Final Dreams
Act II: Life is a Waking Dream


	My world vanished in a giant flash of light.  And then the door burst completely off it's hinges as the deluge of memories sprung forth, drowning me and sending me into utter blackness...
		***********************************
	At first all I could do was hear.  There wasn't much, just the steady beeping.  And an as it became clearer I heard the first words I ever would, I understood them completely, and didn't know why.
	"Audial device enabled."  a scratchy monotonous voice said.   "Preforming final diagnostic before activating unit."
	"Good good."  a much more smooth, liquidy voice replied, "activate unit Seven hundred using beta stream current and go EASY!  She is very delicate!"
	"Doctor, I am always precise, there is no need to worry."
	"The 'Terra' series model is an experiment you stupid bucket of bolts!"  I heard a crack of what I knew somehow to be flesh on metal,  "It's my job on the line, so if you screw up I'll make sure you go with me!"
	 "Of course Doctor."
	"Now proceed with the activation."
	"Now starting puliminary and resperatory functions."
	Something started to rise then inside me, and all of a sudden my blank state seemed full of power and energy.
	"Activating biosubsystems."
	I would have never known what cold was before I began to heat up, energy reached from somewhere to nowhere and then back again.
	"Activating Cognitive functions and final initiation."
	All of a sudden everything seemed to come to life, brilliant light and heat engulfing me and everything around me in some unworldly aura.  The light siezed me, corsing into me, the very breath of life.  It began as a crack, then finnally widened into reality.
	For the first time, I saw the world.  I couldn't have known very much about what I saw after the blurs finnally came into a final focus. A large circular thing with all sorts of probes and metal struts sticking out of it.  It appeared that I was reclined on some sort of bed, or perhaps a chair, shaped so that I was laying down instead of sitting.  I felt very stiff, and could bearly move as the heat I had felt reached into my fingers and my toes, then began to spread as my muscles finnally flexed.
	I was confronted by an aged looking face, with wild white hair and thick wired specicles which seemed to almost have replaced his eyes.
	"Who?" My mouth formed the words, but no sound came forth, like a ghostly whisper of simple air escaping.
	"Good morning Terra, welcome to life."
		******************************************
	"Who?"  I said again, this time welcoming the sound, emmitting from my lips.
	"You seem to be functioning properly, do you have any sort of problems?" 
	"Problems?" I asked, not exactly understanding what he was referring too. "What are problems?"
	 "Let me put it this way, considering you haven't been through the EdTek machine yet, are you in any pain?"
	"No..."
	A small ball floated next to him, "Doctor, performance is at optimum.  No detected problems.  Unit 700 is fully operational."
	It had the same flat scratchy voice I had noticed before.
	I looked at the ball, "What are you?"
	"I am artificial intelegence unit OX-11, I and Doctor Weisley Cid are responsible for your creation."
	I blinked, bearly understanding a word it just said.
	"Doctor, it is my observation that you should take her to EdTek before she becomes confused."
	"Right." The doctor took my hand,  "Walk Terra, fallow me."
	I did as I was bid, ending up in a room with a large chair.
	"Sit down."
	I sat down, watching him as he placed the strange helmet on my head.
	"Now, Relax."
	Then everything went in at once, history, knowlege, words, lifetimes racing into my head.  I was a WarMage, an artificial construct of deceased espers.  When an esper died, it's body disentegrates, leaving behind magicite, the essence of the esper.  Magicite was used to embody something with magic, but when magicite became so commonplace that it could be expendable, it was posible to grind it up and combine it with other magicite, then to revive it in a new body creating a new being with powers greater than that of a normal esper.  I was the newest model, the seven hundreth WarMage to ever be built, the composite of sixty four different espers.  No one really knew what the result of this combination would be.  I was an experiment.
	Now was in the midst of a war between the Eastearn Empire and the Western Axis, two leauges of contries.  I was under the command of the country of Iluria, a member of the Western Axis, headed by King Midgar.  I would serve the kings order's as well as General Madigan and my other superiors unquestionably or be terminated.
	The input seemed to go on forever, like an unending stream of data that covered everything from math to vocabulary.  When after what seemed like ages it cut off I found myself simply sitting in the chair, my eyes refocusing to the light.  I flexed my newfound knowledge.
	And I covered up.
	"I'm naked!  What on earth is this!"
	The doctor's tiny frame nearly jumped six feet into the air, "W-w-what was that you said?"
	"Get me some clothes you you... letch!!  And stop staring at me!"
	"Absouloutly fascinating.... What an unusual reaction!"
	I was for obvious reasons very flustered, "Turn around you pervert!"
	"Pardon me!" The doctor turned around.
	"Can I get some clothes please?"
	"If you'll fallow me..." He motioned towords the door-
	"I'm not going out there nude!"
	"You'll have to excuse me, but WarMages, dispite having human forms, aren't supposed to care about those things."
	"WwWhHAaaATTT?!"
	"It's very interesting to me that you do care, but I'm afraid it will be rather conspicuous if you don't."
	I got up, slowly, and still very self concious, "Ah... um.... are you sure?"
	"I am very sure."
	"O-ookay."
	We walked down the long hall, and I saw STRANGE things, from funnily dressed humans I knew as MageKnights to various MagiTek mechanizations, to simply bizzare looking espers that didn't seem to have any particular form at all.  Doctor Cid led me to a room with a long row of lockers on either side.  Mine was the farthest down on the left, labeled fittingly enough "700".
	"Place your hand on this panel here." He indicated the black handprint.
	I did so, wating the pannel suddenly light up.
	"This locker is yours, it's tuned to your aura frequency code, handprint, and serial number."
	With that the locker do swung open, revealing two different sets of clothes, and various other asundry things.
	"This is your dress uniform, and dress weaponry.  It can be fought in, but most likely you'll have to get a new one afterwards.  You'll wear this to any formal occasions, et cetera.  These are your field clothes, and are designed to be fought in.  You are required to keep them in top condition.  This is your sword, your Earrings which you are required to wear at all times, and your Zepher cape.  Are there any questions?"
	"Ah... how do I put this stuff on?"
	The doctor blinked, as if breaking out from a trance, "They must be having budget cuts in edtek...."
	He promptly showed me how to dress myself as if he had done it thousands of times before.  And before I knew it I was dressed in my field clothes sword at my back, ready to meet with any danger.  However, I had noticed something in the process, and I asked him about it.
	I held up the pendant, that dangled around my neck, on a leather thong it had a six fasceted crystal on the end that dangled from the cord, a clear bright blue color.
	"What's this?"
	"Oh, that?" He shrugged, "Queen Leene's handmaid brought it to me, it's more or less a decoration.  Apparenly the queen wanted something to commemorate the making of the 700th WarMage.  I believe that is her lucky number.  The only magic in it seems to be a spell that prevents you from removing it."
	"I suppose that makes sense."
	"Now Terra, there is something I have to tell you." He crossed his arms, "I believe that somehow through the combination of espers in you we have somehow given you sentiance.  This fascinates me to no end, because it essentially means you have a soul.  Do you understand all of this?"
	I nodded.
	"Good, now I know there is no security here so I believe it is safe to tell you that I am not thrilled with the idea of you being terminated, and believe me you would be if you were discovered.  So, for the goddeses sake please, you'll have to cover up this fact infront of people.  I don't know about the other members of the WarMage team you'll be placed in, but for now this will have to remain a secreat between you and me."
	I thought over this, "Doctor Cid?"
	"Yes?"
	"Why are you concerned about me?"
	He bit his lip, "Many scientists such as myself feel a passion for thier creations.  Now, usually I don't, but with you... you aren't just my creation, you're, well... as a sentiant being you are really and truely... alive.  You're almost my child."
	"Oh..." I pondered what he just said, "Can I call you father then?"
	He looked a bit shocked.
	"Well, you're the closest thing I have to a parent, and something tells me that OX-11 wouldn't take to kindly to being called 'father'."
	"Dad is it then?" He smirked, "Well, it seems I've found myself a daughter.... but you can only call me that when it's safe to do so.  Understand?"
	"Okay."
	"I think it would be best for you to meet Lord Odin now.  He's the primary head of the Magical end of the army."
	I fallowed him out of the room, right on his heels.  "Who is Lord Odin?" 
	"One of the more powerful Espers in existence, some say he's the avatar of a god.  But in any case he's the commander of some really powerful magic, don't underestimate him.  He's also a a real gentleman, so remember you're place."
	I understood his meaning, maintaining a perfect monotone, "Yes." 
	We boarded a large glowing platform which began to shoot upward at emmense speed before stopping without a jolt on a floor that opened into a long red carpet.  This carpet we fallowed past some sternfaced looking gaurds into a large chamber consisting of just a very large chair, and an emmense man.
	He must have been twice my height, with dark colored skin and armor almost as imposing as the man himself.  To his right, his hand rested upon the pommel of a sword I could have guessed was almost as tall as me, a curving blade I knew as a scimitar, but this blade seemed to glow with some mysterious energy of which source I could only fathom came from Odin himself.  It seemed not unlikely that he was indeed a god.
	"Doctor Cid," The esper's voice boomed, "To what do I owe this meeting?"
	"Lord Odin sir." the doctor bowed politely, "This young lady is the newest experemental model WarMage, number seven hundred."
	He eyed the pendant around my neck, "Yes, I see."
	He got up, walking over to me.
	"She's quite petite for being made out of the magicite of 64 different espers."
	"I can assure you she's the top of the line, her small size is due to the fact that she IS female, and hence her attributes are more or less hinged on her magical abilities as opposed to her physical ones.  She is a completely proficent fighter though, Chan-347 programed her itself.
	"What is her series?"
	"We've decided to name the series, 'Terra'.  They're primary function is that of unit commander, an update over the Hera series, whom seemed to have a negative effect on human interations."
	"She is more powerful as well?"
	"Being a composite of 64 espers she s the most powerful we have.  I'm not entirely certain on the specifics yet, but after her perfomance in the field we'll see just how she performs."
	He bent down, still taller than I was, "So Terra, tell me, how has life been?"
	I remained blankfaced and lied through my teeth, "I do not understand sir the phrase, 'How has life been?'." 
	He stood up, shivering, "WarMages always make me nervous Doctor, they're without emotion, or any feeling at all."
	"You yourself recognized the reason why it s a nessicary evil." Doctor Cid was amazingly calm, "They're weapons, soldiers, not people.  The danger involved in one of them going turncoat on us would be devistating."
	He looked very serious.
	"Take Terra here for example, she's more powerful than an entire army of MageKnights, even the Hera and Pai series are more powerful than-"
	"Than most espers, I know." He looked at the Doctor, "However, without free will, they're nothing more than weapons, you're science can't possibly replace the real thing."
	"I never claimed it would."
	"Please leave me now Doctor, she passes my inspection."
	"Thank you Lord Odin."
		**************************************
	"Your team consists of a variety of different WarMage series." the Doctor explained as we decended deep into the stucture using the same glowing platform as before, "They will obey you implcitly as thier superior officer-"
	"But what if I'd rather have thier trust?"
	"Terra, you need to remember that the othe WarMage's wont be like you, they don't posses things like 'trust' because they're just reincarnated magicite.  They look human, but they don't have a soul.  You ll have to be careful."
	"This isn't going to be easy..."
	"I'd rather you stay alive, please."
	"I know..."
	"The elevator finnally stopped in a large open chamber filled with various mechanizations from large spider-like creations to a group of humaniods sitting in a circle, wired to devices I couldn't quite make out."
	The Doctor strode up, "Attention!"
	They all shot to thier feet, disconnecting themselves from the wires almost in the same movement, each muscle toned and honed down to machine precision.  There were five of them in all, ranging from quite young, to almost middle age in appearance.
	"Squad 98 this is Unit 700 'Terra', she is your new squad leader, rank, Leutenant.  You will obey her as your superior officer.  Sound off!"
	The largest of them saluted, he had brown hair and I could see his eyes were also brown.  His uniform was much more simple than mine as well, consisting of a simple tunic and pants. "Unit 073 'Larcen', rank, Corpral, defensive effects magic and stregnth enhanced."
	"The Larcen series one one of the first series of WarMages we ever produced, but it's the one we've kept up because of thier versitility and stregnth."
