"How in the world did you get through the Phoenix Cave all alone like that?" Terra swung her feet over the side of the pier where she sat. The ocean was a beautiful purple in the twilight, and the waves caused the moon's reflection to ripple and bubble.
They were in South Figaro for a few days to rest and gather supplies for the Falcon. New armor and relics were being advertised in the shop windows promising better protection from powerful spells cast by the new, mutated monsters that crawled out of the cracks of the world when Kefka forced continents to split into pieces.
Locke was walking a large ancient coin back and forth over his fingers. It was one of the many treasures salvaged from the cave. The golden coin had a beast imprinted on one side and who must have been a king or emperor on the other. A scholar in Figaro castle speculated that it must be a leftover from before the War of the Magi.
"I have my ways," he smirked at the coin. He sat with her on the pier, letting one of his feet swing in time with hers. It was well after dinner and Terra didn't want to spend another night in the pub. The hangovers were getting to her.
Terra laughed, "What are you, a magician now? Gotta safeguard your tricks?"
He flipped the coin high in the air and caught it, "Pretty much! How else can I keep up the clever treasure hunter role?" He'd been acting overly cheerful since they got him back. Terra worried that he wouldn't want to fight anymore after Rachel finally passed away.
She wasn't sure how long it would be before they decided to storm Kefka's tower. There were more places the group wanted to explore first, more mysteries to delve into, more opportunities to find magicite and treasures that could help them win the battle. They needed everything they could get their hands on to be able to beat Kefka.
Locke shared everything he learned during the past year after the fall. They also brought his treasure hoard onto the Falcon, much to his dismay. He didn't mind sharing the weapons and relics, but the jewels and artifacts could've stayed home he insisted.
Terra shrugged, "Okay, good point. We've got to have our self-appointed premier treasure hunter or else we won't be able to win."
He stopped swinging his leg and glanced over at her, "Would you still want me along even if I didn't want to treasure hunt anymore?"
"Only if you wanted to stay. I wouldn't force you," she replied simply with a smile to hide her confusion. The question was jarring to say the least. She had never in her entire time knowing Locke heard him mention anything about stopping chasing after shiny trinkets, relics, money, or all other types of rare and interesting goodies. The guy even talked in his sleep about finding treasures.
One of his favorite activities before the cataclysm was teaching everybody how to effectively sneak and search around for things because he thought those were valuable skills for their journey. (A few of their friends refused to practice swiping change purses though.)
Locke left himself fall backwards on the pier with a thump and folded his hands on his stomach. "It's just that now that I finally found something to bring her back and lost her anyways, I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do next." He didn't look at Terra. She watched his hand start walking the coin back and forth again over his fingers. She couldn't figure out how he was doing that without the coin sliding away.
Terra looked away from him back to the sea. The breeze had picked up. She brushed her bangs back behind her ear and said, voice quiet, "I only found out what love feels like recently, so I'm not sure what to tell you."
"Recently? Oh, you mean the kids."
What else could he have thought she meant? Terra bit her lip and kept her eyes trained on the horizon. She knew that the love she felt for her children was much different than romantic love. She'd read the novels, she listened carefully to Setzer and Edgar's exploits over meals…and she'd seen how Celes acted around Locke. She still didn't have the courage to ask Celes what exactly it felt like. Something deep down kept stopping her.
"Ed said that having closure with her is exactly what I needed to move forwards, but just because she prayed to the Phoenix to set my heart free, that doesn't make everything go away."
"Magic doesn't fix everything…" Terra trailed off. She looked back down at him, unable to keep the sad smile off her face. There was no pity in her mind for him, only a wish to help somehow.
She reached out and took his hand in hers. What could she say that he hadn't heard before from everybody else? Before she could speak, her back bounced off the wood of the pier, pushing her out of her thoughts. She let out a squeak of surprise and blinked up at the sky. Her fluffy curls cushioned her head.
Locke laughed, "I'm sure you understand that better than anybody." He was smiling at her, that familiar mischief lighting up his eyes. It was the first time she'd seen that look in over a year.
"Maybe, but I definitely understand what it's like to search for a new purpose." She felt him squeeze her fingers tighter.
"Yeah, it'll take time, just like with you," he let out a sigh and looked up at the stars beginning to shine above.