A/N: Hey, guys! In the previous episode, Celes and her friends went to Maranda, where they met Lola, a girl who yearned for her boyfriend. Going to Mount Zozo, they were reunited with Cyan. He was writing to her for a year, pretending to be her boyfriend, who had actually died in Mobliz the year before because of the Cataclysm, but once he reunited with his compainions, he decided to reveal the truth to her, encouraging her to leave everything behind. Now they are headed to the village of Mobliz. Who will they find? And what will happen? Let's find out!

Chapter 31: Terra Branford: Discovered Love

(Objective: Head to Mobliz and keep looking for your friends.)

Characters:

Celes

Edgar

Sabin

Cyan

Setzer

(''Scent of Silence- Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories OST'')

During the flight to Mobliz, there was nervousness in the air. Edgar had said that all the adults in the village had been killed, but no one believed it so much. They only knew that Lola's boyfriend had died, Wasn't it a bit too far with every single adult? They were not so sure, but there was no doubt that everything was so sinister, and the more they thought about it, the more nervous they became. Cyan didn't say a word, and that made him seem pessimistic. Sabin could not get him to speak at all and expressed his concerns to his brother. ''Edgar, Cyan doesn't talk to us at all. What happened to him? Don't tell me he still suffers from his past failures?'' he asked.

''I think so. I talked to Celes about it, and it turned out that he believes that everything that happened to the world is his fault.'' replied Edgar.

''But he's not to blame! It's not any of us's fault that we lost last year, Kefka has always been one step ahead of us no matter what we did, so he has to stop blaming himself for circumstances we couldn't control!'' Sabin said, unhappy with that attitude.

''You're right, he's wrong, but it's not that simple. Not all of us have your inner strength. Not that Cyan doesn't have it, but when you talk about a war veteran and a samurai who has lost his family, it's very difficult to overcome all of this.'' said Edgar.

''Seriously, every time I look at him and see that look in his eyes, I always have the feeling that I have to keep a constant eye on him. When he looks at his katana, I get the impression that he wants to do what they call seppuku in Doma, and when I see him looking out the window or outside, I'm always aftaid that he will jump off the airship.'' the younger brother added.

Edgar seemed caught off guard. ''It's worse than I thought. After all this is over, he will need psychotherapy. Keep an eye on him.'' he declared.

Suddenly, a scream was heard followed by a sound of a metal object being hit over and over again. ''Oh, Holy Triad, has Cyan messed with the rodenticide again?'' Sabin complained, and decided to go check it out.

''He did it again.'' said Setzer bluntly, pointing to a broken bottle of rat poison.

''Cyan, how many times do I have to tell you not to break the bottles?'' asked Celes, in a reprimanding tone.

''They will kill us all in our sleep! I don't want to see these substances here anymore!'' yelled Cyan.

''No one will poison you while you sleep, Cyan, and no man would be stupid enough to inhale that stuff.'' said Sabin, entering the room.

Cyan said nothing. He glanced at Sabin in surprise and left without saying a word.

''What do you have on your mind?'' asked Setzer.

''I think it's toxiphobia. We all know what Kefka did to Doma.'' sabin replied.

''Really, he needs a psychologist.'' said Celes.

(''Scent of Silence- Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories OST-s'')

Outside the airship, the sky was darker and redder, but it didn't seem clear if it was still daytime or night had already arrived. ''Has evening already been made?'' asked Edgar.

''I think so, but you don't notice much.'' replied Celes.

Upon arrival in Mobliz, there was no sound, only the breath of the wind. No one was outside.

Just a few seconds later, everything the five survivors of the Returners saw left them horrified: the sign looked destroyed, the houses looked decaying, an abandoned orphanage was about to collapse, the wood seemed to be rotting, the streets were empty and there was grass in some places. The village was clearly unrecognizable.

''This is the village of Mobliz? I don't recognize it anymore!'' exclaimed Setzer.

''It looks like a ghost town.'' said Edgar. Hiryu, who was with him, had a deep feeling of discomfort.

''It reminds me of what they made me do in the decimation of Maranda.'' commented Celes.

Cyan said nothing as they came to a house, but it was empty. They tried another one... Empty... and they began to have the feeling that they had come in vain.

They reached another house, and some dogs watched them with a neutral look. They didn't growl menacingly, but they didn't seem to trust them either. Celes knocked on the door, but since no one answered, she opened it.

Just after a few steps inside, the five were caught by a group of children who, frightened by the fact that unknown visitors had suddenly passed by, exchanged concerns about a monster called Humbaba.

''Wait! Let them in.'' said someone. It sounded like a woman's voice, and they looked better. A young woman was on the other side of the room with a shocked look, as if she recognized them. Her hair was an emerald color, and she had a rosy apron on.

''A moment... is that what I think?'' asked Sabin.

''There's no doubt about it! It's her!'' exclaimed Edgar.

''Terra...?'' murmured Celes.

Terra also seemed surprised. ''Celes...? Sabin...? You are there too...'' Murmured.

Celes and the twins wasted no time in coming to go to her and give her a hug. ''You're alright! There's so much we have to tell you!'' cried Sabin, excited.

Cyan approached and nodded at her. ''Well, Lady Terra. I see with pleasure that you are well.'' he said.

''Nice to know you're alright.'' said Setzer.

