Rust Never Sleeps Remix: Alternate and Deleted Scenes Chapter 3, a final fantasy i-vi fanfic

Chapters Thirteen Through Sixteen

Table of Contents

Chapter Thirteen:
Plains, Trains, and Misappopriation
1) Terra/Celes Train Scene Variations:
_ _A) A discussion of what Locke had said to Terra.
_ _B) "Sunshine over two sparkly lakes."
_ _C) "Excellent hearing, my arse."
2) Derailed Train Aftermath Variations:
_ _A) The explanation for Celes' ice boot.
_ _B) Terra's bloody french kiss.
_ _C) Celes saves Terra and Terra versus Dadaluma. (Script Version)
3) Ending Scene Variations:
_ _A) Script version.
_ _B) Drunk Terra version. (Snippet.)
4) Biggs and Wedge scene. (Early variation.)

Chapter Fourteen:
On Our Way to Zozo
1) "The man who'd slit his mum's throat for a Figarian nickel."
2) Why Locke hides his Kohlingen accent.
3) Celes muses over leaving the Empire. (Short version)
4) Dicks in the military and Terra likes cleavage.
5) Locke's Past: Take Two (cut) and Vargas discussion. (Script version)
6) Meeting Ramuh:
_ _A) Variation 1. Ramuh refuses to discuss Terra's exact heritage.
_ _B) Variation 2. Terra remains calm upon learning her heritage.

Chapter Fifteen:
The Struggling Exposition
1) Celes and Terra:
_ _A) Celes brushes Terra's hair. Variation 1.
_ _B) Snippet.
_ _C) Celes brushes Terra's hair. Variation 2.
_ _D) "We don't always understand our emotions."
_ _E) Terra wakes up groped.
_ _F) "But you have boobs bigger than my head! I'm a bloody ironing board!"
2) Narrative Exposition (Dialogue version)
3) Battle:
_ _A) The Returners are attacked by a flash grenade. (Terra's POV)
_ _B) The Returners are attacked by a flash grenade. (Celes' POV)
_ _C) Celes and her one-liners. Terra got kidnapped.

Chapter Sixteen:
Blood in the Streets, Memories in the Wind
1) Battle:
_ _A) Terra can fight too.
_ _B) Celes and her one-liners again.
_ _C) Sabin bursts through a glass window.
_ _D) Esper!Terra makes an appearance.
_ _E) Celes faceplants into Terra.
_ _F) Esper!Terra summons Odin against the citizens of Zozo.
2) Narshe remains an independant state. (Opening Variation)
3) Ending:
_ _A) "Hang on to your underpants."
_ _B) Exposition prevents Celes from talking to Cid.
_ _C) Terra discovers why it's chilly out.

Chapter Thirteen:
Plains, Trains, and Misappropriation

A discussion of what Locke had said to Terra.

Terra hummed an agreement and continued to look out over the rolling landscape. Celes stared off in the same direction and tried to figure out what it was the cat-girl was so fascinated with. The blonde readjusted her standing posture and accidentally brushed Terra's hips with her own. This prompted the lavendera to giggle and begin purring like a sputtering motorbike.

Celes turned crimson at her mistake, but continued to pretend that such things were beneath her. There were other things at hand that required her attention, such as her investigation as to why Terra had reacted the way she had upon hearing Locke's past. "Say, Terra," she started, "I'm curious. What had Locke said to you that you finally got a grasp on?"

Terra's tail stopped swishing lazily as she took it in her hands to wring it out like a wet wash cloth. "I had said that out loud, hadn't I?"

Celes merely replied with a tightlipped nod.

"Back in Narshe," Terra continued with an averting gaze, "he had given me advice in telling people how I feel. Now I know why he had pleaded with me to not make the same mistake as him."

Celes was suddenly reminded of what had transpired on their trip to Figaro and Terra's sweet saccharine. Locke had been the cause of that? "And that's why you had-"

A furry hand was suddenly on top of hers on the railing. "I'll ask once more, am I that girl?"

"Sunshine over two sparkly lakes."

"Nothing odder than the fact that I've only seen one interesting thing since boarding the train."

"Really?" Celes snorted with laughter. "Out here in the sticks? I'm surprised. Was it someone who could actually string together an understandable sentence?"

Terra hummed an affirmation before fully turning and grinning shyly in Celes' direction. "Well," she said, "I think she can." The former general froze and found that she couldn't breathe. Had Terra just hit on her? No, that wasn't possible. She suddenly found the cat-girl embracing her close and pinning her to the guardrail. One of her clawed hands brushed a blonde lock from her eye. "I see… Sunshine over two sparkly lakes." She giggled softly and stared with half closed eyes. "Do you see what I see?" she asked.

Celes swallowed hard and nervously shook her head. This was so far out of her comfort zone. This behavior was so UnTerra-like, she didn't know how to react.

"Excellent hearing, my arse."
Notes: This is a leftover from an obscure FF8 reference that ultimately was cut.

A beep.

CELES:
Did you hear that? What was that?

TERRA:
Hear what?

CELES:
A high pitched…something.

TERRA:
I didn't hear anything.

A beep.

TERRA:
Wait. That?

CELES:
Excellent hearing, my arse.

The two enter the passenger car to find a few passengers in their seats and looking around. The noise has quickened in pace. Celes leads the two to the door connecting back to the dining car. However, she stops as soon as the door opens.

CELES:
Get back!

TERRA:
What's wrong?

Celes pulls a panicked Terra with her.

CELES:
*shouting*
Everyone to the back of the car! Emergen-

The car suddenly explodes, derailing the train.

The explanation for Celes' ice boot.

Celes hurt all over. To say that she was seriously injured was an overstatement. To say that she survived with a few scratches was an understatement. Her right ankle was screaming obscenities at her, but she couldn't understand the indecipherable yelling. The rest of her body felt as if someone had wrung her through a mechanical hand-cranked clothes washer. She was lying in soft grass, but had no idea how she had gotten there. One moment, she and Terra had been on a balcony and then-

Terra!

She attempted to snap to a stand, but found herself back on the ground when her right leg couldn't support her weight going upwards. Broken ankle or sprained or something, she couldn't tell which. All she knew was that it hurt like hellfire. Before attempting to stand again, she fashioned a boot cast with ice magic to help support herself. Walking would be difficult and there would be that constant magical drain, but there was no time to worry about such things. Semantics could go bugger themselves.

Taking in her surroundings, she discovered that the entire locomotive had become derailed in a purely awesome wreck. Several of its cars were alight with burning fire and, in most cases, on their sides and smashed to pieces. Thick acrid smoke filled the crash scene before her and billowed into the sky above like some kind of large black snake…that could fly and was very fluffy. She couldn't see any other passengers around her, only wreckage large and small.

"You find any other survivors?" came a gruff angry voice that echoed from the other side the remains of the nearby caboose.

Celes took cover behind the upright remains of what had been the top of a cargo car and held her breath. Her gut was telling her something wasn't right about this. That, of course, was a no brainer. People who enquired about survivors typically were panicked if they were out on rescue duty, not angry chain smokers.

"Nah, man," came a second seedy voice from the same location as the first. "Anyone who's still breathin's back at base."

"As for General Celes and the Fire Witch…?"

The second voice laughed. "Both slapped in anti-magic collars, courtesy of the Empire," he said with a slight beam.

The Empire was behind this! And Terra captured! Celes seethed and was barely able to control herself from rushing out there and doing something silly. But something was odd about what she had heard. How could she be captured and in anti-magic restraints when she was right here, not where they were keeping hostages, and clearly using magic to support her ability to remain upright?

The first voice brought her out of her reverie. "So how many 'guests' in total will we be supplying to the Empire?" he asked.

"About fifty," replied the second. "There could have been at least seventy, but Johnson had to hit a full car."

"Bloody Johnson! That's comin' out of his share!"

"Go easy on 'im, eh? He's still learning how to use that MagiTek Armor."

A horrifying thought started going around Celes' head. These weren't just your average run of the mill bandits, these were slavers with tech enough to derail a bloody train. She knew now that the Empire had some shady dealings, but dealing with slavers… Why? For what purpose? Surely not just to get Terra and herself back in their clutches. There was more to this somewhere buried underneath something that smelled rotten. She had to admit, this was low even by Imperial standards and those standards were as low as standards could get.

She had to find Terra, Locke, and Sabin as there was no way she was taking on an entire band of slavers injured and with only draining ice magic at her disposal. That was suicide. She didn't fear death, not at all, but that certainly didn't mean she had a death wish.

Terra's bloody french kiss.

Terra spat blood from her mouth. Funny story: the blood was not her own, but instead belonged to the gentleman screaming not too far away. He had intended to do something unspeakable to the unconscious Not-Celes beside her. She had offered herself in an attempt to halt his less than pure ministrations. The bait had been taken and he had found himself with a piece of his tongue missing. If they hadn't bound her or her magic, she wouldn't have had to resort to such crude but effective tactics. Interestingly enough, cutting off her magic had also returned her to normal, something she'd have to remember. She wondered if the choker around her neck had something to do with it.

In a rage, he screamed and came running at her with his dagger poised for a strike. She rolled onto her back and attempted to kick him in the chest with her bound feet, but missed her target completely. He dove on top of her and pinned her down by straddling her at her waist. He regarded her with a deranged grin as he waved the knife about before her eyes. She squirmed as he trailed the tip across her cheek, down her neck, and around her chest.

"You've got a lot o' spunk," he whispered harshly. "I like that in me women. I think I'll break ya first before going after girlie over there."

Only two things were going through Terra's mind at this point. This was a very troubling situation and his breath stank of booze, rotten fish, and a hint of some other nasty rank stench. It was retched. She truly wanted nothing more than to empty the contents of her stomach because of the smell. And to think she bit his tongue!

"Don't worry yer pretty li'l head," he uttered, "I promise I'll be gentle." He followed this up with self-satisfied chuckling.

Terra squealed and squirmed as he made a mad grab for the top of her dress.

"That's right! I loves squealin'!"

But then something strange happened. An extremely large and very bloodied icicle suddenly appeared and lodged between his upper and lower jaws. It kept growing, enough that Terra actually saw him look down to watch it. Realization dawned on him on what was transpiring before he gave her a pleading look, as if she could fix whatever was happening to him. This whole exchange felt to Terra as if it were a lifetime, but in reality had occurred in the span of several quick seconds.

If wasn't long before the ice spread to cover his entire head. Terra stared in morbid shock as he clawed at it as if his fingernails could scrape it off. His screams were muffled beneath his new helmet made of ice. Suddenly, two hands gripped the ice sculpture and quickly twisted, producing a wet snap and newly minted dead body. He fell to the ground beside her rewarding Terra with the greatest sight she could ever behold.

A scratched, bleeding, and generally disheveled Celes stood over her. The raging scowl on her face softened as she bent down to undo the binds.

As soon as the binds and gag were gone, Terra tackled her benefactor with a hug and rewarded her with a kiss. She would have also rewarded her with healing magic, but because of the strange metal choker around her neck she was unable to do so. "You're hurt," the emeralda observed with a pout.

Celes nodded weakly and collapsed to a sitting position on the ground. "I think I've got a concussion and a broken foot or something," she said. "I'll live."

Typical Celes acting tough and too proud to ask for healing, not that Terra could provide the service anyway. She discussed with the injured woman what she had discovered which led to first a shouted and frustrated swear, secondly a quick inspection, and then a declaration that she was now the proud owner of an Imperial seal collar, only removable with a master key. This meant that she had two options: find the slaver who held the key or have Locke use his thief magic. This brought about another query: Where were the men anyway? Celes hadn't seen either and had only stumbled upon Terra's locale by sheer dumb luck.

Terra decided to go out on a search for either solution to her magical dilemma and, despite the protests, left Celes in charge removing the binds on the civilians. The emeralda hated to say it, but with Celes injured and unarmed like she was she'd be unable to fight effectively.

Celes saves Terra and Terra verses Dadaluma (Script Version)

"Well, well," said the lanky redheaded one, whom Terra named Ginger McGinger. "Look who's awake."

The second one, a rather large balding egg-shaped fellow, giggled before turning to his friend. "I still find it hard to believe that this's that Fire Witch people been talkin' 'bout," Eggman crowed.

Ginger nodded. "Green hair, green eyes, pale skin like a bloomin' Doman. Believe it." He gave a grin that sent a chill down Terra's spine. "I have to wonder, Charley. Do ya think the carpet matches the drapes?"

