing she could: nothing at all.
((ooo))
Two hours later, Kefka's Tower loomed in the distance. The Returners were by then focused on the necessary task of deciding on a plan of attack.
"We can infiltrate from several different locations," Edgar proposed. "It should make finding the Statues easier."
Celes nodded. "Agreed. Three Statues, three teams."
Strago spoke up. "I'm too old for this sort of thing. I'm afraid I'll have to sit this one out."
"As will I," Gogo followed. Celes looked at him in shock. "I have done my duty," he explained. "The rest I leave to you."
Reluctantly, the blonde nodded in acknowledgment. "If anyone else wishes to withdraw, speak now. No one here will hold it against you."
Relm was prodded by Strago. "Sorry, old man," the girl declined. "I'm in this fight."
No one else spoke. Celes crossed her arms and looked at the deck in thought as the general in her took charge. "We need to divide our strengths equally among the teams."
"Especially you three," Gogo said, gesturing towards her, Terra, and Relm.
"Yes," Strago agreed. "Trust your magic's intuition. It will lead you to the Statues."
"Alright then, Terra, Relm, and I will lead the three groups."
Relm beamed. "I get to lead?"
"In a manner of speaking." Celes deliberated for another moment, mentally weighing out her comrades' strengths. "Sabin, Cyan, and Mog will go with Relm. Edgar, Setzer, and Umaro, you three are with Terra. Locke, Shadow, and Gau, you're with me."
Everyone nodded in accord.
Gogo put a hand on Celes' shoulder as he addressed the group. "If you happen upon the last two dragons, the Seal of Crusader will be broken. I must warn you, though, that the Three Destroyers of Nations are a terrible force. Should they be summoned, they will show mercy to no one."
"We'll remember," Edgar promised.
As they waited for the airship to come within range of the tower, the warriors double-checked their weapons and supply packs. After she and Terra gave final words of advice to Relm, Celes stood out of the way of the others, again fidgeting with the blue cloth. She felt someone come up beside her.
"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked quietly.
She ignored the question. "Locke, whatever happened to your bandanna?"
The thief was caught off guard by the random query. "I, uh… After the whole end of the world deal, I…" He took a breath. "I tied it to a seagull, hoping it would find one of you guys and let you know I was alive." He smiled sheepishly. "Just a fool's hope, I guess."
Celes almost smiled. "I wouldn't say that."
Without meeting his eyes, Celes took his hand and placed the piece of cloth in his palm. She closed his fingers around it and, without a word, walked away, leaving Locke to stare dumbfounded at the bandanna.
((ooo))
With the actual task of defeating Kefka occupying most of their thoughts, the Returners were for the most part distracted from the possibly tragic consequences. Truthfully, setting out on their mission was all they could do to keep their spirits up.
Standing on the bow of the deck, Celes drew the Rune Blade from its sheath and held it before her, gazing upon her trusty partner of almost six years. Hearing Setzer's call of arrival at the eastern wing of the tower, she kissed the shaft and re-sheathed the sword.
"Cel."
The knight turned to her closest friend, and the two locked arms. "Let's end this." Terra gave a tiny smile and a nod to show more confidence than she actually felt, and Celes briefly put a hand to the younger woman's cheek. "See you up top."
The blonde hopped over the rail of the Falcon, not even bothering to use the rope ladder down to the fortress' surface. Locke, Shadow, and Gau quickly followed. Within minutes, Relm, Sabin, Cyan, and Mog landed on the western wing. Setzer then handed the airship over to Strago as he, Terra, Edgar, and Umaro dropped down on the northern end.
Team One
The first thing Relm noticed as she led her team onward was the bizarre construction of Kefka's stronghold. Half of it appeared to be composed of land mass, probably from the Floating Continent. Soon, though, the terrain turned industrial as they entered what looked like a section of an Imperial warehouse.
All too soon, the four came to an impassable gap between them and the way forward. Sabin noticed the controls for the moving platform appeared to be on the far end of the room near a set of stairs from an unknown origin.
Mog looked down into the deep chasm that delayed them. "Kupo."
Relm slapped her forehead. "Crap."
Team Two
Terra looked around in confusion. Her team had just walked into a prison cell of the Imperial Palace. Edgar tried the cell door, but it was locked tight.
"Interesting," Setzer mumbled.