	One of the elder of the five stepped forward, perhaps the second oldest looking.  She had long deep blue hair, down to her knees, with green eyes.  Her features appeared quite slight, and she wore a very open looking uniform, more actually of a robe than a uniform dispite it's cut.  She didn't salute, but instead curtsied to be lower than my head, "Unit 306 'Sara', rank, Corpral, healing magics and ettiqute."
	"The Sara series was specifically designed for work around the base, but she's been utilized in field operations, especially as liasons with the East are even worse than normal."
	The second youngest introduced himself next with a quick salute, he had longer black hair, down past his ears, and very dark brown eyes.  He wasn't as muscular as Larcen, but much more fit than the thin, graceful Sara.  He held his hand fast around a spear at his right hand, which he then slammed into the floor.  "Unit 523, 'Paul', rank, Corpral, offensive effects magic, weaponry and agility enhanced."
	"The Paul series is one of my personal favorites, he's full of great surprises, and his knowlege of weapons is unmatched, he's fast and agile, and probably one of the best artificial physical fighters you'll ever come across."
	The next in line was a woman, by far the eldest in appearance, wearing heavy armor for a female, and a long sword hanging off her hip, thin, an epee I believe.  She saluted, stiff as a board, unbelievably conditioned and rigid.  Her white hair was cut short to the base of her neck, and her blue eyes pierced me with thier gaze.  "Unit 622, 'Hera', rank, Captian, offensive magics and strategem."
	"The Hera series is one of the less versitile WarMages created, however she is an EXCELENT strategist, and has programed leadership and protocol abilities.  Her offensive power is great, but it is not her greatest stregth."
	By far the youngest there was the last one who stood a little under my height.  She was dressed in loose fitting garb and short cape, but still cut in a miltary fashion.  She had fairly long wavy blond hair down to the middle of her back, and brilliant blue eyes.  She bowed to me quite formally, almost to the point of being frighteningly so. "Unit 699, 'Pai', rank, Private, Multipurpose Magic User."
	"Ah, yes, a masterwork of Craftsmanship, the Pai series may be petit, and not a very good fighter when it comes down to it, but she is an increadible magic user.  The specific combination of magicte used to make up a Pai creates a great focus of magical energy.  We actually have a simmilar hope for yourself, but again with WarMages one can never be sure what a particular series will be best for."
	The doctor looked at me with beeming pride
	"You 'Terra' are Seven Hundredth unit to ever be created.  You have superior fighting abilities, amazing magical power, you posses a unparalelleled learning capacity for strategy, tactics and decorum, you are anything and everything that could ever exist in a WarMage.  In addition to this still you have powers untapped that will only appear after testing in combat circumstances.  You, Terra, are state of the art.  I'm more proud of you than I've ever been of anything in my life.  I hope you enjoy your command and make me more than satisfied of my accomplishment."
	I looked first at him, then at the five other WarMages before me and it was like something just snapped in my mind, not so much a door opened but just a feeling of destiny taking me....
	My hand appeared before my face and my eyes closed as I fell into the silent incantation of summoning the power within my frame.  My hand began to glow, sparks flying off of in arcs that increased with growing magnitude.  I heard Doctor Cid say something behind me but I was too lost in myself to even know.
	My hand shot forward, eyes openeing, the arcs of energy flying at the the others and linking them to me.  This, my mind told me, was a spell known as CONTROL that let me access the brian of my opponent to use it against them.
	I had an entirely different idea.
	I felt a sharp pain in my head that caused me to wince in agony but just like that it was over, everything stopped as five golden beams suddenly linked them to me and then in a flash it stopped as suddenly as it had begun.
	They looked no different than before.
	But then..... something happened, they clutched thier heads in thier hands like they were suddenly in great agony.  They bearly called out, only groaned or whined as the transformation occured.  Then it was them that began to glow, soft and golden, there skin irridated and at the same time thier pain stopped, and thier eyes looked at me and as the light faded I saw something so different in those eyes I couldn't even have missed it for the world.
	Feeling.
	I had given my gift to them, freed them from what they had been born into.
	Hera reacted first, "What is this feeling...."
	"Uck...." Paul made a face, "I feel kinda ill...."
	The doctor was amazed, "W-w-what?  Is it possible?  WarMages never speak like that!"
	"Ita..." Pai grasped at her head, "My head hurts...."
	Sara suddenly walked forward, "I feel like I know you...."
	"Yeah, me too." Larcen's deep voice mirrored.
	The others began to gather around, touching me, studying me like some long lost completion to thier soul.  A key in a lock to thier own freedom.
	"Everyone..." I caught thier attention with a word, "I don't want to be your commander because I'm your issued officer.  I want to be your friend, friends take care of each other, are there for each other, have a bond to one another.  Do you understand why I'm saying?"
	"Terra?" The doctor sayed, voice sounding hallow in his throat, "Do you know what you are doing?"
	"I know exactly what I'm doing." I smiled, "I'm making friends."
		*****************************************
	Though it took quite a bit of calming to get the doctor over his shock, he finnally revealed that I had done the impossible by somehow awakening the souls of the dead espers that made up the body of the WarMage and through guiding them with my own soul (which he had no idea where I had gotten from) I had given them back a soul which in becomming a WarMage they had lost.
	We learned together those first few weeks together about our uniqueness, how each of us was a little something different from the other.  About what "personality" was, about sadness, joy, anger, peace, hate, love and all these things we could ascribe to by sight and feeling.
	But we were also bonded in fear, fear of our own existance.  The doctor had sworn secreacy, but he had also warned us.  If we were found out we were perhaps the greatest threat to the recognized existance of the MagiTechnology that had created us.  The WarMage was the perfect weapon, the utlimate soldier, strong, fast, agile, powerful, deadly.  The existance of WarMages upset both human and Esper alike, but they were tolerated because they had no will of thier own, they were nothing more than tools.  We changed that, and threatened the very knowlege of Magic as they knew it.  We knew only this, if we were found out, termination would be the only recourse.
	Every day we fooled them into believing nothing was wrong, we trained, we killed we ate with all the other WarMages, we slept in our quarters as well seperated.  And every night we confided in each other how bad the treatmeant as a WarMage made us feel.  Those nightimes in the barraks I treasured more than anything else.  We learned from observation how to display how we felt to each other, a hug, a touch, a kind word.  The people that did such around us had know idea how much the knowlege was appreciated.
	One thing though was evident, something about Pai I just couldn't place my finger on.  She was always the closest to me, whenever we did anything or learned those things she always wanted to do them with me before anything else.  The strange thing was, I wanted to do so with her as well.  I loved them all, but with Pai there was something different there....
	We were all experienced an innocent at the same time, but we would never know where this would lead us.
		*****************************************
	"Wake up Terra!"  I woke to Sara's smiling face, "Are you ready?"
	"Ready for what?"  I yawned, the drowsiness leaving my eyes.
	"Today is our first mission!"  Larcen announced, "Apparently one of our MageKnight cohorts is trying to defect to the East.  We have to stop them."
	"How do we know that?"
	"Thier movements, they have been deviating from the normal course for some time now."  Paul put on his clothes, whipping out a deep grey bandana and tying it to his head.
	Pai peeked her head from over the top bunk, "Isn't that a violation of inpection Paul?"
	"Err... what?  This?"  He pointed to the bandana, "It's my lucky bandana!  And it's not like we have inspects anyway...."
	"That's right."  Hera cliped the steel plate into position on her leg grieves, "At 600 hours sharp we have to be on the road.  How we look doesn't matter."
	"So this is what those weeks of training added up to?"  I had to ask, "Are we going no foot?"
	"Of course not." she checked her gauntlets, "We'll use the Lethals to catch up to them."
	Shiver, Lethal Weapons, the name always freaked me, but they were a standard part of WarMage life.  "I don't like them....  Mine always tries to mess around with my head whenever I link with it."
	"Maybe it's got a thing for you." Sara joked.
	Pai shot back, "That's not funny!"
	When we all looked at her she blushed scarlet.
	"I-I mean who would want to have that sort of relationship with a machine!"
	Paul drummed the butt of his polearm against the wall, "Hurry up hurry up!  I want to get out of these barracks!"
	"Paul?" I placed the Zepher Cape around my sholders, "Are you... er... claustrophobic?"
	"Of course not." He crossed his arms, "I just feel cooped up in here."
	"And a lethal is no better?"
	"..."
	We finished suiting up and entered the hanger where our vehicles waited.  Lethal Weapons, or "lethals", closely resembled giant spiders with magically enhanced armor plating instead of an exosceleton.  Though it was possible for them to function on thier own, they worked thorough a mind link with the "brain" of the tank and the driver (so in essence the vehicle could cast magic as well as attack with missles and lasers), seemingly any halfway cognizant being could outsmart them.  Only Espers and related beings could establish this link, thus their use was mostly limited to WarMages as most espers were much too large to fit into the cramped cockpit.  Though twice the size of a chocobo they were easily as fast as one, the only downside being they needed to be fueled to function.  
	Feeling to make sure my sword was strapped in properly I quickly scrambled into the tank which mentally greeted me, *Good Morning 700. You password and identity have been verified.*
	*I told you to call me Terra!* I responded sharply.
	*Very well, as you know this is a violation of protocol. And programming will be nessicary to maintain this in my memory.*
	*Well then I give you permission to reprogram that.  I will react faster if you don't refer to me by my number, thus saving my skin as well as yours.*
	*I don't have any skin.*
	I groaned, *Never mind....*
	We left procisely when they were supposed to, Ignoring the geers of the Mageknights and espers camped around the base.  They didn't seem to like the WarMages, mainly because of what they were, regenerated remains of Espers with the powers of several and a human appearance.  Halfway between Zombies and Golems with a twist.
	In thier eyes we were abombinations.
	*Your mind runs differently from most.*
	I winced, *Don't spy on my brain!  THAT is defaintely against protocol!*
	*Point, I was meerly making the observation that you are psycologically inabled.*
	*What?*
	*You have a complex brain pattern, to say the least you have a high preception, to say the most you have a soul.*
	I gulped, covering for myself, *Don't be rediculous, I'm made of dead matter, a reanimate.  For me to have a soul would be absoloute nonsense.*
	*You are quite condescending to yourself as well.*
	*And you are quite nosy.*
	*Thank you.*
	We traveled until sunset and managed to reach the border site a truly tentitive barrier with a fifteen mile no mans land that split the area up with magimines and barbed wire.  There was a small town here, one of the few civilian outposts that fallowed the army around like a lost puppy, searching for profit and perhaps some magic to boot. We parked the tanks at the base itself then went out into town (much to the guards shock, who ever heard of WarMages going into town?).
	"We are going to get supplies is that clear?" Hera looked at the man coldly.
	"But we have supplies here!"
	Larcen eyed the sentinal coldly, "Are you questioning a superior officer?"
	"N-no, I just didn't think-"
	"That is correct."  Hera made herself clear, "You didn't think.  Do you know what we are here for?"
	"The missing Mageknight band Captian."
	"And don't you think the easiest place to find information is in town?"
	"Well, I-"
	"Nevermind, you are obviously incompetant." I began to see what was meant by, 'problems with human interation'.  "Just check us out."
	"Yes ma'am."  He handed me a pice of paper, "Sign here please."
	I suddenly realized I still didn't know how to write even as small a thing as my own name, so I improvised from the pictures on my name tag, it must have looked exceedingly odd signing that way.
	When we got out of sight Sara brough it up, "You can't write, can you?"
	"I-I-I...."  I was very frustrated, "I don't know, I never learned how..."
	"Okay, then I'll have to teach you."  She smiled, "Don't be ashamed, lots of people are illiterate."
	"And now that we're out of there..."  Paul cracked his neck, which was surprising because WarMage's bones really should creak instead of crack, at the most perhaps make a squeeking sound.  "Let's find some real excitement, those damn tanks are too cramped.  Which way to the nearest inn?"
	We passed through several districts desperately looking for a commercail district.
