Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Visions of Peace ❯ Imperial Affairs ( Chapter 5 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

The Fifth Chapter - Imperial Affairs

Danielle Meras had a plain office. It was once the study of a rich aristocrat but that had changed once martial law was declared. Before the Fall of the Island, the military presence in Tzen had been a small garrison housed within the confines of the barracks, attached to the city walls. The initial riots during the first hours of the Long Night had required a sweeping change in their attitudes though. Troops were deployed to quiet down the populace and laws made to restrict the possibilities of more chaos. Then she removed both the Governor and his provincial officers from power, they had mostly been corrupt, puppets, or both. There was no need for the delays caused by pen pushers when swift action was needed.

Her mobilization of troops from every army base within the region was met with great opposition, but those dissenters were silenced by the monster hoards that descended on their fair cities. Instead, now she was praised for her forward thinking. The few that continued with vocal outbursts condemning her actions had mostly suffered horrible deaths at the hands of monsters.

With her emergency powers increased to a point where she was the sole leader of several million Imperial citizens, her headquarters had to be housed within Tzen, the capital of the region. The only suitable position had been a private mansion of a man unwilling to assist the Empire.

That man had met with an unfortunate accident the following hour.

Danielle brushed aside the many papers that littered a beautifully crafted wooden desk. They were reports from half a dozen cities under her control; none of which she cared to read. Her aides would be the ones that would deal with such trivial matters. The papers only served one purpose for Danielle: to give the appearance that she was always occupied. Though recently she had no need to pretend, it was an old habit that was difficult to break. The numerous pages were pushed aside with little care, clearing enough room so that Danielle could rest her hands on the mahogany. Her sharp eyes studied the two guests in her presence.

Locke was still fuming, although he had calmed down a great deal when they appeared to be no immediate danger. Danielle had assured him that Relm would not be harmed as long as they behaved. She had then sent Relm away, citing her presence as a distraction to the affairs at hand.

Terra was still taking in Danielle's manner. Her previous experiences with generals of the Empire had each been quite peculiar. Celes flipped between childish and mature with the flick of a switch. Even though she often lambasted them for their lack of professional attitudes, her idea of proper clothing had been a pompous white cape with a skintight leotard beneath. On the other hand, Leo had always been incredibly serious with cold looks despite his warm personality. He had always stayed in military uniform with dozens of medals decorating his breast.

As for Kefka, he was just insane. Terra left it at that.

Danielle had requested they wait in her office while she changed into something more comfortable. Terra had not expected the modest shopkeeper's outfit to have actually been her common wear and they ended up waiting nervously in her office. The two big men with emotionless faces had stood guard watching them, making sure they did not touch anything on Danielle's desk.

The third man, the one that had seemed to be in charge until Danielle had pulled her knife, was no longer with them. Terra had thought he looked familiar and was almost sad to see him go.

When Danielle had returned, she was wearing a simple unassuming uniform. There was not a medal in sight, quite the opposite of General Leo. Terra wondered where the command bars were; she thought all soldiers had them. Leo's had been a trio of stars above all his medals. Then again, none of the guards in the entire mansion had saluted the General as she passed by. Perhaps Danielle wasn't as concerned about military attitudes as Leo had been.

"Valerio," Danielle gestured at one of the two men. "The usual, but try to hurry."

"Of course," the man on the right side of the door nodded. He unfolded his giant arms and walked out of the office.

Locke gave Danielle a look of bewilderment.

Danielle ignored him and instead leafed through a pile of untouched folders at her side. She mumbled to herself a few times, tossing a couple reports onto the mysteriously empty shelves in her office. It appeared that she had cleared out whatever collection of books the late owner had kept in his study.

"Ah," Danielle found what she was searching for. She opened the green folder and spread the materials on her desk.

Locke strained to see what she was reading, but the letters were too small and he was too far away. He could feel eyes on the back of his neck; the remaining guard seemed to be unhappy by his curiosity. Reminding himself of Relm, Locke sat tight and tried not to act suspicious.

The door to the office opened and Valerio strolled back in with a tray in one hand.

It was tea, steaming hot, and biscuits. There were three portions, each served on fine porcelain dishes.

Danielle gestured at the tray on her desk. "Do help yourselves," she said as she took her portion. "I'm afraid that I only have Jidoorian Duchess Tea, but I find it quite refreshing and tasteful. It's a hard blend of leaves to obtain these days, but even a General has to indulge herself once in a while."

Terra stared at the glistening biscuits; they were freshly made and probably removed from the oven just this hour. She was hungry, but something felt extremely wrong. She was unsure of what to do so she glanced over at Locke for advice.

Locke folded his arms with a suspicious look on his face. He was not eating or drinking.

Danielle was taking a sip of tea when she noticed Locke's attitude. She put her cup down with great care, but the fine ceramic clattered on the plate anyways.

"If I wanted to kill you, I would have threatened your darling Relm, had Starson gut you while your back was turned," she pointed at Locke. "And I would have thrown my dagger into your skull while you were busy watching Locke choke in his own blood," she pointed at Terra. "Then I would have proceeded to kill the child, perhaps with my bare hands, all without having to spend more than twenty seconds of my lifetime with you three." Her words had a sing-song quality to it, despite the threat behind them.

Her eyes narrowed and her tone hardened. "Realize you are testing my patience right now. Enjoy the pleasantries that I offer before I rescind my kind gestures."

Locke and Terra stared at her in mute astonishment. As Danielle began to chew on one of the biscuits, Terra decided to take a plate. Her hands shook as she tried to balance both the cup of tea and biscuit. She set the plate on her lap and hungrily bit into the pastry.

Danielle finished her plate and leaned back into her chair, all the while sipping at her tea. She had a pleasant look on her face as she enjoyed her drink.

Locke didn't like tea, but he drank it anyways. He watched Danielle carefully. So far, her attitude seemed varied and chaotic. He vaguely remembered Marcus' warnings. She was power-hungry and a decorated war hero. Locke wished Marcus had given them better details. It would be helpful to know what to expect from this woman. Everything she had done was so far contradictory to Locke's expectations of the Empire. The last time he had been caught was in the Magitek factory, and the Empire had nearly killed them outright even with Celes on their side.

"Well then," Danielle said. She gestured to the papers in front of her. "I'd like to ask a couple questions, and I expect you to answer honestly."

Locke set his cup of tea down. "I really dou-"

"Terra will answer my questions," Danielle interrupted. "You are a conman and I trust you far less than you trust me," she glared at Locke. "Additionally, you open your mouth too often."

Locke quieted down, unsure of whether to apologize or to speak up in Terra's defense. He was responsible for this situation. He should protect Terra from the results of his incompetence.

"Now, Terra," Danielle's voice grew soft and kind like it had been when she was acting as an herb shopkeeper. "Where have you been since your little charade in Thamasa?"

Terra swallowed the lump in her throat. "Well, we went to Albrook," she answered.

Danielle was silent, patiently waiting for Terra to continue. When she didn't, Danielle sighed out loud. "Keep going and don't stop until I tell you to," she ordered.

Terra's nervously nodded. "We took an airship to the Floating Continent," she conveniently ignored Marcus' involvement. "We were going to try to stop Gestahl and Kefka from making a big mistake, but when we confronted them they had already begun abusing the Statues."