Umaro stomped over to the door, and Edgar promptly stepped out of the way. The yeti slammed his fists into the iron, and the gate flew off its hinges. The four walked out of the small unit into the extensive cell block but stopped when they heard a deep rumble. They turned to locate the source of the almost feline sound and saw two glowing red eyes that barely illuminated the massive form crouched in the shadows.
The beast slowly rose and, for all its bulk, stalked gracefully towards the warriors. "I am Atma, born in the realm of magic and forgotten in the river of time."
"Didn't we already kill this thing?" Edgar whispered to Terra.
"I've had an eternity to ponder the meaning of things," the beast continued. "Now I have an answer."
Setzer swallowed. "I don't suppose it would involve fluffy kittens…"
Tendrils of smoke rolled out of Atma's abundantly-toothed maw, and soon, tongues of blood-red flame licked their way out. His tail lashed about as he took a challenging stance, towering above the tiny humans.
Setzer nodded. "Didn't think so."
Atma's fierce gaze never left the humans. "The only certainty in life is in death."
"How poetic," Edgar muttered as he swung his crossbow off his back.
Team Three
Celes swept her gaze over the familiar setting of an Imperial Magitek Factory. "Did we go through a time portal or something?"
"Looks like," Locke agreed.
"Kefka molded this tower out of the Floating Isle and Vector," Shadow mused. "Charming."
Celes strode down the catwalk and came to an intersection. She could see the path to the left led nowhere, so she led her group to the right. They quickly found themselves at a dead-end, with nowhere to go but back the way they came.
"Oh, come on," Celes nearly whined.
Locke glanced over the rail of the catwalk, where another level of the factory awaited exploration. "Down?"
"That's a
three-story drop," Celes noted.
"You jumped out of the Falcon…"
"That was fifteen feet."
"And?"
"After you."
"No thanks."
"Uh huh." Celes turned around and started back. "Smartass."
Team Two
"Watch out!" Edgar warned.
Setzer was nearly lacerated by Atma's claws, but Umaro grabbed the beast's tail and pulled him out of range of the gambler. Annoyed more than anything, Atma thrashed his muscular appendage, throwing the yeti into the wall. Edgar shot off a round of crossbow bolts, but only a few stuck into the beast's leathery hide. The others bounced off the spiky armor on his back. Before Edgar could dodge, Atma swung his head and impaled the king's side with a massive horn.
"Edgar!" Terra cried, running to his side.
Enraged, Umaro tore a cell door off it hinges and heaved it at the ancient fiend. Setzer hacked at Atma's legs with his sword and ducked behind his Force Shield when the beast sent a charge of electricity at him. Flames leapt from Terra's fingertips and danced over Atma's flesh, making the demon roar in pain.
A towering wave conjured by the fiend crashed down on the four warriors.
Team One
Sabin and Relm stared each other in the eye. Neither blinked. Neither backed down. "One, two three, four, I declare a thumb war!"
Cyan crossed his arms. "Patience…'tis a virtue."
Relm didn't look up from her epic battle of thumbs. "Have you ever noticed how only old people say that when they're losing their patience?"
Mog tapped his spear on the ground in boredom. "We're stuck here, and the others are all probably having a kupo old time!"
Team Two
Atma released a storm of blazing energy that ripped through the cell block. By the time it dissipated, the four warriors were writhing on the ground in agony. The beast loomed over Terra, ready to finish her off with a snap of his teeth.
In desperation, the mage pulled the Atma Weapon from her belt. The blade sprang to life, and she plunged it up into the beast's chest, With a oddly low yelp, Atma staggered back, his legs partially collapsing under him. As blood poured from his wound, the beast slunk back into the shadows. The four warriors took the opportunity to pick themselves up and escape out of the cell block.
Each whispered a curative incantation to cleanse their wounds before pressing on. Terra trembled slightly when she found herself walking through a section of the Magitek Research Facility, and Edgar put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. At the bottom of q stairwell, the four saw Relm and her group sitting on the other side of a wide split in the floor.
"Finally!" the child sighed in relief at seeing the others.
"Ed!" Sabin shouted. "Hit the controls!"
Edgar made his way over to the panel and hit a button. The platform across the way shifted, allowing his brother's team passage to the other side.
Team One
Waving in thanks to Edgar, Sabin was the first to step onto the platform. Relm, Mog, and a hesitant Cyan followed suit. They were carried across the gap and made their way through the door, Relm shuddered as she and the other three entered what appeared to be a lab room from the M-Tek Research Facility, where broken containment tubes that once housed Espers lined the walls.