What the hell was that supposed to mean? Terra owned no house that they could possibly critique nor did they look like they knew anything about making better homes and gardens.

Eggy giggled again. "Nah," he said. "There's no way, mate." Knuckles were cracked. "Gotta be a dye job."

Terra found herself looking upwards at the two slavers as they stared hungrily down at her. The angry look melted from her face as her eyes fearfully darted from one lust filled expression to the other. A feeling of dread was building in the pit of her being until it threatened to overthrow the fascist stomach regime and banish it to the cold outside world. A muffled whimper escaped as she tried to make herself smaller. She really could go for a tall frosty glass of rescue right about now.

Celes? Where are you?!

Ginger unbuckled the belt holding the pants to his person and let the article of clothing fall to his boots. "How's about we find out?" he said with a grin.

Sabin?

Eggy suddenly became angry and spat, "Why d'ya always get to go first?!"

Locke?

"Because I'm a not a fat bastard like you are." Ginger dropped down to his hands and knees to fill Terra's field of view with his ever grinning mug. She found herself unable to look away from his broken and rot-filled teeth. The smell radiating from his face was putrid enough to make the grass around her wither and turn black. She tried to squeal in protest and squirm away when his hands started exploring parts of her body that only she had been intimate with. "Don't fret, missy. I'm gonna take real good care of ya."

Anybody?!

Suddenly, a wet gurgling sound came from behind Ginger that loud enough to catch his attention. "God dammit, Charley!" he exclaimed. "Don't jack it while I'm working me mojo!" Terra heard a curious thud followed by more gurgling. This caused Ginger's licentious grin to disappear and his hands to stop their infernal wandering, much to Terra's relief. "Charley? What the hell you doin'?"

Behind Ginger's head, Terra caught a glimpse of sunshine. "Sorry, Red. Charley's dead," said an all too familiar voice. Before the slaver could turn around, a large and perfectly round icicle burst through his mouth, wedging his jaw open and sending blood and broken teeth flying. It kept growing, enough that Terra actually saw him look down to watch it. Realization dawned on him on what was transpiring before giving her a pleading look, as if she could fix whatever was happening to him. As if she could with sealed magic. This whole exchange felt to Terra as if it were a lifetime, but in reality had occurred in the span of a quick second. The voice continued, "And so are you."

Two hands gripped him by his locked jaws and quickly twisted, producing a wet snap and newly minted dead body. He fell to the ground beside her rewarding Terra with the greatest sight she could ever behold; a scratched, bleeding, and generally disheveled Celes standing over her. Her Celes had come for her in a violent rescue! Terra was so happy that she nearly wanted to cry.

The raging scowl on Celes' face softened as she bent down to undo the fabric around Terra's mouth. As Celes went to work, Terra took notice of all the injuries on the other woman. A bleeding gash on her forehead, several cuts on her face, another bleeding gash on her arm, and... Why was her foot and lower leg encased in ice?

The gag had only just been removed when Celes was suddenly sent flying with a spurt of blood. She hit the side of a nearby rail car with a THWOK and collapsed to the ground in a heap. Terra cried out in surprise before noticing the incredibly large gentleman demanding her attention. He was large, like an amalgamation of FireBeard, Sabin, and a chocolate glazed roast ham. He flexed his meaty fist before flexing his tree trunk of an arm.

DADA:
Oh, my… I truly hope she's okay. I didn't mean to hit her as hard as I did. I really just don't know own strength sometimes.

TERRA:
*nervously*
What do you want?

DADA:
Why, I'm merely here to make sure that everyone arrives to their destination safely!

TERRA:
So, you're here to take us all to Jidoor?

DADA:
Oh, heavens no! You don't want to go to Jidoor, sweetie! That hovel is full of greed and thieves! Nasty, horrible place! A plain looking girl like you will surely be gang-raped five minutes there!

The rail car that Celes had been thrown at suddenly is lifted into the air revealing Sabin, who has Celes' sword strapped his back, and Locke. It is thrown to the side much to the surprise of all parties involved save Sabin.

SABIN:
Hey, Dadaluma! Leave the girl out of this!

He leaps into the air and lands in between Terra and Dadaluma.

TERRA:
Sabin!

SABIN:
This is between you and me now.

DADA:
Oh, my! You're that same handsome fellow that flirted with me a few minutes ago! I'm not a fighter, handsome! I may just have to let you win this fight until another day!

SABIN:
Will you start making sense?! You punched me in the jaw! Your muscles have muscles! You wear judogi pants! That makes you a fighter! *pauses* And stop giving gay men a bad name!

DADA:
Oh, I really don't want to fight, sugar, nor do I enjoy the company of a good man.
*sighs*
But if I must! I get a slight squeamish at the sight of blood!

The two fight. Locke appears at Terra.

LOCKE:
You okay?

TERRA:
Celes is hurt! I need to get to her!

He removes her bindings.

LOCKE:
Sabin! Keep him off our backs!

SABIN:
Got it!

Terra runs to Celes and kneels beside her. She attempts curative magic but nothing happens. Again, Locke appears beside her.

TERRA:
No, no, no!

LOCKE:
So, when did metal chokers become your fashion statement?

TERRA:
I think it's sealing my magic! I can't heal her!

LOCKE:
Let me see it.

TERRA:
Hurry, Locke! She's not breathing!

A dagger suddenly impales the ground between them. They both lean back in surprise for a moment before moving forward again so that Locke can pick the lock.

LOCKE:
Argh! It's too complex!

Another dagger suddenly appears in the ground.

LOCKE:
And this jackass throwing daggers at us isn't helping!

SABIN:
You guys can step in to help at any time!

Another dagger appears.

LOCKE:
Hey, these are made of Mythril!

TERRA:
You got anything else you want to throw at us, you jerk?!

A pair of leather gloves smack Locke in the face. Runes on the cuffs glow as Locke holds them.

LOCKE:
I think these are Thief's Gloves!

He slips them on.

LOCKE:
Charms for deft hands and increases in luck, sneaking, and lock picking…

He takes another crack at the lock on Terra's neck. The metallic hoop splits in half and falls to the ground. There is a flash of rainbow and Terra is suddenly a cat-girl once more. She looks at her hands in shock for a brief moment before using curative magic on Celes.

LOCKE:
*awed*
Sah-weet…!

He leaps to his feet and bounds off to help Sabin. Celes suddenly sits up with an overly exaggerated gasp for air.

CELES:
*confused*
I'm- I'm alive?

Terra squeals in happiness and hugs her tightly.

CELES:
*con't*
Terra! You're killing me!

Locke suddenly flies into Terra, knocking her and her squeal from Celes arms.

LOCKE:
Hi.

CELES:
Uh, hi.

LOCKE:
You girls gonna help us or what?

Sabin skids to a stop nearby.

SABIN:
Baldur's Gate, this guy's tough! His damn flunkies keep showing up to distract me!

He removes Celes' blade from his back and stabs it into the ground.

SABIN:
*con't*
I think this is yours, by the way.

He bounds back into the fray. Locke follows. Terra stands and pulls her katana free.

TERRA:
Celes, hang back and support us the best you can.

CELES:
*surprised*
Wait. What? I'm a tank! I don't know any support magic!

Terra points in Dadaluma's direction with one of her blades.

TERRA:
*pissed*
Muscle-man is mine.

DADA:
Oh, please be gentle with me, big girl! I'm a fragile little flower!

TERRA:
*pissed*
Fragile, my bloody arse.

CELES:
Wait a second! Terra!

Terra takes off running into the fray, her twin blades trailing behind for balance. She dodges to the left to avoid a scythe swinging flunkie, who is immediately blasted with ice courtesy of Celes. She then dodges to the right to avoid another gentleman who is suddenly and screamingly engulfed in six-foot flames. She passes and cures Locke who was on the receiving end of a punch to the stomach. She passes Sabin who is swinging bad guys around like ragdolls and performs a run-by stabbing on a baddie who had snuck up behind him. Flunkies move in to protect their boss from the oncoming freight train that is Terra.

She casts Float on the slaver rushing to greet her. She immediately stops her momentum before they crash headlong into each other and, after using Gravity to alter the gravity orientation of her hand, guts him with the hilt of her left blade. The force of her hit, and the lack of gravity for him, causes him to fly higher than physics would normally allow. She casts Float on herself (thus cancelling the gravity effect on her hand), leaps into the air (narrowly missing two other slavers diving at her), and smacks him back down to the earth and into several of his comrades. They all go down in a heaping pile that is suddenly in the center of an exploding fireball. Terra lands on the other side, nose to nipple with Dadaluma. She frowns at him.

DADA:
*stammers*
What- What are you?!

TERRA:
*pissed*
You hurt Celes. That makes me very angry.

He suddenly points behind her.

DADA:
*panicked*
What the hell is that?!

TERRA:
…?

A MagiTech Armor smashes through an overturned boxcar, threatening to blast the tied up civilians. This threat is short lived after Celes fills the cockpit with ice. Terra looks behind her to find that Dadaluma is nowhere to be found. She joins the rest of the group in untying the civilians.

Ending Scene Variations: Script version.

Terra and Celes are sitting on the top of an overturned boxcar, legs dangling over the side and watching the sun set over the ocean.

CELES:
You're not a monster.

TERRA:
*teary*
I am so a monster. He said so. I saw the fear in his eyes. I killed those men without a second thought.

CELES:
Stop it. You are not a monster.

TERRA:
Monsters look like cats and kill people with fire.
*sniffles*
And gravity.

CELES:
*sighs*
Terra, real monsters kidnap people and sell them into slavery. Real monsters take advantage of people when they can't fight back. You do neither of those things.

Terra nods, but remains forlorn.

TERRA:
I need a shower. I feel unclean.

Celes hugs her.

CELES:
I know, sweetie. When we get to Jidoor.

Terra nods and gives a Celes a quick kiss.

TERRA:
Celes?

CELES:
Yeah?

TERRA:
The sunset's pretty.

CELES:
It's not as pretty as you.

Terra smirks and lays down with her head in Celes' lap. Celes absentmindedly soothes her hair. It isn't long before Terra starts purring. The two watch the sun dip below the ocean.

Drunk Terra ending. (Snippet.)
Notes: All that remains of an ending that relied on an "off screen" plot point where Celes failed in saving Terra from the slavers, resulting in Terra and Maria getting brutally molested. Afterward, Terra gets drunk to numb the emotional pain. Ultimately, the whole thing was deemed way too dark compared to the rest of the story, and was cut altogether.

TERRA:
*slurred*
I just kill people with fire.
*hiccups*
And gravity.

CELES:
You remember what I told you? In South Figaro?

Terra hiccups again and remains forlorn.

CELES:
*sighs*
It's us or them. Frankly, I'd rather it be them. I'm quite attached to living.

TERRA:
*slurred*
But-

CELES:
And I'm quite attached to you. So knock it off.

Biggs and Wedge scene. (Early variation.)
Notes: Filler scene that was later reused in chapter fifteen.

"Do you ever question why we're here, sir?"

Wedge looked up from his book and over to Vicks. The two of them, having fixed their troublesome MagiTech Armors, were standing guard over the Narshean esper. Although, Wedge did wonder sometimes what they were actually guarding it from. Since the battle on the summit, no one from the Empire had come creeping back. There hadn't even been curious townsfolk about for a quick peek, just the two men and their deadly bipedal mechas. He had to wonder if this was what Vicks was referring. "You having second thoughts about joining the Returners?" he asked.

Biggs looked surprised at that line of questioning. "What? Hardly, sir!" he exclaimed. "You can't go wrong with free coffee in the morning."

"Then what do you mean? I can't think of another definition for 'here'."

"What I meant was do you ever wonder what our purpose is in life?"

"I…actually never thought about it," Wedge said slowly.

"I've been thinking about it a lot, sir," Biggs said. "I feel like I've served my purpose and am no longer useful."

"Like you've overstayed your welcome?"

"Like a character no longer needed in a story."

Wedge nodded in agreement. He did indeed feel like that occasionally, quite often actually. Ultimately, he suspected that they were feeling this way due to the ungodly boredom that one usually felt in a podunk remote town such as Narshe. However, there was one thing that he was thankful for; he still had his health. Events that had occurred here in Narshe could have played out with very different outcomes. Just thinking about it made him wish he could stop thinking about it.

Chapter Fourteen:
On Our Way to Zozo

"The man who'd slit his mum's throat for a Figarian nickel."
Notes: Shadow's cut introduction.

Nightfall came, forcing the four to set up camp just off the beaten path within a cave within the mountain. Before retiring to her tent, Celes approached Sabin, who was scanning the landscape from the mouth. He seemed to be on edge.

