Author's Note: Hi, everyone! Yes, I'm still alive, and no, I haven't given up on this story yet. (And I hope you haven't either. :p) They're releasing FFVI on GBA. Yay! What a time to pick up what I started over a year ago… I originally planned to have another Chapter 2 from either Locke or Celes's point of view, but that failed horribly and I wasn't even enjoying writing it. :/ So, I'm skipping directly to Chapter 3. I'll have sections from those two's pov soon, so rest assured. ;)

Disclaimer: See first chapter 1.

Chapter 3: The Fourth General

"This will be your final test. Are you ready?"

Where am I?

"Yes, Your Majesty."

It's so dark… I can't see anything…

"Follow me."

I was surrounded by darkness. I could not see anything or anyone, not even myself. Footsteps picked up around me, and from the sound of it, they belonged to Imperial Soldiers and Magitek Armors. How did I know? I couldn't quite explain it. It was as if those sounds had been previously imprinted into my mind. I felt myself pick up my own feet, putting one down in front of another, joining in the march. I tried to stop, but my body seemed to be moving on its own accord. I tried to speak, but no words would come.

"Are you scared?" asked a familiar voice in a whisper.

I felt my head turn toward her. "A little," I admitted softly. "I don't even know what they're going to make me do. Probably something Magic related again, so it can't be too bad."

There was no response for a few minutes. "You've heard what they're saying, right?" she asked with much hesitation.

"No, what?" I asked. Again, there was no immediate response. We all continued marching forward. Occasionally, light whispers floated to my ears, and whenever I turned toward where they came from, silence would ensue.

"They say you're going to replace Leo if you succeed," she answered after a while. "I mean, you already have one up on him, because of your Magic."

I laughed at that, but kept my words to a whisper. "That's ridiculous! I'm a Major. They can't promote me to General status just like that. Besides, how can anyone replace Leo? His Majesty would have to be crazy to…" My voice trailed off when I began to comprehend what that could mean. "Wait, what are they having me do?"

She did not respond once more.

"Hey," I grabbed her arm. "Celes, what ar—"

"Just don't back out, okay?" she said warningly.

My steps halted to a stop and I felt my stomach turn over. Don't back out? Replace Leo? What are they going to make me do? Just then, another voice in front of me spoke up.

"We're here."

I lifted my head. I was still surrounded by darkness, but voices rang out loud and clear from the village beyond. Laughter filled the air, and a busy and boisterous marketplace sounded as if it were full of people. A few flashes of red flickered before me and the darkness scattered. I was standing atop an incline, looking over a peaceful little town. Kids ran up and down the streets, laughing and playing in flowerbed, and their parents chattered amongst one another and busied themselves with their everyday errands. A faint smile appeared on my face at this sight.

"This is your final test, Terra," said Emperor Gestahl as he put a hand on my shoulder. I looked back and realized that a whole army was behind us. "This is Maranda, a village south of our capital." He led me a few steps forward. "For a while now, we've had suspicions of their loyalty to the Empire, and just recently, we've acquired evidence that they are, in fact, secretly in league with a rebellion group called the Returners."

I felt my heart skip a beat. I could sense where this was going. I knew what he wanted, but I was in denial. "You want me to occupy this town, Your Majesty?" I asked firmly, as if trying to convince myself that it would be this simple.

"No, my dear, I want you to burn it to the ground."

Another flicker of red appeared in my mind, and suddenly the village was in flames. I gasped and took a step back involuntarily. The image faded just as quickly as it appeared.

"Silly child, did you think I would have taken the time to come all the way out here if all I wanted you to do was capture a town?"

He was smiling. I could feel it. Though my head was turned the other way, I senses the evil grin on the emperor's face. I turned back to the army of soldiers and Magitek armors. "Then… why are…"

"Spectators, my dear. They're here to witness the full extent of your powers. I hear you've kept your Magic to a minimum, even when training your own men. They'll be in for a treat."

I didn't know what to do. My legs felt like rubber and my heart was pounding so hard that I was afraid it might jump out of my chest. "…Let me evacuate the villagers. I'll be quick."

A cold hand grabbed my arm. "You will not."

"But Your Majesty!"

"These people knew what they were doing. It is only right that they accept the consequences of their actions."