They came out of the industrial setting into a more earthy terrain. Almost immediately, they were hindered by an incomplete bridge.
Relm groaned. "Son of a—"
Team Two
Setzer glanced back over his shoulder as if expecting something to jump him from behind. "Was it really wise to leave Atma alive?"
"He's not who we're here to fight," Edgar reminded.
"Right." The gambler wiped his forehead in exhaustion. "Give me a dragon over that thing any day, though."
"Um…" Terra stopped abruptly.
Edgar wasn't watching and bumped into the mage. "Sorry. What is it?" He followed her gaze, then turned to punch Setzer in the arm. "This is your fault. Again."
"What?" Setzer also looked up ahead and cursed not so quietly. "I take it back."
A dragon with scales shining like gold blocked their path. Without warning, a bolt of lightning crashed down between the warriors, throwing all four in opposing directions.
Team One
Relm paced back and forth in front of the half-bridge. "This sucks."
"I don't think I could even jump that far…" Sabin said regretfully, watching as Cyan gently clashed his sword against Mog's spear in a light sparring session.
The young girl growled in frustration and kicked a rock down into the inconveniently-placed gorge.
Team Two
The Dragon of Thunder bellowed, and lightning erupted in the air.
Umaro and Terra countered in unison by conjuring storms of ice and fire. Just as Setzer threw a few well-aimed cards, Edgar's chainsaw whirred to life.
Team Three
Finally, Celes and the others reached the lower level of the factory. Locke was whistling a melody that sounded suspiciously like the aria the former Imperial had sung, but when he noticed her glare, he quickly switched to a jauntier tune. Rolling her eyes, the blonde knight chose to ignore the thief's obnoxiousness.
When they passed under a catwalk, a large fiend with claws like pincers dropped down and blocked their path. In the blink of an eye, Shadow whipped two shuriken at it, slicing both arms off. Celes followed by flinging her knife at the creature, embedding it right between its eyes. The ninja and knight exchanged glances, then shrugged and continued on after Celes retrieved her dagger.
Locke let out a whistle. "Hell hath no fury…"
Gau ambled on ahead of the others. When he came to a rocky overhang, he jumped up and down, yipping happily at seeing Relm and the others below. In the midst of his antics, Gau happened to step on a hidden switch, causing the bridge below to extend fully.
Gau's three companions came up behind him and watched in amusement as Relm and Mog raced to the other side of the bridge. Sabin gave the other team a thumbs up as he and Cyan crossed, and the four disappeared into a different region.
Celes walked on, gesturing for the others to follow. Entering a new area, they immediately happened upon a bizarre creature slithering along the floor tiles.
Locke tilted his head. "What is that?"
A closer look revealed it to be the living carcass of a dragon. Bright green spines adorned its head, back, and tail, and a noxious fume was emitted from its mouth.
"Those spines are poisonous," Celes warned. "Don't get stung."
Locke cracked his knuckles. "Long distance fight, eh?"
Shadow grunted. "Can do."
The thief took out his boomerangs, and the ninja withdrew a stack of shuriken from his belt.
Celes put a hand on Gau's shoulder. "Magic only, okay?" she reminded gently. "Don't Rage."
The boy nodded. Shadow aimed one of his stars.
Team One
Relm and her group stared up at the structure before them. There was an uncanny resemblance to the Imperial Palace. On either side of the aisle on which they stood, there as a iron gate separating them from another two walkways. Directly ahead of them was a large industrial-looking door.
Sabin tried to push it open. It was locked. "You've got to be kidding. This is absurd!"
Relm shook her head, a slightly crazed glint appearing in her eyes. "No, no, it's an omen. It's a higher power trying to tell me through dead-ends that we're all going to die. Oh gods!"
Team Three
The enclosed space made keeping distance from the Dragon of Poison difficult. It's lumbering crawl could quickly turn into a lunging sprint with an unexpected burst of speed. More than once, one warrior or another was caught within a hazardous distance of its poisonous breath and stumbled back, gagging as they uttered prayers of remedy.
Finally, the projectiles of Locke and Shadow, combined with the ice and fire Celes and Gau churned out, took their toll. With the dragon's last breath, a blinding light flashed. When it dissipated, a shard of magicite lay on the ground before the warriors. Warily, Celes picked it up.
"Destroyers of Nations," Shadow whispered.
"What do we do with it?" Locke wondered, peering at the stone over Celes' shoulder.