	We found the wrong one.  We found a slum, prostitutes, druggies, pimps and beggars lining the streets.  Nightmares of rejected humanity that I had only seen in education videos now alive and not so well.  They seemed to look at us with distain, our clean uniforms which marked our "species" quite clearly, but they grudgingly adapted, drawing back from us like somekind of water around oil.
	We walked for a while trying to find our way out of the crumbling maze, only wedging our way deeper into the mess.  And then we saw her.
	The girl couldn't possibly have been more than fourteen, sitting there begging for money like a lost soul trying to get across the river Styx.  And then we saw them, a bunch of oversized thugs who must have seen an easy target a mile away.
	"She's in trouble!" Pai pointed out quite concerned, "Shouldn't we help her?"
	"We might regret it later..." Sara pointed out, "We aren't even supposed to be here anyway."
	"Oh please..."  Paul's fingers tapped the handle of his spear, waiting to draw it off his back and into some punk's head, "Where is your sense of justice?"
	"Instead of quareling like this pointless war..."  Hera's voice came across calmly, "Why don't we ask the person who is supposed to give us orders anyway."
	All eyes feel on me and I turned my gaze to the girl, she had a look of fear in her eyes as the gang closed around her, I couldn't help thinking that those eyes reminded me of the way I felt in the uncaring world, unsure, frightened...
	Empty?
	My hand closed around my blade then relaxed, "No.  This isn't our place, someone else will come to her aid."
	But no one came, the seemed to avoid the gathering like the plauge.  My heart was filled at confusion, why wouldn't the people around help?
	Then it was filled with rage, because they don't give a damn.
	I clenched my fists, "Dammit! I can't stand it any longer!"
	Paul whisked the polearm into position, "Glad you see it my way Terra."
	He walked forward, cocky grin on his face and tapped one of the larger gang members on the sholder, who naturally turned around right to have the butt of the spear send him flying forward into the wall clutching at his chest where it had no doubt colapsed his solarplexus.  Paul seemed to almost enjoy himself as the other gang members came at him.  He smacked them around, having his little bit of fun with them before hitting them with more procise blows when they decided to be more aggresive.  He was so elegent at it I almost didn't see the punk sneaking up behind him.
	"PAUL! NO!" My hand shot forward, "*BREAK!*"
	And just like that flesh instantly turned stone -- the off balence statue of what once was a man falling to the ground and shattering into a million pieces.
	I stared in disbelief at what I had just done, previously it had been monsters, or maybe even the occasional fugitive, but now I had just killed a man -- no, beyond killed him -- destroyed him forever.  There wasn't anything left but pieces.  Not even a soft potion would bring him back now.
	Did he have a family?  Perhaps friends like mine?  He had been about to do something horrible yes, but did that give me a right to rip him away from those that perhaps held him dear?  Part of me said it was justice, the other part screamed in denial.  Killing was wrong, I didn't like it, I didn't want to do it, that meant it was wrong.... right?
	I looked at the faces of the stunned remainders of the gang whom Paul had ceased to torment.  I saw in their eyes... terror.  It was as if I could read their very thoughts.  "Please don't kill me..." those eyes said... words you would direct to a monster.
	I averted my gaze only to look at the girl we had "saved", who only seemed to be shaking in fear, of me or the situation I could not tell.
	I heard Larcen behind me directing a word to the remaining members of the gang, something akin to "Get lost" allthough I was hardly paying attention.
	I risked a word, or two, hoping that what my mind was registering wasn't true and only an illusion of my own weakness.
	"Are you all right?" I asked.
	The girl screamed out a blood curdling sound and fled past me an away down the streets of the slum.  I was too shocked to move.  I, no changed from the being I thought I was, was an object of fear.  Not just the subtle kind of fear you might reserve for a soldier or even a trained dog, but the full fledged terror of a monster or some hidious maleformation of nature.  And that fact made me afraid of myself, afraid for the future and what might happen.
	I felt little comfort in Sara's thin arm comming around my sholders, holding me firmly as if I might fall at any moment.
	I involuntarily shivered, what I had learned was a natural reaction of revulsion.
	She pulled back, a little shocked, and a little understanding.
	Placing the hood of the Zepher Cape over my hanging head Sara lead me on, "Let's go back.  That's enough for one day."
		***************************************
	The cleaning unit was of no help to the way I was feeling, no matter if it reached every possible physical place, it couldn't clean away the blood on my hands.
	Or perchance, my concience mocked, stone off my hands.
	"Terra..." Pai whispered, clearly disturbed.
	The entire room was silent, somehow reflecting my mood.  Hera's eyes shot to mine then looked away -- I couldn't tell what was in them, regret, anger, envy?  Though they were an amazing gift, our feelings and cares were tormenting us.  They were our greatest enemy.  In the body of the perfect soldier there was little compensation for our gifts, only in the solstace of ourselves did we appreciate them.
	"Feh." Paul snorted, "I'm damn glad she saved me.  So what if everyone's scared of us?  They always will be -- they can't know we're any different than other WarMages.  Hell, if they did we'd be in more trouble than this!"
	"I don't think that's the point Paul." Hera crossed her arms, "Much as it was a mistake to use magic and give away our presence I don't think she would be so bothered by that."
	"Okay, I give up." Paul crossed his arms, "What is it that's got you down in the dumps Terra?"
	I tried to find words for what I was going to say, but my tounge stuck in my throat, emitting only silence.
	"It's because she doesn't want people to hate her!" Pai suddenly blurted out.
	"Whoa!" Paul suddenly straightened, "Where did that come from?"
	I looked at Pai in surprise for putting what I wanted to let out so simply.  How did she know?
	"I.. I don't know -- I just know all right?" Pai replied as she slowly backed away from the conversation.
	"This is very strange." Larcen said.
	"I agree." Sara fallowed, "There is no explination for why you should be able to read Terra so well."
	"Stop interrogating her." I finnally spoke defensively, "If something is, it is.  We can't change that because-"
	"Terra." Hera stopped me, "We need to know because it may be another emotion we don't know about."
	"Oh..." I looked at Pai who stared back at me.
	Sara offered, "If Pai will allow me I might be able to-
	All of a sudden Pai got up off the bed, and walked over to me where she suddenly reached up on her toes and pressed her lips to mine.  Though her eyes were closed my shot open wider than I knew I could in surprise.  A rumor I had once heard that someone did this when they felt they were very close to another person, it was... was called...
	A kiss.
	"I KNOW BECAUSE I LOVE TERRA!" Pai announced at top of her lungs, immedately clamping her hands over her mouth for being too loud, but none the less it had been said.  I had only vauge knowlege of what the word love meant, and even that knowlege of the statement both frightened and amazed me at the same time.
	Paul gulped, "Goddesses almighty..."
	I thought back to all the times Pai had been with me, all those things we had done together and the feelings I got from them.  There was a strange "mutual" existance about us, perhaps it was the fact we were created one after another, but I knew better than to place something so significant on something so coincidental.  I felt a strange constriction in my chest as if my soul inside was going to burst.  I felt I might cry, but not because I was sad or upset.  I could only face the inevitable facts of my situation.
	"P-p-pai, I..." I felt the tumult of emotions begin all at once, like admitting it would admit that it was more powerful than those other emotions, "I think- *NO!* I don't think! I know that I love you too!"
	Pai's eyes grew wide and shined with some sort of unknown wonderful light that reached out and grabbed me all at once.
	It was then she placed her hands around my head and brought it down those few inches so we could kiss again.  I was beyond a state of bewilderment -- I didn't know where she had learned to do this, but it felt like she had known how to do it forever.
	We broke the kiss and turned back to the rest of our friends who stood there as if every once of what we were sharing had hit them full in the face.
	The third silence of that evening was broken by Larcen who brought his hands together with a loud slapping sound, then again, and again.  Sara was next to join in, then Hera and then Paul, all together in appluase, in praise of what had just gone between Pai and I.
	"That was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen." Larcen admitted as the clapping died down, "I just felt that it is.  Where did you learn such a wonderful thing?"
	Pai seemed rather nervous, "It was two missions ago, before I was put in this unit... we were on a mission simmilar this one.  We captured the MageKnights all but two that escaped together by thier own power.  We we finnally caught up to them they were huddled together in a cul-de-sac, unable to run any further.  They yelled this at me.
	"'You can't possibly know what love is!  We love each other!  And because of it we won't ever be alone!' and then they did that, and they were like that in each others arms when I was ordered to-"
	She stopped suddenly, and I felt her hand grasp mine very tightly.
	"Kill them them -- the spell incinerated them instantly." Pai seemed very afraid of what she was was saying, "I remember this very vividly, it was like they didn't mind what I did because they were together, and that was all that mattered."
	We spent the rest of the night almost in celebration of this achievment.  That a WarMage could in fact love, we only half knew, was an a testimant to our own existance.  For it took me a long time to learn what love could do, and in it's many incarnations it really was the greatest force in the universe.
	That night I slept soundly knowing that I would never be alone anymore.
		************************************************
	After being stationed at the outpost for three days we recieved the information we needed to make our move into the neutral zone, better known to most soldiers as the "Blast Area".  It consisted of a thirty kilometer wide stirp that sat between the fronts of the east and west.  It streached over land, sea, mountain, even air, if it was alive within that area it was either not for much longer or it was a party of MageKnights large enough to cast a magic shield for indefinately long periods of time.  Here the WarMage, in our almost mecancially perfect existance, was the ruler.  Wandering parties of WarMages would penetrate into the Blast Area on various tasks.  Rarely did they actually fight each other, they could even pass within half a click of one another between the almost synchronized showers of magics ranging from basic a basic fire storm to a full blown Meteor Assault.  Even in the most extreem case, these bombardments were more symbolic of the agitation of the two alliences than truely effective millitary strategies as shielding around both sides of the Blast Area were so tight every scrap of dust in the air might as well be vaporized.
	All seemed very quiet on both fronts as we marched towards the supposed location of the MageKnight band.  In need of high manuverability we had left all but two of the lethals at the base and those we piloted only by remote link, leaving us free to use thier tracking ability while maintaining our own free movement.
	Strangely, the MageKnight band deviated little from their course durring the next few days, making almost a straight headway down the Blast Area.  This could have been an attempt to throw off persuers, but then again if they knew they were being persued, any experienced MageKnight would have tried to cover up the band better.  The question of the band's true motive began to arise in my mind.  Were they actually defecting?  Was this something else we weren't seeing?
		**********************************************
	Five days after penetrating the Blast Area the band suddenly stoped it's movement.  And from about five clicks behind out current position the lethals informed us of a growing amout of magical energy approaching from the north and a sudden elevation of defensive magics being produced by the stationary band.  Being little under ten clicks from the band's position we recieved change of orders to moniter the progress of the band and the swiftly approaching magical energy.  However, any movement of that might indication returned suspision of treason among the MageKnight band we were to eleminate it using whatever means nessicarry.
	As minutes passed we found ourselves drawing closer to the band and the unknown energy mass.  Now about two clicks away we could easily feel the magical barrier's aura -- in fact it was downright causing a ringing in my ears.  We stopped there to continue monitoring, but although the defensive barrier maitained its stregnth at a constant level now, the ringing in my ears had turned into a painful throbbing.
	"Damn...." Paul sat down on the outcropping we had staked out, holding his head, "I have a headache..."
	"I know... we all do." Sara said, "It's the magicite in our bodies resonating with the magic used in the sheild."
	"I'm not so sure... Terra, come look at this." Hera handed me a small eyepiece, a scouter they were called.  Usually used to determine the power of an enemy, it could also be used to locate power sources thousands of kilometers away.
