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The Return

by Nathan Bounds

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Chapter 26

Terra and Cyan finally awoke, but Kefka did as well. He was much less pleasant to deal with.

Terra and Cyan were sitting at a table. Celes sat across from them.
"You picked a hell of a time to go unconscious. You missed the most excitement since the world fell apart."

"What happened?" Terra asked."

"We've imprisoned two old enemies and found an old friend."

"Shall we begin with the ally?" Cyan said.

"We found Shadow. And his real name's Clyde. Now for the enemies."

"Kefka and..." Terra said.

"Gogo. Gogo is Ghestahl."

There was nothing to be said. Both Cyan and Terra were shocked. Finally, after a long pause, Terra broke the silence. "I guess we'd better pick up the others," she said.

After they picked up the others, they flew towards Figaro to try Kefka and Ghestahl. Halfway there, in the night, Clyde crept towards the captain's quarters, which were temporarily being used as a prison.

He walked over to where Kefka was sitting, tied to a chair. He pulled out a knife and cut the ropes around Kefka's wrists and ankles. Kefka stood up, stretched, and then made a suggestion.

"Kill the old geezer," he said, pointing to Gestahl.

"Very well," Clyde replied. He took his knife and held it to Gestahl's neck.

Celes awoke to a scream. Then she heard a hideous, demonic laugh which could belong only to Kefka.

"Jail break!" Celes screamed at the top of her lungs. She grabbed her sword and ran towards the laughter. She kept the alert going until she got to the captain's quarters. Once there, she opened the door, and Kefka and Clyde came running out, knocking her over.
Celes pulled out her sword and slashed upwards, tripping Kefka.

Kefka fell to the floor and started cursing. He willed Celes into the air, and, with his mind alone, rammed her against the wall. Then he and Clyde made for the hatch. Once on deck, Clyde pulled out a knife and slashed open the thick canvas which held the air for the Falcon. The air hissed out, and the breach grew larger. Kefka and Clyde, with the aid of Kefka's immense power, floated safely to the ground.

Setzer awoke in a pile of wooden planks. He looked around for the others. He saw a bright bit of clothing sticking out from under half a couch. He pulled the couch off and found Ghestahl lying dead in the rubble. I guess we'll never find out how he survived that fall from the Floating Continent.

Eventually, Setzer found everyone but Clyde, Kefka, and Terra. One dead, three missing. And Celes could account for Clyde and Kefka.

Chapter 27

Terra washed up onto Doma Island. When she woke up some hours later, she was delighted that she was at a place that could offer help. She crawled farther up onto the shore and started calling for assistance. A man came out to get her.

"What happened to you?" he asked.

"Our airship crashed. I don't know why. Thank Leviathan I ended up here, though."

"Not even Leviathan can help you now, sweetheart," the man said. "You are fortunate, though. Someone here wants to see you."

Terra was brought into the throne room, still sopping wet. She lifted her head. "Kefka!" she exclaimed. "And Shadow!"

"Welcome, Terra," Kefka said. "I always liked you. You have great potential. That is why you get one of my chief lieutenants as your Esper."

"What?"

"Clyde here is my second in command. You will be the next down the line, once the evil inside is brought out."

"Let me go! Don't touch me!"

"Clyde," Kefka continued, "received the Esper Darkness. You shall recieve the one we call Death. Death will give you a whole new perspective on life!" Kefka then screeched that horrible, twisted laugh. But somehow it was different. More twisted, with more evil behind it. Terra noticed the difference, and cowered before it.

"Yes," Kefka commented. "Yes, you are beginning to realize. When I died, the mental ailments I had always suffered from were washed away. I, however stayed the same. I understand now. Before I died, it was all just a silly little game. Now it is no longer funny. I am now pure. The darkness of the Para Qua has taken me fully. I am a part of it."

"You'll never win, Kefka!"

"Defiant. Strong. You will be useful. But you are partially correct. With this frail, old body I have held for fifty-three years, I cannot withstand as much as I might be forced to. I died once, and I'm not going to make that mistake again. I need a body in its prime. Somewhere around thirty years of age. Guards! Bring in my body."

The guards left the room for a moment. When they came back in, they held a struggling figure. Terra recognized him instantly.
"Locke!" she exclaimed.

Kefka again laughed his twisted laugh.

Chapter 28

"I don't know what happened to Clyde," Celes said. "I ran towards the screams, and when I got there, the door burst open, and Kefka and Clyde ran out. I don't remember much after that."

"Well, that's not helping much," Setzer said. He sat on a dusted off stool that had survived. The ship had crashed on the mountains near Figaro Desert. It had been three days, and Terra had not shown up. They planned to leave that day.

Edgar rushed over, rambling excitedly.
"I saw him! With these!" Edgar held up one of his inventions, two scopes held together by a piece of metal. He called them biscopes.

"Saw who?" Setzer asked.

"Locke! He's walking this way."

Celes jumped up from where she was sitting and ran in the direction Edgar had indicated.

"Locke!" Celes exclaimed. "We all thought you were dead!" She wrapped her arms around his neck and held him close.

"Off!" Locke called the Darkness Esper.

Darkness' attack was quite effective, and was called Black Fire. A fireball formed in the air, and then Darkness appeared. Darkness had been a Black Mage during the War of the Magi, and looked every bit of it. Black robe, black scepter, and black shoes. He held out his scepter and touched the fireball. The fireball turned black and shot at Celes. She was blown four feet through the air and another two on the ground. She sat up as Darkness disappeared. She stared at Locke, not comprehending what was going on.
Locke walked over to Celes, holding out an Esper. It was glowing with dark energy.

"This is for you," he said. "It's called Hate."
Caves of Narshe: Final Fantasy VI
Version 6
©1997–2024 Josh Alvies (Rangers51)

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