"You okay?" she asked.

"I dunno," he replied. "Something doesn't feel right."

"You think Vargas is tailing us?"

"I'm not sure, Celes. I just know what I'm sensing." He sniffed the air. "Be careful sleeping tonight."

Celes was startled awake by subtle panicked breathing in her ear. She couldn't see, but judging from the soft furriness she felt on her unclothed body, Terra was clutching to her like a frightened cat. Something was wrong. The atmosphere was tense, suffocating. It quiet, deafeningly so. Through the ringing in her ears, she picked up on something audible outside the tent. Footsteps. Faint footsteps. If the ground outside the tent had been smooth dirt and not the rocky gravel it was, she'd never heard it. It wasn't Sabin. He lumbered about like a megalodoth. It could have been Locke, but Locke wouldn't sneak around camp like this. Not around them.

Celes gave Terra a pat on her hip to reassure her before slowly and quietly reaching for the hilt of her blade. If she could get out of the bed roll and the tent quietly enough, it was possible that she'd be able to rush whoever was skulking about. First one leg, then the second. So far so good. Barely a sound made. She was vaguely aware of Terra following suit.

Celes tried to keep calm, but her heart was trying to beat itself out of her chest. When she pushed the flap open to step out into the dark cavern, an absurd thought briefly flashed itself into existence. She was heading blindly into a possible battle stark raving naked. This was definitely a first and not something she imagined would happen in her life. Ever.

The only light in the cavern came from the ember remains of their campfire, but the glow was so dull and lackluster that it made the rest of the darkness darker than it should have been. She paused to listen to the environment. Her eyes would be useless here. She'd have to rely purely on her ears.

Surprisingly, Terra prevented her from taking the lead to do so herself. She led Celes by the hand to the mouth of the cave before stopping there. The light was more plentiful here, courtesy of the stars in the sky, which allowed her to see why Terra stopped. In the middle of the path, stood a shadow figure. It was a full head taller than Celes and half as bulky as Sabin.

It was a standoff. Neither party moved. Terra, however, did give off a feline growl before hissing. She was becoming more and more cat-like as the days rolled on. A dog in the distance made itself known by responding to Terra in canine kind. Celes readied her blade in anticipation of the attack that could come.

A man in all black accompanied by a dog… She knew this man or, more accurately, his reputation. "You're Shadow, aren't you?" she asked flatly. "The man who'd slit his mum's throat for a Figarian nickel."

There was no response.

"Why are you here? The Empire?"

Again, there was no response.

Why Locke hides his Kohlingen accent.

Locke approaches Celes sitting at the campfire and touches her shoulder.

LOCKE:
Get some rest, Lady. I'll take over from here.

CELES:
*yawns*
Snap. Is it that time already?

She vacates the log she had been sitting on and stretches out of the ground near the fire. Locke takes her place.

LOCKE:
Uh, you're going to sleep there?

CELES:
And be crushed in my sleep by that cave collapsing? No, thanks. Also, Terra and Sabin's snoring combined sounds like a damn freight train.

LOCKE:
*chuckles*
Understandable.

Silence.

CELES:
Hey, Locke. Can I ask you a question?

LOCKE:
Sure.

CELES:
Why do you hide your Kohlingen accent?

LOCKE:
…

CELES:
I know they sound like retarded buffoons, no offence, but why?

LOCKE:
You just answered your own question. Why ask?

CELES:
Just indulging in my curiosity.

LOCKE:
Fair enough.

Silence.

LOCKE:
It's true. We Kohlingers have a very…peculiar way of speaking, one that makes us sound uneducated anywhere else. The first skill my father taught me in becoming a treasure hunter was to mask how I spoke. He taught me to speak in such a way that no one could pinpoint my place of origin and attack my family in revenge.

Celes sits up.

CELES:
Why would a corn farmer raise his son to be a thief?

LOCKE:
Oh, for the love of- I'm a treasure hunter, not a thief. I take from the rich, thieves, and anything just lying around in caves and dungeons. I don't steal from those who are struggling to make ends meet. There is a difference.

Silence.

LOCKE:
Wait. Who told you my father was a corn farmer?

CELES:
Some crazy old bugger we ran into in Kohlingen. Claimed your father was a corn farmer and that he was hiding your partially alive fiancé in a basement or something.

LOCKE:
Oh, THAT guy. Forget what he told you. He's just a nosy-ass crackpot who can't even remember his own damn name.

CELES:
I see.

LOCKE:
Look. I got caught with Edgar the last time we passed through on Returner business. I know the story he spouts, so I'll tell you the same thing I told him. My father was a treasure hunter, not a farmer. Where this guy got that idea, I don't know. And I do know a girl named Rachel, who did have amnesia for a while, but she got better. Also, she's very much alive.

CELES:
I see. And I here I was starting to sympathize with you.

LOCKE:
Because you saw a parallel between us?

CELES:
Something like that.

LOCKE:
*laughs*
I appreciate the thought, Celes, even if it was misguided. If it's any consolation, I think Terra's lucky to have someone as patient and loving as you by her side. I know what it's like having amnesia. It's not a walk in the park.

Celes nods.

Celes muses over leaving the Empire. (Short version)

Celes couldn't keep her own smile or the fire in her cheeks at bay. She had no money, no home to her name, and not even a country to swear allegiance to. All she had were the clothes on her back, the adorable girl by her side, and the bottle of bourbon that Terra was smashing back like a champ. She felt glad that things had turned out the way they had. Who would have thought that leaving the Empire behind would bring her closer to those she held dear? Who would have thought that she had smiled more in the last several weeks than she had in the last two years? Who would have thought that the teeny, tiny Terra could pack away more alcohol than she could?

Dicks in the military and Terra likes cleavage.

"How come you don't flaunt yourself like Maria?"

"She and I come from different worlds, sweetie," Celes said. "She more than likely grew up armed with a silver spoon and was taught that in order to get what she wants all she needs to do is flaunt some skin and act cute. You and I were raised with silver swords and taught to fight for what we need. There was no acting cute in the military unless you wanted actual dicks in your face twenty-four/seven."

"Is that why you dress like a guy?"

"Partially. Also to stop arseholes from staring at my freaking bottomless cleavage."

"It doesn't stop me," Terra said with a sly grin.

Celes laughed. "Well, that's alright. You're not an arsehole."

Locke's Past: Take Two (cut) and Vargas discussion. (Script version)

The flirting in question had been awkward to watch, although not as completely one-sided as Locke had proclaimed. For Celes, it had been like watching herself drool stupidly over a man, a strange concept in itself. This briefly made her wonder if she had looked like that when she had been lovesick over Terra. Of course, she had nothing against Locke. He was a good looking fellow in a scampy sort of way; quiet, good natured, and occasionally daring. She could partially see why Maria would be fawning over him. He was the complete opposite of any boorish Jidoorian man she had ever met. Actually, scratch that. He was the opposite of any man she had ever met.

TERRA:
Poor Rachel.

CELES:
*hushed*
Terra!

TERRA:
What?

LOCKE:
Wait. How do you know about Rachel? No, wait. Crazy old guy? Talked a mile a minute? Claimed my father was a "kern spesh-ee-a-list"?

SABIN:
Sounds like him!

LOCKE:
Ugh. That bastard.

CELES:
So… Were we not supposed to know any of your past?

LOCKE:
No, it's not that. It's just that I don't appreciate some old codger going around pulling shit from his ass and forcing people to smell it like it's a bouquet of roses.

SABIN:
Isn't that Kohlingen in a nutshell?

Silence.

LOCKE:
Touché.

TERRA:
We were forced to listen to lies? …That's not very nice.

CELES:
Want me to freeze his bollocks and smash 'em to pieces?

Silence. Terra eventually sighs.

TERRA:
Oh, Celes…

CELES:
What?

LOCKE:
Look. Just leave the crazy old coot be. I don't even think he's all there in the head any longer.

CELES:
Fine. Fine. But now I'm curious. What was fact and what was fiction?

Silence.

LOCKE:
I have to answer that, don't I?

Sabin slaps a hand on his shoulder.

SABIN:
You do now, buddy.

LOCKE:
God dammit. Alright. Look, my dad was a treasure hunter. He's the reason I took it up. And as far as Rachel goes, we were engaged, yes. She did hit her head and suffer from amnesia briefly, but she never died in an Imperial attack and neither is she sleeping eternally in some crackpot's basement.

Silence.

LOCKE:
*sighs*
The whole thing is rather complicated and I'd rather not get into it.

TERRA:
Aw, why not?

CELES:
*hushed*
Terra!

Their traveling to Zozo had carried on in much this same manner. No surprises, just the four of them and their chocobos moving along at a steady pace. The conversation had been light-hearted until it turned to Sabin's history with the slaver Vargas, or Dadaluma as he called himself. At this point, Celes and Terra had fallen silent as much of the exchange switched between Locke's questions and Sabin's musings.

LOCKE:
Any idea as to why Vargas would suddenly want to sell people into slavery?

SABIN:
Money?

LOCKE:
*scoffs*
Besides that.

SABIN:
*shrugs*
No idea. He'd always been an asshole anyway. Maybe he just figured out a way to be an asshole and make money off it?

LOCKE:
And I thought you said he died during the fight with Ultros.

SABIN:
I didn't actually watch him die. I just assumed he had. I mean, what're the chances of someone getting thrown off a cliff and surviving?

CELES:
I'd have assumed the same.

Regarding Vargas the group was back to square one. They had questions, but no answers to how or why the son of the greatest martial artist in the world would stoop to such a deplorable act as slave trading. His connection to the Empire was even more troubling and just as unknown. Any reasoning or explanation that any of them could conjure would simply be conjecture.

This did raise a red flag with Celes. Did the Empire use slaves for experimentation? Could she have been a product of such a situation? Could Terra? Did the two of them have parents out there who had given up on finding their missing children? It was a possibility that she couldn't rule out. She couldn't, no, wouldn't rule out anything where the Empire was involved.

To think that at one time she had been so full of loyalty to the Empire. Now… Now she wanted nothing more than to watch it burn to ash from which no living thing could rise.

Ramuh refuses to discuss Terra's exact heritage.

The old man laughed in a loud, boisterous, infectious sort of way. He rose from his chair, revealing his full height. In Terra's amazement, she realized that he had to have been at least three heads taller than her. "Of course, I can speak it!" he said as his beard and mustache turned upwards. "My apologies, little one. I assumed you spoke Esperian. For the time being, the four of you may relax. You are no longer in danger from that which is Zozo."

SABIN:
I always imagined that Zozo was dangerous, but we had little difficulty in getting here.

RAMUH:
*grins*
That's because I helped you arrive here safely.

CELES:
What.

RAMUH:
I wanted to meet the girl whose magic I felt awaken.

TERRA:
…

CELES:
For what purpose?

RAMUH:
I will get to that in time, if you will so graciously allow me.

The group share a silent look.

CELES:
*apologetic*
Sorry.

Sabin snickers.

RAMUH:
Who are you, little one?

TERRA:
My…my name is Terra, but I…don't really know who I am.

RAMUH:
Terra, you say? And you lack knowledge on your identity? Interesting. Very interesting.

CELES:
You know something, old man?

RAMUH:
Why, yes. Yes, I might. Live as old as me, you might end up knowing something as well.

LOCKE:
*whispers to Celes*
If you live as old as him, I'd hate to imagine what your chest would-

Celes backhands him over her shoulder. Ramuh approaches Terra, flips back her hood, grips both her cheeks with one hand, and twists her head to look her over.

RAMUH:
Ah, yes. I see. Terra, was it? I bet you're wondering why you appear as you do, correct?

Terra nods.

RAMUH:
Allow me to impart some wisdom to you to help you control this ability.

Ramuh and Terra glow. She suddenly transforms back to her normal self. The rest of the group watch in amazement.

LOCKE:
Oh, wow!

TERRA:
I'm normal!

RAMUH:
To be fair, no matter which form you take you are normal. It is as much a part of you as your voice or your heart. However, you will find that as a human your magic, strength, and speed are now limited. Remember well the spell I just taught you to change back, but use it sparingly if you wish to retain your identity. The more you adopt your beast form, the greater your lust for blood will become. Honestly, I'm surprised it didn't overwhelm you.

CELES:
Did you just teach her a spell without us even knowing?

RAMUH:
Of course. It is an ability all of us espers possess.

TERRA:
Am I an esper? Is…is that why I'm different?