Locke studied Danielle's face. She was unsurprised by anything Terra had said and her eyes didn't even show a hint of confusion when Terra referred to the Statues. He doubted the Emperor would have kept too much secret from his generals, but something told him that she should not have known about the Statues. Strago had made it apparent that all knowledge of the Goddesses had fallen into legend.

"Kefka ended up betraying Gestahl," Terra continued. "We tried to stop Kefka and unbalanced the Statue configuration. I fell unconscious after that but we escaped the Floating Continent and well, you probably saw what happened."

Danielle nodded. Locke was surprised she took Kefka's betrayal in stride. He doubted any of the Emperor's guards had managed to escape the island. Even if they did, surviving the blasts of light was probably impossible. He doubted any pilot of the Imperial Air Force could have landed the way Setzer did, and even with the gambler's skill they had paid a horrible price that day.

"We crashed the airship in the mountains and spent the last few weeks making our way here," Terra lied. "It was a long journey, we nearly died of starvation and trying to find our bearings in the darkness was close to impossible. Being lost in the wilderness with nothing to eat or drink was terrifying," she said. There was plenty of truth in her words, but she breezed over plenty of details including Setzer and Strago's injuries and their little stopover in Nestil.

Locke showed nothing on his face but he was relieved that Terra had picked up on some of his skills. She had not lied but merely forgot important pieces of information. It was difficult for people to pick up on the difference between intentional and accidental ignorance. He used the technique often and it was fortunate that Terra was using it now.

"Strange, why would you come straight to Tzen for laryl?" Danielle asked.

Laryl was the herb they bought. The same boxed herb that was lying on Danielle's desk in front of them.

The question had caught Terra off-guard. "Well..." she trailed off, trying to buy more time as she thought of a suitable reason. Unfortunately, she did not know the uses of the herb. In fact, aside from the precious little Kenneth told them, Terra knew absolutely nothing about the item would save their poisoned comrade.

Locke did not know any of the additional uses for laryl either. He did not think to ask Kenneth. By the manner in which Danielle was judging Terra, it was obvious that she knew her herbs and was testing her honesty. If he were the one being questioned it would not be a problem. He would lie and simply feign misinformation being spread to him. But Terra was not the accomplished trickster he was, and he had foolishly forgotten to teach her the basics of going undercover. His arrogance would be the death of them.

Terra stared up at the ceiling unwillingly as she tried to think of something. She looked increasingly panicky.

"Well?" Danielle asked, fully aware that Terra was hiding something.

Terra cleared her suddenly dry throat. "Well, the herb uh-" her hands were shaking and her words were no better. It was obvious she was lying.

Despite the obvious charade before her, Danielle did not bat an eye or grow angry at their attempted fabrication. Instead she spoke in an astonishingly calm voice. "Terra, how many fingers do you have?"

Terra blinked, confused by the sudden change of questions. "Fi-five," she stuttered.

"Wrong, you have four," Danielle corrected her. "You have four fingers and one thumb. My second question: which finger is the most useful?"

Terra's eyes were darting side to side; Locke knew she was frightened and nervous. He stretched out to take her hand and calm her.

Behind him, Valerio cleared his throat in such a fashion that made Locke freeze in terror.

"Answer the question, Terra."

"The index finger," she stuttered again.

Locke knew the General was testing Terra. She was testing her composure with questions that should not have been intellectually difficult, that way she could read Terra's emotions like a book. It was obviously working.

"Very good," Danielle's voice was well-composed; tranquil but masking an underlying threat. "Now, why did you buy the dried laryl?"

Although the strange questions had thrown Terra off-guard, it had also given her time to think of a plausible story. "Locke needed it to help with an infection from the crash," she lied.

Danielle's eyes narrowed. She glanced over at Locke for a moment and then returned her scrutiny to Terra. "Baldric," she said without taking her deadly gaze off of a very nervous half-Esper.

She waited for a moment. Presumably Baldric had responded with body language, but Locke did not catch it.

"Bring me the child's index finger."

Terra's eyes went wide.

"Which one?" the guard asked.

"From the right hand," Danielle replied instantly.

"You promised not to hurt her!" Locke shouted. Unable to keep silent any longer, he was halfway out of his chair before a powerful hand held him back.

Danielle's eyes silenced him. He had never seen such a deadly threat before without any accompanying weapon gestures. The hand on his shoulder forced him back into his seat.

"I had two simple requests: you to shut up and you," her piercing gaze returned to Terra, "to answer honestly."

Behind them, they heard Baldric leave the room. The door closed with an audible click.

A little moan escaped from Terra's throat. Her eyes closed but were unable to contain a single tear that ran down her cheek.

"Poison -- Setzer's poisoned," she whispered. "Please, don't hurt her. She's just a little girl."

Danielle folded her hands, emotionless and unmoved.

Terra's heart pounded. Her blue eyes pleaded with Danielle. "Please," she begged. Her vision was hazy from tears. "It won't happen again."

"Baldric," Danielle said in a loud voice. She waited a moment before Baldric opened the door to her office. "At ease."

Baldric returned to his position.

Terra breathed a sigh of relief, tears flowing freely as she sank back into her seat. Locke felt the same, but he knew that it would only get worse from here. As long as Danielle held Relm hostage, they could do nothing.

Danielle unfolded her hands. "Where is Setzer?" she asked.

Terra sagged visibly. Her head was throbbing and her breaths still short from sudden shock.

"I asked a question Terra. Where is Setzer?" Danielle repeated harshly.

Terra did not want to answer but it was obvious Danielle would not give them any shred of mercy. If she lied again, they would hurt Relm. She couldn't take that chance. What choice did she have?

"Nestil," she whispered in defeat.

Locke averted his eyes. It was as he expected. The General would force them to betray their comrades. It was not Terra's fault; she had never been trained for anything like this. She was still trying to protect Relm. There was no one to protect her though; not from the pain of betraying one's closest friends.

Once again he had failed to protect her.

"Who else is in Nestil?" Danielle asked again. She pressed the advantage while Terra was still reeling.

"Edgar, Sabin-"

Locke buried his head into his hands. They were doomed.

"-Cyan and Siana," Terra's voice was filled with despair. Her hands lay lifeless at her sides. She blankly stared at her lap and waited for the next question.

Danielle was silent. Her eyes had not left Terra's face for the past five minutes. "Baldric," she said in a dangerous tone.

Terra's eyes went wide again. "And Strago," she added. "But he's hurt too, please, I forgot," she pleaded. "I didn't mean to! Please."

Locke knew Terra would break down at any moment. There was no resistance left in her. He wished he could do something, anything!

Danielle unfolded her hands and leaned back into her chair. She seemed to be pondering something.

At last, she spoke again. "Where are your friends staying?" she asked.

Terra stared at her feet for a long time. This question was different. The other questions, as bad as they had been, did not directly hurt her friends. To divulge the location of where they slept though, it was total and complete treachery.

"I think the right eye would suffice," Danielle said as if she were discussing entrees at a meal.

"With a blacksmith named Garrett," Terra quickly whispered in defeat.

"Ah," Danielle replied. She did not seem to commemorate her victory, as total and dominating as it was. Instead she was reserved; reflecting on the new information with the detail of a trained tactician.

