"Final Fantasy VI: Scalar" Chapter 2: Kefka's Scum
DISCLAIMERS:
A not-so-original story inspired by Final Fantasy VI and written by Solovino88.
Copyrights and other disclaimers, exactly as in the first chapter. In short? I -Solovino88. Own only the narration. Square Enix owns everything else related to Final Fantasy VI.
Up until forty eight hours ago, everyday life at Vector was simple: obey the Emperor and enjoy your life. In that order. Now there was a new order: run for your life and enjoy what is left of it. In that order.
There were new priorities for Shadow, too.
He was lying peacefully in the grasslands west of Vector, accompanied by his loyal hound. The two of them watching in silence as the caravans left the ruins of the city. All of those people wanting out... and Shadow wanting in. And that's where being a skilled mercenary pays off: with no problem Shadow was able to intercept several pigeons and carriers in all the mess, getting a hold on several important information, as well as the rumours spreading.
"...And just in the middle of the place! If it was not for the Guardian, the port would have been devastated..."
"He was crying there... and when I approached I found my husband's body... "
"I swear it was like a demon... emerging from the sea... he let out a screech and next thing I know, the caravan was sunk and I was floating adrift with one of the waitress and some of the crew..."
"And it's all because of those vermin Returners! I heard they summoned these creatures to destroy our Empire...!"
A sound from machines came from the sky. Shadow saw the military experimental aircrafts from the Gestahl Air Force, the most recent development in non-magical affairs, landing in a road nearby. The soldiers were greeted and welcomed into the camp... without much of an inchecking. Shadow had an idea.
Later that night, Shadow headed to the nearest camp, and as soon as a soldier came out, he landed a strong blow in his head. With some help from Interceptor, Shadow hid the body outside the perimeter, took the clothes, bandaged the soldier, and after washing the clothes in the river to remove any scent, he put on the uniform and instructed Interceptor to watch over the prisoner.
As soon as Shadow reached back into the perimeter, he put on a helmet and hid a knife in the inside of his boots, just in case. He was also wearing a light robe and a Bandana as a safety measure. Not being checked once, he just took to a nearby tree and laid there to rest 'till morning.
Shadow awakened early in the morning, before the commanders were. He left the camp without being noticed and went into the city. The sight of the crushed houses and the scattered debris was too much for the general population to bear. Mothers and children were either crying together, of calling each other's names, sometimes, without answer. Shadow ignored what he just saw, and instead focused on trailing a squad that was making their way to the Imperial Castle. As soon as the squad reached the main stairs, Shadow marched in to their side, no one was to notice a single foot soldier caught late in all that mess.
After some steps inside the giant Castle, Shadow noticed a door left open and turned away from the main group. He reached for a vent, removed the boots and helmet and put up his mask. His work was about to begin.
"This way, please, the Emperor is eager to meet you."
The soldier led the team of three, led by former General Tina, to the dining chambers. All the way, Tina and one of her companions, Prince Edgar, were discussing in a low voice how was that Kefka was nowhere to be seen, and no one was talking about him.
Kefka was being held in a cell in the lower chambers. Charged with treason and crimes of war after the poisoning of Doma. Not counting some of his excesses during the Narshe raid. Some of the soldiers were maintaining guard as Kefka was known not to be a very faithful player by the book. Of course, none of the soldiers noticed that Shadow was hiding in the very room, hid under a cover that matched the look of the marble walls behind one of the empty cells.
One of the counselors to the Emperor suddenly made his appearance in the room and motioned the soldiers to leave. All of them obeyed silently. Shadow sensed something strange was going on.
- So... general Kefka... how are things going?
- Ah... ah ah ah I hate hate HATE this place!
- Uh... well... it was you who commissioned the equipment of these cells so...
- Shut your mouth. I can't handle this! It's ridiculous! I am a great general, a nation hero! I alone conquered vast lands when...