RAMUH:
Not quite. I suppose I should explain. I am Ramuh, Sage of the Espers. Although, I suppose you already knew the esper part since you managed to seek me out.

LOCKE:
Wait a second. This has been bugging me since Banon sent us to locate you. Don't espers live in another dimension separate from ours?

RAMUH:
We are originally from this one, so that does not mean there is anything stopping us from living here. We also come in a variety of forms; cats, bulls, warthogs, naked women. If you can imagine it, it exists. My appearance is bland according to human tastes, so I can live here as one without fear of being discovered.

SABIN:
But why hide the fact that you're an esper?

CELES:
The Empire, Sabin.

SABIN:
Oh, right.

RAMUH:
Correct. Humans and espers are incompatible creatures with no hope of…burying the hatchet as you people say.

LOCKE:
But my grandma told me that humans and espers once lived side by side. Was that just a bedtime story?

RAMUH:
Your grandmother was indeed correct as this was true at one point in history. Human and esper once shared this planet together. Some boners on both sides of the line led to the War of the Magi. One thousand years ago, we fought a mankind that had been infused with magic power stolen from us, much like the Empire's MagiTek Knights. It was a long drawn out battle, but once our greatest fighter Odin fell, we knew we had to escape to a realm created for us by us. We feared that if we remained here we would eventually be wiped out and made to go the way of the dodo. However, there were a few humans who sympathized with us and joined us in our cause. They were few, far between, and suffered prejudice at the hands of us. You could also say the opposite was true as well.

CELES:
There were espers that betrayed their own kind?

TERRA:
Why would they do that?

RAMUH:
Misguided fools with misguided notions that power hungry humans would spare them. Not all humans are mad, power hungry zealots. This I know. But not all of us espers were not guilty of goading the humans into reacting this way. Ancient history and irrelevant to the troubles of today, I assure you. Approximately twenty human years ago, humans who knew of us and what we possessed stumbled upon our hidden realm. Thus began the hunt for our abilities and powers to create an army of invincible super humans.

LOCKE:
The Empire.

CELES:
…

RAMUH:
Correct. As soon as we realized what was happening, I ordered the gate sealed and forced the humans out. It was a battle of epic proportions the resulted in several of us being captured to be drained of our powers or, like myself, forever stuck in this dimension and in constant hiding.

TERRA:
What does all of that have to do with me? You said you'd explain, but…

RAMUH:
We have much to discuss, little one, but be aware that some things are not my place to discuss.

Ramuh lifts Terra's head up by the chin.

RAMUH:
All I can say is that I helped bring you into the world and, after the incident that separated us all, I've spent all this time searching for you. And now here you are.

Terra remains calm upon learning her heritage.

SABIN:
I always imagined that Zozo was dangerous, but we had little difficulty in getting here.

RAMUH:
*grins*
That's because I helped you arrive here safely.

CELES:
Why? How?

RAMUH:
The second, I'm sure you have already guessed. The first… Tina, do you remember me?

Terra blinks in confusion before looking to Celes in support, who just stares at Ramuh in shock.

TERRA:
Do…do I know you?

CELES:
You know who she is.

RAMUH:
Indeed. I recognized her magical field the moment I felt it weeks ago. Hence, why I called her here. Why I allowed myself to be spotted as an esper.

CELES:
You wanted her to find you.

RAMUH:
Indeed. Now, little one, you seemed confused when I called you 'Tina'. Why is that?

TERRA:
My…My name is Terra, but…I don't know who or what I am.

RAMUH:
Terra, you say? And you lack knowledge on your identity? Interesting. Very interesting.

CELES:
You know something, old man?

RAMUH:
Why, yes. I might. Live as old as me, you might end up knowing something as well. And please, call me Ramuh.

LOCKE:
*whispers to Celes*
If you live as old as him, I'd hate to imagine what your chest would-

Celes backhands him over her shoulder. Ramuh approaches Terra, flips back her hood, grips both her cheeks with one hand, and twists her head to look her over.

RAMUH:
Ah, yes. I see. Terra, was it? I bet you're wondering why you appear as you do, correct?

Terra nods.

RAMUH:
Allow me to impart some wisdom to help you control this runaway ability of yours.

Ramuh and Terra glow. She suddenly transforms back to her normal self. The rest of the group watch in amazement.

LOCKE:
Oh, wow!

TERRA:
I'm normal!

CELES:
Did you just teach her a spell without us even knowing?

RAMUH:
Of course. It is an ability all of us espers possess.

TERRA:
Am I an esper? Is…is that why I'm different?

RAMUH:
Not quite. I suppose I should explain. For a very long time, humans and espers believed that they were incompatible together. Hence, the War of the Magi. Hence, we espers fashioning a realm for us to live in safety. However, we soon discovered that the two races were more alike than we thought.

TERRA:
Queen Frigg Asgard…

RAMUH:
*surprised*
Yes. Very good. You know of her. And considering that I can feel Odin's presence, you have even met her her remains. How I won't ask, but this makes things easier. In fact, your angry friend here bears a remarkable resemblance to her, both in appearance and magical presence.

CELES:
*blinks*
Magical presence?

TERRA:
You mean her magical field?

RAMUH:
Close enough. All living creatures give off a magical footprint that is unique to them. Think of it as an aspect of personality that those sensitive to magic can feel.

CELES:
Now wait a second, if I remind you of her that means…

RAMUH:
I brought her into the world, much like I did Tina. I wasn't a highly respected esper sage for nothing. But we are getting off topic. Queen Asgard was a half-cast. Half-esper, half-human, borne from the union of an Asgard prince and an esper humanoid female. The only one until Tina came along.

TERRA:
I'm…a half-esper?

CELES:
I bloody knew it.

LOCKE:
Wait. I'm confused. Does this mean you're over a thousand years old?

RAMUH:
In human years, yes. What most humans fail to understand is that time flows differently in our little realm. In fact, it practically doesn't. A time stand-still, if you will. To further shock you, "Terra," as you know her, was born in the esper realm just after the end of the War of the Magi.

Terra falls to her knees, while everyone else gasps in surprise.

RAMUH:
How you came to be called "Terra" I am curious about as your mother named you "Tina". I had assumed that you merely had been lost in this world when the Empire had attacked and raised by an unsuspecting human family.

TERRA:
I…I don't remember…anything.

CELES:
Terra and I grew up together. I can tell you that she spent a good chunk of this time in Imperial military hands as a soldier and then a slave to Kefka. What happened before I met her, I can't say. She never- No, refused to tell me.

Terra embraces Celes in a hug.

RAMUH:
*sighs*
So you were captured… I had feared it.

LOCKE:
You said the Empire attacked. What happened?

RAMUH:
I am afraid that will be all for this evening. Terra has much to absorb and I fear of overloading her with too much in one go. Plus, I am sure that you all are tired from your journey. Get some rest this evening. We can trade information in the morning.

Chapter Fifteen:
The Struggling Exposition

Celes brushes Terra's hair. Variation 1.

Celes tried to find meaning within the dancing flames nestled in the bricked fireplace. Hope was placed in finding an interpretation that would give her answers. Sadly, nothing useful came from the fire. No ideas. No answers. No inspiration. Only memories and reflection.

She never would have thought that the esper Banon had sent them searching for would turn out to be one who knew Terra, no less one who had brought her into the world. She never would have thought that she'd discover that her theory of Terra's source of power would be on the right track; a half-esper who had been born during the War of the Magi. Nor did she imagine that she'd ever hear that Terra had been at one time named Tina. She'd never be able to call her by that name. Terra had always been Terra, for as long as she knew. But Terra hadn't been the one who introduced herself back then. That award went to General Leo when he had dropped her off at the academy all those years ago. Maybe Terra, the old Terra, had known this information all along and just never shared it. Speculation dictated that there had never been a need to do so. On the downside, this Terra, the one sobbing alone outside, had had no clue and didn't know how to handle it all when it had been presented to her.

Celes slumped forward with a sigh. She had tried bringing Terra back in from the rain. "You're going to catch your death of a cold out here," she had said, but Terra had just buried herself deeper into her knees. Short of picking the girl up and slinging her over a shoulder, there hadn't been much else Celes could do to convince her to come back inside. She hadn't wanted to, but Ramuh had made it clear that Terra needed time to process the information. He had had more to share with the group, but had decided to postpone the discussion until Terra's green-haired head was back on straight. "It is in her best interests," he had said.

Celes had no idea how long she had been sitting in front of this fire. Minutes? Hours? Ramuh had retired long ago with murmurs of "Make yourselves at home." Locke and Sabin had hit their sacks not long after him, leaving Celes entranced with the fire's dance and Terra curled in a moist ball outside. At least, that had been Terra's last known location. Celes realized that this was no longer the case when she felt a wet touch at her shoulder. A look was not necessary to know who it belonged to. Celes could tell from the presence alone; a saddened presence and one that made her heart ache.

She disengaged from the flame to peer up at the other woman. Terra was shivering so hard that she was having trouble standing upright. Her hair was flattened, disheveled, knotted, and dripping. Her clothes were so wet that her dress clung to her legs and thighs like cling film to glass. Her chattering teeth sounded like a mechanical rabbit repeatedly thumping its foot on the ground. The most damaging of her appearance had been her eyes: swollen, bloodshot, and weary from tears. Overall, Terra was a walking posterchild for flood victim charities.

Celes stood and brushed drenched hair from Terra's face. "Oh, sweetie," she whispered. "You're soaked to the bone." Terra only nodded and averted her gaze in the darkness. If anything, she looked defeated. Suspicion was high that this was more embarrassment and exhaustion than anything else. "We need to get you out of those wet clothes." Celes inwardly frowned. Unfortunately, neither one of them had other clothing with them. Looked like Terra was going to have to wear a sleeping bag again.

She took Terra by the hand and led her into a room away from probable spying eyes. "Go and get undressed," she said. "I'll get a sleeping bag ready for you." She also thought it wise to grab Terra's hairbrush. That girl's hair was a mess and needed some attention before the knots dried and became further tangled. It hadn't been until she had both items in hand did Celes realize that Terra was just standing there, motionless with a self-deprecating frown.

At this juncture, Celes realized that she was going to have to help remove articles of clothing. Surprisingly, this went over with little fuss. Boots and stockings were removed. Terra's dress was peeled off over her head like a stubborn rubber sleeve. After an internal debate, knickers had been removed on the grounds that they were so soaked they were translucent. They were hung to dry along with everything else.

No sooner had Celes wrapped Terra in the sleeping bag, she found herself on the receiving end of a stare. This hadn't been one of Terra's usual timid, inquisitive stares. This had been a stare of someone on the verge of an emotional breakdown; uncaring and silently panicked. Terra whispered between her chattering teeth, "You don't see me differently. Why?"

Celes smiled and shook her head. "Of course I don't," she said before lightly tapping a finger on Terra's forehead. "What matters is in here. You're still the same person unless I'm mistaken."

Terra's tears started falling again leaving Celes feeling overwhelmed by it all. "I'm sorry," Terra murmured. "I'm being stupid."

"You were given some shocking news, sweetie," Celes said as she wiped tears from puffy eyes. "I think you're handling it rather well. Better than I would have, at any rate."

Terra nodded without enthusiasm, but attempted a smile regardless. "You would have called someone an arsehole and stormed off."

"There's that smile. For a moment I thought it had disappeared for good." In response, Terra withdrew shyly within her sleeping bag wrap.

It didn't take much goading to get Terra seated on a sleeping bag in front of the fire. It also hadn't taken much to convince her to allow Celes to brush the kinks out of her hair, despite some initial confusion on Terra's part. Before things had separated them, this had been a common occurrence. Celes had always loved brushing Terra's hair. It was a whole different experience when compared to her own thin and limp poor excuse for hair. Terra's curls were thick as tree vines and softer than a baby duckling's butt.

In the past, Terra had squirmed with every careful brushing. In the now, Terra sat between Celes' legs silently putting up with the occasional tug on a knot and every soothing brush stroke in between. Neither woman said a word, something Celes found odd. She was surprised that Terra hadn't brought up her new found ancestry. She was surprised that Terra hadn't even commented on, well, anything else that had transpired in the last day. She was tempted to start a conversation, but had a feeling that she'd receive a one-word answer, completely shutting the whole thing down. So they carried on with only the sounds of the crackling fire and the snoring Sabin in the other room to keep them company. How Locke was managing to sleep with that freight train rolling by, Celes had no idea. This, of course, was based on the assumption that Locke was asleep in the first place.