''I'm really happy to see you too, come inside.'' said Terra.

(''Phantom And A Rose, Sad Town Theme- Secret of Mana OST'')

There were several children of various ages in the house, some were little, others older, and a small part of them was no more than a year old. There were dozens, maybe hundreds of them. Only two people were not children, and they were two teenagers about sixteen or seventeen years old or so. The young woman had long hair tied in a braid with a green bow, while the boy looked quite messy in physical appearance, no doubt for the situation. But apart from the absence of adults, the strangest thing was that a little girl turned to Terra as a ''mama''.

''Mama''? the other survivors asked, confused, when they entered the kitchen.

''It's a long story... When Kefka destroyed the world and there was the Cataclysm... He used the Light of Judgment on the village, and all the adults, the parents of those children, died. The only survivors are them, the dogs of their families, Duane and Katarin. I woke up in the vicinity of Mobliz, and seeing those poor people all alone, I felt that I had to do something. Some of these babies were babies when their parents died, and I had to breastfeed them myself so that they survived...'' Terra replied, and the melancholic tone of his voice indicated pity for those poor orphans.

No one said anything for twenty seconds in shock. Then it was true that there were no more adults in Mobliz, that they were all dead. But even the fact that another girl had to breastfeed the younger babies herself because of the death of their mothers?

''I can't believe it... What Edgar said seemed exaggerated, but now I know he's right...'' said Sabin, unable to shake off the shock.

''Terra, we are looking for our missing friends to defeat Kefka once and for all. We will need your help. Won't you come with us?'' asked Celes.

''I'm sorry, I can't... I can't leave those children, not like this...'' said Terra.

Duane did not take well the presence of these strangers who wanted Terra to come with them and became angry with them, shouting at them that they could not take her away, even ending up grabbing Setzer by the coat. In spite of everything, the others were not intimidated.

''Duane!'' Katarin rebuked him. The young man walked away without saying anything.

''What did we do to him?'' asked Sabin, confused.

"I apologize for my boyfriend, but we are in a very precarious situation. Terra now gives us hope, and we don't want to leave these children all alone.'' explained Katarin, and when Edgar looked at her, he noticed that she had a protruding belly, which meant only one thing.

"I'm not forced to stay here, but it's complicated. I don't know what it is, and it's not easy to explain, it has to be an answer, but the more I think about it, the more I realize that I won't be able to fight anymore.'' added Terra. ''If you want, you can stay with me for dinner tonight.''

''Of course, I... um, we'd love to.'' said Edgar.

(''Phantom And A Rose, Sad Town Theme- Secret of Mana OST'')

Suddenly, the flame of the stove in the kitchen rose, and Terra rushed to lower the fire before the food burned. ''I'll make a nice hazelnut and almond soup for dinner.'' she said. She uncovered the large pot on the stove to check if dinner had burned. Fortunately, this was not the case.

A sudden sound echoed around the house, and everyone looked at Sabin, then the same noise was heard again. ''Well, I'm very hungry.'' he said.

''Me too. I'm starving.'' added Celes.

Terra mixed the soup humming. In the pot were water, chopped hazelnuts and almonds and shredded pieces of carrots, pumpkin and potatoes.

''We didn't know you knew how to cook.'' said Setzer.

''Surprised? Well, when Celes and I were Imperial soldiers, we also had to do things for the staff, like cooking. For example, I learned to cook early in my life, and whens he wasn't in charge of Cid's rose garden, she did the cleaning.'' explained Terra, adding a pinch of salt, a little saffron and nutmeg.

''Terra, we cannot leave Kefka free to do any more damage.'' Sabin said.

''I know that, but at the same time, I feel obliged to take care of these children, they need me.'' said the young woman. ''What had happened during the year, what did you do?'' she then asked.

"I stayed to fight against the monsters. I didn't know where the others were, but someone had to fight.'' replied Sabin.

''I strived to find my castle, it was trapped under the desert sand for some reason, but to do so, I had to hide my identity.'' said Edgar.

"I don't know if you know, but Narshe is completely abandoned. A guard from Narshe told us everything in Kohlingen, and the Returners... we don't know anything about the members apart from us.'' said Sabin.

''And Arvis... He didn't make it.'' said Edgar.

Terra was shocked. ''I don't want to believe it. Not him too, everything that has happened in a year was bad enough.'' she said, stuttering.

"I know, it was a shock for everyone. You will see better when we go to Narshe.'' said Setzer.

"With all that has happened, not everyone had fought, at least so far. Some of us had given up, like Setzer, and after a year in a coma, I wanted to give up myself after hearing that all of you were presumed dead.'' said Celes. She then took Locke's bandana from her pockets. ''But then I found this one.''

Terra was so surprised that the she nearly dropped the lid of the pot. ''Locke's bandana?!'' she exclaimed.

''Yes. I found it when I saw the bandage on the wing of a wounded seagull. Locke must be around somewhere, and the others are alive too, I'm sure of it.'' replied Celes.

(''Phantom And A Rose, Sad Town Theme- Secret of Mana OST-s'')

(''Home (Music Box)- Undertale OST'')

As she added parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme(1), Terra smiled.

A delicious smell spread from the kitchen throughout the house. ''What a delicious smell! I can't wait to eat!'' exclaimed Sabin, smelling the soup in his nostrils.