Kefka lowered his head and started smiling. Shadow motioned a bit closer, his cover not blown up yet.
- So when do we drop this entire façade? - said Kefka in a triumphant tone.
- The ambassadors of the Returners are already at the dining table. Once they pick... which they'll surely do, we will start moving troops ahead to wherever they indicate us.
Shadow continued hearing the conversation, gathering all the information he could. It was obviously a setup! The Empire still wanted to take over the world using all those espers... if they could manage to achieve control over them somehow. Shadow was thinking about the legends he heard of, of how those espers who fought a milennia ago had to suffer, seeing the destruction they had caused, when their Goddesses gave them back their free will.
Suddenly, the tone of the conversation changed and Shadow picked on, worried:
- So... do we have ANY idea where are they going?
- No idea... it's all speculation, but there are rumors about a gathering south of the Serpent Trench...
- What's there?
- No idea. Some abandoned villages no one ever visits... but whatever there is it is strongly calling for them.
- You can move troops now, we can find them there and CRUSH THEM!!
- Just wait... it's all part of the bigger plan, it's Leo who is going to led the mission.
- WHO?? That he is going to lead the WHAT!! That bastard... that asskisser! But oh let's wait... I'll show him who's a General...
- And the best part is that both Tina and Leo are believing the entire thing!
Kefka started laughing maniacally, and the counselor soon followed. Shadow was tremendously worried. Taking advantage of the other's distraction, he slipped away and took the stairs to the higher levels, looking for some emergency equipment before leaving the Castle. The memory of the conversation fresh in his mind, looping once and again over a certain particular name.
«Something there calling for them...»
«The islands near the Serpent Trench...»
«Move troops and crush them!»
«...the Serpent Trench...»
«...drop this façade...»
«...the Serpent Trench...»
«Leo is to lead...»
«...the Serpent Trench...»
«...Move troops and crush them!»
«...the Serpent Trench...»
«...move troops...»
«...the Serpent Trench...»
«...and crush them...»
«...the Serpent Trench...»
«...crush them!»
«...the Serpent Trench...»
«CRUSH THEM!»
«...the Serpent Trench...»
«...the Serpent Trench...»
«...the Serpent Trench...»
Shadow got into a bathroom and stood there, motionless. Memories of the past invading his thoughts.
"Not... not that... I left the place years ago, tought it was to remain hidden... Why there? What force is hiding... what of their magic? What if 'she' is still there?"
Shadow shook his head.
"Thamasa... again."
Shadow, still in imperial uniform, picked all the dirks and potions he could find, and readied to scramble out of the place. He first reached to a room filled with guards, but all of them were busy in their own bizness, no one paid attention to one extra head. He went out of the place and headed to the western stairs out of the palace.
He was almost out when he felt steps behind him, and before he could reach for his knife a hand grabbed on him, firmly but gently.
- Excuse me, sir...
Shadow relaxed his body when he heard the voice. It was like the one of that brat back there in the Phantom Train. He slowly turned around to meet a young, very well dressed, wearing very expensive clothes and a badge in his plate. His hair as blonde as that of the brat, but he was not the same. Alike, but not the same.
- Yes? - Shadow tried to conceal his voice and avoid looking directly at the stranger.
- I am the Prince of South Figaro, Edgar Figaro. I wanted to talk to the soldiers about their behavior in the war...
- I'm on duty now... is it important?
- Well... I just wanted you to know that we Returners harbor no grudge against you. We understand the pain, we have been there too.
- Pain?
- To leave our families behind, to hear a calling of adventures and marvels...
- Family... - Shadow remembered his short live in Thamasa and his only companion before that, when he was called to a life of adventures too. - I don't... really have a family.
- That's OK... I guess, I mean...
- I know. - Shadow looked upstairs and watched as the knight from Doma was approaching also, talking to other soldier. - I know what you mean.
- Well... it's just that. Kefka may have committed tremendous mistakes, but we have to put our differences aside and work to contain these terrible monsters.