Staring into the gem's oily black center that seemed to radiate evil, the knight reached an easy decision. Slowly, she raised her arm before hurling the magicite down at the ground. The stone shattered like glass into thousands of tiny shards.
Locke raised a brow. "That works."
"Crusader would've perished anyway," she reminded. "Let's go."
Team One
"Kupo! It's Terra!"
Relm shot up from sitting on the ground and nearly threw herself at the gate barring entrance to the left aisle. "Save us? Please?"
A concerned look crossed Edgar's face. "What's wrong? Are you in danger?"
Relm sucked in a breath as if about to deliver tragic news. "The door won't open."
"And we're bored," Sabin followed.
"Again," Mog agreed, batting like a cat at the pom-pom above his head.
"Aye," Cyan nearly yawned.
Terra chuckled, shaking her head. The two teams heard a knocking on the bars across the way. They looked over to the aisle on the right side and saw Locke waving to them.
"Hello all," the thief called.
"It appears everyone still lives," Cyan noted.
Setzer grinned. "Always a good sign."
Celes took in the haggard appearance of Terra's group. "You guys look a little beat up."
"Atma," Terra explained.
"And the Thunder Dragon," Edgar added.
Setzer rubbed the back of his neck. "In rapid succession."
Locke winced. "Ouch."
"Yeah."
"The Seal of Crusader is broken," Celes told the other groups. "We killed the last dragon."
"And Crusader?" Terra inquired.
"Destroyed."
"…Good."
Relm sighed. "You guys are having all the fun…"
The two other teams exchanged glances that conveyed otherwise. Locke walked the length of the walkway and came to a dead end. There was an odd metal plate on the ground. In experimentation, he stepped on it. Nothing happened. Seeing this, Edgar walked down and found a similar plate on his side. The two men stepped on the plates at the same time, and a door on the central aisle slid open.
Almost giddy, Relm started for the new exit, but when Locke and Edgar stepped off the switches, the door closed again. They cringed when the girl swore loudly. Sheepishly, the thief and king pressed the switches and remained where they were. Relm ran through the door as soon as it reopened, followed by Sabin, Cyan, and Mog.
Another switch straight ahead did nothing when pressed. There was a path leading left or right, and on impulse, Relm chose to go left. As soon as all four Returners had crossed an unseen line, a gate slammed down behind them, preventing them from backtracking. Following the hall, they came out a door and found themselves directly above Edgar and the other three.
A mechanical arm holding a large stone block hung from the balcony with a control panel nearby.
"Ed!" Sabin called. "Move!"
When his brother was out of the way, Sabin pushed a button on the keypad, and the stone block was lowered onto the switch below. The gate separating Terra's team from the center aisle lifted.
Team Two
Terra led her group up the same way Relm had gone until she was forced to turn right, and another gate slammed down behind them. Finding the same mechanism at the end of the corridor, Edgar repeated the process his brother had done, opening the way for Celes' team.
Team Three
Celes strode down the center aisle and came to the switch in the next room. Terra and Relm came back in on their respective sides, and all three women stepped on the plates. A stone wall slid down and disappeared into the floor in front of Celes, and a bridge extended behind her, both opening a new path and cutting off the old. Without being asked, Locke slinked along the bridge and found himself on a balcony above the center aisle. There was nothing obviously out of place at first glance.
On a hunch, the treasure hunter ran his hands along the stones of the terrace and eventually noticed a particular block that wiggled. He pushed it, and the sound of moving stone rewarded him. Backtracking to Celes, Shadow and Gau, he nodded to Terra and Relm.
"The way should be open for you guys again."
"We're close," Terra breathed. "I can feel them…"
Celes and Relm both nodded in agreement. The power of the Statues was like a homing beacon, growing stronger with every step they took.
While the others turned back to find a new set of stairs on either side, Celes and her team continued forward. Standing steadfastly in their path was a behemoth-sized machine looking like a compact version of an M-Tek Armor.
Celes tilted her head in recognition of the massive but squat sentry robot. "Guardian? Great."
Locke looked at her. "You know this thing?"
"Imperial General."
"Oh. Right. So…"
"Remember the Tunnel Armor?"
"Yeah."
"Like that…only…with Tek Missiles and Megaton cannons," she said quickly, "but…"
"Go for the sensor eye?" the thief guessed after a heavy sigh.
The sensor in question, unnoticed by the warriors, swiveled around and focused on the four.
