The Return

Chapter 14

Edgar exited the airship with Kefkanian guards on both sides. The leader, Graticus, stood before him.

The rest of the Figaroeans debarked and stood behind Edgar. Graticus opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again. He turned around and looked up at the Cult of Kefka Tower. After a moment, a figure appeared in the sky above, coming down from the tower. The figure landed softly in the shadow of the tower.

Graticus glowered at the man, now shrouded in blackness. Then he spoke. "I hate you. Fire 3!"

The blast plummeted from the sky, emersing this man in an orange globe of heat. The globe shrinked back down, leaving a burnt smell and glowing rocks. The man groaned.

Graticus stepped forward, into the shadow of the tower. Both shrouded in darkness, they began to fight hand to hand, the one using Magic, Graticus tapping into the Para Qua itself to destroy the other. During the fight, more came down from the tower.

Edgar gasped. Gau, Terra, Mog, and Umaro came down off of the steps.

"Looks like you could use some help," Terra said casually.

"Yeah, I-" Edgar was cut off as a knife entered his side and blood flowed. He screamed.

Terra and Mog attacked the knifer, not realizing that Magic had returned. Umaro rammed into another guard, throwing him five feet to the nearest wall. Gau Raged a Nohrabbit. Despite its limited fighting capability, the group needed someone to cure, so Gau used the little creature for that purpose.

Sabin used Mantra when his friends were close enough. Edgar loaded his auto-crossbow and fired it from where he lied on the ground. Figaro soldiers took weapons from the downed Kefkanians.

The Heroes were victorious. They all turned, except for Sabin and Edgar who were injured, to see who was winning the fight between Graticus and Leo.

Terra heard something from behind her. It was Sabin and Edgar yelling to watch out and turn around.

A legion of Kefkanian soldiers was just entering the tower area. Terra decided that if they were going to save whoever that guy was who was getting fried by Graticus, they would have to do it now and run. She turned in time to see a Bolt 3 put Leo on the ground. He didn't get up. Terra commanded a retreat, and got Umaro to carry Sabin and Edgar. They ran and escaped.

Chapter 15

Celes layed a rose bouquet on Cid's grave, which lied in front of his house. She meditated for a moment, and then went out to the beach. Since she had last been there, a whole family of seagulls had grown. Celes caught a fish and fed it to the father gull, the same one that had been on the beach when Cid died.

Celes traveled for a day to the hill, which was called the Hill of Faith for the many leaps of faith from it by the islanders before she had awakened.

She stared at the sky until it was dark. Then she turned around to set up camp. Before she could go anywhere, however, she was apprehended by soemone in bright clothing.

Leo saw the elaborately dressed Kefkanian look up, as if hearing something. Then, without warning, Leo's legs lifted from the ground.

Chapter 16

Setzer finally awoke from his daze about a week after Locke's death. He still couldn't figure out how it had happened. Locke was climbing up the ladder, and suddenly he was in the water. Setzer tried to recall what had happened since then. He couldn't remember. His memories of the last week or so were completely blacked out.

He looked around. He had landed. He checked for familiar land formations. It seemed as if he had been there before, but not in a long time. Then he saw it.

A tiny slab of granite, no more than a foot tall. But he knew what it was. It was inscribed with three simple words:

Setzer was on Triangle Island. That meant Zone Eaters. He would have to be careful. He would have left, but he felt drawn as if he had a purpose there. So he debarked from the Falcon and walked around, searching for the reason he had come. He decided to climb up the mountain ahead, the one where he had waited for Daryl so many times, that last time the most poignant in his memory. What had gone wrong? Daryl was such a good pilot. Better than Setzer. Had she been flying too low, trying to pull off a stunt, when an Intangir grabbed the ship? Setzer doubted that he would ever know. He told himself again that it wasn't his fault.

A rumbling sound came from behind him. He turned around in time to see a Zone Eater pop out of the ground. Setzer pulled out some cards.

The Zone Eater tried to suck in Setzer, but was stopped by a King of Hearts, Ace of Spades, and a Queen of Clubs. The Zone Eater recoiled in pain.

Setzer pulled out a Queen and King of Diamonds. Two of a kind, he thought. The Zone Eater took its punishment, and then tried to suck in Setzer again. This time Setzer was taken down to the lair where he was set down to wait for dinner. He didn't intend to wait long.