A/N: Had some fun with this one, kept some the same, used a bit of license with other bits. Silliness abounds!

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

A Perspective Performance

- Part One -

Year after year he watched her. A vision to behold with the voice of an angel. Lush, golden locks of hair flowing in a cascade down her back. Eyes of endless blue deep enough for a man to drown in. Skin that glowed under the caress of her own personal sun, its sheen so soft it begged to be held close. Every year he came to see this goddess in white. Never did she disappoint.

This year, however, things would be different. This year he would rescue this earth bound vision from her simple life of operatic stardom and whisk her off into the sunset, to a life among the clouds and stars that shone as brightly as she. And she would be his.

As Setzer gazed down on the opera proceeding below, preparing to enact his daring rescue, something about the lovely Maria felt... different. Her movements, her expressions, her voice - all of it felt charged with a wild energy unlike the opera star's normal calm grace. Slight mistakes - normally unforgivable for a star such as her - somehow fed into this new persona, one of emotion and action. This new side of her held him spellbound - right up until a giant purple octopus crashed onto the stage.

What followed wasn't something that could rightly be called an opera, but, with a little help from the frantic Impresario, it did turn into an entertaining show. Amateurish acting was made up for by the flash of weapons, including a very loud mechanical rotating blade, and some of the best stage effects he'd ever seen. In fact, it was hard to tell the whole thing was really a performance! What was the alternative though? A real life, talking giant octopus?

Ridiculous.

Still, Setzer missed much of the stage fight, as his eyes were drawn back to the form of his lady, not hidden away as he would've expected, but crouched nearby and looking ready to spring - eagerly he would even say - into the fight. Not perhaps the best representation of her character, yet he couldn't fault her for it. This new side of her she infused into the character brought it to life in a way that enthralled him.

He grinned as the fight scene drew toward a clear conclusion. Whoever operated that octopus thing was good, but the three attacking it were better. The outspoken guy in the bandanna wanted to take Maria for his own, and his moment of triump would be the ideal moment for it. He'd stride across the battlefield, flush from victory, and offer his hand to help Maria to her feet. She'd stumble, fall into his embrace, and express her gratitude as she gazed into his mysterious eyes.

If Setzer let them have their way, that was - which he wouldn't. The battle's finale also set an ideal stage for a new, magnificently dressed stranger to swoop down and whisk the lady away. Today's show would go down in the history of opera.

With a secure grip on the swaying ladder, Setzer hit the extension control and descended. Wind tossed his long, silver hair as he fell with it, down through the open skylight and into the open auditorium. His laughter echoed off the walls and he threw his other arm out wide in a dashing pose. A perfect entry. A perfect damsel. It was all too much, too perfect, to keep in.

"What a performance!"

#

- Part Two -

Locke would pay for getting her into this. What could've possessed him to think she could play the part of this timid, love lorn noble? Did he not know her at all? And that song... She managed to make it through without getting booed off the stage, but she could feel her brain melting at the sheer sappiness of it all. Really, if this Maria wanted that Draco guy so bad she should go get him! Not sit around pining and submitting to whatever new guy strolled in. It was so frustrating!

Celes sighed, taking deep breaths as she tried to control her temper. There was only a few more moments before the next scene, and she needed to be in the right mindset if she wanted to have any hope at all of being convincing. Focus on the good parts, like this Draco guy. He was a soldier, and he was still fighting for his country and for Maria. The next scene even had him charging in to fight for her against the other fop of a man, Ralse. Now that was the kind of part she could get into. Celes should've been cast as Draco, and they could put Locke's stupid face in this stupid dress.

She snorted as the mental picture hit her, a laugh bubbling up that she didn't succeed in pushing down. One of the other actors glared at her, and she forced her face back under control. The thought remained though, and she schemed ways to get back at Locke even while the curtain lifted and the performance resumed. All she had to do was sit there and look pretty anyway, then dance with the new prince guy, then stand aside and try to look horrified at the fake duel when Draco barged in.

That last bit was the hardest part.

Her nerves hummed with impatience as she watched the two work through the choreographed fight. They should've just let her teach them how to actually fight. Although, a single day of teaching wouldn't have gotten them far enough to matter. Still, it irked her. It just needed to end already.

"Wh- whoa!"

The shout echoed in the open opera building, and Celes snapped her head up. Her eyes went wide and she dove to the side, not even able to get a warning shout off to the others before a large splotch of purple fell from the rafters and crashed down onto the stage.

Dust filtered through the air as Celes pushed herself up, coughing and trying to wave the congested air away. Members of the cast - dancers who'd moved off the stage when the dual started - hugged the walls, some staring at the stage while others turned and fled. Celes turned to the cause of the commotion. What on earth could be that big and that purple? In an opera house of all places?