Locke could see elemental beams in his mind's eye, ripping apart their friends as they slept. A vision of brimstone and fire raining down in Nestil as the Imperials ambushed and killed them all. They had lost.

It was over.

"Alright," she said as she stood. "Valerio," she made her way over to the guard. "I'm going to get supper and finish some little tasks. See to it that they do not touch my desk." She turned to Baldric. "Serve them dinner, but keep them confined here."

The two men nodded.

Danielle turned to Terra. The half-Esper was too drained to do anything more than stare at her feet. The shame of what she had done was slowly sinking in; despair and hopelessness mixed in a volatile combination. Her breathing came in ragged gasps as images of her friends dying came fresh to mind.

Death and destruction; that's all she brought.

Something deep inside her rumbled. It caught her off-guard, but Terra fought the feeling until it dissipated.

"I expect your continued co-operation when I return," Danielle said to her back.

The door shut with an audible click.

Terra broke down and cried.

-=-

Their dinners were cold by the time Danielle got back. Neither Locke nor Terra had touched the food. Terra had been unable to even move and Locke was lost in his own thoughts of self-loathing. Little did Locke realize how well his thoughts mirrored Terra's.

Baldric and Valerio took turns as guards but there was little to observe. They were disconsolate; too dejected to even speak with one another, much less cause trouble for their captors.

Danielle took her seat again. She had brought a lovely candlestick along despite the room being lit by electrical lights. The small flame danced on her desk while she directed Baldric to dispose of the dinners.

"Well then, it appears you have wasted the food I provided. Unfortunate, considering there are people starving outside," Danielle said.

Neither of them dared reply.

Danielle sighed. She gathered the papers on her desk and slipped them back into the green folder. She examined the two and concluded that Locke was the only one capable of any response to stimulus. She slid the folder to Locke with one hand.

Locke gave Danielle a curious look before he opened the green folder.

Inside were five sheets of paper. The writing was small but legible. He read quickly. Most of the sheets were summaries of people. No, Locke corrected himself, they were summaries of him, Edgar, Sabin... all of them were detailed in the folder. Descriptions of their looks, events of the past, known relations, even a section detailing their threat to a typical Imperial squad; highly rigorous dissertations on each one of them expressed in an objective fashion. Danielle must have requested research on them quite a few days ago; this could not have been hastily assembled. Perhaps weeks in advance, Locke thought.

The last sheet was the worse though. It was not very detailed but just reading it on Imperial letterhead chilled Locke to the bones. How could she have had this? A concise summary of all their actions in Nestil had been in her lap the whole time.

Locke glanced up at Danielle. "You knew," he accused.

"And you are not yet dead," she replied with fervor. "Connect the dots."

Locke stared at the report again. There was enough detail in it for Danielle to have easily set up the trap in the herb store. That explained a bit, but it didn't make sense. There were too many unanswered questions in his mind.

He glanced back up. "Why do you want us alive?" he asked the most relevant of many concerns.

"Finally, some intelligence has shown," Danielle remarked. A single finger was tracing a design of sorts on the mahogany. "I have tolerated your presence because I require your help," she answered.

"Our help?" Locke repeated.

Danielle tapped her finger on the desk. "Yes, your help. I need it and your cooperation. The information on your various backgrounds was enough to convince me of your usefulness. Whether or not my decision is correct will be decided by your actions tonight, but those concerns right now are irrelevant."

Locke looked over at Terra. She was still numb and her eyes red from crying, but she was listening to Danielle. Whether she was listening in fear or out of curiosity, Locke did not know.

"You could have just asked," Locke grumbled.

Danielle raised an eyebrow. "Spare me the witty comments. I had hoped we would talk about this on full stomachs, but this is your fault and not my own."

"What about Relm?" Terra asked. Her voice was raspy and dry.

"Baldric, get some water for our guests," Danielle ordered. "As for Relm," she addressed Terra. "She's having quite a lot of fun in the nursery. There are many other girls her age there, mostly because many of my soldiers have children that cannot be taken care of by family. If you wish, you may visit her later."

Terra thanked Baldric as he handed her a glass of water. She drank it nervously while her eyes constantly darted to the green folder in front of Locke. "Why did you make me go through all of that if you already knew everything?" she asked after her throat was moistened.

Danielle folded her hands. "As a test, which you failed," she replied. "Unfortunate because I expected a bit more out of you. However, despite my better judgment, I still require your assistance."

"And if we say no?" Locke asked.

Danielle unfolded her hands. "I rather not threaten you again; your willing co-operation is really the best for this mission."

Locke wondered if she actually meant the words she said. So far, nothing she had done had made any sense. She had captured them in a devious trap and threatened them for information already at her disposal. Now that she was hated by both himself and Terra, she wanted their assistance given freely. Marcus had been right; she was totally insane.

"What do you want me to do?" Terra asked quietly. She resigned herself to doing whatever it took to keep Relm safe.

Danielle finally smiled again. "Well, that is a good question. I take it you speak for both of you?"

"Yeah, we'll help," Locke sighed.

"Then I'll have to explain quite a couple of things."

-=-

"Six weeks has passed since you were last in Imperial territory," Danielle said after Baldric arrived with more biscuits and tea. "However, given your experiences in Albrook are restricted to the outskirts, I would say twice that number. After all, several months have passed since you were in Vector."

Locke shrugged. "What does this have to do with our willing cooperation?"

"You were moved when the Espers annihilated regions of Vector and killed well over twenty-thousand innocent civilians," Danielle reiterated. "Although I was not present, I understand that such deaths could not be ignored by your consciences. Subsequently you agreed to help Emperor Gestahl in approaching the ones responsible."

Terra nodded her head slowly.

"You have been in the outskirts of the Empire, away from civilization, for weeks. You have spent another week on a journey with refugees from one of the northernmost settlements we have. You have seen the fields of tents outside and likely heard many horror stories from those fleeing the south. Does it not spark your curiosity as to what has happened to cause such stunning changes to this world?"

Locke's brow wrinkled. "Well I did wonder, but I assumed the dark clouds and the beams of light pretty much caused it."

Danielle raised an eyebrow. "The Fall of the Island and this Long Night will be recorded in the annals of history. Your ability to underestimate the degree of terror is somewhat disturbing," she said.

"We have been somewhat busy with our own," Locke defended. "Why would we care for your Empire?"

"Perhaps because you caused the Long Night?"

Terra reeled at that accusation. Her hands began to shake again, never thinking that they had been the ones to personally cause such destruction. They had moved the Statues to stop Kefka, yes, but they had also disturbed the balance of magic. Their cause had been noble but the cost...

"That's beside the point though. What is important is that the destruction of the Floating Island caused a great number of difficulties in the Empire; difficulties that I was weary of the moment Emperor Gestahl raised the continent. I was not alone with such concerns; there are more generals than myself in the ranks of the army."

Locke blinked. He suddenly recalled Marcus' thoughts from the weeks before. "Civil war," he said in recollection. "You're talking about a civil war."

"Very good. I see that the traitors that aided you have given you a degree of insight into the workings of the Empire," Danielle said.

She knew about Marcus. Locke was surprised. The folder of research had only been on them. There was no information on Marcus or any of his men.

"Don't look so shocked. You continuously underestimate the Empire," Danielle replied to Locke's unspoken concerns. "You are quite correct though, we are currently in the midst of a civil war."