''The hazelnut and almond soup is almost finished, I just have to boil it. It will take ten or fifteen minutes.'' said Terra.

Celes, Edgar, Sabin, Cyan and Setzer left the kitchen to inform everyone that dinner was almost ready. Everyone was shocked when they saw a wyvern enter the house, but Edgar reassured them that she wouldn't harm them, which led some children to become familiar with her, and Hiryu let them play on her.

''Without adults, Mobliz is in decline. We don't know what to do without Terra.'' said Katarin.

''But since Terra is taking care of all those children, why not raise them in the orphanage in the village?'' asked Celes.

''She had also thought of this idea, but without adults, there is no one to do maintenance to the various buildings, and the orphanage is practically abandoned. If she wanted to, she could have become the owner of the orphanage, but we have neither the resources nor the men to do so.'' Katarin sadly replied. "Duane and I are helping her, but since she took it upon herself to look after those children, she does most of the work.''

"It's not just Mobliz that has suffered all this. The whole world is affected by it. Desertification has advanced to such an extent that plants grow with great difficulty. For example, the area around Maranda has become a desert.'' said Edgar.

''Dinner's ready!'' Terra called out from the kitchen.

All those present ran to wash their hands and sat at the table in the kitchen, where Terra served them dinner. The liquid in the dishes was a pleasant saffron yellow color, with a couple of hazelnuts and almonds floating on its surface and traces of the shredded herbs and spices.

''Nothing better than a nice hot soup!'' declared Sabin, starting to eat. When he put a spoonful of soup in his mouth, his eyes opened wide. He felt different flavors merge into one. ''Hey, it's delicious!''

''It's nothing, just a simple dinner for everyone.'' said Terra.

''What are you talking about? It's a great soup!'' replied Edgar.

Cyan took the plate and drank some of the soup, then let out a serene sigh. ''Oh, yeah, that feels good...'' he murmured.

''Can any of you apart from Terra cook?'' asked Katarin.

''I can, but I'm bad in the flambé kitchen. I remember that the last time I cooked that way for the Empire, I destroyed the kitchen of the Imperial Palace and the stove exploded.'' replied Celes, and her friends laughed.

''I'm an awful cook. The last time I cooked for my soldiers, the meat was inedible.'' said Cyan.

''Was it reduced to a charred fossil?'' asked Sabin.

''Exactly.'' replied Cyan.

Dinner was a pleasant experience, and everyone agreed that the tragedies in Mobliz had awakened Terra's motherly side. Not that she didn't have it before, they remembered how she bonded with Relm, but now, it was clear.

(''Home (Music Box)- Undertale OST-s'')

Suddenly, a rumbling roar echoed around the house. ''Oh, no! Humbaba is back!'' a little girl yelled.

''Who is Humbaba?'' asked Edgar.

''It's one of the monsters kefka unleashed when he caused the Cataclysm!'' replied Terra. ''Maybe I'm not in a position to fight, but if I don't do something, they'll all be in danger!'' After that he ran out.

''Terra will be put in danger like this!'' said Duane.

''Has it already happened?'' asked Cyan.

''Yes, Humbaba attacks us often. Every time Terra fights to drive Humbaba out, she gets injured. I don't think she has the strength to defeat him.'' replied Katarin.

Humbaba was an imposing green horned monster with a tail bristling with thorns and a spiked shell on his back, with sharp teeth and claws. Terra wasn't sure she could do it, but with her responsibilities, she took the Enhancer and prepared to fight.

(Objective: Protect Mobliz from Humbaba!)

Characters:

Terra

(''Proteus Ridley Phase 1- Metroid: Samus Returns OST'')

Humbaba uttered a roar of defiance and used the Thundara spell, which Terra managed to block with her sword, but with difficulty. She went on the offensive, but despite hitting him several times, her physical attacks did not scratch him, and she was punched in the solar plexus. She felt short of breath, but kept on fighting by responding with magical attacks, but they did not do much more damage than before, and Humbaba used the special attack 1000 Needles, firing dozens of needles from his mouth. She managed to dodge them, but she was exposed to a Thundaga and the monster slashed her in the shoulder with his sharp claws.

The Figaro brothers, Celes, Cyan and Setzer watched the scene from the door with concern. In less than a minute of battle, Terra looked fatigued alread. She cast Firaga and then Aerora, but neither spell caused considerable damage to Humbaba. Even a year later, she couldn't tell if it was her emotional turmoil that affected her fighting skills, and after a failed Blizzara, she was hit by a Thundaga, and before she could even return to the ground, Humbaba slashed through her exposed back, causing her to scream in pain.

''Terra!'' cried Celes, and she and the others wasted no time. Terra was lying prone in a pool of her blood, and she looked sore and frightened. She tried to get up, but failed, and then stopped moving, causing deep concern for her friends.

A Magicite began to shine, coming out of his pockets, revealing Maduin, and he was furious that that monster had attacked his daughter, immediately launching an attack with Chaos Wave.

Sabin put one ear on Terra's chest, hoping to hear something, and found the answer.

''How is she?'' asked Cyan.

''She's just unconscious. But she is seriously injured.'' replied Sabin, and he and Cyan brought the girl's unconscious body inside, then went back outside.