Celes awkwardly ran hand through her hair. "Um…sure."
Shadow crossed him arms. "Your confidence is overwhelming."
"Guardian is…it's an Elite sentry unit. It was only in the test phase back when I was a general, but…it's supposedly indestructible."
"Wonderful."
"It looks a
little rundown, though," she noted.
Without warning, a rotary chamber on one of Guardian's arms spun and released a Tek Missile. Shadow and Locke leapt to one side, and Celes pushed Gau to the other. The rocket detonated behind them, collapsing the doorway and cutting off any escape.
"Intruder alert," a synthetic feminine voice chimed. "Lethal countermeasures activated."
Locke coughed on the smoke and debris. "Well, that part seems to work just fine."
TeamsOne and Two
On either side of the ensuing battle, separated only by steel walls, Terra and Relm's teams followed the Imperial-esque corridors. Both stopped and listened, however, when they heard shouts followed by explosions coming from where they knew Celes and the others to be. A high pitched hum reminded Terra of a M-Tek Armor preparing to fire its cannons. The walls shook from the blasts, and dust floated down from the ceiling.
The two groups of four exchanged worried glances with their respective team members.
Team Three
"Hurry up, Cel!"
From her position of crouching behind Guardian, Celes bit her tongue to keep from snapping at the thief. At some point, the knight had worked her way behind the sentry robot and found its operation console. Guardian had been keeping Locke, Shadow, and Gau on the run with its constant Tek Missile launch. As the sentry was resistant to magic and regular weaponry, the three men could do little but draw its attention away from their female companion.
After only a couple minutes, Guardian began revving up its Megaton cannon along with the rocket assault, and somehow, Celes couldn't remember the override code. Now she worked desperately to manually countermand its attack program.
"I can remember every name, face, and rank of every man that ever served under me," she muttered bitterly, "every access code to every part of Vector's most secret laboratories, and every encryption code to the most protected and highly classified computer systems in the world, but I can't remember one standard override code."
"Ten seconds until Megaton cannon preparation complete," the sentry announced neutrally.
Celes cursed under her breath as she worked to splice several wires of Guardian's console together.
"Five seconds until Megaton cannon preparation complete."
The former Imperial finished splicing the wires and replaced them back into Guardian's core. Entering a different code, Celes waited anxiously for the robot's response.
"Override complete. Enter new command now." With a sigh of relief, Celes typed in the order to shut down. "Running program 'Shut Down' now."
With a hiss of steam, the mechanized sentry lowered its squat body, and the red light of the sensor eye went out. The four warriors stood and brushed themselves off.
"Your timing is much appreciated," Shadow remarked as he adjusted his mask.
"Definitely," Locke agreed.
Celes was about to respond, but she abruptly looked towards the exit stairway, tilting her head to the side as if listening closely to something.
"What is it?"
The woman distractedly met Locke's gaze, but instead of answering, she turned on her heel and walked up the stairs. Shrugging in confusion to the ninja and wild child, the thief followed after her.
When the three men caught up with Celes, they found her standing entranced in front of an imposing woman encased in stone. The figure's armor and helm were wreathed in solidified flame, and a devilish scythe rested chained to her hand. Her once divine wings stretched towards the heavens, while her torso melted into a hellish demon that lay poised on the ground.
Team Two
Terra was enraptured by the heavenly form that would seem to herald the coming of salvation, were it not for the monstrosity on which she stood. The skull of a wicked being, with hair made of motionless snakes, glared at the half Esper through narrowed eyes.
Team One
Relm stared up in morbid fascination at the grossly deformed Statue. The six-armed deity sat atop a pillar of bony corpses where beady yellow eyes peeked out from within the cartilage. Her bat-like wings and fiendish horns gave her a satanic appearance.
Team One, Two, and Three
Enthralled, all three women reached out and rested their palms on the smooth stone of the Statues, closing their eyes as a humbling power washed over them. In place of contentment, though, each was alarmed by the tainted energy the Goddesses exuded. Behind the spiral of darkness in the once pure light, Celes, Terra, and Relm heard a faint whisper in their minds.
Free us…
Though separated from each other, isolated to their own corner of the tower, the three mages spoke in unison.
"Doom…"
"Goddess…"
"Poltergeist…"
"She must be purified."
"She must be sanctified."
"She must be revivified."