That explained the refugees, but not their praise of the Empire. Locke knew he had to listen carefully. Danielle had probably carefully picked everything she would say in order to manipulate and control them. She was devious and unpredictable. He had to be very careful what to trust.

"Do you recognize the name Anson Tilton?" Danielle asked them.

"No," Locke replied.

Terra also shook her head.

"Unfortunate, it would have been interesting if you knew him," Danielle sighed wistfully. "I would have expected you to have met the man in the Magitek Factory," she pointed at Locke. "Anson Tilton was one of the best researchers, second only to Cid. I believe you know Cid quite well."

Locke and Terra nodded together. They had told Terra everything that had happened in the Magitek Factor while she was comatose in Zozo.

"Anson is quite an interesting young man. He's ingenious, to a fault, and has been caught experimenting on himself in the past. Quite abnormal, would you not agree?"

No less than your actions, Locke thought.

"Cid had left his role as head of development since the debacle with former-general Celes Chere, another event that you are more than familiar with. In his stead, Anson pushed a mighty new project that you will soon be familiar with. However, with his new responsibilities and powers, Anson has had a few..." Danielle searched for the proper word, "-delusions."

Locke glanced over at Terra. She had grabbed a few biscuits, probably as hungry as he, and started chewing. However, she seemed afraid to eat too loudly, as if Danielle might lose her kind attitude and threaten Relm again.

Not entirely a fantasy, Locke thought sadly. Danielle might do something like that.

"In Palazzo's and Gestahl's absence -- along with the deaths of two senior Generals and dozens of the most high ranking men in the Empire thanks to the Esper attack -- the task of Vector's defense along with the control of the Core fell on General Hector Caleigh. He's a man of little note; one of the many brownnosers that make their way up into the ranks. I don't like him."

Locke had never heard of this General. Then again, he had never really looked into the specifics of the Empire's military. There was precious little information like that, and even then only Edgar or Banon had access to it. The Empire had not exactly made it easy for anyone to devise the state of their armed forces.

"One of the reasons I despise Caleigh is because he's a simple moron. He prides himself as a warrior amongst children -- a macho-man -- and he's a total prude," Danielle explained. Her tone remained kind, although there was definitely hate when she repeated Caleigh's name. "Somehow, Anson managed to sway Caleigh to his cause just three days after the Long Night began."

Danielle paused and took a sip of tea before continuing.

"Anson has declared himself Emperor."

"Wow," Locke said.

Danielle gave him a mocking smile. "Yes, with the apparent demise of Gestahl and his total lack of legitimate heirs, the Empire was leaderless for a few days. Now Anson has taken the title; resting it on his control of the Capital, Caleigh's control of the Core, the consent of a corrupt House of Lords, and his position as the highest ranking civilian in the Empire."

Her eyes narrowed. "Naturally, field commanders such as myself disagreed. The Emperor is our highest authority; the role should have befallen a proper general such as Leo Christophe. To say that we were displeased would be an understatement, especially after we found out the reason why the House of Lords propped Anson as their new Head of State. Apparently, they had dared to remove Emperor Gestahl from power when the Floating Continent appeared. High treason is not looked upon lightly, especially by generals like myself. Anson Tilton and his House of Lords are criminals, and allowing them to rule is unacceptable."

"So you went to war with him? Isn't the Core far bigger than the region around Tzen?" Locke asked. He knew he was out of line asking such questions but his curiosity got the better of him.

Danielle ignored him. "Unfortunately, all our senior generals are dead," Danielle replied tactfully. "Leo is gone, may his soul rest in peace. As for Kefka, he died with the Emperor. The other two you have never met, their deaths caused by the Esper strike on the capital."

That was their first confirmation that Kefka had died. If Danielle knew the fate of that insane lunatic, then...

"What about Celes?" Locke blurted out.

Danielle shrugged. "Without a proper command, she only has a title that was hastily given back. She would not be able to lead even if she still lives."

Locke felt his hopes sink. Danielle did not know if Celes was alive.

"Either way, there are no military commanders that outrank -- even informally -- the remaining generals in the army. Considering the type of person Anson is, I suggested to my fellow peers that the best course of action would be to remove him from Vector, finish off Caleigh for treason, execute the House of Lords, and then deal with the issue of an Emperor in peace."

Of course that was the best course of action. Declare war against your own and kill thousands, Locke thought sardonically.

"Both Lilienthal and Drummond agreed," Danielle continued.

"Who?" Locke asked.

Danielle sighed. "Remiel Lilienthal was formerly the governor of Alfort-Brougham. That is the province that includes the city of Albrook, the port of Eggleston and much of the southeastern territories. As for the other, you would probably recognize Drummond's first name: Maverick."

"The Maverick," Locke repeated. "He invaded Maranda and slew thousands of innocent children in the following weeks to punish them for their resistance."

Danielle nodded. "A well-deserved name, as if his parents knew he was utterly insane before he was born. Lilienthal is quite the opposite, so the fact that both agreed to my suggestion shows the justice behind it."

Locke wondered if Remiel Lilienthal would live up to the insanity that every general, except Celes, had displayed.

"Under the three of us, nearly half of the military might of the Empire was at our command. The rest lay in Caleigh's hands. Fortunately, we agreed in an exchange of letters that the Coreward contingents were ill-prepared for a real fight; whereas our armies had readying for assaults on your precious northern countries."

She was referring to Figaro, Narshe, and possibly more.

"Four divisions under my command marched south to Vector," Danielle said. "Numbers similar to that marched from the southeast and west, under Lilienthal's and Drummond's commands."

Something told Locke that he should not be privy to such knowledge. He wondered why Danielle was telling them so much.

"In a few short weeks, we had broken through nearly every single part of the Core and managed to siege Vector. Eight thousand Magitek units attacking in tandem against an equal force rallied in the streets of the Capital. They used our own citizens as shields, and we rained hell on them. Thousands upon thousands of Tek missiles tore the region to pieces; it lit up battlefield like the sun peeking through the clouds."

Danielle's voice took on a distant tone. She had been at the battle and images of the chaos were fresh in her mind.

"In barely two weeks of fighting, both in Vector and in disputed areas around the Core, there were roughly fifty thousand dead soldiers. Civilian casualties are estimated at nearly a quarter of a million throughout the Core. More on the outskirts where panicking from the dark skies have caused riots of huge proportions. I haven't even mentioned the monsters that have decided to wreck havoc on civilization just days into the Vector siege."

Terra's eyes were wide. Locke could not imagine the amount of carnage being released. It made the Esper strike look like a mere joke.

"But Vector was reduced; the Core a shadow of its former strength," Danielle sighed. "Then, moments before the final strike on Vector's strategic reserves that still numbered tens of thousands, we were betrayed by Drummond."

Danielle leaned back with a look of sadness on her face. She sighed heavily, one finger softly rubbing a dark spot on the mahogany desk. "His attacks on Lilienthal were made to look like troops from my command. Our alliance vanished in a storm of fire, the retreat bloody, and right now we're in the midst of a tedious stalemate. Currently, there are no attempts at any sort of resolution. The pigeons are ignored and real messengers killed. The monsters continue to attack our positions and the Core is chaos incarnate."