Once the brushing had been completed, Celes had felt a slender hand touch the inside of her thigh. She could have addressed it, but chose to remain silent. The crimson in her face would have told all if Terra had looked back.

Snippet.

Upon finishing, Terra leaned back into her chest and stared sideways at her. Her eyes were trying to tell Celes something; what she didn't know, but that look made her butterflies flighty in her stomach.

Celes brushes Terra's hair. Variation 2.

She disengaged from the flame to peer up at the other woman. Terra was shivering so hard that she was having trouble standing upright. Her hair was disheveled, knotted, and dripping. Her dress was so wet that it clung to her legs, thighs, and torso like cling film to glass. Her chattering teeth sounded like a mechanical rabbit repeatedly thumping its foot on the ground. The most damaging of her appearance had been her eyes: swollen, bloodshot, and weary from tears. Overall, Terra was a walking posterchild for flood victim charities.

Celes stood and brushed drenched hair from Terra's face. "Oh, sweetie," she whispered. "You're soaked to the bone." Terra only nodded and averted her gaze in the darkness. If anything, she looked defeated. Suspicion was high that this was more embarrassment and exhaustion than anything else. "We need to get you out of those wet clothes." Celes inwardly frowned. Unfortunately, neither one of them had other clothing with them. It looked like Terra was going to have to wear a sleeping bag again.

No sooner had Celes wrapped Terra in the sleeping bag, she found herself on the receiving end of a stare. This hadn't been one of Terra's usual timid, inquisitive, or star-struck stares. This had been a stare of someone on the verge of an emotional breakdown; uncaring and silently panicked. Terra whispered between her chattering teeth, "You don't see me differently. Why?"

Celes smiled and shook her head. "Of course I don't," she said before lightly tapping a finger on Terra's forehead. "Why should I? What matters is in here. You're still the same person unless I'm mistaken."

Terra's tears started falling again leaving Celes feeling overwhelmed by it all. "I'm sorry," Terra murmured. "I'm being stupid."

"You were given some shocking news, sweetie," Celes said as she wiped tears from puffy eyes. "I think you're handling it rather well. Better than I would have, at any rate."

Terra nodded without enthusiasm, but attempted a smile regardless. "You would have called someone an arsehole and stormed off."

"There's that smile. For a moment I thought it had disappeared for good." In response, Terra withdrew shyly within her sleeping bag wrap.

In the past, Terra had squirmed with every careful brushing. In the now, Terra sat between Celes' legs silently putting up with the occasional tug on a knot and every soothing brush stroke in between. Neither woman said a word, something Celes found odd. She was surprised that Terra hadn't brought up her new found ancestry. She was also surprised that Terra hadn't even commented on, well, anything else that had transpired in the last several days. She attempted to start a conversation with, "I can't believe how long your hair has grown." Which was true. She couldn't. The last time she had run a brush through this lovely hair it had been shoulder length. Now, it hung just above the small of her back. Sadly, Terra responded with an unintelligible noise, completely shutting the whole thing down.

Celes carried on in silence until she was satisfied that every drying strand of green was kink and knot free. She set the brush aside, and gave Terra's shoulders a rub signaling that the deed was done. She made an attempt to get up, but stopped when she felt a slender hand touch the inside of her thigh. She should have addressed it, but chose to remain silent. The crimson in her face would have told all if Terra had looked back.

"Will you… Will you stay with me tonight?"

It took a moment for Celes to find her voice and when she did it wasn't the right one. It was cracked and a higher intonation than usual. Terra leaned back into her chest and stared sideways at her. Those eyes were trying to speak; what about she could only guess, but that look strung up her heart and made everything go aflutter. She had wanted to say, "Do I have a choice? Your bum is on my sleeping bag." Instead, what had come out had been a stuttered, "I won't go anywhere until you tell me so." It was quite a stark difference, one that left Celes wondering what had happened. It was those eyes, she reasoned. They made her do the things she secretly wanted, yet couldn't do on her own.

Terra seemed satisfied with that response and lightly brushed her lips against Celes's own. Celes, meanwhile, was stunned and attempted to figure out how the situation had gone from cheering the other girl up to…whatever this awkwardness was. "Will you hold me until I fall asleep?" came a soft whisper.

Celes found herself responding, "I'll hold whatever you want me to." She immediately kicked herself for her smooth talk or lack thereof.

"We don't always understand our emotions."

TERRA:
You're projecting.

CELES:
No projection. You've always been the most honest person I've ever met. It's one of the reasons I'm so protective of you.

TERRA:
I wish I knew why I feel about things the way I do. I just know that I have them and it confuses me.

CELES:
That's part of life, sweetie. We don't always understand our emotions.

TERRA:
I'm sorry. I'm being stupid.

CELES:
Yes. Yes, you are. But you're allowed to be stupid considering the ball that was dropped on you.

Terra wakes up groped.

There were two things out of place that Terra noticed upon waking. One, she was nakeder than a defeathered blue jay. Two, there was a hand cupping one of her second bases. Her first instinct was flight and then fight from a safe distance.

"But you have boobs bigger than my head! I'm a bloody ironing board!"

Celes noticed two things outside Ramuh's quaint little penthouse. One, it was still raining cats and dogs. No surprise there. Zozo wasn't called the City of Sunshine because of its continual basking in the sun. And two, Terra was just beside the entrance, hugging her knees, and wetter than a sword handling nymphomaniac under a lake. The look on Terra's face was one that could break even the hardest of hearts. And it had. Celes had always taken pride in having a heart made of ice, but she found herself fighting back sympathy tears regardless. She squatted near the tear stricken girl and brushed rain soaked hair from bloodshot eyes. "Why don't you come back inside?" she said with a smile. "You'll catch your death of a cold out here."

"I want to be alone," Terra said with the monotone of someone who had too much to think about.

Celes chuckled and brushed dirt from Terra's face. Well, she had actually ended up smearing mud all over, but it had been the thought that counted. "Sweetie, if you truly wanted to be alone, you wouldn't be sitting at a doorway begging for attention." She tried again to wipe the girl's face clear and this time was successful.

TERRA:
No, I'm not. That's stupid.

CELES:
So stupid that it's proving my point.
*sighs*
You're going to make me sit in a puddle of water, aren't you?

TERRA:
I didn't ask you to come out here. Just leave me alone.

Celes sits next to Terra.

CELES:
I made a promise that I'd protect you from anything, including yourself. I intend to keep that promise.

TERRA:
I don't need protecting. I'm a monster. Can't you see that?

CELES:
No. Is there a reason I should? As far as I'm concerned, what matters is up here. Not your genetic makeup.

TERRA:
…I don't wear makeup.

CELES:
*sighs*
Your bloodline, sweetie.

TERRA:
But I'm…old enough to be your great-grandmother times infinity.

CELES:
And? Am I supposed to be intimidated by that?

TERRA:
…Yes.

CELES:
Pfft. Semantics. I asked you once how old you were. You remember what you told me?

Terra shakes her head.

CELES:
You told me you were ten. That was eight years ago.

Silence.

CELES:
My point is we grew up together. Yes, you might have been born in the distant past and spent some time in a timeless pocket universe, but as far as your body is concerned you've nearly completed the transition of childhood to womanhood. In other words, the same as me.

TERRA:
But you're more woman that I am. I don't have boobs.

CELES:
Now you're reaching for things to be upset about.

TERRA:
But you have boobs bigger than my head! I'm a bloody ironing board!

CELES:
Oh, shut up. I'm not that freaking huge and you're not that flat. Besides, what do tits even have to do with any of this?

Silence.

TERRA:
What if I had lied about my age?

CELES:
You? Lie?
*laughs*
Sweetie, you couldn't lie even if your life depended on it.

TERRA:
But what if I had said it to protect you from the truth?

CELES:
You would have avoided the subject completely, like how you did with my question.

Silence.

TERRA:
I'm sorry. I'm being stupid.

Celes embraces Terra in a hug.

CELES:
We're all allowed to be stupid sometimes, you especially considering the ball that got dropped on you. But you need to realize something: half-esper, born a thousand years ago, and, hell, even amnesia—these have not changed who you are. You're still that shy little sweetheart that I…saved from areseholes all those years ago.

Terra starts crying again.

TERRA:
I'm sorry.

CELES:
Stop apologizing.

Terra nods. Silence.

CELES:
C'mon. Let's head inside.

Celes gets up to walk away, but is stopped.

TERRA:
Thank you.

CELES:
For what?

Terra stands, leaps into Celes, and kisses her in one swift continuous motion.

TERRA:
For giving me what I needed.

Celes laughs.

CELES:
You're welcome. Now, how about we both stop being stupid, get out of this rain, and dry out in front of the fire.

A dagger embeds in the wall between them.

Narrative Exposition (Dialogue version)

Celes was glowing. At least, that was what Locke had teased when he and the amused Sabin had joined them at the table. Terra personally didn't see any light radiating out from anywhere, nor had she conjured up any fire that could have caused such phenomena. But it was true, Celes was glowing in a strange sort of figurative way. Even with getting angry at Locke, she still had a smile on her face and a brightness in her eyes that Terra had never seen before. She also couldn't help but notice that Celes had decided to keep a hand on her thigh. And she had decided to keep that hand warm with one of her own.

Ramuh rumbled a laugh from the head of the table. "Right. If we are all here we can continue on with last night's discussion." He stroked his gangly white beard and leaned forward in his chair. "Now, my memory isn't what it used to be. Where had we stopped?"

Locke was the first to speak up as he casually rubbed his head where Celes had bopped him one. "Actually, it might be best to start by explaining what espers are," he said. "I'm sure Celes knows a lot about them, but most of us raised outside the Empire know very little."

"I know just as much as you," Celes said. Her cheery disposition slid to that of a frown. "The higher ups were very tight-arsed and secretive about it all. To give you an idea, no one's allowed into the MagiTek Research Facility unless unconscious."

RAMUH:
Very well. As you know, we espers are magic incarnate. We naturally can harness the powers of the cosmos and the void from birth, an act you humans cannot do without aid of some kind. Some of us are born as specialists in certain elements, while others can call upon multiple elements.

CELES:
What kind of magic fashioned an entire realm for you to live in?

RAMUH:
Something powerful enough that is beyond the reach of your Empire.

CELES:
Fair enough. But why live here in constant fear when you could live there?

RAMUH:
I am not here by choice, mind you. But honestly, aside from power hungry humans wanting to enslave us there is nothing stopping some of us from living here if we wanted to. We come in a variety of forms; cats, bulls, warthogs, naked women. If you can imagine it, one of us has that form. My appearance is bland according to human tastes, so I have been lucky enough to blend in without fear of being discovered. You would be surprised to know how many of us look no different to you.

SABIN:
But why hide the fact that you're an esper?

CELES:
The Empire, Sabin.

SABIN:
Oh, right.

RAMUH:
Indeed. As I've said before, the common belief is that humans and espers are incompatible creatures with no hope of 'burying the hatchet' as you people say.

LOCKE:
But my grandma told me that humans and espers once lived side by side. Was that just a bedtime story?

RAMUH:
Regarding this world, your grandmother is correct as human and esper once shared this planet together. Some boners on both sides of the line led to the War of the Magi. One thousand years ago, we fought a mankind that had been infused with magic power stolen from us, much like the Empire's MagiTek Knights. It had been a long drawn out battle, but once our greatest fighter Odin and our queen fell, we knew we had to escape to another realm. We feared that if we had remained here we would have eventually been wiped out and made to go the way of the dodo. Your grandmother is also incorrect as it is still true in our realm.

TERRA:
Humans are living with espers in the other world?

RAMUH:
They are humans who had sympathized with us and joined us in our cause. They had been few, far between, and suffered prejudice at the hands of some of us and even suffered death at the hands of their own. Poor bastards. You could also say the opposite was true as well.

CELES:
There were espers that betrayed their own kind?

TERRA:
Why would they do that? That seems rather silly.

RAMUH:
Misguided fools with misguided notions that power hungry humans would spare them. Not all humans are mad, power hungry zealots. This I know. On the same token, some of the more bloodthirsty espers were guilty of goading the humans into battle. Ancient history and irrelevant to the troubles of today, I assure you.

TERRA:
*wrings her hands*
That sounds like that jerk in Narshe.

RAMUH:
'Jerk?'

CELES:
Some arrogant arsehole chicken took control of Terra and tried using her to kill us. Bahl-ay-gore-mondo or something equally ridiculous.

RAMUH:
Ah. Valigarmanda. Yes, he is a special case. He not only wanted to see humans extinct, but espers as well. I believe 'homicidal maniac' is how you humans would describe him. Interesting. I had assumed he had perished when Asguard fell.