Long tentacles swished in slow, lazy movements. Large, bright eyes peered out over a mouth filled with fangs. It was some sort of nightmarish, giant octopus - though it would've been more frightening if not for the dizzy, cross eyed expression. Celes stared at it, blinking in confusion. At some point, the Impresario had come onto stage. He spouted something about Draco and Maria, and Celes shifted her blank stare to him. Was he really trying to continue the performance with a giant monster on the stage? They really mean it when they say 'The show must go on'.

Then Locke jumped up from his place on the stage - she hadn't even noticed him there - and fed into the craziness going on. "Neither Ralse nor Draco will save Maria!" he said, drawing his knives in a flourish, and almost dropping one with the over done motion. "I, Locke, the world's premiere adventurer, shall save her!" From a different corner of the stage, Edgar popped into view and hauled his chainsaw out to join the fight. Sabin joined him a moment later, bounding among the flailing tentacles with far too much agility for his bulk.

The were all insane. What was even happening? Were they really there fighting a giant octopus monster in a middle of an opera during a scheme to catch a wandering gambler?

In something of a daze, Celes could only sit there and watch. They hadn't let her wear her sword during the performance - which was foolish really, as it wouldve fit easily under the ridiculous, frilly dress - so it hung unused from Edgar's belt. She almost called out to him, but stopped. Anything she did was still in full view of the audience, and the Impresario had already made clear that the show was not over, not to mention their wandering gambler hadn't shown up yet. Would it ruin her character to charge into the fight? Probably.

She really disliked this Maria girl.

The group managed without her though, and the octopus high tailed it out of the theater in no time at all. For being so full of threats, that Ultros character didn't have any spine. Now they just had to hope the whole fiasco hadn't scared off their target. So help her, if she went through everything for nothing-

"What a performance!"

Celes jumped, startled out of her thoughts by the shout. All eyes rose, but she didn't have time to follow them before a thump landed beside her and an arm wrapped around her waist. "You're coming with me, my dear," a deep voice whispered in her ear before leaning away. "I'm a man of my word, music man!"

Then they were moving, and the ground rushed away as a ladder hoisted them up and out of the opera house. She resisted fighting to get away by digging her nails into the man's coat and heard him chuckle. "Never fear, Maria. I'd not drop my bride-to-be!"

Her jaw clenched, but she remained silent. Sure, let him think she was afraid. She hoped she left marks - doubtful through his unfortunately thick coat. She clenched tighter for good measure and glared at the pleated white shirt he pressed her against.

If he didn't let her go the moment they got to the airship, she'd throw him overboard. Diplomacy be damned.

#

- Part Three -

"I still can't believe you got her to do this."

Locke grinned back at Sabin as they climbed up into the rafters high above the theater floor. "Wasn't that hard, Celes'll do what needs to be done. Plus, I'll bet she's a romantic at heart. She's probably soaking this up."

The raised brow showed what Sabin thought of that. "That's... I never got that impression."

"You're not as attuned to the ways of beautiful women, brother," Edgar said from behind the other two. "They're mysterious beings and require attention and study."

The trio made it up to the wooden beams and got situated along them. "All that attention and study hasn't gotten you anywhere with them." Edgar gasped as if stung and Locke laughed.

"Man, Sabin, you don't hold back!"

A smile tugged at Sabin's lips as he pushed Locke forward. "Hasn't gotten you anywhere either."

This time Edgar snickered, and Locke glared at them both. How to respond though? "Who says I'm trying?" he asked after deciding that arguing the point would only dig himself deeper. "I'm not a womanizer like your kingly brother over there."

"It sounds so bad when you put it that way," Edgar frowned. "I simply treat them as the beautiful women they are."

"You're both crazy," Sabin said, interrupting the witty comeback Locke was preparing. "And I'm going to laugh when that giant rat eats you, Locke."

Locke turned. "What ra- Gah!" The evasive action that followed (he wasn't running away) knocked him back into Sabin and almost sent them both tumbling who knew how many feet down. Thankfully, Sabin didn't seem fazed and caught Locke by his collar before his feet slipped. Locke might've thanked him if the guy hadn't been grinning so wide. "Way to warn a guy!"

"It's a rat, Locke, not a dragon."

"It's bigger then I am!"

Something whizzed through the air and the rat squealed before running off. Edgar let his crossbow swing back to his belt. "Entertaining as this is, we're on something of a time limit here guys."

If Edgar was being the voice of reason, they must be getting carried away, so Locke scowled once more at Sabin - which didn't seem to bother him at all - and headed out across the rafters. "Is there even any sign of this Ultros guy? I mean, you said he's some sort of squid or something, right?"