"What do you want us to do about it?" Locke asked. "We're just two people."

"As long as the Empire remains fragmented as it is right now, the civilians will be ignored. Their cries of pain will fall on deaf ears preparing for war. The monsters are more powerful than ever and we are weaker than we have ever been," she took another sip of tea.

"Lilienthal has responded amicably to requests for a cessation of hostilities. Although my forces are still arrayed defensively against both, a four-way war is currently unacceptable to anyone but perhaps Drummond."

"However, Lilienthal will not discuss any terms of a treaty unless I provide something that, until now, I could not."

Danielle glanced at Terra. "He wants to talk to you. He wants to have a conversation that is free of duress," she said with a hint of disbelief.

"How did he know Terra was-" Locke began

"How is irrelevant; why is immaterial," Danielle cut him off. "The point is that Lilienthal has asked for your presence, half-Esper, and my remaining forces are dedicated to defense against the monsters. Another string of battles -- another war -- is unacceptable. Although Tzen is safe because I held back much of my forces, the Core is in disarray. Monsters feed on the sick, injured and helpless. Those that don't die by the beasts fall to disease or hunger. My staff estimate that if we cannot resolve the current situation, within two months we'll be looking at another quarter million dead. With winter only three months away, millions more will fall to the cold or starve to death. As a soldier, I will not stand idly by while my people are dying out there!"

Her eyes were soft as she regarded Terra. Her voice was kind and warm. "You have the chance to save those thousands, all you have to do is talk to Lilienthal," she explained. "Is that so difficult?"

Terra stared blankly into her lap. The last time she had agreed to something similar, the Empire had killed off all the espers and raised the Floating Continent. This was once again being done in the name of power. She knew it was a mistake, but it was still the immediate lives of two-hundred and fifty thousand; millions once winter arrived.

Locke already knew, by the look of resignation on her face, that she had decided to do it. Once again, they would be pawns for the Empire. Yet he knew they had a degree of freedom at the moment. This was still haggling, even if it was basically at the point of a sword. Danielle needed them to help her. He could possibly bargain for their lives and more.

"Alright, we'll go willingly so that Remiel gets what he wants," Locke said. "On two conditions," he added.

Danielle waited.

"The guaranteed safety of me, Terra, Relm and our friends in Nestil, which includes you delivering this package," he tapped the box of laryl, "in secret to the doctor that is helping us. You already know his name," he gestured at the green folder.

"Acceptable," Danielle said without hesitation. "What is the second request?"

"You let Relm come with us," Locke replied.

"No," Danielle answered. "Do you think I would be so stupid as to let you run off with all the cards in your hands? I can guarantee her safety, so long as you keep your part of the bargain, and I will also agree to hand her back to you when you return from Albrook. You will not get a more agreeable deal than that."

"Alright," Terra agreed. Locke shot her a glare. He had wanted Relm away from danger. How could she consent to something like that?

Danielle visibly relaxed. "Very well then, I will introduce you to the men that will escort you to Albrook. It's a dangerous journey and you will need to be protected."

"I want to see Relm first," Terra said.

Danielle shrugged. "Of course, I promised you that much and I am a woman of honor."

Locke doubted that very much.

-=-

The siren was completely unexpected.

Locke snapped out of his troubled thoughts when it sounded and he was not the only that had been surprised. Beside him Baldric, if he remembered correctly, was equally concerned.

Terra was still having her chat with Relm. They had spent the last hour with her. She was unharmed, to their relief, and was actually making friends. The nursery was a fine place and filled with kids; all were children of single-parent soldiers like Danielle had explained to them. It was heartening to know that Relm was enjoying herself with some new friends, even if it was forced upon her.

Locke waited for Terra to finish some last words of comfort for Relm. He looked at Baldric but decided against asking about the siren. It was doubtful that Baldric would answer.

"Be strong, ok?" Terra said to Relm.

"Don't worry Terra, I'll be fine," Relm said before the two exchanged a long hug.

The door to their room, a guest room attached to the nursery, opened. Danielle and her other guard stormed through. Her red hair was rustled and she still wore the unassuming standard Imperial uniform, though the ugly brown clothes only made her beauty stand out more. Her flawless features could probably sway any man to do as she wanted; though at the moment she looked ready to drink the blood of a thousand children.

"Valerio," she addressed the man that had stayed with Locke and Terra. Locke sighed, the two guards looked exactly the same and he had yet to tell the difference with any degree of certainty. Their emotionless faces only made it more difficult to tell them apart. "Find Starson; we'll be in the Central Square."

Valerio nodded before he left.

Danielle gestured at Terra and Locke. "I'm afraid your little meeting will have to be cut short. As you might hear, we have an emergency."

Terra stood up and urged Relm to leave the guest room they were in.

"What's happening?" Locke asked.

Danielle pointed into the air. "You will get to see firsthand the terrors from which I have protected the citizens of the Empire. This is what will befall millions of people in the Core if Lilienthal does not meet with you."

They followed her out of the mansion, an additional two squadrons waiting for her at the entrance, and made their way through the deserted city streets. It was after curfew and the soldiers were quite strict enforcing it. Not a single soul was on the roads that had been packed just hours before.

The Central Square was not really in the center of Tzen. At one point it might have been, but development at the perimeter of city had totally changed that. Still, it was principal to the city's commercial lifeline. A great statue of Gestahl was on top an equally magnificent fountain, ringed with flowers and well maintained trees. The buildings that opened into the Central Square were some of the most prestigious shops and inns available in the city. Since those places were full of the rich that had fled to Tzen, Locke wondered what the soldiers were doing here.

The square will had yet another squadron of soldiers awaiting their arrival. The sirens continued to sound as men ran around the city preparing for something. Somehow, Locke knew that whatever was en route was going to be quite a horror.

"What's coming anyways?" Locke asked. He still remembered the guard at the entrance of Tzen; there had been quite a bit of talk about sentries. There should be no reason for any monsters to make it so deep into the city.

Danielle did not reply, instead giving orders to a few more commanders. Couriers ran back and forth to alert their General of the defensive arrangements. After a few more minutes, she finally directed her attention back at them.

Terra felt a familiar tingle. Then came the rumbling within and the feeling of Maduin heating against her chest.

"Terra, Locke, please..." she pointed in the direction of the southwest." Over there," she said.

The sirens shut off abruptly and the soldiers quieted down. In the silence they stared into the dark night sky and waited.

It appeared out of the blackness with wings like a bat's, hideously large beyond imagination. Bony arms spread wide with green skin stretched across formed the wings. Its hands were purple claws and its face was a horrid evil grinning skull. It had horns like a bull and deformed hair like strands that trailed behind it.

"Holy goddess," Locke breathed. "That thing's bigger than a dragon."

Danielle nodded. "Far stronger as well," she said.

The monster hovered above Tzen by flapping its wings, the city silent beneath it, and slowly looked about. Locke felt chills run down his spine as the beast seemed to search for something.

"Fire," Danielle mumbled with her eyes closed.

Terra glanced over at Danielle. Her eyes were wide with the fright of understanding at Danielle's quietude.

The General's eyes opened. Her hand rose into the air and pointed at the beast. Liquid flame twirled about her body, its orange-yellow glow lighting up its caster in a similar aura. The fires obediently snaked up her outstretched arm.