The power of the three mages and three Goddesses mingled, and beneath the humans' fingertips, the stone deities began to pulse with glowing light. Sabin felt a chill radiating from the Statue and suggested Relm step back from it.
Edgar cautiously moved to Terra's side. The field of static electricity surrounding the mage and Statue made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.
Locke put a hand on Celes' shoulder. He recoiled when his fingers were burned by the Statue's blistering-hot energy.
The air around the Goddesses shimmered, and when the three women finally dropped their hands and backed away, the mythical deities defied their stone prisons and came to life. Confident their teammates were behind them, Relm, Terra, and Celes drew their weapons.
Holding her dirk away from her, Relm stared at it until a mystic glow surrounded it. As if by the spark of flint, tongues of fire that would sear through Doom's frost trailed along the blade, completely engulfing it.
A sphere of cold energy surrounded Celes' sword-holding hand. From the hilt of the Rune Blade, a sheet of ice skated across the steel and coated it fully, ready to temper Poltergeist's blaze.
With a flash of light, the cerulean blade of the Atma Weapon became liquid flame to douse Goddess' lightning.
Six arms waved about, throwing spears of ice at Relm and the others. Relm countered by sending balls of flame at the misshapen Statue. Sabin and Cyan unleashed powerful attacks of Blitz, claws, and katanas, and Mog danced up a storm of elf fires and other crafts learned in his travels. The four warriors fought against the bitter cold of the continual glacial blizzards called by Doom.
Everything in a twenty yard radius was charred and sizzling by the fiery hell Poltergeist had created. Celes attempted to match the god's inferno with her snowstorms as Locke, Shadow, and Gau were relentless in their rapid attacks. The deity's scythe and fiend's claws were effortlessly evaded by the four agile warriors, but her intense gales of fire and wind were not so easily avoided. A measure of telekinesis was demonstrated as Poltergeist sent shrapnel and other debris flying at the four with no more than a thought.
Lightning struck the ground and serpents struck overhead in an unremitting onslaught. Terra and Setzer let loose a series of incantations that spanned their entire array of magic. Edgar made use of his chainsaw against the head of writhing snakes, and Umaro utilized his brute strength to hurl anything within reach at Goddess.
Drawing too close, Relm was swiftly seized by one of Doom's hands.
Distracted by casting an icy assault, Celes was knocked onto her back with a swiping paw of Poltergeist's lower half.
Terra turned too late, and one of Goddess' serpents coiled its body around her, lifting her into the air.
Towering over the knight, Poltergeist lifted her scythe high into the air and cleaved it down. Celes raised her Rune Blade above her supine body, and the ice-covered sword barely halted the descending axe. The fiendish lower half of the deity snapped its jaws at the knight's feet as she tried desperately to push herself away. Forsaking their weapons, Locke, Shadow and Gau threw out their hands and conjured a tempest of ice that drove the Statue back.
Relm struggled against the crushing force of Doom's grip while the deity lifted her arms up to exhale her icy breath on the young Magi. Pushing aside her terror, Relm pulled free her dirk-holding hand and plunged the fiery weapon into Doom's eye.
Terra called on her magic, and fire erupted at the base of the snake's body. The serpent released her, dropping the mage in front of Goddess. With a loud cry, she arced the Atma Weapon and severed the deity's head from her body.
Rising from the ground amidst the blizzard, Celes drew her Rune Blade back and charged forward. A mighty swing cleaved Poltergeist through the shoulder, across the chest, and down to the waist.
Defeated, the three Statues splintered into a pile of rubble. Relm, Terra, and Celes all fell to their knees as a shockwave of the Goddesses' dissipating power coursed through them.
Locke rushed over to the blonde knight and dropped to his knees behind her. Wrapping his arms around her shoulders, the thief held Celes against his chest, fearful of what would happen next.
Relm looked up at the concerned faces around her. Giving Sabin, Cyan, and Mog a thumbs up, she allowed the martial artist to lift her from the ground.
Terra stared at the heap of debris that used to be Goddess. When a hand appeared in front of her, she met Edgar's gaze. Terra placed her hand in his, and the king pulled the half Esper to her feet.
Shadow and Gau watched intently as Celes remained slumped against Locke's chest. Finally, she stirred, and the thief breathed a sigh of relief. When Shadow offered her his hand, Celes allowed the ninja to help her stand while Locke leapt to his feet.
Beyond the remains of the Statues, a portal awaited each team.
