Author's Note: Hi! This is my first serious fanfic. I mean serious in two ways, one as in not humorous or whimsical, two as in this is the first fanfic I've submitted to an online fanfic collection. Well, I hope you don't find it too cheesy/sappy/pathetic. I'd also like to thank Kupogirl for helping me come up with the title for my story! "Prior to Awakening" tells about Celes and the time right after the Floating Continent is destroyed and before she wakes up on the Solitary Island in the World of Ruin. Sound boring? Well, the few people I sent my story to DID say they really liked it, but I guess it's for you to decide for yourself. So, read on...

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    Destruction rained from the heavens and split apart the lush, green land. With the dying land went life, dreams, and shattered beauty. The world was shaking. First, it quivered, then the quivering increased to a violent rumble.

    Celes was glad she was not on the ground to feel it. Enormous expanses of rock---the remains of the Floating Continent---pelted the surface mercilessly. Beams of unholy light destroyed entire villages, kingdoms, and civilizations. Setzer's airship plummetted suddenly as he swerved to avoid an enormous, falling shard of rock. Celes saw all this through a filmy haze. She had a vague idea that maybe if she didn't want to believe it, the crumbling world would be just a dream. This couldn't be happening. She didn't want to believe it. She heard Setzer yell as another large rock plummeted toward the airship, but she heard it as someone who hears something in a dream...
 
    Then, she was falling, falling... Through an empty abyss of blackness. It was not tangible, penetrable darkness; there was simply nothing to penetrate. Everything had ceased to exist. It was not space, it was...

    Nothing. She was alone. Alone. The thought echoed hollowly through her mind. Alone, alone. I am alone. She longed for the feel of a human hand. She longed to heart the music of laughter. She longed for the taste of bitter tears on her tongue. She longed for all the life she had known. Love...and hate. Happiness and sorrow. Hopes and despair. Most of all, she longed for...Locke.

    But there was nothing. Nothing to hope for.

    Then---

    A little girl, of about eight years, was sitting by the fire. She had pale, blond hair, which hung loose about her small frame. Her large blue eyes stood out from her pale, thin face. A face that looked familiar...

    Celes gasped. Of course! It was herself! Looking more closely, she saw a handsome, middle-aged man sitting by the little girl. He was telling her a story, the story of the War of the Magi...

    Celes remembered that night. Watching herself and her father brought back a rush of painful memories. It was the last night she had spent with her father, the last night before he had gone off to battle, never to return...

    Her mother had been there that night. She had sat in the rocking chair by the fire, smiling sadly as her husband explained to their daughter that he knew the Empire was wrong, but there was nothing he could do. He had to join the attack tomorrow, or Returner forces would overrun Vector, endangering their home and their family.

    Celes, who was still a child, had put her arms about his neck, kissed him goodnight, and gone off to bed, not fully understanding. And then...the news came...about her father...

    Her father, whom she had adored since she was little. General Chere, the gallant commander of the Imperial army, handsome even in his middle ages... It was rumored at the time that the Emperor would choose Leo, a fine and noble young warrior, to take the fallen general's place.

    Celes had cried, knowing only that her beloved father would never come home again.

    Now, watching her younger self with her father and mother by the fire brought tears to her eyes. No! she told herself firmly. I won't lose control!

    She blinked, and when her eyes opened her family was gone.

    Instead, she smelled the hot, burning scent of smoke and...death.

    The village of Maranda was in flames. Imperial troops had stormed the town, burning everything in sight, ignoring the desperate pleas for mercy. The town's militia was not match for the Empire's soldiers, with their Magitek armor and weapons. Children ran through the flaming streets, crying wildly for their mothers. Men fought bravely to defend their families, but they were too helpless against the army...

    The army led by General Celes.

    A man approached her, shaking his fist. He had yelled hoarself, "You might be able to live with the memories of death, destruction, and despair you've caused this night! You might be able to live with the knowledge of the destruction of our lives, our village, and everything we've worked for! But there's one other thing you have to live with---yourself!" Then, he had slumped to the ground, dead at her feet.

    Now, reliving, this horrible scene, Celes closed her eyes to the deaths, the horrors, the tear-streaked faces of children who shrank back fearfully as she passed. She shut her eyes to the livid faces of men who had died by her sword.

    She shut her eyes, and when she opened them...the scene was gone.

    She sobbed with relief, and for once, she did not try to control her emotions. She cried for all the pain and emptiness she felt inside, and, thinking of the dying man's words, she cried for all the times when she had turned away from herself during sleepless nights. Most of all, she cried for herself.

    "Celes."

    She heard the voice from behind her and gasped. It was a voice she recognized, a voice she remembered hearing...

    Not daring to turn around, in case this was another horrifying illusion, she managed to whisper, "Locke?"

    "Yes."

    Sobbing, Celes turned around and threw her arms around him before she realized what she was doing. Burying her face in his chest, she let the tears run freely down her face. "Locke! I've...missed you," she whispered. "I'm..sorry..for all the things I said. Please forgive me! I.I..."

    "It's all right," he said soothingly, gently stroking her soft hair. His touch was real. "I'm here now. Everything will be all right." They stood there like that, her head resting against his body, his hand tenderly stroking her hair, until her tears had stopped falling. Neither of them said a word, just held onto the other tightly.

    Suddenly, another voice called to her from behind where she was standing. "Celes! At last!"

    Startled, Celes pulled away from Locke to see who it was.

    "Celes! At last!"

    She couldn't quite make out the face. Puzzled, she took a step nearer. "Locke, do you know who---" she gasped. Locke was gone. "Locke!" she cried. "Locke! Don't leave me! Don't leave me here alone! There were so many things I wanted to say to you..." she sank to her knees with despair and buried her face in her hands. "I..love you..."

    "Celes! At last!" the haunting voice was still there. It wasn't Locke's voice... "Celes! At last!"

    Looking up through her tear-stained face, she saw the face of the man who was calling to her.

    It was Cid.

    Celes woke up.
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Author's Note: Well, that's the end of my short story! I hope you enjoyed it! I also hope you didn't find it too cheesy/sappy/pathetic.  I'd really like some comments/criticism/suggestions, so e-mail me at moon_princess@iname.com! I'd appreciate it very much! Well, it's almost 3 a.m. so I'd better go catch some "Zzz"s. Nighty-night!