"Burn," she whispered.

Her red hair bellowed back magnificently as the fires suddenly shot forth.

Danielle was a Magitek Knight.

Scorching magic engulfed the beast in the air. Flames danced off of the monster's hideous skin, its attempts to devour the creature futile. Yet despite the inadequacy of the attack, the thing howled in pain. It was a hideous sound, a high pitched moan that could shatter glass and burst eardrums. Locke covered his ears, trying to shut out the painful noise.

"All units, fire at will!" Danielle screamed.

Her command was unnecessary as everyone had already received their orders far in advance. With elemental beams charged at max capacity, pilots waited patiently for their General to identify the weakness of the monster above. Anything dangerous enough to trigger the sirens had to be carefully regarded, even with their overwhelming tactical advantage.

Before the flames of Danielle's spell died away, Magitek pilots had adjusted their aim and recalibrated their weapons. Their General had lit their path and though she had been unable to penetrate the powerful creature's armor-like skin, they would not back down from this challenge.

Dozens of beams, dazzling bolts of crimson light snaking around powerful gouts of magical inferno, tore their way through the air. Each twin burst had erupted from entrenched positions within the city, their combined force easily capable of vaporizing flesh and bone without making a distinction between the two. The city was illuminated by the powerful magic; there was so much weapon fire concentrated around the flying monstrosity that it was like a second sun rising in the night.

The purple-skulled monster screamed again, replying with a wave of its hideous wings. There came a great blast of wind that threatened to tear them off their feet, magical in nature as those limbs could never have caused such a storm. Locke wondered how the soldiers in the Central Square stayed on their feet -- how he stayed on his feet -- despite the powerful currents tearing apart the very roofs off buildings. But he could not tear his eyes away from the monster to notice what Terra saw and the question was soon forgotten in the fury of the gusts.

Even the powerful wind magic could not do anything against magnitude of the firepower being thrown at it. The magical storm mitigated the beams for a moment like a protective bubble surrounding the beast; a sphere of magical energy where fires burned like the corona of a star. Then the winds buckled and could not keep the energies from penetrating. The perimeter, where a shield of air had once forced magical beams to split apart and splatter like water upon rocks, broke down in seconds. Soon, the monster was screaming again in pain, its howl capable of sending shivers down the spine of all who listened.

It did not die though, not even under the combined force of that much weaponry. Forty Heavy-Siege Class Armors, the most powerful weapons in the Imperial Army, were quite capable of practically leveling a mountain. So large and unwieldy that their huge engines were nearly half the weapon's mass, these units were tailored siege engines that made a mockery of every weapon mankind had previously developed. Yet even their combined might only drew a scream of pain as the wretched beast turned away and flew higher into the air.

They pounded at the monster even while it fled, flying into the clouds until it was out of sight. A few of the Armors had overheated, the elemental beams been never been designed for such long continuous use. Yet the pilots had allowed for such damages, indeed some of the Armors had overheated with deadly consequences. They did not want to lose a monster capable of absorbing that much punishment out in the wild where the innocent peoples of the world lived. Soldiers defended civilians at the cost of their own lives if necessary. This was one of those situations.

Danielle sighed as the monster finally left. It was too far away to target even with the help of spells. She turned to Locke and Terra. The first was too shocked by the display of power, both Imperial and monster, to offer any comments. The second was too shocked by the revelations that Danielle had allowed her to see. Both were wide-eyed and did not realize Danielle's attentions until she spoke.

"Now you know the apocalyptic nature of the monsters released when the Floating Continent tore this world apart," she said. "Imagine that thing happening upon your little Relm at night."

Danielle left them, still too shocked to respond, and went back to the work of a general at war.

-=-

Locke and Terra had spent a restless night in the mansion headquarters. They had been given a guest room that had been used for storage of the late aristocrat's useless goods.

It had been a terrible night. Locke had tried in vain to comfort Terra. She was a wreck after the interrogation and the sight of that monster. He was terribly concerned. It was clear to him that knowing that there were thousands dying in the Empire was tearing her heart apart. How many innocent children would wake up in the face of that grinning purple skull? She could not sleep at all with such visions in her mind.

Locke did not realize the depths of her anguish. He had no idea that she blamed herself for those events; that she would actually blame herself for causing the Long Night.

Despite being left unguarded for the whole night, they avoided leaving the guest room out of fear. It was impossible to tell if Danielle had assigned anyone to watch over them secretly. If she did and they tested her patience, Relm would pay the price.

It was something that hung over their heads and tempered every action.

Locke wondered if Baldric, and it was Baldric this time because he had asked the guard his name, ever showed emotions. The man had woken them up quite early, allowing them time to freshen themselves and eat breakfast along with the rest of the mansion staff, before taking them to the south citygate. His face was expressionless and he gave them orders in a low, monotonous voice.

At the gates, Baldric directed them to the local guardhouse. Since the city guards had all been disbanded from their usual police roles, the guardhouse now served as a small barracks for the many soldiers that resided in Tzen.

Waiting for them was not Danielle; Locke was thankful that he wouldn't have to deal with her unpredictable and treacherous personality. Instead it was the man who had addressed him in the herb shop. He stood under the sunlight, enjoying the warmth provided as rays of morning light broke through the heavy cloud cover. His hair, shaven flat at the top, was quite different from most soldiers. It made him stand out amongst the numerous faceless men.

"Locke Cole," the soldier gave him a nod of his head. "We met yesterday but I doubt you caught my name in our little exchange," he held out his hand.

Locke took it, but only because he had no other choice.

"My name is Farin, although you will no doubt hear me addressed as Brigadier-General Starson for the most part. You are welcome to address me by my first name. As a civilian, I don't mind; especially considering your courageous nature for willingly accepting this mission," he continued.

Locke gave the dark haired man a stare. "You did force us to agree to a number of things at sword point, I don't think 'willingly' is a proper word to describe this situation."

Farin shrugged. "You are not bound by ropes and that's all that matters to me."

They were bound though, Locke thought to himself. They were bound by the threat of violence again Relm.

Farin turned to Terra. "Miss Branford," he said respectfully. He took her hand and kissed it. Although it was similar in fashion to the nauseating manner displayed by the guard yesterday, Terra did not feel repulsed. In fact, it was somewhat flattering.

He let her hand go and his voice returned to a more business-like tone. "I am afraid that in order to make best speed to Albrook, we will have to ride chocobos. That means you will have to ride astride, my sincerest apologies," he gave a little bow.

Terra blinked.

Farin did not catch the source of her confusion though, and instead turned to Baldric. "Tell Danielle that everything is as she requested," he ordered.

Baldric nodded and left without another word.

As Farin returned his attention to Locke and Terra, his green cloak bellowed out in the sudden wind. Two mounted men rode by them with great speed, three chocobos following in their wake.

"I thought Imperials like you didn't tolerate horseplay, those two could trample someone," Locke remarked.

Farin raised an eyebrow. "I don't care what you believe I am, but this is a military compound. No civilians are here aside from present company. Chocobo traffic is not restricted to silly cobblestone streets," he answered with a hint of disdain.

The two men slowed their mounts as they circled around. They came to a halt right next to Farin.