(''Proteus Ridley Phase 1- Metroid: Samus Returns OST-s'')

''Terra can't fight anymore, not like this. We have to drive Humbaba away ourselves.'' said Celes, unsheathing her sword, and Edgar got on Hiryu's back.

(Objective: Terra has been wounded! Drive Humbaba out of Mobliz!)

Celes

Edgar

Sabin

Cyan

Setzer

(''Proteus Ridley Phase 2- Metroid: Samus Returns OST'')

Humbaba was the first to attack, and Sabin blocked a punch directed at his solar plexus, while Celes shot a Blizzaga in the head. Cyan dodged a Thundara and struck with a Bushido Fang.

''Does Humbaba have weaknesses?'' asked Setzer.

Edgar launched Scan. ''Here is the information. Humbaba was a monster that sealed underground along with other terrible monsters that have now invaded the world when Kefka caused the Cataclysm. He is weak to poison and uses thunder spells and the 1000 Needles attack.'' he replied, taking his Bioblaster and releasing a toxic cloud. Cyan shuddered when he saw it, but the others immediately reminded him that they had to fight.

The toxic cloud weakened Humbaba, and the damage inflicted increased when Edgar used Biora, but Cyan was hit by a 1000 Needle attack that he could not block and Humbaba struck Celes with his whole body. Setzer threw his cards, which surrounded Humbaba, but the monster broke free and bit Edgar.

Edgar recovered and hit Humbaba with his spear, then Hiryu spat fireballs at him. Setzer took some darts, which exploded when they hit Humbaba, then hit him with a shadow energy ball and Sabin hit him with Firaga. Maduin helped them throughout the battle, fighting very aggressively, firing one Chaos Wave after another.

''Begone, monster!'' cried Cyan, hitting Humbaba with a freezing slash. He dodged a Thundaga and hit him with a Bushido Tiger, but the monster slammed him to the ground and slammed his fists in his chest.

''If we hinder Humbaba's movements, we will take the lead.'' said Edgar.

''I'll take care of it.'' said Celes, releasing a wave of ice on the ground from her hands, freezing it. Humbaba could not move well on the frozen ground, slipping several times, and Setzer hit him with Fira and his cards, while Sabin used Rising Phoenix, creating four columns of fire that surrounded the monster, trapping it and causing repeated damage. Celes then used Diara, shooting several balls of light at him.

Edgar then cast Biora, which poisoned Humbaba, and Celes froze his mouth with an ice crystal, which forced him to run away.

(''Proteus Ridley Phase 2- Metroid: Samus Returns OST-s'')

''I wonder if Humbaba has learned his lesson.'' commented Setzer. The sun had already set, and the light in the sky was getting dimmer and dimmer.

(''Awakening- Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster OST'')

The children were as if terrified when an injured Terra was brought in, and her friends and father stood by her worried. The wound on her back was immediately bandaged, but it took him some time for her to regain consciousness, and when she woke up, she looked sore.

''Ah... That hurt... I should have expected that...'' Terra groaned.

''It was reckless, Terra. Katarin told us that you are always hurt when Humbaba comes back.'' said Celes.

''Duane can't fight... Only I could protect those children... but now it is clear that I'm no longer in a position to fight... I apologize for being a burden to you...'' said Terra.

''Don't say that. No one expected Humbaba to return, especially not so much over and over again.'' said Maduin.

''You're looking for our friends, aren't you? Maybe you should leave me behind and go on without me.'' commented Terra.

''No. We don't want to leave you there like that. It won't be the same without you, we'll stay until you recover.'' Sabin declared.

''Thank you for your concern, but I'll be fine. I am a mage, so my wounds heal earlier than normal. I just need to rest a little, I'm tired.'' Terra said.

No one particularly believed it, and while Maduin stayed to keep an eye on his daughter, her friends spent the evening thinking until a child gave them a piece of crystal, saying that it had fallen from Humbaba as he ran away. There was the image of a majestic silver wolf with a thick mane and head turned upwards in a howl on.

''That's a Magicite!'' exclaimed Edgar.

''The Esper depicted here is Fenrir. According to legends, Fenrir is a silver wolf associated with the full moon, but he's not a werewolf. He can split his allies to help them in battle, creating their fake copies. This will be useful to us.'' said Celes, putting the Magilite in his pocket.

Setzer uttered a loud yawn. ''It will be better if we go to sleep. I'm really exhausted.'' he said. Night had fallen, and the moonlight barely illuminated the outside, leaving the streets almost entirely in the dark.

''I would need to rest a little too.'' said Cyan, and everyone decided to go to bed. Meanwhile, Hiryu went hunting to get food for her babies.

During the night, Celes had a strange dream. She was in the middle of nowhere, above a rose window-like platform with her image, and heard a voice out of nowhere. She recognized the voice, it was Leo, and it seemed as if he was guiding her on what to do, but she couldn't understand exactly what he was saying to her: she could hear some of his words, but sometimes she didn't hear anything in the middle of the sentence, which was strange, since Leo's mouth was open, and when she woke up the next morning, she was extremely confused and felt disoriented. She went to have breakfast with the others, and Terra had prepared a generous dose of pancakes for them. She didn't seem to have fully recovered, but she could stand without collapsing and seemed to have spent at least an hour and a half making pancakes for everyone, as there were at least a hundred of them.

''I don't know if you noticed, but Katarin is pregnant.'' Terra said.