	It didn't take me long to figure out what she was talking about, glowing like a sun on the scouter was the frightful shape of an esper much larger than any I had seen.  It was closing on our location at an amazing rate, it wouldn't be long before the scouter locked on and an accurate power reading could be made.
	No sooner had I pressed the button to determine the beast's power than the comlink between us and the base started up again.
	"WarMage Unit number 176, a hostile esper is closing in on your location at a speed of 1200 knots...."
	I could bearly pay attention to the broadcast as the numbers climbed higher and higher.  10,000 -- 50,000 -- 100,000 -- 500,000 -
	I pulled back defensively as the scouter suddenly short circuted and exploded in my face.
	"Terra!" Pai screamed.
	"I'm okay." I held up a hand to my eye and quickly healed it, "It's power level is too high for the scouter, well over 500,000.  Maybe even over a million..."
	"...your orders are to destroy the esper and return to base with the Magicite.  Repeat, ignore the Mage Knights and your orders are to destroy the esper and return to base with the Magicite..."
	We all turned to look at the com link with sceptical feelings.
	"I don't like this, that thing is far more powerful than anything I've ever encountered." Paul shook his head, "I doubt normal weapons would even phase something like that."
	Hera, whose face bore a dark scowl, turned off the radio, "I'm not one to give up so easily."
	"Maybe we should try and find something to use as a barier..." Pai suggested.
	With a screeching howl that sounded like the scream of the undead returning from hell the beast suddenly appered.  Like some sort of winged lizard it was longer than 100 meters from head to tail and had a wingspan at least double that.  The wings themselves were made up of multicolored feathers that had their own kind of frightening beauty too them.  I felt my entire body resonating with it as it summoned the power of pure magic in a blinding ball of elemental doom.  The feeling of pain grew so great I feared the magicite that I was made of might begin to reassociate, tearing my body apart.
	Then with a sound that sounded like the scraping of metal upon metal of battles years past and years to come the onslaugt came.  I and the rest of the party quickly put up sheilds or countered with magical power of our own.  However, as I knew when I heared the shattering of a magical barrier and agony filled screaming that the Mage Knight band had not been so lucky.
	When the attack had dissapated the vanishing smoke revealed a horible sight.  The entire Mage Knight band lay either dead or dying at the center of the blast.  The cries of the mortally wounded were only overpowered by the stench of charred flesh and the screech of the beast above.
	Looking up I realized from the look in its eyes that we were next.  I could already feel the power gathering around it, and I feared that the only reason that we had survived the first blast was because had not been aimed at us at all.
	But with a sudden explosion a large magical mass slammed into the esper, driving it back.  The cannons from the base, miles upone miles away, were firing.  Blast after blast whizled through the air and exploded.  The first blast had merely stunned the creature for a second, but the second and third and the rest were avoided easily enough.  With an enraged cry it took after the source of the blasts, leaving the band and us in the middle of what would quickly become a warzone.
	Despite the danger I couldn't take my eyes off the sight of death that greated me.  It was far worse than anything I had yet experienced, a new level of the horrors of war I had never been prepared to deal with.
	It was then that I saw it, half burried beneith a corpse that had been cluching it was a screaming child.  Unschathed from the original blast, protected by the body that had sacraficed itself for the baby's sake.  It was so young, so helpless, and it was too an unwilling victim of this horrible war.  It's fate was sealed here, but my mind suddenly filled with the image of that esper's, that monster's, destination.
	"Father."
	"Terra!  We need to get out of here fast before the entire area is destroyed!" Hera yelled.
	Larcen grabbed me by the sholder, "Terra, were leaving... NOW."
	"Father..." I clenched my fists, feeling my hackles rise in anger at this monster which had first destroyed this band for seemingly no reason and was now about to pul my father in such danger that he might not live out the day. "Urasanai..."
	I felt the fire burning inside my soul, the feeling of anguish that reached my skin and enveloped me in an aura that was at the true nature of every Warmage but could never be tapped.
	"I'll never forgive you!"
	With an explosion of magical power I was flying towards home at speeds faster than any ship was capable of.  My mind was awash with fury as I saw the flare of the esper's own aura in the distance.  It seemed it was all I could see.
	Had I looked I would have seen how, despite the power that MagiTek represented this was far more powerful than anything yet encountered.  Its attacks had devistated the base's defenses and already casualties must have been high.  But my mind was set, and my body ready and prepared to destroy anything in my path to the esper.
	It should have been not surprise that it sensed me comming, for with a scream it turned to face me, energy already gathering to blow me out of the sky.
	In the moment before it released all the pain and frustration, the anger and the feelings that I'd never truely learned to control became one.  The lashing out at the war I had always wanted but never dared to do, the desire to destroy it once and for all and let violence be defeated by its own foul invention.  So when the esper did release its blast I was bearly thinging of anything at all but the power of my own pure rage.  It was that power that released in me force no other but myself possesed, and no one could have expected.
	My arms came forward of their own accord halting the blast, collecting it until it was I with the energy gathered.  Then my own energy fed into it, my anger and my hate, everything that I was capable of until it glowed brighter than the heart of the sun.
	It took but a second, but it seemed like forever as I brought the power to bear and released it, opening the floodgates at the point of my frustration.  The esper didn't stand a chance as the energy forced it from the skies, sending it crashing to the ground in an explosion that rivaled the fabeled Ultima's description in its entensity.  But this power was no fable.  The blast turned a hillside into a crater fitting for the blast zone, it scarred the face of the earth like a blighted mark.  And at its center was the esper, weakened to the point of exhaustion, or maybe even unconciousness if such a state existed for it.  In either case any threat from it had been elimnated.
	I touched down by the side of the crater, staring at the steady breathing of the esper's scaly hide.  I had proved the stronger.  I, the symbol of all of man's great technology and power, what stood for all this war was about, about man's own hate for man and lack of care to anything else that existed.  
	But philosophy was suddenly stayed by a feeling of utter exhaustion, the exertion had simply been too much for whatever my operating peramaters had been -- no doubt I had far exceeded them.  With no energy left I felt to my knees, then full sprawl on the singed grass.
	And I slept.
		********************************************
	"Terra, Terra wake up." I drowsily stirred as I felt myself being shaken, "It's Pai, thank goodness you're allright."
	"Where..." I opened my eyes to find that I could bearly move, "where am I?"
	"In a transport heading back to base." I heard Paul's voice, "Man, what a day.  That esper was bad but I don't know if I'll ever be able to look at you in the same way again."
	"Me?"
	"What happened out there... it was like you went berzerk.  All of a sudden it looked like you were on fire and then BAM!  You went off with an boom that should very well have killed us all."
	"I... I..."
	"Don't talk Terra." Larcen said, I could tell he was in pain, "It's not your fault, you weren't in control.  We don't blame you."
	I heard him groan.
	"Hey, Sara, aren't you going to show her?"
	"Oh?  You think I should?" I turned my head to look at Sara as she unwrapped a bundle from her arms.
	Inside it was a child, but not just any child, THE child, the one that I had seen on the battlefield.  It still made the same noises it did then, it amazed me that they had been able to sneak it into the transport it was so noisy.
	"I saw you staring at it, I thought it was something important."  Sara said, "Terra?  What should we do with it?"
	I strained, and gimaced a little, feeling myself seeping towards unconciousness.
	"Nevermind Terra, don't worry about it, we'll sort it out later."
	"No, it's okay..." I fought sleep off long enough to say, "Take care of it..."
		**********************************
	I didn't know how long I had been asleep when I awoke but I felt stiff and disoriented.  The gentle voice that awakened me, however, caused me to regain conciousness much faster than I should have.
	"Father?" I asked.
	"Yes its me, hush now, we don't want to be discovered."
	I lowered my voice to a whisper, "What's going on?"
	"You're what's going on, that's what." He hissed in a hushed voice.
	"What do you mean?"
	"When you fought that esper you released a power that shouldn't exist in a Warmage.  You used your emotions in combat, and with devistating results I might add.  You may have saved the base, but you've ruined yourself."
	He inserted a needle into my arm.
	"There, that should do for now.  Get the tranquilizer out of your system."
	"Tranquilizer?" I began to feel life flushing back into my system, "Why would I be given tranquilizer?"
	"If it wasn't obvious, the entire of the Western Axis saw your little display against that esper and now you're considered a worse threat than it ever was.  Three hours ago I was ordered to send you to recycling as soon as the tranquilizer had rendered you comatose."
	I turned to look where I had been, an almost rack like thing which through seemingly dozens of needles fed a vile blue substance into my body.  I shivered.
	"I'm running a terrible risk doing this, but someone pointed out my obligation..."
	Now concious enough I was able to hear a subtle rustling behind him.  Peering around I was stunned to see the small petit form of-
	"Pai?  But-"
	"Not so loud." Pai shushed me quickly.
	"I figured I owed it to your friends to tell them the decision of the High Command.  She came later and lectured me a good deal on being a proper father... It wasn't so hard to see that she was right.  But I wouldn't be surprised if there was something else that motivated her to come and convince me to do this."
	I saw Pai visably turn bright red, "The others wanted to come, but the told me to go alone... I don't know why."
	"That's not important now." he snapped, "Terra, this is the last I can do for you.  I've bypassed security for only a short while, so now I need you to do a favor for me."
	I swallowed, "What... is it?"
	"Knock me out."
	I gasped, "I can't do that!  Why-"
	"Listen to me, I don't have much time.  If I'm unconcious when you escape maybe they'll not kill me.  Now get on with it before the security comes back on-line."
	"Bu-"
	"No 'but's.  Do it now!"
	I backed up, unable and ashamed of my inability to do so.  How could I possible hit my father no matter how metaphorical the term?
	It was a fortunate matter that Pai was there as she took care of the deed instantly.  Compared to another Warmage she might have been frail, but she was still twice as strong as most men, and didn't need much to preform the act.
	Stunned, Pai was forced to drag me from the room and down the silent midnight halls to an alocove where I could recover myself.
	"F-f-father..."
	She shook me, pleading in a harsh whisper, "Snap out of it!  Terra!" 
	"Gods this is all my fault..."
	"Shut up!"
	<SMACK!>
	The slap was just what I needed, because everything immediately snaped into a focus that halted my heart for about two seconds.
	"It's not your fault, you did the exact right thing!  It's the fault of this stupid war that won't stop to think about what its doing or what its creating or for people or love or anything at all!  And if you're blaming yourself then you're forgetting what the war is doing -- and the Terra I knew would never forget the war.  Dr. Cid was just asking for something small and you still couldn't do it now STOP ACTING LIKE AN IDIOT!"
	Almost instantly the alcove was filled with a brilliant light as security reactivated itself and detected our presence.  The flash of light was only temporarily blinding, but sooner than we could recover it was already too late.  The long cannon of the Lethal aimed straight for my skull was more than enough to prove that automated security was more than ready to destroy me before my set date.
	*WALL!*
	The shells which could have been used to obliterate a magically reinforced steel plate bounced harmlessly off the multilevel barrier I set up much too quickly for the machine to react.  However, the true power of the shield was not in the defense, but in the offense.
	*BOLT 3!*
	The reflected spell shot the wrath of a full storm through the shielding of the Lethals primary defenses and into the physical structure.  The electronics were fried instantly even though the main structure remained fairly intact.  It could be revived with little maintenance, but its incapitation was all that mattered to me.
	Pai, where are they keeping the esper?
	The esper?!  Why-
	No time to explain, quickly!
	In the third basement until its power is drained enough to turn it into magicite.
	Okay, lets go!
		**************************