"General," one of the men said with a nod of his head. Both men were wearing plate mail beneath dirty brown cloaks. From that simple fact Locke knew these two were far from typical soldiers. Armor like that was incredibly expensive. It took a highly skilled blacksmith to forge one that was both light and flexible. Locke noticed that Farin himself had plate mail peeking from beneath his weathered green cloak.

"You know, I expected that important men such as ourselves would be getting a vacation after all we've been through," the second man said with a teasing grin. "Tzen is a pretty nice place to relax, lots of pretty girls. Yet we get here and barely a day passes before we're sent out again."

"Reinhardt," Farin ignored their comments and gestured at Locke and Terra. "These are our charges."

Reinhardt was an older man with a great brown beard but cleanly shaven head. Locke gazed at him in open wonder; the number of weapons on his person was simply daunting. Belts of throwing knives, two swords at his hips, and even a bow and quiver were amongst the many deadly instruments strapped to his back.

"Pleased to meet you," he said. "Especially you, fair lady," he pretended to tip his non-existent hat. Terra's lack of response was unexpected though; he was used to woman giggling at that ploy.

Farin vaulted onto his chocobo, scratching the bird's neck as he whispered to it. It appeared that Farin had his own personal mount.

The second man was as old as Reinhardt but lacked the beard. He had quite a number of scars on his face and had a similar number of weapons on strapped to his body. Locke wondered if he had seen either of these men at the gates the day before. There had been a number of elite soldiers barring entrance to Tzen.

"This one is Donnach," Reinhardt gestured. "We tend to call him Donny-boy but you don't look big enough to get away with it," he said to Locke with a chuckle.

"Neither are you but you do it all the same," Donnach grumbled.

The two men were easily as large as Farin, who already dwarfed Locke in sheer bulk. The three soldiers were around Cyan or Sabin's size by Locke's judgment, but they did not seem so big after spending all that time with Baldric and Valerio.

"These are for you," Reinhardt dismounted and handed Locke and Terra two heavy brown vests. "Your chocobos are loaded up for the trip, supplies, water, they should be found in the packs."

Terra stared at the leather armor with a frown. She didn't like the look of the Imperial gear.

"It's not lady-like but you'll need it. Do you have a weapon?" Reinhardt deftly flipped a sheathed dagger from his belt, catching it by its point and held it handle-first to Terra.

"No, I don't need it," she answered.

Reinhardt turned to Locke.

"I still have mine," Locke replied to the unspoken question. "Why the concern?"

"The Wilds are a dangerous place," Donnach responded while Reinhardt was mounting his chocobo. "Only a fool would be so confident to ride there unprepared for a fight."

"Let's ride," Farin silenced his men as he strode by on his chocobo. The large yellow bird was quite responsive to Farin's directions, he nudged gently on the reins and the beast of burden would carry him exactly as he wished. "We can make it to the Wilds by nightfall if we ride hard and then it's just a few days to Albrook."

-=-

They rode at a decent pace, certainly not as fast as the chocobos could go. They traveled slightly slower than what Farin had hoped, mostly due to Terra's inexperience.

Terra had only ridden a chocobo once. That was when they had escaped Castle Figaro and back then they had been fleeing Magitek Armors, so it was hardly considerable as a learning experience. Fortunately, the Imperial-bred birds were very tame. These were chocobos born for war; they would not falter in the face of blistering magic nor giant Magitek armor. By comparison, carrying an inexperienced rider was a trivial task.

Locke had ridden a few times before and had no trouble controlling his mount. He was as relaxed as he could be surrounded by Imperial soldiers and tried to help Terra as much as possible.

Lunch had been sandwiches already prepared in their bags, eaten while they rode. They were following a well-known route so they passed by many a refugee. However, the numbers died down the farther they left Tzen. Once they passed a checkpoint that Donnach pointed out, small groups of riders would halt them regularly: Imperial patrols that specifically targeted chocobo riders. Just the sight of Farin though and most of the soldiers let them go quickly. It appeared that Farin was a very well-known man. Locke supposed being a Brigadier-General would do that. The Imperials were mostly in awe of Farin. Some went out of their way to pay their respects, while others thanked him profusely for something Locke didn't overhear.

At about mid-afternoon, the road became difficult to travel. They halted when the road was broken apart; dead trees were cast upon the path like barricades. Locke squinted to see farther ahead. The entire area had been ripped asunder, the grassy plains burned to ash and trees little more than hunks of dead embers. The putrid black tar was everywhere, sticking to anything that hadn't been burned away. The route led to a sudden drop, a chasm where there should not have been, and it was doubtful that they could pass. It was a frightening reminder of the beams of light that had ripped the world asunder.

Farin led them off the road. A shortcut, he said, as they rode over the grassy plains.

It had not been his intention to meet a dragon.

Farin quickly brought his chocobo to a swift stop when he saw it. He shouted a quick order. Immediately, Reinhardt and Donnach both spread out to protect Locke and Terra in the center.

It was one of the dragons from the Floating Continent. Still huge despite the far larger monster from the night before, it sent chills down Locke's spine to see the beast away from the skull-shaped rocks that had been its home. The green-scaled lizard was on its feet. Yellow eyes stalked them with murderous intent as it slowly advanced. They had been fortunate to have noticed it while riding up a hill. An ambush by the creature was dangerous and possible thanks to the lay of the land. Instead, they spotted it a couple hundred meters away. If they were to run, now was the time.

Farin whispered his mount's name, the chocobo backing up carefully in response. He kept his eyes on the dragon but spoke to them.

"Locke, Miss Branford, can you hold your own if it comes after you?"

Locke wrinkled his brow. "You're thinking of taking on that thing? We don't have any Magitek backup and it's incredibly dangerous!"

"I will not let a monster like that loose in the lands where I was born; innocent people have no chance of surviving that beast," Farin snapped back. "I'll assume you can't fight; what about you Miss Branford?"

Terra stared at the dragon with a feeling of despair. She bit her lip, trying to set aside memories of Michals and Marcus cutting down those creatures on the floating island. Doubt entered her mind as she thought about their deaths. "I'm not sure what good I can do," she replied shamefully.

Farin narrowed his eyes. He had not been expecting that answer; after all she was the famed half-Esper. Danielle had seen fit to put herself in harm's way in order to neutralize Terra. "Any magic would be helpful," he suggested.

Magic. Terra gritted her teeth. She had failed repeatedly in the past few months to help anyone with her magic.

"That type of creature is especially vulnerable to lightning. Can you strike it down with such power?"

Gau, Davis, Michals, Marcus... Terra shook her head, fighting back the tears. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

Farin sighed. "What spells do you know?" He had assumed that she did not know any spells that were lightning-based.

"I..." Terra began.

The dragon roared and began moving towards them.

"I suggest you hurry up and hit it with what you have," Farin turned to his men. "Reinhardt, Donnach, distract it!" he ordered.

Distract it? Locke looked at Farin, wondering what lunacy he had imagined. Every single general of the Empire was absolutely insane!

"Starson you fool, you're going for all the glory today aren't you!" Reinhardt shouted loudly as he rode away. Donnach rode in the opposite direction.

Farin grinned despite himself and spurred his chocobo forward.

The dragon let loose a column of fire that twisted and snaked towards them with great speed. The three soldiers had long since dashed out of the way and Locke urged his mount into action as well. As usual he glanced back towards Terra. His eyes widened. She was still paralyzed and motionless, staring at the coming inferno with an indifferent look.