SABIN:
Question: if you and Terra were in this other dimension where it's safe, why are the both of you here now?

RAMUH:
Right. Well, initially the realm was fashioned as a safe haven for us in case the war with the humans got out of hand. When that eventually came to fruition with the fall of the Asguardian kingdom, we and the humans among us relocated, this includes Tina—er, Terra and her mother. For nearly a thousand human years, we stayed there in hopes that the power hungry humans would self-destruct without us as their power sources. Approximately twenty human years ago, I was sent crossing the dimensions to see if it was safe to return. Our hypothesis had been correct. Human technology seemed to have regressed in our absence. Unfortunately, our curiosity led humans, who knew of us and what we possessed, to stumble upon our hidden realm after the door had been opened. Thus began the current hunt for our abilities and powers to create an army of invincible super humans.

LOCKE:
Let me guess. This group you ran into had been the Empire.

CELES:
…

RAMUH:
Correct. As soon as I realized what was happening, I ordered the gate sealed and forced the problematic humans out. But somehow, these humans who had never seen magic or espers before had developed technology that managed to suppress our magic. It was a battle of epic proportions that resulted in several of us being captured to be drained of our powers or, like myself, forever stuck in this dimension and in constant hiding.

TERRA:
If… If I was there, how did I end up here?

RAMUH:
*sighs*
I'm not entirely sure. I just know that when I had returned from my scouting mission, you, your mother, and your father had gone missing. Your father, I assumed had been captured by humans. And judging by the artificiality of Ms. Chere's magical presence, I wouldn't be surprised he's still powering the Empire's technology.

Terra gasps in shock and covers her mouth with a hand.

RAMUH:
As for yourself and your mother, I prayed and hoped to the gods that the two of you had been spared the same fate. But considering that you had been in Imperial hands as a child…I fear that she no longer walks this mortal coil.

There is a group-wide silence.

TERRA:
Besides my father, how many others were captured?

RAMUH:
I'm afraid I don't know. I know of at least three: Ifrit, Shiva, and your father Maduin.

Celes sits up straight in shock.

CELES:
Did you say Maduin? Valigar-whatever compared me to somebody by that name.

RAMUH:
*strokes his beard*
Interesting.

CELES:
How so?

RAMUH:
*shrugs*
Perhaps your magic came at his expense? Although, you do seem to share some common traits with him. Brash, ill-tempered, smart mouth…

Celes stands and slams her palms onto the table.

CELES:
I am not ill-tempered, old man!

The situation is diffused when Terra stands and places her hands on Celes' shoulder and arm.

TERRA:
I want to rescue them.

LOCKE:
Pardon?

TERRA:
I want to rescue the espers from the Empire. I want to rescue my father.

RAMUH:
Hmm…

LOCKE:
You're serious about this? Do you realize that we'd be heading straight into Empire country?

SABIN:
We can take 'em.

LOCKE:
I mean, Celes just said that no one's even seen the inside of the MagiTek Factory.

Silence.

LOCKE:
I can't be the only one against this. …Celes?

CELES:
I…might be able to get us in.

The Returners are attacked by a flash grenade. (Terra's and Celes' POV)
Notes: This is a section where I had iniatially started off in Terra's point of view and wanted to immediately switch to Celes' for the upcoming battle. I thought that by having a flash grenade hit them, I could use the confusion to switch without a scene break. It didn't gel very well and, if anything, is pretty jarring.

The group made it to the ground floor with absolutely nothing exciting happening. Well, no, not true. The most excitement that Terra had experienced on the way down had been Celes turning back to flash her a butter melting smile. So, upon reaching the lobby floor, Terra decided to bulldoze her way into a soft side and plant an affectionate kiss on a rosy cheek.

However, Terra had neglected one thing. She had miscalculated the amount of attraction between the two of them. The moment her lips had touched the smooth skin of Celes' cheek, she heard her cry out in alarm.

"Flash grenade!" Celes did what she could to protect her eyes before being blinded by a light so bright that she felt the sun had finally broken free over the skies of Zozo. There hadn't been much she could have done about the deafening bang that followed simultaneously. She just attempted to ignore the high pitched whine of her hearing being there one moment and fucking off the next. Whoever this was attacking them sure as hellfire wasn't a Whozier. These Zozo natives were concerned with two things: sex and chocobo carts with wheels made of gold. What would they want with ragtag group of Returners?

Terra had been the first of the group to recover. Instead of using the lobby door like a normal person, she smashed a sudden adversary through a bay window with an explosion of fire and shattered glass. Sabin had been next by smashing his own self through a different window to engage with a group of playmates.

Celes disengaged her blade as she rushed through the open window Terra had created. She bellowed a war cry that she strangely could only hear through her head and shoulder-smashed herself into a group of five sharp looking fellows. At a glance, they were so sharp that even cheddar would be envious. She swung her blade widely, taking them all out in one fell swoop. Turns out they hadn't been so sharp after all.

Celes and her one-liners. Terra got kidnpped.
Notes: Original chapter opening.

She jammed her monstrous blade into the chest of the nearest adversary on the floor. He choked blood and spasmed before falling still. She immediately pulled it free and swung upwards, striking another that had appeared and completely splitting his chin and face into two. Bloody slavers! They deserved worse than that! She swung again, horizontally this time and severed the head from its body. She spun around to swing again, this time striking the falling head with the flat side of her blade.

The decapitated head flew through the air and exploded on the back of an adversary nearby who had been sneaking up on Locke. He stabbed his opponent in the stomach with his daggers and kicked him away, before signaling his thanks to Celes. She nodded in turn and immediately brought up her blade to block a projectile that caught her attention.

"Do you arsholes have any idea who I am?" she cried as she rushed the nearest slaver, impaling him on her blade like meat on a skewer. She swung him around, sending him flying towards another. This bastard was wily. He leaped over his colleague and continued his rushing attack.

"All I know is yer a pretty face that'll net us a fat bag o' gil," he growled as he swung with his blade.

Celes parried and attempted an attack of her own. "Aw, you think I have a pretty face?" she cooed with sarcasm as thick as her blade was large. The bastard had been too quick on his feet and dodged with a leap back. This didn't matter to Celes. She used the downward momentum of her blade to embed it into the ground and froze her opponent solid in the middle of his rush. "I think you look pretty 'ice' for a man! No response? So cold!" She laughed at her own joke before rushing in the direction that Sabin had stormed off like a herd of steroid addled chocobos.

"Don't quit your day job, Celes!" she heard Locke call out after her.

"Grow a sense of humor, blockhead!" she called back. Despite her joking, Celes was on the verge of seeing red. Vargus, Dadaluma, jerk-face human trafficker, or whatever the bloody hell he called himself, had found them in the high-rises of the City of Sunshine and had taken advantage of Terra's recent vulnerability. In other words, no sooner had the information overloaded girl gone outside to clear her head, he had swooped in and snatched her like Locke in an Imperial weapons storage facility.

Celes, acting purely on autopilot, didn't stop running as she disemboweled an adversary who had made the mistake of leaping at her from an alleyway. She briefly stumbled from the shifting weight of her blade, but regained balance and kept her momentum. Luckily, Terra had managed to warn the others before somehow succumbing to unconsciousness. It had been a piss off seeing that jerk with Terra slung over his shoulder and smirking on the opposite side of the building. Sabin had exchanged a few heated words, but she couldn't remember what they had been. Slavers at that point had crawled out of the stone-works to attack them.

If someone had told her in the morning that she'd be trawling through Zozo, the most dangerous city in the world, in the middle of a rainy night in search of Terra and an asshole, she would have laughed and retorted with a demand of sucking an appendage she didn't possess. Instead, that was exactly what she found herself doing. The city had few lights to speak of and the cloud cover prevented the stars and moon from lighting her way. Lightning occasionally flashed providing some form of light, but in the darkness it was blinding and made things worse.

"Vargas!" Celes halted her movement. That was Sabin's voice! To the left! She ducked around the corner of the building and was rewarded with the sight of Sabin fending off a hoard of scythe wielding slavers.

Chapter Sixteen:
Blood in the Streets, Memories in the Wind

Terra can fight too.

Celes and Sabin run off towards two different groups of slavers headfirst.

CELES:
Try not to harm the civilians!

She pole-vaults into the air using her blade, flips, and brings said blade down with a blast of ice magic that sends adversaries flying.

CELES:
Locke, do what you do best! Terra, Ramuh give us long range support!

A slaver behind her suddenly bursts into flames, courtesy of Terra. She looks surprised before signaling thanks.

TERRA:
I can't just stand back and use magic! I can fight too!

Ramuh strikes a slaver with a bolt of lightning that sends him flying into a nearby building. He stabs his staff into the ground, causing the sky to open bringing forth a barrage of lightning. Whoever hadn't run away at Terra's earlier display, do so now.

RAMUH:
We do not have time for this. It must end now!

Celes and her one-liners again.

Celes found herself facing off against a group of several sharp looking fellows. At a glance, they were so sharp that even cheddar would be envious. She swung her blade widely, taking most of them out in one fell swoop. Turns out they hadn't been so sharp after all. She jammed her monstrous blade into the chest of the nearest one on the rain drenched ground, solidifying his chances of a quick death. He choked blood and spasmed before falling still. She immediately pulled it free and swung upwards, striking another that had appeared and completely splitting his chin and face into two. Bloody slavers! They deserved worse than that! She swung again, horizontally this time and severed the head from its body. She spun around to swing again, striking the falling head with the flat side of her blade.

The decapitated head flew through the air and exploded on the back of an adversary who had been sneaking up on the nearby Locke. He stabbed his opponent in the stomach with his daggers and kicked him away, before signaling his thanks to Celes. She nodded in turn and immediately brought up her blade to block a projectile that caught her attention.

"Do you arsholes have any idea who I am?" she cried as she rushed towards whom she thought had been the culprit, impaling him on her blade like meat on a skewer. She swung him around, sending him flying towards another. This bastard was wily. He leaped over his colleague and continued his rushing attack.

"All I know is yer a pretty face wif fat tits that'll net us a fat bag o' gil," he growled as he swung with his blade.

Celes parried and attempted an attack of her own. "Aw, you think I have a pretty face?" she cooed with sarcasm as thick as her blade was large. The bastard had been too quick on his feet and dodged with a leap back. This didn't matter to Celes. She used the downward momentum of her blade to embed it into the ground and froze her opponent solid in the middle of his rush. "I think you look pretty 'ice' for a man! No response? Oh, so cold!" She laughed at her own joke before rushing in the direction that Sabin had stormed off like a herd of steroid addled chocobos.

"Don't quit your day job, Celes!" she heard Locke call out after her.

Sabin bursts through a glass window.

Sabin was the first of the group to react. He shattered through a glass window as he bellowed the man's name. Vargas.

Immediately, the fight was on. Celes was the next to unfreeze from the surprise. She burst through the other window while unclasping her blade. "Next time use the door, you knob!" she shouted.

Esper!Terra makes an appearance.

CELES, SABIN, and LOCKE take off towards the approaching opposition.

CELES:
Try not to harm the civilians!

LOCKE dodges underneath a scythe swing and guts his opponent in the stomach.

LOCKE:
Easier said than done, lady!

CELES blocks an attack with her blade.

CELES:
I said try, retard!

SABIN picks up his opponent with one hand, tosses him up the air, and sends him flying into a building with a kick.

SABIN:
Vargas! Enough with the small fry! I want a rematch!

VARGAS:
*laughs*
Sabin, dear, if you want to fight so badly, then I'm afraid that you'll have to make your way through my men first!

CELES blindly swings her blade, felling several opponents at once. She stabs one of them in the chest before swinging upwards and striking another in the face, splitting his jaw wide open. Nearby, Terra is tackling the Trappers while being stalked by HOGAN. CELES severs the head from her gurgling opponent, then spins around to smack the falling head with the broadside of her blade. The head sails through the air, past SABIN pummeling some jerk, past LOCKE stealing the bow and quiver of arrows from a deceased opponent, before shattering on the back of HOGAN's head. The Gigas, clearly enraged, turns around and beats his fists on his chest.

HOGAN:
MEAT!

CELES:
Oi! Big, stupid, and ugly! I'm over here, you sod!

The lumbering lummox punches the ground with both fists, causing an earthquake that knocks nearly everyone to the ground. The only two not affected are SABIN and VARGAS. SABIN utilizes the opportunity to go after VARGAS.

SABIN:
You and me, Vargas!