	The progress to the third basement was not an easy one, Security relied on things much more powerful than unmanned Lethal Weapons when it came to downing something like a haywire WarMage like myself.  Goddesses only knew how many of the mad assortment of their mechanizations and other more powerful beings Pai and I fought through on our way there.  The killing made me sick, the only thing driving me on being that I had nothing to turn back to.  Even my goal in the third basement was a chance in a million for escape.
	The dampers in the chamber where the esper was being held hurt my head.  No magic at all would work in this room, that was for certain  at least no magic I was capable of.  In the dim light it was easy to understand the fear that such a beast could have inspired.  Its serpentine neck was twice as tall as Larcen and its head alone was so massive that it alone must have weighed more than a small armored vehicle.
	Terra Pais voice quivered behind me, What are we doing here?
	The Esper is our only chance, if we make a deal with it to set it free, it can in return help us to get out of here.
	Is there any other way
	I shook my head, Not now  Im sorry I got you into this mess.
	No  when you love someone I dont think there is much else that matters.
	It was then the eye of the beast, as large as my head, opened.  Golden in color, it almost seemed to move across a rainbow of shades as the light danced off it.
	*You defeated me.  Why have you come here?*
	The voice echoed inside my head, it was the first time I had ever talked to a true, pure, esper.
	*Leave me  no wait!  What is that you have there?*
	W-what? Pai gaped, You mean
	She brought out a small bundel from beneith her cloak, I had noticed it earlier because she hadnt been fighting physically due to its presence.  I had thought it was some kind of supplies but now when she unwrapped it I realized it was something very different.
	Thats I put a hand over my mouth, The baby that I saw
	*I see, its very clear now what is going on.  I will grant your proposal.*
	You-  But I-
	*I have quite a bit of power in me yet, If you switch off the dampers and the restraints I will transport you out of this base.  You will, in effect, be free.*
	I dont understand.  Why?  How?
	*You dont need to understand.  Now, free me and I will free you as well.*
	I - all right.
	The access panel was locked under security.  But my newfound power, my ability to manipulate the powers that made up magic, the power that I had unleashed on the battlefeild, made it all to easy to turn off the dampers and restraints on the Esper.
	It took seconds for the Esper to regain itself into a towering being, its power level suddenly much more of a pain in my head than the dampers ever were.  It let out a screech of what I might have called delight before turning its head toward me.
	*What is your name WarMage?*
	Terra. I said, hearing my voice tremble in my throat.
	*WarMage Terra, you are a fool.*
	And then the entire room vanished in a searing blast of power before everything went black.
		********************************
	I awoke with a start, my eyes unable to focus, my mind neither.
	There there, dont rush it.  Let past and present sort themselves back again.
	I was back inside the dim room with the old man who had started me down my sojourn, that much I could tell.  Then logic began to place everything back together, what was past and what was the here and now.  My past began to give way to what really mattered, where was Tina?  Was she all right?  And what about the others?  Where were they?  Where, for that matter was I?
	It took me a while to recognize that I was dressed, which I certainly hadnt been last time was concious.  Gentle, silken fabrics which seemed far to fine adorned me in a style I never knew existed.  Gloves and soft shoes on my hands and feet, all mixture of tones of white.  It was beautiful.  It didnt register that I had never thought of myself as beautiful before that moment, but perhaps I was beginning to do so.
	Those belonged to a friend of mine, Im certain shed love you to have them.
	I turned to the old man, who had lain me in a bed in a dimly lit corner of what seemed to be a large room.  It took me a little while to respond.
	Belonged?
	She passed away a little while back.  But Im an old man as it is, death is little stranger to my eyes.  He reached out a thin hand and touched my chin, levering my head so he could look into my eyes, How are you?
	Im a lot more than I thought.
	Thats obvious.  Im afraid I just dont have the power in me to revive your memories in full though, only a small fragment.
	I wonder what made me loose them?
	Who knows?  A lot of strange things happened back then in the War of the Magi?
	War of the Magi?! I had only heard the term once before, it was only a rumor!  Wasnt it?
	Yes, thats where you are from.  Only it wasnt called that in your time.  People simply called it the war.  He sighed, Its been a long time since those days.  Hasnt it been Terra?
	You how do you know my name?
	How? he chuckled, Most every Esper knows the name of the very last WarMage, the liberated.
	Im sorry I dont understand.
	Im not so surprised, it was a risk that had to be taken in order that you would be here for today.  Coughing, he turned and motioned me to follow, Come here, someone arrived while your were gone.
	Rising uneasily to my feet I fallowed him into the middle of the room where a glowing halo gave light to one of the most beautiful, but frightening things I had seen.
	It was Tina, still trapped in the body that the Esper had given her.  Her eyes, the only part of her that didnt glow a irredescent shade of white stared at me with a look so pitiful I thought I might be reduced to tears where I stood.
	Terra a voice called from behind me, soft but so familiar.  It was like
	Locke? I turned, Edgar?  Sabin?  Cyan?  Gau?  Celes?  Is everyone?
	They arrived a little while ago.  The old man said, Searching for Tina and for you.  Your friends, I believe?
	Someone is missing. I cut in, Where is she?
	You mean the little ghost? Edgar shook his head, She dissapeared the moment you vanished.  We havent seen her since.
	Oh-ho!  So thats who you were little one!  The old man cooed, Ive been wondering why you started to haunt around here.  Come out now, no use hiding.
	The ghost was quick to materialize in front of me, but mysteriously, she stirred something in my memory, a flash of realization.
	You I extended a hand to brush the barely existant flesh, Youre Pai arent you?  Thats why youve been following me all this time.
	The ghosts eyes lit up, all of a sudden overflowing with tears which vanished before hitting the ground.  She threw her arms around me and sobbed, without making even a sound.  I was lost once again, how had she died and I lived?  Was there much more to be remembered than I knew?  Was Pai somehow tied to me in a way that couldnt be broken even by death?
	Old man theres a lot of explaining that I think needs to be done here. Sabin cleared his throat, And I think youre the only one that really knows.
	Those are my thoughts exactly. Cyan said, Does thou know what has happened to Tina?  And who or what is Terra?  These things I would like to know.
	First off, you shouldnt call me old man.  Im not even a man at all. He sat himself down in a large chair, My name is Ramuh, Im an esper who lives in this world.
	Everyone suddenly turned to stare at him, Esper?
	But you look human! Celes put in, Not like that thing.
	Locke nodded, I thought humans and espers couldnt exist together!
	Espers come in all shapes and sizes and our relations with humans arent so easy to explain. Ramuh said, Espers are beings of pure magic.  And our powers can be transferred from one being to another, through many different means.  But sometimes human greed made espers the tools of mans desire for power  like in the war of the magi.
	The room was filled with an awkward silence before Gau repeated the words not even knowing what they meant, War of Magi?
	That was when MagiTek first came to be, it had many forms, some like the armor of today others like Terra here, created to be weapons of mass destruction.
	Wait! Celes halted him, You mean to say that Terra isnt even human?
	I drooped my head, not human made a lot of difference, didnt it?
	You make it sound like a brand of a criminal.  Shes certainly less of a criminal than you General Celes.  It was the same desire for power that created you, the lust of the Empire. He sighed, They only perpetuate the comming of a second war of the Magi.
	She blanched and backed away.
	I broke the awkward silence that fallowed, But what about Tina is she. An Esper?
	Hohoho  No Terra, Im shes something much more important than just an Esper. He stroked his beard, But youre close, you see, otherwise my power would never have attracted you here.  Nothing is wrong with her though, the problem is inside Tinas heart.
	I turned to look at Tina, laying there, the look still on her face as her eyes darted back and forth toward faces that represented all that she knew.  
	I closed my eyes, feeling Tinas impact on my own soul, reaching for the connection that all Espers, alive or dead, real or artificial, shared.
	Shes afraid I realized, of herself.  Shes lost, she thinks shes a monster.
	Thats not true. Sabin growled, Shes no monster, shes our friend.
	Im afraid she cant understand you. Ramuh said, Only a true Esper, not even Terra, can speak to her.
	What about you then.
	He coughed, Me?  Im much to old and weak.  My time in this life is almost done.  In a very short while my body will be gone and all that will be left is Magicite.
	Again the room took on a heavy silence.
	Magicite?
	Hohoho... I should have known you would be ignorant.  Magicite is the essence of an Esper. Ramuhs voice took on a dreamy quality, Its whats left after we pass away.
	He stood up.
	The Empire only has it half right.  Ten years ago they found the entrance to another world, the Esper world.  They knew about the secret of Espers and MagiTek power.  Theyve been draining the magical essence out of espers and putting it into MagiTek machines, but an Espers true power can only be transferred through Magicite.  I and four other Espers managed to escape, we were cowards true, leaving the others to waste away in those horrible tubes
	He raised his hand and all of a sudden three crystals appeared.  I knew them to be Magicite, the beautiful semetric crystaline shape embedded with a flickering light that was the essence, the soul, of an Esper.
	Wha-
	The Magicite remains of my colleuges who died escaping from the factory.  And I shall give you my essence as well.
	No! I grabbed his sleave, Youve already done so much for me, you dont have to do this!"
	Terra, Im doing this so that my powers can be used to help Tina.  I may not be able to help her directyl but maybe one of the other Espers in the factory can.  Goodbye.
	The flash of Ramuhs passing was stunning beyond belief, I couldnt know what the feeling was when his last words came.
	*Tina may be the only one who can stop a second War of the Magi.  Im putting her future and the future of the word in your hands.  You did it before, I trust you can do it again.*
		*****************************************
	Outside of the dim room that had served as a safe haven for Tina and myself was the harsh reality of the town of Zozo.  Actually, the word town didn't really apply, it was much more of a slum, broken down buildings at every turn, filled with every type of shady character imaginable.  The number of monsters here seemed to be greater than the number of humans, even if such monsters did somehow resemble humans, it was only a skin deep difference.
	That night we camped under the ruins of a colapsed store, shielded from the rain outside.  It was mostly quiet singular conversation, leaving me with no one to talk with but myself.  Not that I didn't have a lot to talk about.
	Poor Pai, I wished so much she could tell me what happened... why she was dead and I so much alive.  Until I knew all I could do was feel that somewhere along the line I had failed her... But still, inside, I felt the love welling up from so long ago -- that warm feeling that flooded my soul.  She never left my side, not even once.  And now, I could look down to that speechless, ghost beside me and realize for the first time how pitiful I was.  Yet, despite this state, she still loved me as before.  An unconditional, unbridaled thing, her love was like a miricle.
	Now, she slept.  Hopefully resting from whatever exertion had brough her to me.
	"Terra..."
	The sudden sound, even if soft, startled me.  Looking up, I saw Celes had sat down on a rock in front of me, long white cloak spread out along the ground like fallen snow.
	"Celes...?"
	"I... I'm sorry." She said, head drooping as the long golden hair fell infront of her eyes, "For what I blurted out back there... I was wrong.  You're not the inhuman one.  I am."
	It was plain to hear that behind that blond vail she was weeping.  My heart felt like it was bleeding, I didn't know what to say.
	"I've been so wrong my entire life.  I thought the Empire was such a great idea.  But I've killed so many... I..." She swallowed shakily, "I knew you and Tina were being uses a kind of biological weapon by Kefka.  But... I didn't think twice before I gave him approval to send you out into the feild.  Every spot of blood that the Empire put on your hands is in some way on mine... because I didn't do anything to stop the killing...
	"I'm so sorry for everything that I've done to you... I can't expect you to forgive me, but you're entitled to know that I now know I'm a monster.  A horrible... heartless...."
	Before she could finish she broke down in tears, those sharp sobs cutting into me like glass shards.  Ungloving my hand, I reached out and parted the curtain of hair to touch her face.  I didn't know why, I was still ignorant, but that need for contact was there.
	She pulled back at the feeling, looking at me with uncertain eyes.  Though full of tears, the eyes seemed cold, almost like the eyes of a child who had just been robbed.  I knew how that felt, that feeling of uncertainty.
	"I don't..." I said, tentitvely, "I don't hate you.  Please don't cry."
