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year 5, quarter 3
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Let's recap, shall we? Caius takes a job with Celes to explore the rumblings of undead in this cave. In said cave, instead of just undead, they also find the source of questions that Caius has had a long time. Who was it that had given him Lonoaw? Who was it that had confirmed his true name? He had heard the name whispered to him as he was forced into Zephon... Deep down he had hoped that perhaps one day he would meet them, thank them... And ask the questions he had been pondering all this time. But the last thing he had expected was for them to be the very man that had tried to kill his majesty...
And when he wanted to ask the man questions about his family, he hadn't thought that the one who'd gifted him his families sword... Was also the one that had killed them. And had those looters, those brigands, torture and kill his adopted family. This monster, who had found a way to turn those he had slain into daemons... Well, seeing daemons again by itself was already disturbing for Caius. Imagine spending most of your life fighting something that grew more and more powerful by the day, as the remaining settlements in your world dwindled? And then years after they're gone, seeing them again in a new world, where you expected to see them least of all? But he had stood his ground. This thing had the reanimated body and spirit of his blood brother. Forced him to slay it again. Stood his ground, not on his own merits this time... But because if he were to falter, he knew that Celes would too. He could not be a distraction to her, he had thought. He could not let her morale fall. Or most likely, she would die too. Caius refused to let that happen. He had grown to care for Celes, he realized. He couldn't bear the thought of losing Celes. He couldn't bear the thought of being at fault for her death. That thought... It had kept him going, as long as he could...
Until the bastard brought out his adopted sister. Reanimated, as grievous looking as the last... Caius couldn't bring himself to slay her. He couldn't. Old feelings that he had long thought buried resurfaced. Feelings that he couldn't describe, yet knew. They were strong feelings, stronger than anything he had ever felt. And then he had watched it all crumble away in front of his very eyes. Claiming to take pity on him, that monster destroyed his sibling right in front of him. Watching her die for a second time was more than Caius could take. His barriers, his walls, his exterior had been completely destroyed. And all that he was had been completely destroyed with it. These things he had felt, emotional anguish, emotional pain, sadness, anger, unyielding rage... They were things that he had buried long ago to protect himself, and with the dirt mounds that buried them, forged his walls. Walls that now lay broken, leading to years of held back and repressed emotions spilling out all at once. It had caused him to lash out in a fit of rage, forgetting himself as he wanted nothing more than to kill the monster that had caused him so much pain, and who had taken his life from him not once, not twice, but three times.
It was very likely he had been the one to cast that portal, he had realized. While it was possible it was not true, and it was mere coincidence... He blamed him either way. He was where he was at the time it opened because of him. He had stolen his life from him when he had killed his family. He had stolen it from him again and led him to years of isolation when he took away the family he had grown up with. And when he had finally found his belonging... He had taken that away from him too.
And now he had stripped him of his walls, his barriers, his protections. He had taken all that he had become and stripped it away. And now all Caius could do was feel shame for lashing out and getting sloppy, pain for what had been done to him, frustration for not being able to end it before it got this far... And above all... An overwhelming desire to kill the center of it all. Caius did not kill other human beings if he could help it, but... Was this man or monster? Right now... He didn't care. He wanted him dead. And if left unchecked, he would obsessively chase this goal until one of them was dead.
Caius and Celes had gotten as far away from the cave as they could before making camp. Caius had been unable to walk in stable fashion, due to overusing his magic unconsciously, and he'd been forced to rely on Celes to get them back to the cart. Camp had been set up, the fire had been lit, food had been prepared... But Caius didn't seem to be able to eat. He had grown lost in his thoughts on all that had happened, just trying to process everything. He found himself holding out his hand, and flicking his wrist as he tried to summon his weapon.
Nothing.
He still couldn't cast magic, he still couldn't summon his sword. Furrowing his brow, Caius tried again. Nothing. Again, and again he kept trying to summon his sword, growing more and more frustrated with each failed attempt.