"Octopus, actually," Edgar said, and Locke waved him off.

"Whatever. He's big, right? Shouldn't he be obvious? Is he hiding behind that weird purple stage prop?" He paused and cocked his head at it. "Why would they even put something like that up here? And did it just move?"

It moved again while he stared, turning in place until he was left looking at eyes larger then his head. "Could you guys keep it down?" the thing rumbled. "I'm trying to watch the show - until I crash it!"

"Uh, guys? Did it just talk?" Locke asked as he took in the full extent of the creature. It's tentacles stretched out across the rafters, encompassing at least a quarter of the structure. Boards creaked anytime it shifted, even more so when it nudged the giant metal block forward.

"Yep," Sabin said. "That's Ultros alright. Didn't we tell you about him?"

"You told me you fought a weird octopus, not a two ton monster!"

"Now wait," Edgar said, "I'm pretty sure I spoke clearly about the beast and our fight with it."

"Well, but you were mostly focused on telling Celes about it, and we all know how you exaggerate when there's a girl around."

The indignant look on Edgar's face was priceless - like always, which is why Locke teased him so much - but Sabin interrupted before his retort. "He's got you there, brother."

Two on one was apparently too much for him, as Edgar just harrumphed and grabbed his crossbow. "Are we going to stop this thing sometime today?"

"Now you're talking!" Sabin said, pounding his fists with a grin. "I'll knock him clear out of the building!" And with that, he leaped the distance to their tentacled enemy, evading the halting hand Locke threw out to stop him.

What came next moved past Locke's eyes in slow motion. The rafters already creaked and groaned beneath the weight of the giant octopus and the metal block - how had it even gotten that thing up there? - so when their muscle bound friend jump kicked his way into the creature the resulting crack echoed through the building like a thunder clap.

"Wh- whoa!" the octopus shouted, its eyes bugging in surprise.

And then they were falling.

The weight hit first, slamming down through the stage floor boards and disappearing into the basement, or whatever was further down, and scattering screaming performers who must've heard the noise. Then the rest of them crashed into the hard floor and he only cared about his own aching back. It was awfully nice of Ultros' tentacles to break their fall though - seriously, the thing took up most of the stage. It would've been more impressive if they'd missed landing on it. Or was it a him? Did giant tentacle monsters have a gender?

It was about then, just as Locke as shaking off the fall, that the Impresario rushed onto the stage. "What a disaster has befallen! Both heroes are out of the fight! Who now will save Maria?"

An idea, and temptation, struck Locke then, and he leaped from the floor into what he hoped was a heroic pose. "Neither Ralse nor Draco will save Maria!" He spun in a flourish, just to add some flair. "I, Locke, the world's premier adventurer, will save her!"

Whatever the Impresario mumbled under his breath next, Locke couldn't hear, but the disappointed look the man sent him was easy enough to interpret. Everyone was critic! That apparently included Ultros, the giant octopus, who came to his senses with a wave of slamming tentacles as he snapped at Locke. "Upstage me will you? I'll bring down the house on you amateur's!"

"Maestro!" the Impresario roared as he high tailed it off the stage. "Music!"

The fight that followed was a frantic mess as all three companions were forced to dodge attacks in the little space left on the stage. Thankfully, the irate octopus focused his anger on them and didn't take it out on the audience. That would've been a disaster, but as it was, the crowd watched in mute appreciation - at least from what Locke could tell between tentacle swipes.

Finally, after more of a beating then any aquatic creature should be able to endure, Ultros took one last swing and bounded for the backstage area. "Ugh! Looks like I'm getting the hook. That's all, folks!"

Locke slumped to the ground, then remembered the show and raised his fist in victory. Yet he didn't get time for a victory speech.

"What a performance!"

Whipping around, Locke spotted the speaker just as the man snatched Celes off the floor, his flashy coat flapping with the movements. The Impresario rushed back into view. "Setzer!"

Jumping back on his ladder, Setzer laughed. "I"m a man of my word, music man!" Up he went, vanishing through the roof with Celes as the ladder retracted.

In the background, Locke heard the Impresario start spouting off more show saving lines, but he was already rushing out of the building behind Edgar and Sabin, leaving the man and his opera house troubles behind.

Gazing skyward as they exited the building, Locke spotted the airship hovering high above. Nothing was left to do but wait for Celes to make her move, and make sure they were there to jump on it.

Something bumped his arm and Locke looked at Edgar smirking beside him. "Fifty gold says she just knocks him unconscious up there."

Locke laughed and shook his head. "No bet."