The atmosphere became cheerful, and children rejoiced. ''We noticed this yesterday.'' said Edgar.

''When will the baby be born?'' asked Sabin.

''I would say in one week, ten days at most.'' replied Katarin. "I found out a few months ago, and a doctor told me that a boy should be born. But when he heard he was about to become a father, Duane began to ignore me and not talk to me much.''

''But why?'' asked Cyan.

''Won't it be stress?'' added Celes.

''It can be. Becoming a parent is a very difficult matter, and couples do not always agree on it. Duane has a lot of things to think about, and he and Katarin haven't even officially married because without adults it's impossible to plan a wedding. They were just two boyfriends madly in love, and now they suddenly find themselves becoming parents already at seventeen. Maybe Duane doesn't know what to do and is trying to deal with stress on his own.'' replied Terra.

Katarin began to groan in pain. ''I feel it... is kicking...'' she murmured.

Terra put her hands on her heart, as if she were praying. "This birth will be a symbolic event. When that child is born, it will become the symbol of everyone's hope and the rebirth of this world. If we can defeat Kefka, I want to deal with the orphans, not only from Mobliz, but from all over the world.'' she declared. She still didn't know that feeling, but she seemed to have an idea of what to do in the future.

Everyone smiled. ''Good idea, Terra. The children would love you, you're so sweet.'' said Celes.

"I didn't know she had a soft spot for children. Lady Terra is a young woman with good morals, I must say.'' commented Cyan.

When they finished breakfast, Katarin got up, but after a few steps he hit the leg of the table with his foot and stumbled.

''Oh, no!'' shouted some children.

Edgar rushed to the girl and managed to grab her before she touched the ground. ''Don't worry, he's fine.'' he said.

''Oh, for all the... KATARIN! Bloody hell, youn't do certain things anymore, you are pregnant! Think of our baby!'' Duane snapped.

Everyone present turned to Duane. "I thought I hadn't spoken to Katarin since you found out she had become pregnant,' Setzer said.

''Nonsense! I haven't talked to her much in recent months because I needed time to figure out what to do.'' replied Duane.

"In about a week, our child will be born. According to the doctor, it will be a boy.'' said Katarin.

''I don't know what to do.'' said Duane.

''What do you mean?'' asked Katarin.

''We're not even officially married, and we're only seventeen years old! We are too young and inexperienced for this, how do you think I can be a good father to our son?''

It was evident that Duane was quite agitated at the idea of becoming a father. ''I know this, but it is our duty to do so. It will not be easy, yes, but it will need us. We have been taking care of these children for a whole year, but Terra is the one who did most of the work. Since we will be parents, it will be our responsibility, but we will face these challenges together.'' replied Katarin calmly, and she and Duane exchanged a kiss.

''So, Duane, will you face fatherhood?'' asked Terra.

''Yes. It won't be easy, but I'll do my best.'' said the young man.

(''Awakening- Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster OST-s'')

Suddenly, the earth began to shake slightly. ''Don't tell me that's what I think.'' said Celes.

(''Proteus Ridley Phase 3- Metroid: Samus Returns OST'')

A child went out to the door to check and heard a loud roar. ''AAAAAHHHHH! HUMBABA IS BACK!'' he screamed.

''Let's go, we have to fight.'' said Cyan.

''Terra, it's better if you stay here.'' Edgar said to Terra, and even though she was holding a frying pan for safety, she nodded.

(Objective: Humbaba is back! Defeat him and protect Mobliz!)

Celes

Edgar

Sabin

Cyan

Setzer

Edgar made the first move, climbing on Hiryu and shooting Humbaba with his double guns, but they barely scratched him. He then tried with the double submachine gun and the crossbow, but they did not do much better.

''Seriously, Edgar?'' commented Setzer, launching a 7 of spades that turned into a shadowy version of the Fira spell. Humbaba blocked the attack, but Celes stopped him with his sword.

''Alright then, that means we have to switch to the big guns.'' said Edgar, taking his flamethrower and setting fire to Humbaba, inflicting a burn, but that did not prevent him from moving, and Celes hit him in the legs with a Blizzaga Spellblade.

Cyan blocked Humbaba's physical attacks and struck him with a Bushido Sky, but was exposed to a particularly painful close-range Thundara. Humbaba then charged Setzer, who could not stop him with his dice because he had pulled a four and was hit in the stomach.

''That's unfortunate... Ow, my ribs...'' He murmured Setzer.

When Humbaba tried to crush him, Sabin grabbed him by the horns with the risk of getting thrown away, but he used his momentum to land, slam him to the ground and hit him in the head with the Gaia Hammer.

''Do you ever wonder if Humbaba has anything else to do but torment a certain village?'' asked Edgar.

''I don't know this.'' replied Cyan, hitting Humbaba with Blizzara.

After throwing Humbaba against a rock, Sabin decided to try something new, a new technique, and began to run on the spot. A blue aura spread around his body as the monster charged towards him. ''Light Attack!'' Once the attack was charged, he dashed at high speed towards Humbaba and hit him at high speed several times, hurling him into the air from side to side. Edgar used the opportunity to his advantage, ordering Hiryu to fly at high altitude and then jumping down, launching a powerful jumping attack.(2)

''I hope he's getting tired.'' said Setzer. Humbaba roared showing his teeth.

''I think we made him angry.'' Celes noted.