Finally his hands fell to his sides as he let out an exasperated sigh. He had gained the strength to walk again, the lack of energy was temporary... But his magical abilities and the Power of Kings had not returned. All he could do was scowl at the hand that wasn't producing a weapon. Or fire. Or ice. Or electricity. Or... Well... Anything. And if he couldn't produce his weapons, he couldn't work. A realization which only served to frustrate him further.
He didn't know how he had managed to cast that spell. All he could think about at the time was his desire to hurt. He didn't know what had happened, but he had more than just used up his magical reserves. It was as if he had blown the fuse on them entirely.
Final Fantasy VI
22
YEARS
Female
Complicated
Heterosexual
429 POSTS
Fin
Use your own eyes and see for yourself whose side I'm on!
Use your own eyes, and see for yourself which side I'm on.
Celes didn’t know what to say.
More had happened in one night than Celes had seen in her entire time in this strange new world, and she was still processing it, still sorting out whatever emotions had flared in that cave. She wasn’t proud of them. In hindsight, she should have shown more sympathy. She should have helped Caius more, but she’d been overwhelmed. Her skepticism had blared at full blast just as a coping mechanism for the sheer amount of events she’d witnessed, and her confusion had led to frustration. She shouldn’t have shouted the things she had. She shouldn’t have judged Caius so harshly. She shouldn’t have been anything but supportive for the simple fact that none of it had really been about her.
And so as they both emerged from that cave after a great deal of rock-climbing aided by the last of her magic, her frustration had melted into shame. Was she really so terrible of a person?
”Caius,” she started as they started into the night, and then she stopped. What was there to say after something like that? The trauma showed clearly on his face. He was exhausted, pained, and defeated. There was nothing else. ”I don’t think you’ll get your sword back tonight. I doubt there will be any monsters on the way back to town that I can’t handle. Rest for now, and maybe you’ll feel better in the morning.”
As if he didn’t know that! Celes bit her tongue at her own stupidity. What else was there? An apology for one. Maybe a show of empathy, but she was afraid of making it all worse. Her tongue couldn’t exactly be trusted at the moment.
Still, it felt wrong to leave it at that. In the chill of the night, she shivered as a wind passed by them. All around them, tall grassed stretched into an infinite horizon. Celes felt swallowed by the space.
”I…” she tried again and then swallowed. Her tongue was dry. ”I’m sorry. For what happened back there. You were clearly distressed, and I…”Did nothing. The words caught in her throat but she thought he’d understand. He had to. ”I hope that you feel better. I really do.”
Celes would speak up and Caius would tilt his head back. It was a subtle thing, the fact that despite how he was feeling, he picked his head up to listen to her. That was not something most would have gotten out of him had this situation happened with anyone else. Caius was stubborn as a bull. Celes would emphasize the fact that it was useless to try right now, and that she could handle any monsters that they dealt with. Caius let out a frustrated growl as he would lower his arms. The two had just made camp and gotten settled, odds were he wouldn't need his sword for a bit. But it didn't stop him from feeling naked and helpless without it.
The Glaive would try his best to relax as he sat back against a large rock, staring into the fire. It took him a few moments to realize he had gripped a clump of grass and the smallest of movements threatened to tear it out.
Celes would apologize, which surprised Caius. He blinked a few times as he stared at her. He'd never heard her apologize before, but... At the same time, just hearing an apology over this was puzzling to him to hear. An apology for what? She would then elaborate that it was for not being there for him then. He didn't get that either. What had she done wrong? The issues were not hers. He understood the concept of empathy, but was it something to apologize for, for not having it and gaining it later?
It seemed he still had some learning left, he thought.