VARGAS:
If you must. And for the last time, it's Dadaluma.

CELES returns to her feet, brushes hair from her face, and beats a fist on what little flat portion of her chest exists.

CELES:
Let's go, Skippy! I haven't got all day!

HOGAN:
MEAT!

The Gigas charges in her direction, taking out several of his own allies with the snapping of bones. CELES dives out of the way at the last moment, causing the lumbering brute to smash into the remains of Ramuh's building, which collapses.

ADVERSARY 1:
For the glory of the Crimson Robbers!

ADVERSARY 2:
Taste my blade, you blonde wench!

CELES whirls around to defend herself, only to find two slavers standing there poised to strike with arrows sticking out of their heads. A multitude of explosions nearby drags her attention to TERRA performing acrobatics to avoid the MagiTek lasers of a Trapper. When she rushes off to assist, she is sent careening forward by an explosion of stone and brickwork.

HOGAN:
MEAT!

Now on the ground, CELES struggles to her hands and knees.

CELES:
*groans*
Oh, fuck me.

The Gigas laughs and embeds his fist into the ground next to her with earth shattering results. CELES stares for a moment before rolling to the side, narrowly missing getting pounded into the pavement like a stake with a shovel. Several explosions are heard from elsewhere.

LOCKE:
Hold on, Celes! I'm coming!

The Gigas looms over her and cocks the first fist back. An angry and flaming, ember-eyed ESPER!TERRA suddenly appears on his back. Just as the Gigas notices and attempts to shake her off—

TERRA:
Too slow.

-she slices through his meaty shoulder, completely severing the limb. The Gigas roars in pain and bucks TERRA off, who merely just hovers in the air. CELES grabs the severed arm, tosses it in the face of the owner—

CELES:
Don't beat yourself up over it, Skippy!

-and scrambles to safety. HOGAN roars and charges once again in CELES' direction. She dodges at the last moment, landing conveniently near her blade. HOGAN, meanwhile, smashes into the group of Crimson Robbers that LOCKE had been battling.

HOGAN roars before erupting in an explosive ball of fire. He again, charges in CELES' direction. She once again, dodges to the side, allowing him to, once again, smash into rubble. CELES hits him with an ice spell, freezing him in place. She then runs toward him, impales her blade into the ground, uses her arms to flip in the air, and uses her momentum to embed her blade into his back with ice shattering force. CELES swings her blade around and reenters a battle stance. TERRA hovers nearby, while LOCKE suddenly appears beside them. The remaining Crimson Robbers and civilians have surrounded them. Outside of the circle, Sabin and Vargas still fight.

CELES:
Citizens of Zozo, stand down.

CITIZEN 1:
You stand down! Can't you see we need money to rebuild the town that y'all demolished?

LOCKE:
They attacked us first!

CELES silences LOCKE with a look. TERRA suddenly glows red from a magic circle as wind whips her hair and clothing about.

CELES:
This is not your fight nor is it one that you will win.

CITIZEN 1:
You may have taken down a Gigas, but you can't take us all on at once!

CELES:
I repeat: If you do not stand down, you will get hurt.

CITIZEN 2:
Cat girls and big boobed bimbos can't hurt all of us! Let's get them!

The glowing and wind suddenly stops. The magic circle disappears.

TERRA:
Odin! Ich beschwöre dich! Kommt zu Hilfe! {Odin! I implore you! Come to the rescue!}

There is a flash of white. All of the citizens suddenly have single tiny cuts on their cheeks.

CITIZEN 1:
What? What happened?

CITIZEN 3:
I'm…bleeding?

TERRA:
I could have seriously hurt every single one of you. I don't want to do that. Please stand down.

VARGAS suddenly lands in the center of the circle, looking less for wear. The civilians split the circle and take several steps back, allowing SABIN to enter.

SABIN:
If it's money that you want, then petition to become a commonwealth of Figaro. We've got plenty to help out with and a great healthcare system.

CITIZEN 1:
What makes you think that Figaro would help us? You're just some muscle bound monk!

LOCKE:
I wouldn't be so hasty to fight the crown prince of Figaro, man.

CITIZENS:
GASP. The crown prince! / I always thought princes were sickly!

VARGAS:
*weakly*
Sabin, I can't believe the old man taught you that…technique.

SABIN:
*shakes his head*
Well, if someone hadn't been in such a rush for power, then they'd have seen that coming.

Celes faceplants into Terra.

HOGAN picks CELES up and holds her in his hand like a bouquet of flowers. CELES, meanwhile, attempts to take swings at him.

CELES:
Unhand me, you overgrown muscle-head!

LOCKE is battling nearby with multiple slavers.

LOCKE:
Hold on, Celes! I'll save you!

HOGAN:
MEAT!

The creature tosses CELES like a football. She careens through the air, lands in the welcoming arms of TERRA, and faceplants in between her breasts. The two of the them tumble to the ground.

TERRA:
*groans*
Is this really a good time for that?

The two sit up.

CELES:
As much as I'd love to, no.

Narshe remains an independant state. (Opening Variation)

The early morning was cold and quiet in the desert. The sand rays and alacrans were still sleeping in their underground dens to escape the chill as were most of Figaro's citizens. As for the cactuars… Well, the cactuars usually hid anyway so nothing was new there. Edgar and his armored chocobo mount stood atop a sandy dune. Instead of watching the early morning splash color on the sky like warm water on the face, he was fending off the gritty sandpaper-like breeze and scrutinizing the approaching of the Imperial army. Right on time. The Figarian scouts were well trained, courtesy of Locke. Maybe it was time to actually offer a military position to the man. Although, there were doubts that Locke would even take such a position. The thief loved his roaming freedom.

The rumbling of Figaro castle descending to the safety of the sands like the native wildlife was ear shuddering loud and easily could knock a grown man from his feet. Like most of his soldiers, Edgar was unaffected. Thanks to all the testing he had done installing the submersion drives several years ago, everyone who had lived behind the stone walls of the city had grown so accustomed to such vibrations, both air and sand, that they were able to tune it out and keep balance. Like a radio with radio frequencies, they could focus on what was most important. In Edgar's case, it was the approaching of the Imperial army and the unavoidable battle that came with them.

He ordered the men behind him to stand down and rode out to meet the leader of the opposing group. His scouts had dropped the name "Leo," but Edgar was remaining wary until his own eyes confirmed. After the Empire's general switcheroo at the demolishing of Doma, he wasn't going to count his chocobos until they hatched. As for the Imperials, they were in for a treat. Edgar himself was joining the fray today. There was a chance that some lucky bastard could go home to his wife or mother chuffed to the brim that he had taken down Figaro's most beloved monarch. Not that Edgar thought that highly of himself. He did, but he tried not to. That was the difference.

In the dim misty morning light, he could spy movement from within the approaching Imperial faction. A cell split off from the main group and as it grew in size from a shortening of proximity, it split yet again. Edgar grinned at his luck. Before him, also mounted on a fully armored chocobo, arrived General Leo Christophe—the voice of reason in an otherwise chaotic opposition. Yet, despite the high amount of valor and honor, nothing could shatter that man's unwavering loyalty to the Empire and its Emperor. So they said.

Edgar closed the gap and offered a hand in greeting. Being on opposing sides didn't mean they couldn't greet each other with civility. Leo took the offer with the firm grasp of a man serious about handshakes. Edgar was used to such enthusiastic gestures. He was king after all. "General," he said, "it is a pleasure to see you."

"Likewise, your majesty." Leo's voice betrayed no sign of emotion other than respect and perhaps a sliver of contempt. "I just wish that we could be meeting each other under pretenses other than battle against each other."

Edgar nodded in agreement. Fortunately, the subpar, yet convincing charade of perfect Imperial lapdog was no longer necessary. He was a machinist, not an actor. Those theatrics could be saved for the Jidoorian Opera House. "As do I, General, but you know well these things have a tendency to happen this way. 'Tis but a folly of war's theatrics."

"Is there anything I can say to change your mind? Is there anything that can influence you to stop this silliness and rejoin the Empire?"

Edgar recognized this tactic; it was one that Leo was known for. The general would seek all avenues to avoid fighting if possible, and, if that failed, would turn the information gleaned back against his adversaries. Unless the Imperials were going to throw women and steam-powered schematics all over the battlefield, they were out of luck. Edgar had no weaknesses that he was aware of besides his affinity for the feminine form and a love of machines. The tactic was sneaky, but not everything about war was a pleasant experience. Still, Leo was an honorable man and probably the only Imperial besides Celes that he respected. He'd give exactly what was wanted; the truth—to a degree. "I do apologize, General. Alas, there is not."

Leo's face fell farther underground than Figaro Castle. "The Emperor has decreed that you would not be held responsible for this unpleasantness. He would welcome you back with open arms."

"And the people of Figaro have decreed that they no longer wish to remain a puppet state under an overreaching government that lies, cheats, and kills at a whim. Unfortunately, General, as their king I must listen when they speak." No, he did have a weakness. He loved his loyal subjects, every last one of them, even the ones rotting in the castle's jail. And they loved him, even the ones rotting in the castle's jail. At least, he thought anyway. "And as such, I have taken precautions to see that they are not harmed during this scuffle. I will not see a repeat of Maranda or Doma in my kingdom."

Leo nodded. "I understand. Should I survive today's battle, I will inform Emperor Gestahl of your reasoning."

"You will survive today, General," Edgar said. "I do not needlessly kill. However, I should ask you: what is to stop you from joining us? Your values run near parallel with ours. You value all life. You seek to do the right and honorable. You seek to avoid fighting when able. You are a man of honor, something that your Emperor and his lapdog have made clear that they lack completely."

Leo shook his head and rested a hand on the hilt of the blade at his hip, preparing himself for battle. "I'm afraid I can't defy my Emperor, your majesty," he said. "Nor can I turn my back on my country. That would be like asking you to defy the people of Figaro."

"Touché." Edgar flipped his braid over his shoulder and placed the helmet he had been keeping under his arm on its rightful place above his shoulders. A damaged noggin would not do his next invention or his kingdom any good. "I had been hoping to avoid this unpleasantness, but it appears that we have reached an impasse. I am afraid that you and I shall meet as enemies on the battlefield."

Edgar turned his mount to travel back towards his men, but was stopped when Leo called out to him. This was unusual. All the protocols had been followed. They had attempted to talk each down with words and had failed with a civil and stubborn communications breakdown. They had silently agreed to battle. What more could be said? Had Leo changed his mind? Was he willing to join the Returners?

The look on Leo's face this time betrayed his emotions. It was one of fatigue, worry, and possibly regret. "Edgar, how are Celes and Terra? Where are they? Are they well?" Even the tone in his voice broadcasted the emotions that must have been driving the poor man mad at night.

As much as Edgar wanted to assuage Leo's concerns, he wasn't going to let information fly easily. "Who wishes to know?" he demanded. "Would this be Emperor Gestahl enquiring for his own personal gain? Or would this be Kefka seeking to finish the inquisition he started?"

Leo sighed and slumped in his saddle. "Neither," he said. "This is a concerned friend and mentor asking. I always worry about those who had been my cadets, especially the orphans."

Where had he been when Celes' life had nearly been snuffed? Where had he been when Kefka had taken control of Terra? Probably in the dark and lied to. It seemed the Emperor enjoyed keeping his military and citizens in the dark about nearly everything. The Imperial Way, they called it. Edgar considered lying outright and claiming ignorance, but that had been the catalyst that led to Figaro declaring war against the Empire in the first place. Besides, he wasn't Imperial nor did he wish to add to the Imperial Way of lies and misdirection. Should he? Should he not? Perhaps a more diplomatic middle-ground should be approached. He said, "Since it is you asking, my friend, I shall tell you what I can without endangering their lives. I have not seen them in some time nor do I know where they are at present. However, the last time they had passed through my kingdom, they were well. Terra's amnesia was starting to show signs of fading and Celes especially was full of piss and vinegar. She threatened half my male staff (and myself) for looking in her general vicinity."

For the first time during the conversation, Leo smiled. He said, "That certainly sounds like Celes. Thank you."

Esper!Terra summons Odin against the citizens of Zozo.

A cry of "You blonde-haired bitch!" caused Celes to immediately pull her blade free and parry an attack aimed at her front quarter. She let this new jerk attack a few times before pommel striking him in the chest, making his bowels scream in terror with several fancy sword swinging tricks, and ultimately severing his head from his body with a geyser of red.