	"Thank you...  for believing in me." Standing up, she looked down at me with those eyes, "But its hard... when you hate yourself."
		*****************************************
	The fallowing morning was sobering as we laid out our plans.
	"The people of Jidor should be able help us get to the southern continent.  The Owzer there is a very wealthy man, and a strong supporter of Returners." Edgar pondered, "But we'll need to split ourselves into two groups, Nashe will still need our help."
	"I should go to the Empire." Celes said, almost immediately, "I lived most of my life in Vector, I know it like the back of my hand."
	"Then I'll be going to." Locke quipped.
	"W-w-what?" she stammered.
	"It's nothing." he replied quickly, "I just want to have a look inside the Empire... There are *bound* to be treasures, right?"
	"Oh..."
	"I for one, am going to Narshe." Sabin crossed his arms, both of which seemed to have gotten much larger since last time. "They need the back up badly, and I also enjoy using the cliffs to train, I think I may be developing a new blitz."
	"Then I'll go with you brother." the King of Figaro nodded, "I've been thinking about some new inventions, and plus, Figaro may be called on to Defend Narshe."
	"That." Sabin wispered and winked, "and he's been eyeing the Mayor's daughter!" 
	Edgar visibly colored.
	"I go to the Empire with thee." Cyan touched his swords with the gloved hand, "The lives of those who slew all of Doma will be ripe for justice."
	"Gau go back to mine city, have friend!"
	"Gau, who?" I asked, "Did you make a new friend?"
	"Yes!  yes!  Gau find Kupofriend!"
	"Moogles!" Locke exclaimed, "I *knew* you were wandering around in those caves Gau!"
	"KupoMog fun!  Dance well!"
	"Well... Terra, what are you going to do?"
	I thought, but feeling the tug of duty (or destiny) I knew my path, "I want to go to the Empire."
	The reaction was immediate.
	"Are you sure?"
	"Kefka will be there!"
	"Can you handle it?"
	"Want Gau go?  Help Terragirl?"
	I shook my head, "No, I'm certain.  I'm learning more about myself than I thought possible... Facing my fear is part of that.  I want to go."
	"Then you should probably take these." Sabin produced the cape and sword he had bought me, along with some new armor. "They'll serve you a lot better than just that dress... as good as it looks on you."
	I accepted them greatfully, "Thank you..."
	Outside of town we parted ways, some of us heading south to Jidor, the rest heading back North, to Narshe.
	"One last thing!" Edgar boomed above wind which swept across the open plains, "Make sure you come back!  Because if you don't, I'll have to go down to the Empire and whallop them myself!"
		******************************************
	"Wow!  It's so..."
	"Rich?" Locke chuckled.
	"Well... yes, I guess." I shook my head, "I mean no.  It's gaudy, and too clean.  I don't like it either way."
	He turned and looked down at me, "Wha?  That... are you sure you're feeling okay Terra?"
	I cocked my head at him, "I've never felt better in my life."
	"But, you don't sound the same.  What happened to you with that Esper... and your memories?"
	"He... gave them back to me." I felt a chill go over me, "But I'm still the same!  I'm still your friend don't-"
	"Hey, don't even joke about that!" he stared at me, "You'll always be Terra, even if you do use bigger words."
	I giggled, "Bigger words?"
	"Yeah, when you said 'gaudy' it sounded so unlike what I was used to.  I guess I can't think of you as a little sister anymore."
	"A little sister?"
	"Yeah, you were always so innocent and cute.  Now you're all grown up."
	Cyan cut into the conversation, "Litte ones do not always stay little, they grow up and mature.  But they aret still the little one's thou hast always known."
	I smiled at Locke, "Cyan's right, I can still be your little sister if you want."
	He laughed at me and fluffed my hair, "You've got yourself a deal Terra.
	"I found it!" Celes stood proudly over our cafe table with a bunch of letters and numbers scrawled upon a sheet of paper, "It's the large mansion at the very end of town.  I suspected a supporter of the Returners to be more careful about flaunting his money about, but apparently not."
	"Then what aret we waiting for?" Cyan rose, his chair screeching across the floor, "Let us go."
		**************************************
	The expansive mansion had quite a large walk infront of it, a moat of cobblestones cutting it off from the rest of Jidor.  Two people had been conversing near the doorway, and as we approched one, a rather heavyset slightly balding man, took quite a fright and ran off, past us in quite a fit about something "Horrible!  Unforgiveable!"
	As it turned out out, the other man was the Owzer's butler who explained very quickly that the Owzer himself was at that moment not in town and we would have to wait for him to call us to ask about any sort of buisness.
	"Thou must be joking." Cyan clenched his gloved hand, "Tell me thou aret telling a lie."
	"No sir, the Owzer is out of town on buisness and may not be back for several days..."
	Locke sighed, "There goes plan A..."
	Noticing a folded piece of paper lying on the ground I picked it up.
	"What's that Terra?"
	"I think it's a letter." I turned it around, looking it over, showing it to the butler, "Is this yours?"
	"That?  No, that letter was for one of the Owzer's buisness partners, the Manager of the Opera House down south... his real name is Simeon Lafleche, but here he's simply known as Impressario." He took a close look at Celes, "Speaking of which Madamouiselle, you bear a strong resemblance to Miss Maria."
	Celes knew as little as the rest of us, "Who?"
	"Miss Maria is the leading Sopranno for the Opera House.  Very lovely lady, you bear a striking similarity to her."
	She blushed, "You must be joking."
	"But what about the letter?" I pipped, I could feel Pai, who had chosen not to be seen here, tugging at it with some importance.
	"Well, you can have it, obviously Impressario didn't want it."
	I gave it to Cyan, "Would you... please?"
	He nodded, and began to open the letter.
	"What?" Locke seemed confused, "Terra?  Is something wrong?"
	"I... I...." I fumbled with the speech, unable to say it.
	"She cannot read." Cyan stole a glare at Locke, "Thou had expected maybe the Imperial dogs taught her how?"
	"Well... er..." Locke studdered for me, obviously very flustered.
	Celes noticed my very visible embarassment, "Don't worry, it's all right.  A lot of people don't know how to read."
	"It's just so... confusing." I shuffled my feet, "Please don't say anymore.  Read the letter."
	"My, that's rather straight forward." Cyan cleared his throat, "My dear friend Impressario.  At tonight's performance I will take Maria for my bride.  This is fate.  Signed, 'the Wandering Gambler'."
	"The Wandering Gambler?" I queery.
	"Were you born on a farm?" The butler, who unbeknowst had still been listening to our conversation, "That's Setzer!  The owner of world's last airship!  Only he knows how to build 'em too.  Hell, he's the only one RICH enough to!  I heard he can go around the world in a couple minutes in that thing."
	Locke quickly scanned the letter, his eyes twinkling with excitment.
	"Locke?" Celes asked.
	"That's it!" He quickly grabbed my hand and began to tow me after him, "Common everybody!  We're off to the Opera!"
		****************************************
	Cyan tried settling with the surprised Chocobo holder while Locke forced his way into the Opera house.
	"I said the Impresario is very busy and can't be seen by-"
	"I know what you said, out of my way!"
	I looked at Pai, who simply shrugged back at me before vanishing again.  She didn't seem to know either.
	Following Locke by the fuming (and some time's bruised) men about, we found the Impressario's office.
	"Get out of my office!" the man who had run past us earlier shouted at Locke, "I have enough problems at the moment than having to deal with a bunch of ruffians!"
	"Listen, do you want to save your leading lady or not?"
	"And furthermor- How do you know about that?"
	Lock held out the letter, "Setzer is comming to kidnap Maria, right?"
	"Y-yes." Impressario stood up, picking up a cloth to wipe his brow, "He'll undoubtedly kidnap her at the begining of the first act.  If the show doesn't go on I'll loose my job but if Maria gets kidnapped I loose my job and everything else!  And on top of everything my Lute player for her aria broke his fingers in a bar fight!"
	Locke pushed him back down to his chair, motioning to Celes, "Do you know who this is?"
	Impressario's eyes widened, "Y-y- She looks exactly like Maria!"
	"We want Setzer to give us a ride." Locke continued, "Celes will be our decoy, go on as Maria, and when he tries to kidnap her *bam!* we'll grab him!"
	"T-t-that's brilliant!"
	"Now hold on just a second!" Celes cut in, "I'm a general!  Not some opera floozy!"
	"I don't care who you are Miss Celes!" Impressario grasped her hand in a gesture which could only be called thankful, "You're a godsend!  I'll get you a room and makeup immediately!"
	Celes' jaw dropped -- and Locked managed a grin that made him look a lot like a cheshire cat.
		*****************************************
	Impressario arguing with some young lady in the halls later that day.  I couldn't make out what they were saying but it was definately heated and ended up with the lady marching out the door in a huff.  Impressario in turn colapsed on a couch in the main hall, patting his heat with a hankerchief.
	Pai became invisible as I approached him and asked, "Is something wrong."
	"Yes... that was my Lute player's backup.  She just walked out because I couldn't afford to pay her for the short notice.  I don't know if I can find another musician in time..."
	I felt a sharp tug at my sleeve which I'm certain was from Pai herself.  What was she trying to tell me?
	"There used to be Lutists all over the world, now it's a dying art."
	I felt a sudden flash come over me once more as I heard a soft sound, someone on the staff humming on the upper balconies.
	Impressario seemed angered, "Whomever is up there, SHUT UP!  We'll be lucky if that song is played tonight at ALL!"
	I looked down at my hands, "Mr. Impressario?"
	"Er-" He paused, "What is it?"
	Pai yanked my sleeve again.
	"I... I...." I summoned my courage, "I can play the lute."
		****************************************
	I had been entrusted to hold onto the shards of magicite when we received them.  Now, as I worked my way over the sheet music, one was glowing.  Pai had known I could, the magicite... Siren, apparently knew too.  I felt it's spirit guiding my hands, teaching me over again skills I'd had for longer than I had known.
	The melody was wonderful, and the Lute felt like it was alive in my hands.  I was in a trance as I played, or perhaps I was completely outside myself, the sound so entraping it was in itself magical.  This euphoria was broken when Celes put a hand on my sholder.
	"Oh! Celes!"
	"Terra... that song... it's..."
	"I can play the lute!" I smiled, "I'm going to play in the performance tonight!"
	"But it's so... I don't believe I'm going to be singing to that!"
	"You mean....?"
	She nodded, "That's the only part I have to sing...  The words are beautiful but..."
	"Don't worry.  I'm sure you'll do well."
	"Well..." Celes laughed, "If someone who can't read a letter can read sheet music, why can't I sing?  right?"
	"Yeah... right!"
		*****************************************
	It was hours later before I was actually due in the orchestra pit.  I hadn't seen Locke or Cyan for the longest time, but I had been with Celes almost the the entire rest of the afternoon.  We had practiced until she was blue in the face and my fingers were red.  It looked, right before I was supposed to meet the rest of the orchestra, like were were going to pull it off.
	The conducture seemed like a very nice man, long wild hair and moustache, tall and elegent in stature.  He told me that he would cue me to start playing, and to just relax, that was the key.
	Relax...
	I had never felt so tense, it was like I had snakes wiggling around in me, would you believe it?  I was so nerver wracked I didn't even notice people filling the seats out in the audience, and the dimming of the lights caught me completely off gaurd as the orchestra began to tune up.
	The overature was very pretty, I even detected some parts of my own piece in it.  That calmed me.  Before I knew it the first act was underway and a knight in shining armor began to sing.
	Well... not exactly sing, more like speaking in a singing tone.  A "recetativ" it said in the music.  He sung about something so fammiliar it startled me.
	The war of of East and West.  I knew who this man was... this was Draco!  Every soldier of the West knew of Draco!  The man was the most feared and respected warrior in the field, probably even more so than Lord Odin!  What would this revelation yeild?
	I found out.  In a specticle the West fell to the East... it was quite romantic, Prince Ralse, the lead General of the Eastern Axis took Princess Maria as his fiancee... it seemed whatever history had recorded this made my side loose.  I was more happy to know that horrible war had ended, but part of me still wondered how much of this was the truth.
	All of a sudden I noted the lights dim much darker on stage as a sudden shift brought out a tower.  The Conductor nodded to me, and the instruments suddenly fell silent.
	It was my cue.
		****************************************************
	I couldn't see Celes from where I was playing, but I began, the slow melody drawing me into it's trance once again.  I heard her start... and suddenly I felt myself let go, the music took control of me instead... my life... the music...
	Oh my hero... far away now....
	Will I ever see you smile?
	Our love goes away... like night into day...
	Is it just a fading dream?
	I'm the darkness, you're the starlight...
	Our love brighter than the sun...
	For eternity... there can only be...
	You... my chosen one....
	Must I forget now... our solemn promise...?
	Will autum fade from spring?
	What can I do?  I'm lost without you...
	Please speak to me once more....

