Everyone but me had tried: Shadow laid somewhere within the mist; Relm and Interceptor were near that mist, trying to avoid Kefka; Celes and Sabin were near Edgar, trying to heal him though they were wounded greatly to; Strago and Gau laid unconscious while Setzer tried to wake them; Cyan was off near the other side of the fog, trying to regain his stance; and Locke was on the ground, unable to continue the fight, near me. I looked into Kefka's eyes...evil was in them, but what petrified me most was the obvious sigh of insanity emitting from his face.
"So...now it's you and me." Kefka chuckled out, stepping closer and closer to me. "And to think...this all started with me breaching into the Esper world, killing most of the Espers, and stealing you." Sweat fell from my face as I was reminded of that thought. Kefka continued to taunt me, stepping ever more closely. "Now...here we are. A one on one fight to the death...and the decision of the fate of the entire world, and its people." Kefka sheathed one sword and held the other with both hands, glaring at me evilly. "Let's begin, shall we?" I toke out my sword and prepared my stance, unwilling to let the fate fall into the hands of this manic. Kefka ran and thrust his sword at me but I blocked it with mine, managing a blow to his right arm.
I looked at him with fear as he created fire around his sword. "This is...the final fight..." I whispered to myself, accepting either fate. Kefka leaped towards me again but I dodged it by jumping to the side. As he tried to strike my arm, I curved around his sword and struck his other arm. We continued this for several minutes until Kefka eventually grabbed my arm and sliced my right leg, making my fall to my knee. He forced my sword from my hand and he threw it to the side as he hit my head with his sword, making me fall all the down onto my back.
"You silly, silly girl..." Kefka leaned over and gawked at me as I struggled to get back up, but he just pushed me back down. "You thought you could actually win? How pathetic! I'm Kefka Palazzo! I cannot be beaten by the likes of you!" He started energizing Fire 3 when...
"No!" Shadow leaped out of the fog with his sword over his head, flying over me, and striking Kefka's fire with his sword. Because it didn't leave Kefka's hand yet, it backfired, causing a small explosion, blowing Kefka three feet backwards and sending Shadow behind me about four feet, near Relm and Interceptor.
"Daddy?!" Relm cried out, crawling over to Shadow as Interceptor limped near his side.
"Terra, look out!" Locke wailed, so I turned my attention back around and saw Kefka raising his hands into the air, speaking words I've never heard before. I stood up and started walking over to him when the ground shook and the sky turned black. As I looked up I saw fire raining from the black clouds and shattering upon the earth. Suddenly, right behind me, the ground open up, revealing a five foot crack that spread over ten feet and into the fog. As I fell back onto the ground, I looked over the edge and saw nothing but an endless stream of lava pouring into the ground about fifty feet below. I looked up and gasped as Kefka held his sword above his head, ready to strike at me.
"I've had enough of your games! I'm going to end you...you're going to die in the fires that boil beneath this earth you love so much!" As he began to raise his sword higher, I jolted up and grabbed both of his arms and held tightly.
"Then you're coming with me." I explained as I pulled him over the edge. I grabbed onto the ledge before I could fall though, but struggled to hang on as Kefka grabbed onto my hand and I couldn't force him off.
"Would you pull up, you stupid girl?!"
"Don't you think I'm trying?! And what makes you think I want you to live, you idiot?!"
"Quit calling me an idiot..."
"Would you shut up?! We're about to die, and all you can do is argue?!" I finally shut Kefka up for once as I tried to pull up but couldn't because of Kefka's weight added to mine. As we hung there, the ledge where I was holding began to collapse under the pressure, until it finally let go, but Locke leaned over just in time and grabbed my hand.
"Don't worry Terra. I got you."
"Oh, Locke...I...you can't pull us both up." Locke ignored me and struggled to pull the two of us up. He was still injured so he was weaker than before and his grip was slipping. "Locke..."
"Terra, I don't care! I'm not letting you go!"
"Neither is Kefka." I looked at him with regret, but Locke wouldn't understand as he tried to lift us up again. "Locke, please..."
"Can't any of the others help?!" Kefka called up, fear in his voice.
"No! They're all wounded because of you, you idiot!" Locke spattered out. Kefka was going to reply but let it go. As Locke tried once more, I looked down past Kefka and at the lava; it was the only way.
"Locke, you have to let go of me."
"What?! No, I'm not letting you fall, Terra!" Locke cried out, tears falling down as well as sweat; the heat was increasing by the second.
"Locke, you have to, it's the only way. If you don't...I will." Locke panic, confused, but knew I meant it has a single tear fell down my face and evaporated in the lava below.
"What...no, Terra..."
"Locke, it must be done."
"Wait, what did you say?!" Kefka shouted at me, realizing what I said.
"Terra, I love you! You can't leave me!" Locke admitted, his tears falling even faster. My heartbeat calmed as I knew what love finally was...and that someone loved me.
"...I love you to Locke...take care of them." I hesitated at first, but calmly let it all out.
"What...?" Locke started but stopped when I let go of his hand. "TERRA!" Locke cried out, desperate, as he watched both me and Kefka fall farther and farther into the lava. As we fell, Kefka screamed loudly, but I had already accepted my fate. But then, Kefka's scream faded as I fell into what I thought was a dream, but realized it was my life flashing before my eyes...my life replaying in my mind...
"Life...dreams...hope...Where'd they come from? And where are they headed...? These things...I'm going to destroy!"
"In this world, there are many like me who have killed their emotions. Don't forget."
"But I want to know what love is now!"
"My life is a chip in your pile..."
"You want to live in this world the way it is? No? Then do something about it!"
"Thou art such a pain in the...confound it, I'm starting to talk like you!"
"I think that guy is missing a few buttons..."
"Think a 'bear' like me could help you on your quest?"
"Welcome, to Doma Castle my friends!"
"Ok, I can't tell you, for some reason, so...I'm just going to show you, ok?"
"Locke said Locke was in love with Terra, but Locke felt stupid for not telling."
"Terra, I love you! You can't leave me!"
"Now...here we are. A one on one fight to the death...and the decision of the fate of the world, and its people."
As I held the painting of us all, a voice echoed throughout my mind. "We're a family, aren't we? Forever?"
"Forever..."