She spun on her the ball of her foot to gain an addition in force and struck the falling head with the flat side of her blade. "Homerun!" she cried with a pumping of a fist and the twirling of her blade above her head. The severed head arced through the air before striking Vargas' Gigas on the back and shattering into a shower of bone and brain. It was a good thing it struck where it had; the hulking Hogan had been stalking Terra as she tangled with the magi-mechanical Trappers. One of them exploded as Hogan roared and beat his fists on his stonewall of a chest.

"Oi!" Celes called out. "Big, stupid, and ugly! I want my softball back!"

Truthfully, she wanted to stay as far away from severed heads as much as she could. This tactic was purely to lure the gargantuan gargantuate away from Terra as quick as possible. The behemoth grabbed a nearby Trapper by its legs and hurled it in Celes' direction before rushing her as well. Just like when she used to play softball, she swung her blade at the perfect moment, splitting the mechanical mechanoloid into two exploding foul balls. She then threw herself into a slide between Hogan's legs to dodge his bumbling dull-witted attack, which took out several civilians and slavers in one fell swoop.

From her sitting position, she looked back and let loose a shrill whistle to regain his attention. "Oi! I'm back here, wally!" she said. She returned to her feet, flippantly brushed her hair from her face, and thumped a fist on her chest in a show of a dominance challenge. "C'mon, you deadbeat! I haven't got time for a holiday!"

The lumbering lummox beat his fists on a barreled chest and roared his love for fresh meat. He punched both his anvil fists into the ground, causing an earthquake to shake Zozo nearly to its very foundations. The next thing Celes knew, she was on her back and wondering what the hell had happened. All sounds of battling had seemed to fall silent like prayer in a house of worship.

"I'm okay," Terra cutely muttered from somewhere on the battlefield.

At least there had been some good news, because for one to look up and find a large and angry Hill Gigas gloating over them would be enough to ruin anyone's day. This was the exact predicament that Celes was now in. He cocked his solid pork roast of a fist back for a powerful punch.

Celes was vaguely aware of Sabin yelling, "Enough of this, Vargas!"

As well as Vargas's response, "Very well! If you must, sweetie! And for the last time, it's Dadaluma!"

A tree trunk arm embedded itself into the cobblestones just shy of her head. Celes cringed and nervously eyed the meaty appendage before looking up to the lummox himself. He had his other arm poised for another strike and wore the grin of a sadistic child who had just stolen his new favorite toy. "Meat," he rumbled. She wanted to upchuck her breakfast for that was precisely what his breath smelled like.

"Hold on, Celes! I'm coming!" Locke? What could he do against a giant? If she couldn't take the bastard down, then he had no chance.

Well, this was it. Doomed to be pulverized by a meat obsessed giant and his oversized meat tenderizers. At least she could die happy. A longtime fantasy had come true and it had been a wonderful thing, even if a little awkward. Still, she'd never imagined that she'd leave this world flattened like a pancake. And with the size of that fist, she had a feeling that it could even flatten her oversized— "Oh, fuck me," she muttered.

A flash of white and lavender behind the hulking beast figuratively poked Celes in the eye. What the—? "Maybe later," Terra warbled happily before slicing Hogan's tree trunk of an arm off with a flame-engulfed katana. She flashed her snaggletoothed kitty grin as the Gigas screamed, spewing a fountain of red everywhere.

Celes grabbed at the loose appendage, which had landed hard on her chest, and, with a cry of disgust, tossed it into the face of its former owner. Before a reaction could commence, she made an attempt to scramble to safety. She heard the roar from behind her before the thuds of a Gigas charging at her. She was tackled to the ground by a furry Terra, allowing the Gigas to bypass them completely and bulldoze into a group of Crimson Robbers. Locke, who had been battling those gentlemen, relaxed his stance to scratch his head in confusion with a dagger.

Hogan roared in frustration and punched a nearby building with his remaining arm, nearly bringing it down on the civilians fleeing in terror. Celes, wasting no time, returned to her feet with a shrill multi-note whistle and began charging an ice spell in her hands. The Gigas whirled around pretty damn quick for someone of his rather large stature and erupted in a ball of fire, courtesy of Terra. He charged at them.

"Celes…" Locke said nervously. The rain around them began freezing on contact.

"Stand your ground," she ordered. The brute was closer now. She could see the steam of anger bursting out his flared nostrils. Almost there.

"Celes!" Locke pleaded. The freezing rain suddenly turned to hail.

The brute was practically upon them. Celes embedded her blade into the ground and willed the hulking Hogan to a stop with a powerful hadouken of ice magic. She then grabbed her blade, took a running sword-vault into the air, and brought it down on his head. With loud snapping, cracks spread like wildfire on his ice cage before weakening the shell enough to shatter it under its own force. Gravity then took over and claimed his unconscious form.

It was at this point that Celes took notice that she, Terra, and Locke were completely surrounded by civilians and slavers alike. All of them were poised and ready for some good old fashioned mob mentality destruction. Sabin and Vargas could be heard fighting elsewhere, along with the sounds of crumbling stonemasonry. Old man Ramuh was the only one of them who was unaccounted for. Had he gone into hiding because of the Reflect Trappers? It was cold, but this required attention first. Besides, maybe one of the others had seen what had happened to him.

Celes sheathed her blade on its magnet, but stayed her hand on its hilt. "Citizens of Zozo," she ordered, "stand down. We have no quarrel with you."

"You stand down!" one of the men yelled with a shake of his shovel. "Can't you see we need money to rebuild the town that y'all demolished?"

"Um…" Locke leveled a finger with the brutish Gigas collapsed at their feet. "Actually, it was mostly this guy who did that."

"If y'all had surrendered in the first place, this wouldn't of happened!"

From the corner of her eye, she saw a dull red glow radiate from Terra's position. A pebble beaned her on the head before she had been able to take the chance to investigate further. The snot-nosed little boy who had thrown the projectile blew a raspberry at her and hid behind the man who had initially spoken to them. "This is not your fight," she said flatly, "nor is it one you will win. You're no longer protected by the Empire's MagiTek."

"You can't take us all on at once!"

A murmur rushed through the crowd before a haggard looking woman reached out to put a hand on the man's shoulder. "Tidus, she took down a Gigas," she whispered harshly.

Celes narrowed her eyes to glare ice at who seemed to be the only Whozyeran still willing to take them on. "Listen to the smart lady," she stated coldly. "If you do not stand down, we will not hold back."

Coming to the rescue, a second older Whozyeran shook his pitchfork. "Cat girls and big titty bimbos kain't hurt all us at the same time!" he cried. "Let's get 'em! Gang up on 'em!"

Without a warning, Terra leveled one of her katana at this second man's head. "Odin," she pleaded. "Ich beschwöre dich! Kommt zu Hilfe!"

That… That had been the language of the espers. When had Terra learned that?! Magic crackled in the air, causing Celes to experience the strange sensation of her hair rising on its own. The rain fell harder. A cold, black wind whirled down the street, the tall buildings acting as a channeler and enhancing its power. For a moment, it felt as if the wind was trying to pick her up and carry her away. This was followed soon by a flash of lighting and thunder that illuminated the darkened city. Within the flash, Celes had been able to see him for the briefest of moments. It had been the same horse-bound knight she had seen at the ancient castle; Odin.

As soon as the magic had appeared, it disappeared leaving a heaviness in its wake, as well as cuts, scratches, and blood on all of Zozo's citizens. The confused civilians touched their wounds and looked to each other with bewildered expressions. Children began crying. Dogs began barking. Cats began yowling. Celes couldn't tell if they had been harmed as well, but if they hadn't the atmosphere alone would be enough to affect them. "What happened?" said one citizen in a near panic.

"I'm bleeding?!" panicked another.

Locke prodded her in the arm before whispering, "Celes, what the hell did I just witness?" Instead of responding, she turned to watch Terra sheath her weapons and return to normalcy in a flash of rainbow.

"I could have seriously hurt every single one of you," Terra said. She knelt down next to the same little boy who had a thing for throwing rocks and touched his shoulder, bathing him in curative magic. He just stared at her in confusion. "I don't want to kill anyone, but I will if I must. Please stand down."

"If it's money that you want, then petition to become a commonwealth of Figaro." There were murmurs of confusion from the crowd before it split, allowing Sabin to approach the rest of the group. He carried a frown on his face and an inert Vargas in his arms. He continued, "We've got plenty to help out with and a great healthcare system to boot. The best in the world, probably."

That same naysayer scoffed and shook his shovel again. Celes was half tempted to destroy the thing just so that she didn't have to see it waved in the air any longer. "What makes you think that Figaro would help us?" he sneered. "Yer just some stupid cheese-brained muscle-head!"

Sabin stopped walking near the man's location and gave him a side glance that caused everyone else to shirk back in nervousness, leaving this guy as the only one "threatening" them. Celes chuckled and folded her arms across her chest. Obviously, this guy had no idea who Sabin was. Beside her, Locke said, "I wouldn't be so hasty to fight the crown prince of Figaro, man."

There was a collective gasp from the crowd as more of them shirked back away from Sabin and Vargas. Some of them even knelt to their knees in a show of fealty. If Sabin was fazed by such a show of honor, it either didn't register with him, he didn't care, or he didn't show it. But it was good to know that not everyone in Zozo was as stupid as a box of Narshean googly-eyed rocks.

"The crown prince! He's so handsome!" cried a female Whosyeran.

Cooed another, "I always thought a prince would be a sickly, pale shade of a man!"

Vargas stirred in Sabin's arms enough to garner attention. Heavy with weakness he said, "Sabin, I can't believe the old man taught you that technique."

This prompted a bellow of a laugh. "Well, if someone hadn't been such an arrogant prick, then they'd have seen my bum rush coming right for them."

"Hang on to your underpants."

The group hadn't stayed long in Zozo. In fact, they had high-tailed it out of there faster than a thief caught red-handed. Truthfully, no one had wanted to deal with the strange complaint-filled Whozyerans any longer than necessary. At Locke's suggestion, they left handing over Vargas and his Gigas to the Jidoorian authorities to the citizens of the gloomy looking town.

Locke had gotten the brilliant idea of meeting up with Maria while in Jidoor and seeing if she could pull any favors to get them to Vector. Celes was skeptical that that airhead lookalike could pull anything other than the pants off of a man. Unfortunately for her, she was outnumbered in her views and went along with the group for democracy's sake.

Ramuh had thanked them once again for attempting what he could never bring himself to do. He, then, had announced that he and the man the Whozyerans had chosen to represent them in a bid for Figaro commonwealth status were heading straight to Narshe to meet with Banon and render assistance where needed. Using Warp magic, they had disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Celes had to laugh, though. The old man had a sense of humor. Just before casting the spell, he had said to his young travelling companion, "Hang on to your underpants."

Exposition prevents Celes from talking to Cid.

Standing at a desk and scribbling furiously into a notepad was a face she recognized. Professor Cid! He was the one who gave her her magic! He had been the only MagiTek researcher to check up on her at the orphanage and he had been the one to get her placed in the Imperial Academy.

She had attempted to call out to him, but her voice died when she spied something strange strapped to a nearby table. She caught a glimpse of a child with blonde hair before her view was blocked by a familiar sight. She recognized this woman that had materialized from thin air. It was the version of herself that mimicked Terra's esper form.

"You don't belong here," the cat-girl said.

"No shit," Celes countered. She folded her arms across her chest in irritation. "You going to tell me who you are this time?"

"You need to leave."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"I've worked too hard to shield you from this. Please, just leave."

"Is that…me on the table? Is this the MagiTek research facility?"

"Don't make me make you wake up with a scream and cold sweats."

Terra discovers why it's chilly out.

CELES wakes up in her tent with a start. She sits up, and after realizing that she is alone, exits. The campsite is empty. A smoldering ruin is all that is left of the fire. It is here that she realizes that she's not wearing clothing of any kind. Before she goes back to her tent, she finds a naked TERRA sitting on an outcropping a decent way away and watching the moon rising over the ocean. TERRA smiles at her approach and pats the rock she's sitting on.

TERRA:
I'm glad you're here. I was feeling lonely.

CELES sits down and places a hand on TERRA's thigh.

CELES:
You could have woken me, you know.

TERRA:
But you looked so peaceful.

CELES:
My dreams were anything but.

TERRA:
You want to talk about it?

CELES:
Nightmares are nothing new to me, especially ones I don't remember. What about you?

TERRA:
I just wanted to watch the moonrise.

CELES:
While naked?

TERRA looks down at herself and genuinely looks surprised.

TERRA:
Oh. So that's why it's chilly out.

CELES laughs.