She wished him well, which he understood at least. He kept dwelling on her apology though. Why was she apologizing? He should be the one apologizing, not her. He was useless. He was fucking useless. He had let that bastard get to him, he had gotten sloppy in his anger and he'd blown out his magic so Celes would have to carry the load on the way back to town. And he had risked getting her killed for his own personal business when she had only been here for the job. Sure, he'd only been there for the job too... But Celes could have left. They had killed the undead. These weren't what they'd been hired to kill. Just the undead. Why she had stayed... He didn't know.
He let out a sigh.
"No. I'm sorry" He spoke softly. "I could have killed him if I hadn't gotten sloppy. I... I don't..."
He didn't normally feel these things. He had suppressed these things to the point it was second nature now. That was what he wanted to say, but... He didn't know if he had the guts to admit it. Admitting he had a coping mechanism was admitting he had a problem.
"... But thank you. For your words. And... And for staying. You could have left after the job was done, and while I don't understand why you did... I'm glad you're here. I would not be here if not for you" He would admit. He was... Not great at conversation. Or expressing himself. He expressed himself in battle, and now he couldn't battle. He couldn't fight. Without the capability, he didn't know what to do with himself.
He took a deep breath, trying to center himself.
"Once we're back in town, I'll get our pay, we'll split... And then I need to begin gathering information on his whereabouts" Caius spoke up after a few moments. He didn't know why he was talking about this to her, but... Maybe it was just after all that, he felt she at least deserved to know. Especially if that meant he might not be around to bring her on jobs anymore if he died during his search.
"I'm going to find him again..."
He stared into the fire, as if the flames reflected what currently resided in his heart. More and more, his resolve began to return.
"... And then I'm going to kill him."
Caius was not a man that killed other men. If Celes recalled, even the bandits that attacked them in town when they first met, Caius had spared every single one of them. This revelation made it clear just what the man had done to him. And the depths it had driven him into.
His hands balled into fists again. He was trying to calm himself down, he was really trying. But all these emotions spilling out... He didn't know how to control them.
"I will avenge my family."
Caius didn't know what else he was going to do with himself, but... He at least knew that he was going to do this. It was the least he could do to honor their memory... Even if he died in the process. And yet... He didn't care. Caius refused to live in a world where this monster ran rampant, desecrating the spirits of his family members.
Final Fantasy VI
22
YEARS
Female
Complicated
Heterosexual
429 POSTS
Fin
Use your own eyes and see for yourself whose side I'm on!
Use your own eyes, and see for yourself which side I'm on.
Caius sighed. It was a reaction at least.
”No. I'm sorry. I could have killed him if I hadn't gotten sloppy. I... I don't..." He stopped and Celes glanced at him awkwardly. The light of the fire cast haunted shadows under his eyes. It made him looks older. Weaker.
"But thank you,” he said after a moment. ”For your words. And... And for staying. You could have left after the job was done, and while I don't understand why you did... I'm glad you're here. I would not be here if not for you."
”What?” Celes blinked. Whatever she’d expected, it hadn’t been that. ”I…” She looked down at her own hands, twisting together in that nervous way of hers. What was she supposed to say?
”Once we're back in town, I'll get our pay, we'll split. And then I need to begin gathering information on his whereabouts.
Celes looked to him in surprise. She shouldn’t have been shocked, of course, not with what had just happened, but she couldn’t help it. Why would he ever want to go after someone so impossible to defeat? Why had she done the same in her own time? There simply wasn’t anything else.
Caius’ eyes never left the fire. His gaze bore into it like he was looking into his own soul. ”I'm going to find him again. And then I'm going to kill him.”
Celes bit her lip. There was something about his voice that she didn’t like. A buried darkness that sent a chill up her spine. ”Caius…”
If he’d heard her, he didn’t make any sign of it. There was only him, the fire, and his own rage. ”I will avenge my family."
Celes winced. These were the words of someone who had lost everything.