"Terra!" Locke screamed. He yanked back on the reins of his chocobo and dashed towards her, sending a kick to her chocobo's rear. The clever bird darted forward and carried Terra away safely.

Locke was not so lucky. The blast of fire caught his back and sent both he and his mount to the ground. He hit the dirt hard, a shock of pain shooting up his side as it felt like his arm was being ripped apart by the rocky ground. He screamed as the magical flames burned his back, the searing heat causing his eyes to tear in pain.

Terra blinked, her nonchalant look suddenly disappearing. Her eyes focused on Locke convulsing on the ground in torment. Confused by the flames that burned him, her eyes darted to the dragon. The green beast was staring at them, great yellow lizard eyes that made her feel like an insect. Black smoke floated out of its nostrils and yellow flames licked the inside of its mouth.

Flames... inside the mouth? Her eyes bolted back to Locke. He was covered in... flames.

Rage gripped Terra's heart, fury rippling down her back as she turned toward the dragon. Her brow was set in hatred, her lips curled in disgust. "Die," she whispered.

The dragon recoiled in pain as a sudden blast of air hit it. The violent concussion exploded outward in a shockwave, flattening everything around the monster in an instant. Blood seeped from between thick armored scales, flowing to the ground in crimson rivets.

Deadly energies swirled around Terra with a grim familiarity. The words she spoke were not her own but memories of her father. Yet she whispered the spell with intimate understanding, a trail of flame leaping from her hands and dancing about her at her command. Her magic's side-effects were far more impressive than the spell Danielle had cast. Pillars of fire twisted and snaked around Terra and the chocobo she rode. Liquid flames jumped aside, splashing the ground with ghastly consequences but never harming her. The chocobo was bred well enough to stay motionless, even though one of its natural enemies had surrounded it.

"Die!" Terra screamed as her hand directed the flames around her towards the dragon. The column of magical inferno screamed through the air faster than any chocobo, erupting on the dragon's head and engulfing it in flames.

Even as the spell began to wear off, the flames doing little more than to singe the thick scales of the dragon, arrows began to fly. Shot with deadly precision, Reinhardt and Donnach rode their chocobos fast as they encircled the dragon at distance. Arrows designed to pierce plated armor bounced off for the most part, but at least a few stuck to the dragon. They did little damage but their intentions had been achieved.

The dragon turned to the chocobos and let loose a stream of fire. The grasses burst into flames as fiery magic blasted past the chocobo riders. Reinhardt and Donnach continued launching arrows the whole time, urging their chocobos to dodge the deadly salvos that the dragon breathed in their direction. It was growing impatient but was unable to knock down the quicker soldiers. Soon, the grasses that surrounded it were burning in flames, thick black smoke obscuring the view of the monster. Yet the dragon kept using its dangerous breath, affected little by its dying surroundings.

Locke clutched his shoulder in pain as he stood. He realized he had taken the brunt of the blast, as his chocobo was standing calmly just few feet away from him.

Terra let loose another measure of fire, adding to the infernos that burned around the dragon. She ignored the heat Maduin was radiating against her chest. Liquid flame, hotter than any spell Terra had ever cast, burst on impact with the armor-like scales. The white blaze burst through the thick skin of the dragon and drew a horrifying roar of pain. Its flesh was burning like wood, muscles bubbling and popping amidst the blazing hells. With a scream of defiance, the dragon opened its mouth and Terra found herself in the path of a deadly fireball.

A single battle cry reminded Locke of what he had forgotten. Reinhardt and Donnach's bravado had not distracted just the dragon.

Farin rode his chocobo fast and hard while Terra threw up a defensive shield. He ducked beneath the gout of flame that soared past his head, where it split apart upon meeting Terra's powerful counterspell. The half-Esper gritted her teeth and cried out in frustration. The dragon was overpowering her, and she didn't understand why.

Farin drew his sword. Terra had given him the distraction he needed. His blade reflected a brilliant orange glow from the fires he rode through, and he pointed it forward.

Lightning, blindingly bright and thunderous in its roar, rippled forth from his blade. Bolts of electricity shattered into the dragon, some from Farin's blade, others seemingly ripping out of the ground. Rocks flew into the air and exploded into dust. Ashes rose into the air and seemed to vanish in waves of shimmering heat. Even the dragon's green wings were lifted upwards, blood exploding in a burst of cardinal mist as the great beast screamed.

Yet Farin was not done. As he rode by the dragon, Farin jumped off his chocobo. The mighty swordsman kicked off the side of the dragon, his momentum unharmed, and began running along it. His blade ripped into the beast's flesh, scaled armor that had weathered fire and lightning unable to resist any longer. Fresh blood flowed as lightning pounced on the sudden weakness of its prey, drawing screams of electrocuted pain. Yet none of the blinding bolts touched Farin or his mount.

The brave soldier jumped off the dragon and landed on his trusty chocobo. He rode away from the dying dragon with great speed, not looking back, and met with Reinhardt and Donnach at the perimeter.

The yellow bolts finally disappeared and the dragon collapsed onto the burning grasses. It had died long before then, but the lightning had kept its body frozen in the air.

Locke had no interest in the dragon's death. He was watching Terra. She was gasping for air, her chest heaving up and down from the effort of casting spells. Her eyes slowly lost the red glow, and the purple radiance in her hair faded away.

He had never seen that before. It was like she had tried to morph but only half succeeded.

The anger set in Terra's face had been lost, replaced by surprise and shock. She didn't remember consciously calling forth so much magical energy. She felt disgusted with herself when she realized how much destructive power she had wielded.

Then it hit her. She had finally realized why Farin's haircut seemed so familiar. The flatly shaven head had seemed wrong since he wore neither a military uniform nor adorned his side with medals of honor. Yet now it was obvious. He had not the trio of stars, but one was still enough.

Donnach fell in beside their two charges, Reinhardt following shortly after. Donnach gave a respectful nod to Terra. "That was an impressive show. I'm glad you're on our side today," he said in a reserved tone.

"A wolf in sheep's skin," Reinhardt murmured. "Why do you look so surprised?" he scratched his beard with one hand, the other still holding onto his bow.

"That lightning..." Terra started.

"I thought you killed General Christophe -- may he rest in peace -- in Thamasa. Surely you've seen his shock strike," Donnach said plainly.

Terra looked at Donnach, "I just didn't expect it, that's all," she answered. Such was her surprise that she didn't even notice his accusations.

"Starson was Christophe's former instructor, before he became famous and an incredible warrior. After that, Starson followed Christophe around," Reinhardt said proudly. "Even for his assassins, surely you have some respect for the greatest general that ever lived."

"Silence, both of you," Farin said as he rode back. "These two did not murder Leo in cold blood. I would never let such treachery go unpunished," Farin said dangerously. He looked from Terra and then to Locke. "They are too honorable to backstab an ally, unlike that bastard Palazzo."

Reinhardt and Donnach both looked surprised by that revelation. They exchanged looks with each other.

"Well, I guess we owe you an apology," Reinhardt said at last as he replaced his bow.

Terra looked down at the ground, unsure of what to say.

Farin spurred his chocobo into motion. "Let's get out of here, the Wilds are still hours away."