Celes stood there for a while, dumbfounded. Was this truly a piece of magicite? She clutched it, and felt the warm glow telling her that these were the remains of the Esper Phoenix. Could it, in this state, free Locke? Or would it fail, as it did to Rachel almost two years ago?
Celes walked outside to Locke's grave. She held the magicite close to the headstone, hoping for something to happen. She waited, then, becoming impatient, touched the shard to the headstone.
The magicite shard immediately glowed with a fire so intense, Celes dropped it. She immediately retrieved it, and in her mind she heard words.
Yes... this is the one who rescued me from the caves. Celes felt the Esper's hatred for the caves which were its home for so long. I must help it now... It needs my help. So weak... I no longer have the power... The sealed gate is closed. No more power...
The Esper stopped transmitting to Celes. She stood up and looked around. Relm and Strago had arrived, probably during the transmissions, Celes decided. They were shaking her.
"Celes! Wake up!" Strago called to her. She looked up at him.
Strago gasped. "Celes! You've been out for hours! ...And... you were glowing..."
"Strago? I was holding the magicite, and I could hear its thoughts... It was amazing..."
"Magicite? But that's impossible. We destroyed the Statues," Relm stated.
"No, Relm... I, too, found magicite," Strago interjected. "The world was not ready for it, I had assumed. But now they must know...
"The Statues are back somehow. I think it has something to do with the gold statues we found near the Gathering Place of the Espers.
"But now, they're not Statues...
"The Goddesses have been revived," said Strago grimly.