Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VI, its characters, or lore.

Chain of Betrayal

For the second time, Celes found herself captured and bound in chains by the Empire that she once called family. Though she had, in a way, caused it by rebelling against them in the first place, their betrayal went deeper then that. It was the betrayal of finding out that those you respected and devoted yourself to weren't the people that you believed in them to be. In proving itself to be capable of atrocities, the Empire had turned its back on her, shut her out, and left her alone. Even still, turning against them had been one of the hardest thing she'd ever had to do.

She'd done it though, incapable as she was of standing by and watching the lives destroyed by those supposedly on her side. Sadly, doing so had nearly gotten her killed, and had completely kept her from doing anything to prevent the slaughter of Doma. Kefka succeeded in his mad plan and she had been left to await execution in a prison beneath South Figaro. Her rebellion ended as suddenly as it began.

Things managed to turn out for the better however, as her rescue at the hands of Locke had in turn led her to the Returners, the one organization determined to stopping the Empire's seemingly mindless pursuit of power. On their side, Celes had assisted in protecting the snowy town of Narshe from the Empire's attack and, possibly more importantly, she'd kept both the Esper and Terra out of their hands. She'd given her all to their side, believing fully in their goals of a peaceful world, out from under the heel of Imperial rule. In the end, though she believed in them, they didn't believe in her. Even Locke, the one most steadfast in his support of her, had believed the ravings of that mad clown without a second thought. Could he ever 'really' have believed in her at all, given that?

She supposed she shouldn't have been surprised. Locke was on her side entirely because she resembled some dead girlfriend of his. He'd never really bothered to acknowledge her as her own person, so why should he believe in her?

The bitter thoughts didn't make the pain any less.

She pushed it all aside, determined to meet her fate with her head high, not sulking over ridiculous drama. She was better then that - she was the youngest general in Imperial history. Come what may, Celes would not be cowed. A mask settled over her face then, one she was well acquainted with and had used for years - the mask of the Ice General.

The halls the guards led her down were as familiar to her as her own name, so she recognized where they were taking her long before they got there, and she knew just who to expect as the double doors swung open before her. A man she'd once respected and looked up to as she would her own father. A man who had betrayed her.

"Hello, Celes," Gestahl said as she was brought before him. His aged face was mostly impassive as he stared at her, with only the slightest hint of a smile around his mouth and eyes – it was the feature of his that had made it so easy for her to trust him, though she never knew if it was intentional or merely a physical quirk. "It's been quite awhile since we've seen one another."

"Not since you tried to have me killed," she snapped at him. Just being in his presence again made the anger burn beneath her skin.

His face fell, a vision of sorrow taking over his features. "That was never my intention, dear girl."

Celes scoffed. "Really? So the chains, the beatings, the meeting with the headsman? That was all what, a joke?"

"It was out of my hands, Celes," the Emperor said, shaking his head, "I'd barely even received word that you'd been captured before you'd already escaped." Slowly, he raised his eyes to hers, staring intently. "And let's not forget, you turned against me first."

She exploded. "How dare you! You were supposed to bring peace to the world! Not destroy it!" she was seething by then and the guards had jumped forward to forcibly restrain her. "The slaughter of Doma! Ransacking Narshe! That was all-"

"-Kefka," Gestahl smoothly cut in, ending her rant as she stared at him, slack-jawed. "I gave no orders to poison the poor people of Doma, nor did I intend to force my way into Narshe. There were still negotiations to take place, still ways to convince them to help us."

Celes was frozen, unable to decide if she believed the words coming from him or not. On one hand, Kefka was undeniably certifiable, a complete maniac, but on the other hand, for the Emperor himself, the leader of the Empire and 'everyone' in it, to claim to be entirely unaware was a little hard to swallow. She narrowed her eyes. "So, what? One of your generals goes completely against orders, more then once, and you're somehow free of blame? How would you not know for so long? Why would Kefka still be around?"

Gestahl sighed, long and deep, and turned away from her to stare into the fireplace. "I made all three of you my generals because I had complete faith and trust in each of you. I fear that may have been my undoing, yet I do not claim to be without guilt. Kefka was still one of my top officers." His words made her eyebrows twitch as he turned back to face her. "Yes, he 'was'. Kefka has been arrested and tossed in prison, where he will stay until we decide his fate. Yet my own fate is less simple, and that is why I have brought you before me.

"Celes," he said, after a pause, "I need your help to right the wrongs I have allowed to occur. What we have unwittingly unleashed could well destroy our world, and that blood would be on my hands."

"What would you want me to do?" she asked, feeling her resolve melt away the more he spoke. The man had always been adept at saying all the right things, but if he spoke true it would fix so much. Her own scars not the least of which.

"Come home," he stated. "Retake your position at my side as my general, and help me fix this terrible wrong."

Did she dare put her faith and her heart on that line again? Could she trust him, that it had all been a mistake, and that he'd never truly turned her away? With the most recent failure of trust from those closest to her, could she turn back the clock and return to the only home she'd ever known?

All of these questions, however, paled beside the final one – how could she 'not' take the chance?

She stood straighter before him, the defiance and hurt falling from her shoulders as she snapped a salute. "Yes, my Lord."

Gestahl smiled then, a deep, meaningful smile as he placed his hands on her shoulders. "Welcome back, General Celes.

"Welcome home."

A/N:

Mmmm, I feel a sequel coming on... I'm certainly not done with this section of the game yet! Let me know what you think though!

Also, I am looking for beta readers, both for this series and others, to help me improve my works. To anyone interested, just drop me a message!

~ Zephyr