The monster began cast Thundaga at the house and the neighboring one, breaking the windows and damaging the walls inside.

''Terra! Get everyone out of there!'' cried Sabin out loud. Hearing him from the upstairs window, Terra nodded, leading Duane and the children outside. Since Katarin was pregnant, she was too slow to escape and would have slowed down Duane too much, so she used her magical powers to gently lift her off the ground. They did not have time to escape, however, as Humbaba unleashed a lightning storm that threw into the air the house where the survivors had taken refuge and the nearest one, almost sending Katarin to slam into the wall and drop the children to the ground, but thanks to his magical powers, he levitated everyone so as to make them immune to gravity for a while.

(''Proteus Ridley Phase 3- Metroid: Samus Returns OST-s'')

(''Calling the Four Giants- The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask OST'')

Sabin reacted instinctively and grabbed both houses before they fell to the ground.

''Sabin, what are you doing?!'' exclaimed Edgar.

''I can't let those houses collapse! All survivors are at risk of death!'' replied Sabin.

''This is crazy! Sir Sabin, let go!'' cried Cyan, immediately going into a state of panic.

''I can't let go now! I can't even put the houses back on the ground, or I'll get stuck!'' he shouted in response. Humbaba used 1000 Needles, shooting them at him. The attack was too weak to bring him down, but it inflicted gradual damage on him.

''Celes, do something!'' cried Edgar, worried about his brother.

''And what can I do, exactly? If Sabin moves, he will be doomed!'' replied Celes. ''I've already seen something similar to Tzen, when I saw him holding back the weight of a house that was about to collapse in an attempt to save a trapped child.''

Thanks to Terra's magic, the survivors managed to escape, and were all shocked when they saw Sabin holding the weight of two whole houses with his bare hands. Seeing the young woman, Humbaba ran towards her to bite her, but Terra reacted and bashed him in the head with her frying pan. The blow didn't knock him out, but it left him stunned for a while, and Cyan used the opportunity to hit him with a Bushido Dragon.

Humbaba attacked Sabin with a consecutive series of Thundaga spells, but even though he was electrocuted, he did not fall to the ground despite his legs bending and he was sweating from fatigue. While preparing a counterattack, Celes noticed his sword shining in a familiar light that she recognized. General Leo's trademark Spellblade technique. Figuring out what to do, she ran to Humbaba, with her sword surrounded in a blue and green aura. ''STOCK BREAK!''

Celes' attack hit Humbaba in a series of blue and green rays, but despite the power of the move, the monster did not stop. As she looked at her sword in amazement at using one of Leo's typical Spellblade techniques, Sabin took more and more physical blows and another 1,000 Needles from Humbaba, but he still stood on his feet. Despite this, it seemed that his stamina was about to run out. He was gritting his teeth and turning all red from fatigue as his skin expelled sweat to no end, and he felt his fingers on the verge of giving way from the pressure. ''I won't be able to hold on for much longer! My phalanges are breaking!'' shouted Sabin, increasingly fatigued, noticing that his nails were beginning to break. He would lose his grip at any moment.

''Sabin, hang in there!'' shouted Celes.

(''Calling the Four Giants- The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask OST-s'')

Suddenly, Humbaba uttered a loud roar with the force of a hurricane. With the exception of Terra and the survivors, whom she was protecting, everyone was blown away and fell to the ground. Sabin, however, had the misfortune to land in a painful split. ''Ow... I crushed my testicles...'' he groaned. He tried to get up, but his fingers were now crooked and broken and his hands hurt. The two houses reappeared out of nowhere and fell towards him. With no other choice, he cast Protect on himself to create a barrier, blocking the fall of the houses.

(''Drowning- Sonic Adventure OST'')

However, weight pressure and gravity were starting to damage the barrier. Edgar and the others watched anxiously as the barrier began to crack until it broke, leaving Sabin unable to react.

(''Drowning- Sonic Adventure OST-s'')

*BOOOOOOOOM!*

The air exploded. There was a deafening racket of broken glass, rubble, walls, furniture, doors and windows as the houses collapsed on Sabin into a shapeless mass of debris. The remains of the two houses were on fire, and a cloud of black smoke rose in the air so high that it could have been seen from the kefka tower, despite being far away and to the southwest. Cyan let slip a scream of horror, Katarin almost fainted in shock, and Terra was horrified to see one of her best friends crushed by a similar amount of weight. ''Sabin, no!'' she screamed.

Edgar gasped loudly and immediately ran to move the rubble, assisted by Cyan and Celes, who were as shocked as he was. ''Sabin! Sabin, stay with me!'' he cried out desperately. When they finally managed to pull the body out of the rubble, Sabin was in a prone position, motionless, with nasty bruises on his head and blood dripping from his forehead. ''C'mon, Sabin! Wake up, please!''

Cyan sadly lowered his head and had terrible thoughts of deja-vù as Edgar took his brother's body in his arms. One of those he could call his friends, crushed by two collapsed houses? No, he would not have survived. Edgar himself remained silent, too shaken by what had just happened.

Celes was paralyzed. What the heck had happened? She didn't think much about it, but turned her gaze to Terra, worried about her. She saw her trembling, and there were flames in in her eyes.