	Outside myself I heard a quiet sound that under scored the music and the words.  At first it escaped me... almost impreceptible... but as Celes... no... Princess Maria began a lull in her singing I knew... It was comming from all around, from the orchestra... from the audience... I think even from myself...
	Weeping.
	They were... crying...
	From my position I saw.... or perhaps felt every tear as they trickled down cheeks and were dabbed carefully by a hand or cloth.
	Was it me?  Was it Celes?  Was it some moment of magic?
	The silence didn't last long before the song came to life again... flooding the entire opera with an aura of beauty.

	Must we part now.... must my life move on?
	My heart will never give you up...
	Ere I walk away... I though I heard you say...
	I meant... as much to you...
	So gently love... you've touched my heart...
	I will be forever yours...
	So come what time may... I won't change a day...
	I'll be for you... always...

	I knew I was crying... I couldn't hold back the tears... I even felt Pai's hands around me and I still couldn't stop it.  As the piece came to an end I slowly got up and walked out of the orchestra pit, my part done...
	I think I felt someone hug me... another... a kiss on cheek...  No once could see Pai hold me as I sat on a box of stage props.  The came to me anyway... it was like they couldn't find words... I felt for the first time like I had created something... that I meant something... it was the most wonderful feeling I'd ever had in my entire life.
	Meaning....
	I felt Pai's hands around me...
	Love.
		*********************************************
	My moment of serenity snapped when the music that signified battle between Prince Ralse and Draco over Maria suddenly came to an untimely halt.
	I heard someone gasp.
	"My god... there's an OCTOPUS on stage!!"
	I came back to reality in an instant, I was completely unarmed, all I had was a performance dress I had been lent and a lute.
	Then I heard Locke's voice boom out.
	"Ha!  Neither Ralse or Draco will have Maria!  I, Locke, the world's greatest treasure hunter will saver her!"
	Then I heard another voice, a voice I had rather NOT hoped to hear...
	"Watch your language!  You're in the presence of octopus royalty pipsqueak!"
	It was THAT octopus!  ULTROS!
		*********************************************
	I ran on stage, "Locke!  Cyan!"
	"Terra!" Locke dodged a flying tenticle, "You're right on time!"
	"Right on time?!" I looked down at what I was wearing, "For you maybe, but I can't do anything in this!"
	I heard another voice come out from behind the purple mass.  "Forget thy predicement and do something!"
	Cyan slashed Ultros' hide, only to get flung across the room by another tenticle... the darn octopus seemed to have the best physical defense in the world.
	Despite all that was happening, at least Ultros seemed to to be having a good time, "Heya toots!  fancy meeting you here!  And with a new friend too!"
	I looked around to find Pai had unmasked herself with an angry glare.
	"Hahaha... looks to kill!  Common, try me!  I'll pay you back for last time... double!"
	Three tenticles suddenly flew at me, and I managed to save myself by half dodging half tripping over my dress to land in up on part of the scenery which immediately colapsed.
	I growled, but recovered in time to roll several times as more appandages smashed down, turning the set into splintered boards.
	"That's it!" I rolled up into a kneeling position, "Have a little taste of flames of hell! *FIRE 2*!!"
	"YARG!"
	It at least looked like it hurt when the firewall smashed over Ultros with a satisfying scream.
	"That hurt you wench!"
	"It was supposed to hurt thee vile purple spore!"  Cyan launched himself out of the curtains which had cushioned his fall, "Taste the revenge of my swords!  *Quadra Slam*!"
	He seemed to blur as he shot past Ultros, steel sheening in the stage lights as it sliced once, twice, thrice, and a fourth time before Cyan came to a screeching halt, already on the defensive.
	Ultros was bleeding badly, those cuts had been deep and true and obviously very painful.
	To add punishment to pain, Locke suddenly made a second appearance, weilding what appeared to be none other than steel phonograph records!  He was almost laughing with glee as he threw them, each one slicing gruesomely into the Purple blubber.
	"EYYYOOOOWWWW!!!!!  Take this you lousy bunch of cheaters!"
	Immediately the entire stage was filled with ink!  No one could see at all!  I tried to close my eyes, but they were on fire.  The ink had really blinded me.
	"Har har har!  Not so hot without your EYES are ya?"
	I was then definately aware of of the feeling of magic, I couldn't see it, but I definately heard the voice in my head.
	*Fear not... a friend brings the aid of my spirit from the beyond... Power of Divine Creation from the sky!  Judgement Bolt!*
	"Ramuh...?" I whispered, but drowned out as my sight was suddenly forced on me in the form of great lances of energy that disipated the ink cloud and visibly charred the purple octopus until he was more like his ink than anything else about.
	But just like that, his spirit vanished... and their stood Pai, magicite grasped between her hands, a rather tired but rather satisfied look of sucess on her face.
	"That's it!  Four of you at once is just to much!  I'm outa here!"
	Ultros then took a dive straight through the stage, and to my even greater surprise, ended up with a splash that I learned from the agonized scream of Impressario was an underground river which provided water for the entire opera house.
	Wasn't that lucky.
	"Phew!" Locke dropped the remaining records, "What a pinhead.  He's as bad as I was told!  Is everyone all right?"
	Locke was greeted by a terrifying sound from off stage.
	A scream.
	"CELES!"
	Dashing right past Locke, a figure in a long back coat slid to a halt in the middle of the undamaged part of the stage.  Celes hung unquestionably unconcious from his right arm -- long silvery white hair cascaded about his sholders and his demenor was so self assured he looked more smug than Ultros had.
	Impressario came puffing after him, "Setzer!  Stop!"
	"Hahahaha!" The Gambler taunted, "I always keep my promises Music man!"
	"But-!"
	I noticed to late the almost imprecetible line comming down from the roof.  Setzer's hand was already on it, and my sword was in some dressing room.
	"Ta-ta!"
	With a dramatic *woosh* he went upwards, out a skylight and to freedom... far away from us.
	"THAT's him???" Locke gaped, "What on earth?"
	"Locke! Cyan!  Come here quickly!"
	Both of them ran as fast as they could, seconds later panting by my side.
	"What?"
	"Thou hast an idea?"
	"Grab my hands." I ordered.  "Pai!  Go after Celes!"
	The little ghost was gone before I even finished.
	I concentrated on Pai's essence, something I knew I could detect better than anything coming from Celes.
	Things started suddenly floating, energy began pumping into me at increadible rates, fairly soon I was almost crackling with intensity, ready to release it in one space altering jump.
	"W-w-wha!?!" I heard Locke bearly yell.
	I prayed that this would work.
	"*WARP!*"
		*********************************************
	It did work, rather well actually, landing us secretly within the workings of what I could only guess was the airship.  I nearly fainted right there after the switch, such a huge use of energy all at once.  I felt strong arms grasp me out of my swoon, holding me steady.
	"Terra!  Terra!  Aret thou all right?"
	I put a hand to my head, getting my wits together, "I... I think so... yes... I'm okay.  Is Pai...?"
	"She's right here here Terra." Locke saw for me, "Hey little one, you can lead us to Celes right?"
	I can only assume she was in the affirmative, because we started moving.  By the time we got to our destination, I had already recoverd my senses for the most part.  It was a small opening between the guts of the ship and what appeared to be a cabin.  One at a time Locke braced us, tossing us up over the protective railing into the room before with almost no effort he arrived himself.
	"Terra!  Cyan!  Locke!"
	Pai had led us right to the very spot... Celes looked increadible... beautiful beyond words in the long white dress, hair up in a purple ribbon.  She could have actually been a princess... even at this moment a rather behagled princess.
	"Hold it right there.  Don't any of you move."
	The captain of the ship had returned.
		*******************************************
	Setzer seemed rather annoyed, "You're not Maria at all, I've been tricked.  I want to know who you are and what you're doing on my ship."
	"H-h-hold on..." Locke stammered, "We can explain."
	"You'd better, I have a mind to send you overboard and believe me, it's a loooong way down."
	I heard several gulps.
	Celes came to her senses first, "You've got a lot of nerve buddy, just running in and kidnapping me."
	"K-kidnapping?!" Setzer looked like he'd lost a little bit of his steam, "Now hold on!"
	"Hold on nothing!  What a dispicalbe way to go about things.  You think Maria would actually marry you after that?  Ha!  You're dilusional."
	Setzer put his foot down, "I said *hold* General Celes, *I* am the captain of this ship.  I have a reputation that exceeds even yours... even if it doesn't quite exceed the bounty on your head."
	Celes hushed suddenly.
	"Now, who are the rest of you?"
	"I'm Locke, Treasure Hunter... er..."
	"You mean theif, next!"
	Cyan wasn't so spineless, "Thou aret unnessicarily rude."
	"Yes, I am." Setzer smirked mocking Cyan's accent, "And who aret thoooouuu."
	He visibly scowled, "I am Cyan Garamonde, Knight Retainer of Doma Castle."
	"Interesting..." He turned to me, "And who might you be... all dressed in black?"
	I humored him, not liking his attitude, "If you'll check around I'm certain you'll find that I'm an imperial W-I-T-C-H."
	That time he smiled openly, "I think I detect a patern, three fugitives from the empire, one claiming to be a witch, and a theif.  I smell Returners."
	I stood forward, "Do you want me to prove it to you?"
	He blinked at me, surprised, "Pardon?"
	"I said, do you want me to prove to you that I have magic?" I saw him visibly cringe... good.  "There's a lot of dirty secrets to the empire, and listen up, you're about to find out a few."
		********************************************
	"The Empire.... evil?"  The now much less certain Gambler leaned back in an overstuffed chair.  All about him were the tools of his trade, in fact, the entire airship was reminscent of a casino.  "Phew... I'll have you know the empire has made me a very wealthy man."
	"The Empire... is dirty..." Celes looked at him, "It poisions people, even it's own soldiers.  It hunts down people like animals..."
	"It does other things to." Locke knocked on the roulette table, "You know what happened to Figaro?  The Empire tried to burn it to the ground.  The Empire and Figaro were allies."
	There was a long silence.
	"What's to stop them from doing the same to you... Mr. Setzer."
	Setzer held up a hand, "And you... your name was Terra wasn't it?"
	I nodded slowly.
	"There's something I want you to explain... what do you want from me?"
	"Passage to the Empire... so we can get inside the MagiTek factory."
	"Yes... I see.... that's where you think you can get someone to help your friend."
	"Right."
	"So then...  you want me to risk everything to help smuggle you into the empire where I stand a high chance of being blown to bits... is that also right?"
	I took a little bit longer to answer this time, "Yes."
	He kicked his legs up onto the table, laughing loudly, "Okay Returners... I'm game.  But on one condition."
	We all waited.
	"The lovely General Celes... will marry me."
	"WHAT?!"
	Celes colored from her nose all the way out to her ears, red as a beat.
	"You see, you're actually a lot more attractive than Maria, a lot more life in you than just a pretty face.  Yes or no... it's up to you."
	She was silent a couple moments before standing up, "Yes... but I have... one request."
	"Sure... lets hear it."
	"We'll settle it with a coin toss.  If it's tails, I'll marry you, if it's heads..."
	"I'm yours, I got it."  Setzer leaned forward in his chair, putting his feet down on the floor, "There are plenty of coins about... take your pick."
	"Celes.... er..." Locke tried to intervene, he was quickly turning a shade of white, "Are you sure you want to go through with this?"
	She ignored him.
	"No, I think, I have one."  Celes reached into the hem of the dress and brought out a silver coin, a fifty gil piece.
	He smirked again, a perfect poker face, "Then flip away lovely."
	Celes did, and it seemed like the toss took forever until it hit the floor... heads.
	Setzer smiled, "The first time I've lost a gamble... ever."
	Getting up, he picked the coin off the ground.
	"Hmmm... fascinating... a coin with identical sides!"
	I almost broke into a giggle, "I think you've been swindled Mr. Gambler."
	He, on the other hand, had no such self control, letting out a belting laugh that echoed around the cabin.  "I love it!  How much lower can you get?  It's beautiful!  Looks like my life is another chip on your pile."
	He fliped the coin and caught it in midair.
	"Ante up."
		************************************************
	We made a slow aproach under the cover of night, the airship close to the sea below as we could safely be.  Setzer had taken us on a full tour of the ships amazing abilities and, hand now at the wheel, he gave us the deck.
	"Wow..." Locke whistled.  Moving over to Celes who had arranged for some more "General-like" attire, Setzer wasn't understocked on armaments either, "I'll bet you never thought we'd be seing this."
	She shook her head slowly, leaning over the railing, "No... not in a thousand years.  Come look Locke!  you can see a reef beneith the see!"
	He paled, "Er... n-no thanks.  I'd rather not look down."
	Myself on the other hand, I felt like I could fly again.  On the bow of the ship I clung at two supports and leaned over, the wide expanse of the sea terminating in all directions.  I was awed, it was so beautiful.
	"Ho Terra!  Best be careful, we don't want you falling overboard!"  Setzer called from the wheel."
	"I love it!" I grinned back at him.
	"Hahaha... I'm glad you can appreciate it.  This ship is my wings!"
	"What keeps it from falling?"
	"Oh, a little machinery... and a good deal of luck." He smirked, "Whether I fly or fall, it's all a manner of fate!"
	"Fate?"
	"Indeed!" He laughed again, despite his attitude earlier I was quickly comming to like this chortiling gambler, "Fate rules us all.  It makes me a Gambler, it makes you Returners... it even makes me turn traitor on the Empire."
	"Doesn't that make you feel... helpless?"
	"No, fate is rather careful about how it plays its cards... just like a gambler.  I always know that I've got an ace up my sleeve."
	"Oh..." I mulled over this cryptic philosophy, making little headway, but understanding just enough to connect fate somehow to myself... everything... a purpose?  was that what life was about?
	Cyan was the first to excuse himself to midships, he wanted to put some oil on the bruises he had recieved fighting Utros.  No question the tough swordsman was all right, I can imagine being smashed up by fat blubbery tenticles was no fun at all.  Celes went down next with a large yawn.  No doubt this was the first really good night's sleep she would get for a while.  Setzer eventually turned the wheel over to another member of the crew himself.  Apparently he couldn't stay long from the card tables, and his playing partners made a fine crew.
	I had almost suspected Locke had gone down himself when he startled me by sitting down right across from me.  "Terra... can I ask you something?"
	As I looked into his face I saw a strange far off look in his eye, like he hadn't seen me in decades.  He was distant from me at that moment.  I would have been scared had it not been for the feeling that somehow my "big brother" was trying to come to terms with things bigger than himself... in the same way I was.
	I nodded.
	"Terra... I... I want to ask... are you an angel?"
	I must have been staring, becaused he began to turn all red.
	"I mean that really seriously.  I didn't use to believe in things like God and magic... I thought they were things old people made up because they didn't want to deal with reality.  But... Tina and you showed me things... fire jumping out of nowhere, lightning... Celes can absorb magic just like that... a bath of flame and come out looking even better than when she went in.  I..."
	"Locke..." I wasn't to sure of what I was being told, "...what are you trying to say?"
	"Terra... Celes... she... when she sung it was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen or heard... ever.  The only time I ever looked away from her was at the very end when I was suddenly aware of an odd placed light... it was comming from the orchestra pit..."
	He looked down at his hands, clentching the same grimy pants he had been wearing when he rescued me.
	"I saw you there, and you were playing that lute and... God..." He was crying... I saw it... Locke... "You had wings Terra... bright glowing ones, like you see in churches.  But when you stopped playing they vanished.  I... I started questioning everything...  I need to know Terra... are you?  is what I saw... real?"
	"All I know is that I'm a WarMage..." I responded, looking out over the railing at the sea, "...I'm not an angel Locke... I'm a devil."
	"Terra... you make me want to believe..." He stood up, "...if it's one thing you're not, you're not a devil."
		**************************************************
	I sat down on my bed, long white shirt replacing the black dress.  The airship cabins were so plentiful that I had one all to myself.  In fact... It was the first time in a while Pai had been able to manafest herself for a full night with me in a while.
	As I let a brust pull through my hair, I looked to where she sat herself, a small chair by the bedside.  The silent face, somewhat sad, looked back... not questioning but... wonderingly.  What question was she contemplating?  Or was she meerly contemplating me?
	"Pai?"
	She perked up instantly, becomming suddenly cheery.
	"I may be reading this wrong... but... is Locke in love with Celes?"
	Nod.
	"He is?  Then what about.. Celes?"
	This time she thought... and then nodded.
	"I thought so.  I wonder why they don't do anything though..."
	Shrug.
	"I know, it doesn't make any sense."
	My conversation with Locke earlier, where it had made him almost angry to hear me call myself a "devil" struck me.
	"Pai... back then... in the Opera house... what happened to me?"
	I noticed her become worried for a moment... like I had asked a question I shouldn't have.  She shook her head, either that she didn't know or she couldn't tell me in her limited communication ability.
	I stared at the Lute which stood against the wall at the other side of the room, how on earth had that managed to get all the way here?  It had practically clung to me since  I had touched it, and I couldn't just leave it... it wasn't even mine.
	But what connection was there when got up and hefted it, bringing it back to the bed.  Playing notes so deftly between my fingers... skill that I couldn't even comprehend.  Pai moved herself and rested herself on my sholder as I continued.  A haunting, beautiful melody comming from only God knew where.
	I hummed along with it... and suddenly the melody began to come back to me.  And I sang it... that same soft tune that had come to me on the Train of Death...