I stood still, mouth dry, stomach in knots. He was asking me to kill, and he had brought along an entire army, my troops among them, to witness this. I looked down at my hands, thoughts racing. Burn down a whole village? I can't do that…

Just don't back out, okay?

That was Celes's voice. Does she know something I don't? What are they going to do to me if I refuse?

"Let their fates serve as a warning to other cities whose loyalties are wavering. With these traitors and rebels gone, Terra, I'll rule supreme, and you'll be by my side to witness it all. We'll go down in history."

I stared at him; my mind in a complete state of chaos. The emperor commands it. He raised me, he took care of me. I must obey him. Whispers grew again, adding to my confusion and clouding my thoughts. I raised my arm hesitantly and a warm tingling sensation began to spread from my palm. The temperature rose around me, around everyone. I didn't turn to look, but the smile on the emperor's face had widened still. A fireball appeared in my hand, burning fiercely on nothing. Loud murmurs floated through the air; they were backing away slowly now, staring and pointing at me in awe. I added another surge of energy and the flames flared up all around me, consuming me into its blazes, but not affecting me in any way. I tried to focus, but my thoughts kept slipping.

You've heard what they're saying, right?

No, what?

They say you're going to replace Leo if you succeed.

My arm trembled in the air, and the flames diminished. Replace Leo? Because Leo doesn't have Magic. Because Leo refuses to kill.

The emperor saw my hesitation and leaned down to my ear. "If you do this," he whispered, "you will be promoted to a position higher than all three of my other generals."

Above Leo… Above Celes… My troops, some of them have families in this village… What am I doing? What the hell am I doing? My arm suddenly dropped to my side and the flames around me vanished in a second.

The smile on Emperor Gestahl's face melted into a disapproving frown. "Terra, why are you stopping? These are traitors to the Empire, traitors to me."

I hung my head low. "I'm sorry, Your Highness, I can't do this." I could not say more. I didn't know what to say or how to justify myself. These people, they couldn't all be held responsible for the actions of few individuals. It was the right thing to do; I knew that, but I wasn't in a position to decide what was right and wrong. I was a mere Major, and it was my duty to follow the orders of my superiors, of the Emperor himself. And by refusing an order like this, even if it was an order to kill, I felt ashamed.

"This is a direct order, Terra. I will say it one more time. Burn down this village!"

My head remained lowered, and I wouldn't allow myself to blink. "I'm sorry, Your Majesty," I repeated.

"I see." The emperor replied calmly, but I could tell that he was enraged. "I had high hopes for you, Terra, but it looks like you are far from being ready." He flicked his wrist. Before I could comprehend what was going on, two soldiers came up behind me, seizing my arms and bounding my wrists together. "Palazzo!"

I looked up in horror at the mention of that name. A pale faced man dressed in a red and green outfit with a huge red and yellow striped collar stepped forward. We locked eyes for a moment and he grinned sinisterly.

"Yes, Your Highness?" he answered happily, cape billowing as he knelt.

"I'm leaving Miss Branford under your supervision. My plans will soon be realized. I will not tolerate delays. Use whatever means you deem necessary to fix her."

"No, wait!" I protested, but I was already being pulled away.

"As you wish, my liege."

"Please, Your Highness!"

The emperor ignored me and lingered his attention on the village before him. "Chere."

"Your Majesty?"

"Finish it off."

Celes stole a glanced at me as I was being dragged further away. She closed her eyes and lowered her head. "…Yes, Your Majesty." From the distance, I could make out on her lips, "Torch it," to her men.

My eyes snapped open and I sprung upright in bed. I was shivering and sweating, and it took me a while to realize that I was in the safety of the Falcon. A dream… I sighed and fell back against my sea of pillows. Just a dream. Nothing to…

Suddenly, a creak sounded outside my door and I quickly sprung to my feet. "Who's there?!"