Something snapped inside Terra. The few survivors of the Light of Judgment in Mobliz, all those orphans, and now her friends, were all in danger because of that monster that for the umpteenth time had attacked that village that was already tormented enough before, with the world in conditions that she compared to a unstitched tapestry, with clipped seams and the stripped and unstitched upholstery. ''HUMBABA!'' she screamed. There was an anger in her that she had never felt before, and while she vowed to kill Humbaba once and for all, her body was surrounded by a very bright light.

''What the?!'' exclaimed Cyan.

''Terra's rage... her emotions are activating Trance!'' exclaimed Celes.

(''Heartache- Undertale OST'')

(Objective: Defeat Humbaba once and for all!)

Terra

The light enveloped Terra as her body changed, her hair came down, her hands and feet became clawed, and her clothes disappeared. Although Maduin intervened to help his daughter, there was not much need for it: Humbaba had no chance against herpowerful spells, being hit by a combination of Blizzaga and Thundaga, a Firaga just two seconds later and then a Biora.

''Remind me not to make her angry.'' commented Edgar, amazed.

''TORNADO!'' Humbaba could not expect the consequences of his actions, and was swallowed up by a huge tornado, followed by a Chaos Wave from Maduin. To Esper's surprise, however, he saw the same purple aura in his daughter's hands, resulting in a second Chaos Wave. Terra used Chaos Wave again, this time alone, hitting Humbaba, and she did not stop there. ''HOLY!'' She created a large ball of white light and threw it to the ground. It disappeared, but a couple of seconds later, Humbaba was struck by a beam of divine light that rose from the ground.

"I don't think I've ever seen such powerful magic." said Setzer.

''That's the Holy spell. It is one of the most powerful spells, and was known to be the ultimate white magic.'' said Celes, amazed by the power of these magical attacks.

Terra's fury did not stop. He charged Humbaba flying at high speed, hitting him several times, dodged his Thundaga and 1000 needles, and shot a Firaga in his face. ''No more running! I can protect everything!'' she declared, preparing his final move, and an intense blue aura surrounded his body. ''RIOT BLADE!''

The last magic attack was different from the previous ones: she summoned four azure energy blades that hit Humbaba, causing an explosion. The monster let out one last roar and then exploded, disappearing into thin air. ''You will never hurt anyone again.'' said Terra, breathing heavily.

(''Heartache- Undertale OST-s'')

Celes and her friends were shocked. They had never seen Terra get so angry, but what surprised them was the fact that she was back in fighting condition and that she now knew advanced spells like Holy, not that they didn't know how to use them.

''Are you all right?'' asked Terra, checking the condition of her friends.

''Yes, we're fine, but Sabin...'' Celes murmured sadly.

Someone suddenly began to cough, and when they looked down, Sabin was awake. Dizzy, but alive. ''Guys... I'm alright! I was just unconscious!'' he said.

''Thanks for the heart attack, you moron!'' said Cyan.

''I feel my body upside down, I think I broke my hands...'' Sabin groaned. He tried to get up, but fell to the ground.

''Don't move, you're hurt. You got me scared when you tried to stop those houses from falling so that the others could escape.'' said Edgar.

''What were you thinking, Sabin?'' asked Setzer.

''I couldn't just sit here while Terra and the others were still in there.'' replied Sabin.

When Terra approached her friend and cast Curaga at him to heal his wounds, the process was very painful, as if his bones were suddelndly fixed or deformed all at once.

''I was afraid I'd lost you. Please don't scare me like that.'' said Edgar, and Sabin could see the worry in his eyes.(3)

(''Thoughts Going Around- Fire Emblem Genealogy of the Holy War OST'')

The children looked at Terra in intense shock, as if frightened, and Duane and Katarin also seemed to have the same reaction. It didn't take a genius to understand that it looked like a monster when it was transformed. At one point, a little girl approached her, recognizing her. ''Mama...? Is that you?'' she murmured. So did a young boy.

''Terra? Is it you?'' asked Katarin, amazed.

''Don't worry, my daughter has just changed form. She has full control of her powers, but she cannot stay transformed for too long or it may have complications on her health.'' explained Maduin.

''I can't believe it...'' Duane thought.

Recognizing the Esper as Terra, the children hugged her in celebration.

''Even though she's not in her human form, they recognize her all the same. The children now have a very strong bond with her.'' said Celes.

Very emotionally driven by the event, Terra now had clear ideas about everything. ''Now I know! Now I understand that feeling that was inside me through this year... the feeling that prompted me to stay here... it's called "love". That's what Leo meant last year. I have a responsibility that I can no longer ignore. I have to fight with my friends for the people I love and make the best world for them.'' she said, levitating above everyone. ''Duane, take care of Katarin. In about a week, your son will be born.''

''Of course.'' said Duane.

''Children, listen carefully. Now mama has to be away for a while. It's for your future, and I will return when I have succeeded in my purpose. I will be back in time for the birth of Duane and Katarin's son. Don't worry about me, I'll be back soon.'' said Terra, going down to the ground, and the children declared that they would not cry anymore and be strong for her. ''The time I spent with you helped me to understand something very important, something I have never been able to understand before: love and its meaning.'' She closed his eyes and returned to his human form. Maduin gave her a proud smile before returning to his Magicite state.

''All of this is finally over.'' Sabin said.

''Hey, Terra, I have to tell you something.'' said Celes.