((ooo))
Stepping into the force fields, the Returners found themselves teleported up to a new level. Terra gave a quick hug to Celes. Before the knight knew what hit her, a small blonde-haired blur darted over and jumped on her, her small arms latching around the older woman's neck.
"Relm, can't breathe."
Celes gently set the young girl on the ground, and Relm immediately clung to Terra's waist.
"Hello to you too, Relm."
"You're both all right!" the child squealed.
The two older women shared a bittersweet smile. It wasn't over yet.
Edgar looked at the ground. "The Goddesses are defeated, yet magic still lives."
"It's Kefka," Terra said, looking to Celes for confirmation. "Everything's connected to him now…"
The blonde knight nodded. Everyone exchanged glances, communicating a silent consensus. Banding together, twelve warriors entered a clearing at the tower's summit.
"Why have you come here," a voice echoed, "when only death awaits you?"
"We were in the area," Setzer answered mockingly. "Thought we'd drop in and say hello."
"It ends here, Kefka," Terra declared firmly, ignoring the gambler's attempt at humor.
"You wish to fight me?" Their was no apparent source to the voice. "For what purpose? Only death can come of life."
"That's not true!" the half Esper denied. "There's a whole other side to life filled with joy and peace and—"
"Love?" he finished patronizingly.
"Yes."
Kefka barked out a laugh. "You're all pathetic!"
Relm shouted in a very unladylike fashion, "OH YEAH? COME SAY THAT TO OUR FACE, YOU BIG WEENIE!"
A snicker surrounded them. "That's one spunky little girl you have with you." There was a pause. "I'm going to eat her."
Relm drew back. "Ew."
"Come on, Kefka, show yourself!" Edgar challenged.
With another chuckle, the jester stepped out of the shadows. "Have it your way." Before their very eyes, Kefka divided and multiplied into ten identical entities.
Relm's eyes went wide. "Oh crap."
The warriors all drew their weapons as the ten clowns began to dance mocking circles around them. Something, however, seemed off.
"Everyone be quiet," Celes ordered.
"But Celes—" Locke started.
"Just wait."
Celes closed her eyes, letting her other senses take over. Ignoring the warnings of the others when a Kefka came up behind her, she let him strike. The sword passed through her without injury.
She opened her eyes. "They're shadows."
"They can't hurt us?" Terra wondered.
"No…" Celes watched warily as one of the clones danced near Terra. When the jester thrust his sword, the knight swung her blade down on his. Following the loud clang of steel on steel, the blonde threw a fist into his jaw. "But the real one can."
The real Kefka grinned evilly as he stepped back into the confusing throng of look-alikes. Sabin and Cyan started slashing at the shadows in hope of hitting the true jester, but they all leapt out of range, cackling madly.
Celes quickly grew annoyed and grasped her pendant. "No one move. It's about to get a little chilly." She drove her Rune Blade into the ground and, with years of experience and pent up anger fueling her, invoked the most formidable conjuration of ice known to the magical realm. "Glacies absolutus!"
In a peripheral ring of atmosphere surrounding the warriors, the temperature plummeted so rapidly and so extremely that air itself ceased its continual circulation and turned to ice. Eleven of the twelve warriors, Umaro included, shivered uncontrollably in the sudden blast of arctic freeze, exhaling billowing puffs of breath.
Celes, remarkably unaffected by the unearthly cold, watched as nine Kefka's continued their ludicrous dance while one stood immobile, encased in the normally deadly prison. Teeth chattering, the others gawked in awe as the Magitek Knight pulled her sword out of the ground and plunged it through the frozen wall. The ring of ice shattered, causing a visible ripple in the air where it was once again allowed to drift freely, and the temperature returned to normal.
Kefka, somehow unharmed by the lethal chill, stared down at the sword sticking out of his chest.
Calmly, he pulled the blade out and dropped it to the ground.
Author's note: The hilltop scene in Thamasa was another allusion to Celes' dream of chapter 19. For no particular reason, the second tune Locke was whistling was the theme from Indiana Jones. Both the dead-end omen of Relm's and the spunky girl comment are adapted from Buffy. "Glacies absolutus" is "Absolute ice," the equivalent of "Absolute Zero."
Battle sequences were cut short, yes, but I'm saving my strength for the important ones coming up, which, by the way, may take a while to get finished. Here's next chapter's teaser:
Pink flames engulfing Terra and dying down to reveal a feral-looking creature.
Celes throwing off her cloak and exposing glowing runes on her Genji Armor.