CHAPTER
(-4-)
Fire, Escape, and Magic
Edgar awoke with a start. He knew something was wrong, but he didn't know what. Then something shook him into reality. Perhaps it was all the sirens going off, or all the yelling and screaming going on, or even the smoke seeping into the room.
"What the..." He said. Then a soldier walked in "What's happening?" he asked the man.
"It's the Empire! It's Kefka!" Said the soldier.
Edgar needed no more prompt then that. He quickly put on some more kingly looking stuff, and walked in the direction of the courtyard. He stopped when he found one of his servants. "Tell Locke to execute plan number 76." he said and walked by.
When he found Kefka, he said in a calm but urgent tone, "What are you doing? This may constitute an ac..."
"Bring me the girl, Now!" Interrupted Kefka, threateningly.
"What are you talking about?" Said Edgar.
"I saw her plotting with someone a man with a blue headband in one of the passageways."
Edgar went pale, "Well, I wont give her to you." he said.
"Well then," said Kefka "welcome to my barbecue! Ha ha ha ha!"
Edgar turned and walked away and spoke to Chancellor Giovanni.
"Get ready" He whispered.
"Yes, Sir!" He whispered back while Edgar turned around.
"Changed your mind?" he said.
"I guess I have no choice." He said. "Or then again, maybe I do!"
Just then, three chocobos appeared out of nowhere. Edgar jumped on the foremost one of them, and the all took off running at once.
"How shameful," Said Kefka "that a king should flee, leaving his people behind! So delightful!"
They passed under the terrace where Terra and Locke were and the chocobos stopped. They both jumped of the three foot terrace and landed each on a chocobo.
"Yahoooo!" Locke said.
Figaro submerge mode initiated Said a loud mechanical voice.
"Nobody can defeat the people of Figaro!" Said the Chancellor.
Then something amazing happened. The city submerged under the sand.
Unfortunately, Kefka wasn't in the city when it submerged. Figaro's guards would have quickly put him in jail. But unfortunately he found himself alone with his two guards on the sand.
"Get them!" Kefka yelled, and the two soldiers, now in MagiTek armor, chased the three adventurers on chocobo-back; and it is a commonly known fact that MagiTek armor is a little faster than even chocobos when put on full power.
"We've got to get away." said Locke.
"How?" Said Terra.
"I don't know..." said Locke "Throw stuff at them."
"We don't have anything." Edgar said.
Just then, in a loud powerful commanding voice, Terra yelled, "Thunder" and a massive bolt of lightning came from the sky and zapped the two men in MagiTek armor. It must have done something, because the two armors exploded.
"Son of a submariner," Screamed Kefka "You'll all pay for this. This isn't the last you've seen of Kefka."
The three adventurers slowed down and stopped at an oasis. Edgar was dumbfounded. "Did you just see what I saw?"
"Yeah." Said Locke "This kid seems..."
"She's amazing!" Said Edgar "That was magic! Magic!"
"M-m-m-Magic!? She used magic?"
Edgar whispered something into Locke's ear, and Locke whispered something back. They both looked at her.
"Terra," Said Edgar "where on earth did you learn that?"
"This?" Terra said "I... um... well..."
"Sorry," Said Edgar "but well..."
"...But we didn't mean to make such a big deal of this..." Said Locke
"...It's just that I've never actually seen magic before! Where did you learn that?"
Terra looked perplexed.
Then Locke broke in, "Edgar," he said "Terra can use magic, and we can't. That's the only difference between us. The fact is... we could use her help!"
They traveled for hours until they came to an enclosed oasis.
"We can rest here," Said Edgar, "My soldiers often stop here whenever they do marching drills."
***
"Terra," said Edgar from his sleeping bag "Locke and I have been talking, and there's someone we'd like you to meet."
"Well, you see," Said Locke "we're members of the Returners, an underground of people resisting the empire."
"Our mentor, Banon, would certainly like to meet you. Your magic is going to be the key to winning this war."
"It just seems natural that I have been able to use this power. I've had it for as long as I can remember."
"But no human is born with the powers you seem to have." Said Locke
"I'm sure the Empire is going to come after you; and if they get their hands on you, the world's finished. Terra, you want to understand your own powers, right?"
"Yes" Said Terra
"Then I think we need to consult with Banon."
"OK! To the south there's a cave that leads to South Figaro. We can restock supplies and refresh ourselves there. Then from there we will make our way to the secret Returner hideout."