''What is it?'' asked Terra.

''I heard Leo's voice last night. I don't know what that means, but I know he would like us to defeat Kefka once and for all. He rebelled against Kefka last year, and this cost him his life without being able to do anything as an official member of the Returners. Now he, Banon and Arvis will pass the torch to us.'' replied Celes.

''I have no doubts now. I will fight alongside you for a world in which children can grow up happy, a world of hope and life, but above all for Duane, Katarin and their baby. This child will be the symbol of hope and love, immortal even in a devastated world.'' Terra declared, and as soon as she finished this speech full of determination, she was enveloped in a divine light and had the feeling that she was hearing a voice. ''What...? What's going on?''

"The same thing happened to me when I tamed Hiryu, and so did Setzer when he left the past behind. I believe you will receive divine power.'' replied Edgar.

Terra closed her eyes, letting herself go into the light, and when it disappeared, not much had changed, except for her clothing. Above her tights was a long white and red mage robe with a wide leg area, much like a dress, her cloak was longer and wider and her shoulders were covered with small purple shoulder pads. She looked at herself in amazement, then created a magic fireball in her hands and made it disappear, with her finger surrounded by vermilion-colored sparks.

(Terra has changed class! She was promoted by Elite Magitek to Esper Sorceress!)

''Incredible, isn't it?'' commented Edgar.

''Well, we have to go now. The world won't save itself.'' said Sabin.

Terra nodded, knowing he was right. Before leaving with the others, she went to hug the children and gsaid goodbye to the survivors of Mobliz with the promise that she would return in time for the birth of Duane and Katarin's baby. During the departure, she could still hear the children's voices as they said goodbye to her and wished her good luck, as well as Duane and Katarin, who told her to stay safe and come back soon. They couldn't stop that, they knew it was important.

(''Thoughts Going Around- Fire Emblem Genealogy of the Holy War OST-s'')

''So, what is our next destination?'' asked Setzer.

Celes looked at the map. ''The Veldt is north of here, and seems to be the closest destination. Cyan said that Gau went to train here. We'll start from there, then we'll look elsewhere.'' he replied.

''Then Gau will have become much stronger. I can't wait to see the results of his training with the monsters.'' said Sabin.

''He lived there all his life. We have to see what to do when we find him.'' said Cyan. ''I hope nothing happened to him.''

''Do you think Mog will be okay?'' asked Terra, worried about Mog.

"I think he'll be fine. Mog is a tough Moogle.'' replied Celes.

''OK, next stop: the Veldt!'' declared Setzer, directing the Falcon to the north.

''After the Cataclysm, Kefka used the Light of Judgment on the village of Mobliz, destroying it and killing all the adults, and the only survivors who weren't children were two lovestruck teenagers, Duane and Katarin. Although she did not know why, Terra decided to stay in Mobliz to take care of the children and protect them from the monster Humbaba, who often attacked the village, becoming a mother to them. When her friends found her a year later, she got seriously injured by Humbaba and they had to intervene to drive him away, but when the next day they were the ones to get injured and Sabin was crushed by two falling houses, risking his own life to bring the survivors to safety, Terra killed Humbaba after turning into her Esper form and understood what was the feeling that had driven her to stay for a year: love. With Katarin in an advanced state of pregnancy, she knew that her baby would become a symbol of hope, and decided to leave with Celes and the others to look for their remaining friends and defeat Kefka. Their next destination was the Veldt, where Gau had headed to to train...'' Mog recounted.

A/N: A difficult chapter to write, but more because I wanted it to come well because of its importance regarding the character of Earth. New ally found, new progress! But what will happen in the Veldt? And what will Gau be doing there? Find out in the next chapter! Until next time!

(1): The eighteenth-century English ballad Scarborough Fair mentions four herbs often used as aromatic spices, namely parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme, and the name is also used in the first game in the Bayonetta series for the protagonist's guns, which bear the name of these spices. In the ballad, they had a symbolic language: parsley was considered a remedy against bitterness and was associated with spirituality, sage was a symbol of strength and vigor, rosemary was a symbol of love and fidelity and putting rosemary in the hair is a widespread custom even today for brides, and thyme was a symbol of courage, since its leaves were used for the shields of the knights.

(2): In Sonic Adventure, Sonic Adventure 2 and Sonic Heroes, Sonic has a version of the Spin Dash that can be charged and hits in a similar way to the Homing Attack, the Light Speed Attack. It also has a variant that allows Sonic to dash along a group of Rings, the Light Speed Dash.

(3): The event in Tzen where Celes has to save the child while Sabin holds the house to prevent it from falling has a time limit of 6 minutes, and if it runs out, Sabin loses his grip and is crushed to death, resulting in a Game Over. Initially, in the course of development, failing this time event was supposed to cause a permadeath, and as a result, Sabin was supposed to die permanently, resulting unavailable for the rest of the game. Also, sleeping at Tzen's inn with Edgar recruited was supposed to kick off a nighttime scene in which Edgar searches for his twin's body in the rubble. This idea was rejected because the World of Ruin was already quite dark as it was, and the only permadeath that can occur in the game happens if you immediately jump down to return to the Blackjack instead of waiting for Shadow until the last seconds during the escape from the Floating Continent before doing so, which results in Shadow's death, and his role in the Behemoth mission in the Veldt is played by Relm.