	Light of heaven child... winged angel on the night...
	Bravery is not love... bravery does not last...
	Strength is not virtue... only virtue is true...
	Only you can restore the world...

	Light of heaven child... two worlds unite in one
	A fallen from the sky... an angel without wings...
	A risen from the crust... the demon with a smile...
	I am your guide to the labors....

	Light of heaven child... do not fear the dark...
	Many come and go... but they remember you...
	Many know and sigh... you cannot love them all...
	Fear not Death my child...

	For your life is to pure to blemish.

		***********************************************************

	A short walk from the plains where we landed one could see into the valley that surrounded the fortress of Vector with mountains.  I had forgotten the size of that steel tower, that Ziggurat.  Magic was in the air here, not the purity of the espers, no, but the oily, sticky kind that MagiTek created.  It was artificial, much worse than I remembered, but then again my memory was so clouded...
	But there our destination lay, rising out of the valley to pierce heaven on it's top.  There was a frightening quality to it.  Inside it were some of the darker fears... Kefka no doubt, but MagiTek creations that were bound to be on the brink of those in the War of the Magi.  But inside also were the cries of suffering espers, and the possible help... the possible hope to Tina.
	If we succeded the Empire would loose it's greatest weapons... if we lost...
	The greatest weapon of the Empire might very well fall back into its hands.

	Today we rested in the Port Town of Albrook, and gathered information.
	Tonight, while the Empire slept, we would change the tides of history... in one way or another.

				End Act II

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Big thank you to EVERYONE whose held out for me!  I know that this fic took forever to create and for the page to be updated.  But I swear to you that now that I'm into College and everything is back on track.  You may as well know that (heh heh) the next Chapter of Star98 is already done.  As soon as I finish Final Dreams It'll go up that very day!  I promise!

Another note, about e-mail.  I love all the mail I've gotten but recently I've gotten so much I can't even keep up with it.  Somtimes exceeding fifty messages a day.  Adimttedly a lot of it is spam, but if you wonder why I haven't responded to you it's because I'm trying to sort it all out.  I can gaurentee nothing, but I'll get to your messages as soon as I can.

					Thank you all! ^_^

					Terra
					