- Whatever... Look, I have a lot of things to do, and I am not exactly on the mood to keep talking.
- That's fine... thanks for your time. - Edgar released the soldier and stepped back.
Shadow resumed his walk downstairs, when the Prince again called for him.
- Hey... uh, you. I wanted to ask one last thing.
- Make it quick.
- Do you feel OK just following orders? To do things regardless of the consequences, leaving hurt allies behind? Do you think those days... can be left behind?
Shadow closed his eyes. The image of a man, bathed on his own blood, handing a knife to him and asking for his life to be ended... he didn't want to remember. He didn't want that image to repeat again.
A quick leer upstairs to check on the prince and the knight. Shadow instantly remembered the brat back in the Phantom Train. Most surely this man was a relative of him. Somehow, Shadow felt, he owed him one. But... sure this Prince was to face death and a knife if he kept going further, not knowing he was about to be set up.
- Look... - responded Shadow - soldiers are soldiers. Casualties are casualties. How do we ponder duty and welfare has nothing to do with how do we become one or the other.
- What are you trying to say?
- It's hard for people to change...
Shadow looked at the man, who seemed to be as hearted as the brat Shadow had met. The same sincerity and fierceness in his eyes... If they could do something... If they knew about the pain that was coming...
Somehow the ideas roaming in Shadow's mind found a way out.
- The rich behave like rich, the scum behaves like scum... even now.
- ...Scum?
Shadow gathered all his might, and let out a single sentence hoping the man could catch the message.
- Kefka's scum, serves him well.
That said, Shadow the imperial soldier resumed his walk downstairs, and reached to the main gates, disappearing into the darkness of the night.
Shadow left the city in a hurry. He was running through the fields, Interceptor following behind. But he was not going anywhere. He was just running. Trying to make something in his head, any strategy that would allow him to reach Crescent Island before the people of the Empire do.
"Impersonating a soldier is not to work again... they'll want a very profound check on everyone to make sure no one stands with General Leo when the time comes... that bastard Kefka."
"Maybe the brat, but I don't know how to find him. And, anyway, I won't be exactly welcomed. They are supposed to travel with the Empire at this time. If they get a glimpse of the powers in the Crescent Mountains, they'll either ally with the Empire, or bring up a fight that will kill everyone. That I can not afford..."
"But then, what can I do?"
Shadow kept running, not going anywhere. Just trying to sort his ideas.
When then, he felt a push at his side and forced himself back to reality. He was running right to a giant rock, and Interceptor had managed to push him just enough to prevent Shadow from headbutting the rock right in.
"Thanks friend..."
Shadow walked around the rock. It sure was a close one. He was lucky to have Interceptor by his side and not having run right into a cliff...
"It's all thanks to you my friend, that I've come this far..."
"And now... I may have to return there..."
"Why leave? Why come with me? Why to return?"
Shadow had almost circled the rock when he raised his sight to see his presence had been detected. There was a young, brown-haired boy and his Chocobo standing in the praire, surrounded by a group of thieves. The six of them turned to see Shadow. Knives, daggers and a halberd in their arsenal.
"It's not my business. I may have to return."
The young boy, too, turned to see where Shadow was standing. In his eyes a form of calmness despite the danger, as if believing he was to be saved.
"Why come with me? Where to?"
Shadow reached for a smoke bomb in his pack. He wanted to leave the place quickly, he had more important things to do. But when he raised his sight again to check on the group, he saw a young, brown-haired girl where the boy and the Chocobo were standing. She was crying, stretching her hands to reach for him.
"What the...? For you?"
Shadow was about to step back, surprised, when he felt a strong wind at his side. Interceptor had just leapt, growling fiercely and showing his fangs, to meet the attackers. Shadow's hand turned to the knife in his boots and before he could realize, he was dashing to the thugs, fully intent on... to protect the girl.
TO BE CONTINUED