There was no answer, but rushed footsteps suggested that whoever was just outside had made a quick run down the corridor to the other lodges. I instinctively reached around my waist for my sword, but then remembered that I had stored it away. There is no need for weapons anymore, I reminded myself. Or so I thought. I knelt by my trunk and popped it open, searching frantically for something to fend off the intruder with. After digging through piles of clothes and packaged food, I found a silver dagger with strange symbols engraved on the blade and diamonds and emeralds embedded into its hilt. A gift from Locke. He said he had found it in the Ancient Castle and figured that it was probably Esper related, and he thought that I'd like to have it. It wasn't sharpened, and its elegant design suggested that it was most likely crafted for decoration purposes, but now wasn't the time to be picky. I gripped the blade tightly and rushed out my cabin.

The hall was empty, as expected, but I wasn't content. Someone was outside my door; I did not dream that up. My eyes scanned up and down the corridor—nothing but closed doors and a dead end on the other side. An irritated sigh left my throat as I quietly shut my door behind me. I should have come out here right when I heard the noise. It wasn't as if I'd be defenseless. I had, after all, received years of training in hand-to-hand combat, among other things, during my Empire days.

I walked quietly down the hall and turned the knob of the cabin adjacent to mine. Naturally, it was unlocked, and that made me worry even more. The intruder could have snuck into any of these rooms and be hiding in the shadows. I hesitated as my grip tightened around the doorknob. I was intruding on my friends' privacies. I reprimanded myself again for not coming out sooner. But I have to make sure everything is okay. I took a deep breath and peeked inside.

Setzer's room was illuminated unusually brightly for such a late hour. The numerous mirrors on his walls caught the lights from the moon and stars, scattering their beams in all directions. It was hard to imagine how he could sleep in such a bright setting. Having just woken up myself, my eyes were not quite accustomed to the light, and I had to shield them to get a better view of everything. The whole place was decorated with maps, clocks, and little airship models. I squinted at one of the clocks and read that it was approaching 4 o'clock in the morning. Setzer turned to his side and mumbled something in his sleep. I gasped slightly and took a step back. After another quick scan of the room, I decided that it was safe and left quietly.

In the next room, I found Mog curled up into a ball on the stomach of his huge yeti friend. Umaro lay still on his back, breathing steadily, arms limp at his sides, and I watched the little moogle rise and fall with his every breath. For a creature of his size, I was surprised that Umaro was such a silent sleeper. Unlike Sabin. I stifled a laugh. Mog's ears perk up suddenly and I quickly stepped out and shut the door. Mog would have heard if the intruder went in there.

Edgar and Sabin shared one of the larger rooms across from those two. The former was lying on his stomach with several pillows over his head while the latter snored rhythmically. Judging by Edgar's skewed position and the disarrangement of the half fallen blankets, he had been tossing and turning quite a bit, most likely as a result of Sabin's snoring. Or maybe he was just not used to sleeping on such a small bed. I smiled amusedly and exited the cabin.

I opened another door and saw perhaps one of the most organized rooms I've ever seen in my life. Every piece of furniture lined up perfectly with the walls and each other. Clothes were color coded and folded neatly into piles on his chair and in his trunk. Books were sorted by subject and size and were all stacked trimly on top of each other. Cyan himself was sleeping flat on his back, blankets tucked neatly under him. It had never really crossed my mind, but you can tell a lot about a person from the way he sleeps.

The next room I checked was empty. Before I got a chance to run through all the possible scenarios in my head, I realized that this was Locke's room. My train of thoughts suddenly took a sharp turn and my heartbeat increased. Is he with Celes? I wonder how their talk turned out. I bet they made up. I bet he's sleeping with her right now. Without pause, I exited his room and walked down the hall to Celes's cabin. My hand reached for the door when I suddenly stopped. I felt my face flush from shame, because my first thought after seeing Locke's empty room wasn't even related to his safety—it was wondering if he was with Celes.

I hesitated and stepped back. Something stirred inside me, and I suddenly felt sick to the stomach. I wasn't sure what I expected to see, but I decided that I probably wasn't going to like it either way. I turned on my heels and headed straight for the deck. As I walked, my guilty conscience kept reminding me that the intruder was still lurking around somewhere and that by leaving, I was endangering the lives of my friends. I shook my head and convinced myself that if we could take down Kefka, then we can handle something as simple as this.

The morning air was cold, especially at this altitude, and I wasn't exactly dressed properly for this weather, but it was just what I needed. I looked around; the deck was empty, save for two of Setzer's crewmembers at the end of the ship by the navigation wheel, both of whom seemed to be asleep. Setzer always had the Falcon on autopilot at night, but he also insisted on having backup crew on duty in case of emergencies.

I wrapped my arms around myself, shivering. Being a Fire based Esper, I had always been a little sensitive to the cold, but it used to be that I could simply flare up a small, invisible aura around myself and keep warm. Now I had to wear multiple layers and heavy jackets like everyone else. I sighed softly. I never thought I'd say this, but I really miss my Magic.

Another cold gust blew by and I lifted my head to look up at the starry sky. Since coming out, my mind had switched gears back to the dream. I didn't get a chance to really reflect on it initially, but now, out here alone in the dark, everything began to replay itself back in my mind. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. It wasn't just a dream. It was a memory. A memory that I had lost to the Slave Crown.

"Easy! This is a Slave Crown. The others had complete control over you while you were wearing it."

"I can't remember a thing…"

"Don't worry. It'll all come back to you… in time, that is."

I took another deep breath. I was plagued with guilt and shame again. Arvis was wrong. They didn't have complete control over me. Being a half breed, my brainwaves were different from those of humans, and my Esper side refused to succumb to the influences of the Slave Crown. As a result, they were never able to control me for more than a few minutes at a time.

I walked up the wooden stairs to the higher deck and looked out over the horizon. There was no hint of sunrise anytime soon. That was why they had to use the Esper Crown instead.

"My name… …is… Terra…"

"Impressive! I've never heard of anyone recovering this fast…!"

Similarly, my human side fought back against the Esper Crown just as my Esper side resisted the Slave Crown. They never successfully designed a Crown to fully control me. Of course I recovered fast.

I shut my eyes and leaned against a pole for support. But after all the "tests" that Kefka made me do each time they modified my Crown… After all the soldiers—my soldiers—that I was forced to kill… And Cid… After all the punishment that he had to endure each time the Crown failed, I finally gave in.

Because I wasn't strong enough… So many people had to suffer because of me. My face stung from the next breeze of cold air and a few drops of wetness dripped onto my arm. I didn't even realize that I was crying. My whole body shook, not from the cold, but from all the mix of emotions. I felt so helpless. I wanted to kick and shout and cry. I wanted to scream out until I collapse from exhaustion, but that would wake the others. I didn't want any of them to see me like this.

I pushed away from the pole and took a few steps forward toward the end of the airship. On the day that we defeated Kefka, for a small frame of time, I remembered feeling the same way—trapped, helpless. I looked out over the horizon and inhaled deeply. I closed my eyes and pulled loose my ponytail, feeling the wind through my hair, the same way I did on that day, willing it to set me free again. But the release didn't come.

I couldn't think. I couldn't concentrate. Alas, I dropped to my hands and knees, my whole being shaken up by silent sobs. Kefka was dead, but the damage he inflicted on me, the scars he left with me, will remain with me till the end of my days. Just then, I felt something being draped over my shoulders. I turned sharply, alarmed. "Celes."

She smiled. "Hey."

I quickly looked away and tried to wipe away my tears. "What… what are you doing out here?"

"I couldn't sleep," she said as she sat down beside me.

Shivering, my hands clutched tightly to the cape that she had given me. "Aren't you cold?" I felt silly for asking even before I finished. She had been artificially infused with Magic shards extracted from Shiva even before she could speak. She welcomed the cold like I embraced the heat. We looked at each other and both laughed a little. "Silly me." I hadn't realized until now, but her eyes were a little redder than usual, as if she, too, had been crying. "So um, why couldn't you sleep?"

"Rough day." She paused for a few seconds, staring down at her feet. "Locke and I had another fight. In my anger, I suggest to him that we take a break. And in his frustration, he agreed." She stifled an ironic chuckle. "Now I'm regretting it."

I suddenly felt extremely awkward. "I… I'm sorry."

She shook her head. "I had it coming. I talked to Edgar a bit before Locke came to find me, and I… I don't know. I guess I was so angry that he couldn't understand me on the same level that Edgar could. And then he kept bringing up…" She shook her head again. "I guess I went a little over the edge."

"Edgar went to talk to you?"

"Yeah," she laughed a little. "Of all people, right? I didn't even know he had a serious side."

I smiled back, but it was a little forced. "So are… are you all right?"

She nodded after some hesitation. "It'll take time, but I'll be okay. I felt so confined and I just wanted to talk to someone, you know?"

I smiled in reply and nodded a few times. I felt the exact same way, but it rooted from something completely different. "I know what you mean, but," I lowered my head a bit, "I don't think if I'm the best person to talk to about this stuff."

"Oh, come on, Terra," she said, laughing a little. "I'm as inexperienced as you are." I looked up at her. "We were both raised by the Empire, brought up to believe that feelings are weak. You know, they used to drill into our heads that 'he who is controlled by his emotions…'"

'''…Is a target and a fool,'" I finished automatically, surprising myself a bit.

She stopped momentarily, as if she, too, was amazed at that piece of memory. She then smiled faintly and nodded. "That's right. Neither of us really went through that developmental phases that normal girls go through."

How very interesting. Maybe my "inability" to love had nothing to do with my Esper side after all. Maybe I had greatly underestimated the influences that the Empire had on me. This triggered off something that was previously on my mind. "We knew each other."

She paused and didn't look at me. "…Yes. Yes, we did."

The unspoken question then would be, "Why didn't you tell me?" But I didn't want to ask it, because it didn't seem like she wanted to answer it.

"Your memories are coming back?"

I nodded, but said nothing.

"What did you dream about?" Then she quickly added, "Assuming they came back to you in dream form."

Something clicked in my mind and I suddenly felt a bit relieved. "I did have a dream. It was about Maranda."

"I'm sorry, Terra," she said abruptly.

"Sorry? Sorry for what?"

"For…" She looked me in the eye and turned away slowly. "You don't… I mean…"

I looked at her confusedly. "What?"

"How much… of Maranda do you remember?"

"I remember that I wasn't able to burn it down. And that you had to do it for me. I'm sor—"

"Stop it," she said quickly, cutting me short, which took me by surprise. "Don't apologize to me, Terra. I should be the one who's sorry." Her eyes teared up slightly again. "I… I…"

"It's okay," I said as I put my hand over hers. "I don't blame anyone for what happened that day. I made my own decision, and I lived with the consequences of that decision. Looking back now, I can confidently say that I did make the right choice, and I would make the same choice if I could do it all over again."

She stared back at me, as if searching for something in my eyes. Moments later, she softened and relaxed. "I missed you, Terra."

I smiled. "I missed you, too, Celes." Though I barely had any memories of the two of us together, the sense of comfort and familiarity I felt around her had always been present. Just then, I realized that the pent-up feeling was gone; I no longer felt caged. The thought made my smile widen. "You should go back and get some rest."

She nodded. "You, too."

I shook my head. "No, I doubt I'll be able to sleep any more. I've had enough nightmares for one night. I think I'm going to get some breakfast, and try to get off to an early start. You sleep well."

"All right then," she said as she got to her feet. "I'll see you later, Terra."

We bade farewell and I made my way down to the kitchen. The room was pitch dark, still no hint of sunrise. I popped two pieces of bread into the toaster and poured myself a cup of hot tea. As I sat down, my hand instinctively went toward the little jar of sugar.

"The other day, Celes put sugar in her tea. Rachel never puts sugar in her tea."

Locke's voice suddenly rose in my head. My arm stopped at mid reach and retracted itself. Why did I do this? I wasn't sure. It felt like it happened without any conscious effort on my part. I stayed still for a few moments, half standing from my chair, thoughts racing through my mind. Terra, you're being silly, I told myself. But it didn't help. I sat back down and stared emptily at my cup of tea.

A ding sounded, signaling to me that my toasts were done, but I couldn't get myself to move or take my eyes off the cup in front of me. I just sat still in the darkness, deep in thought, yet thinking about nothing.

I don't know how long I stayed like that, but the next thing I knew, someone had flipped on the lights and my toasts were being set down in front of me in a plate. I looked up in surprise. "Locke."

(To be continued...)

End Note: All authors are suckers for praise, so if you enjoyed this story/chapter, please leave me some words of encouragement. :) And if you hated it, please let me know how I can improve. Thanks for reading!