”Caius,” she said again, louder this time before hesitating and stepping towards him. She knelt beside him, pausing before reluctantly reaching out to touch his hand. Her cheeks burned, but she didn’t waver again. She needed him to hear her. ”Caius. I know what you’re thinking, but rushing in like that. You saw what he did to us. We couldn’t even scratch him, and if he hadn’t let us live…” A soft breath escaped her, not quite a sigh and not quite a scowl. It was only pained.
”I know what you’re feeling,” she said before shooting him a short look. ”And don’t say I don’t. I’ve...been where you have. Or something like it.” Her voice softened. Had she ever told anyone about her time on the island? If she did, she didn’t remember it.
”When I lost everything,” she said. ”When the world fell to ruin, I...was alone. On an island. And I...Well, it was too painful to live. I didn’t want to.” Her voice was constricted, but wavered nonetheless. Words were more painful than a blade could ever be.
”Even when I left, I devoted myself to fight that god. I told myself I’d at least die trying. Because there was nothing left.” Celes glanced at him. Her grip on his hand tightened. ”But it’s not ruined here. There are people and places and there’s time. You’re not alone, Caius. I’m not saying we should let him go, but doing it alone...You might as well just die now and what's the use in that?” Celes swallowed and straightened herself, even as her throat revolted against a faint sense of nausea. She was glad her grip on Caius’ hand would keep her fingers from trembling.
”If you’re going then I’ll be going with you. And don’t try to stop me. I’m experienced in gathering teams to go on suicide missions, believe it or not. I think I did quite good last time, all things considered.” She looked at him head on in a way that would have made her nervous if there hadn’t been greater things on her mind. ”You’re not alone,” she said again. ”We’ll do it together.”
Caius had not expected Celes to march over, and when she did he had partly expected her to berate him for being weak. He did not expect kindness, especially of this level. He fidgeted a bit in surprise when Celes took his hand and his head jolted up to look at her. Celes would tell him what Caius already knew - that this was not a mission that would go well. That he was rushing off to face someone that had just let them live this time. There was a good chance he wasn't making it out of this alive and he knew this. But that wouldn't stop him. Caius knew the risks. But she was right on one thing... He'd lost everything. Which meant he no longer had anything left to lose, right?
Celes would affirm that she had lost everything back in her world. When her world had been ruined, she wandered the island wanting her life to end. She did what he was planning to do now. To fight what was unfightable, as she had nothing left. He felt her grip on his hand tighten. Celes would talk about the fact that the world was not in ruins here... It wasn't hopeless here. And he understood that, but... It was the last things she said that impacted him the most.
She wanted to go with him.
Caius' eyes widened in surprise, almost in horror. His pupils shrank. She told him that he wasn't alone... That he didn't have to do this himself and they would do it together.
He didn't have to be alone...
If anyone else had said those words, Caius wouldn't have even picked up his head. But it was Celes. And Celes... Well, one way or another, she'd become special to him. She'd become someone he was willing to listen to, no matter what it was she said. She had become someone who's every word was worth a listen. But this, all of this, it was alien to Caius. How long had he spent in isolation, how long had he spent handling his problems alone, the only way he knew how? While he'd worked with the Glaives, they had a common goal that benefited everyone. Never anything like this... This was personal. This was something that concerned him and benefited none else.
Despite that, Celes wanted to go with him. Celes knew the risks, Celes knew what they would be getting into. She knew just as well as he did what they were dealing with, and yet she refused to let him go alone. And it just... Overwhelmed him. Everything mixed together. He wanted to be happy she would do this for him, with him, when others would not. But he was so confused as to why. And everything else just began to mix together, happiness, sadness, anger, pain, confusion...
He would grip her hand tightly with both of his hands, staring up at her then, looking her dead in the eyes. Using both hands made it clear that he'd completely forgotten all about trying to summon his sword, and that Celes had taken his complete attention, physically and mentally. Tears had begun trickling down, as everything finally started to hit him harder than he could handle.
"Why...?"
It came in almost a whisper.
"I... I don't understand..." He would admit softly, his hands shaking against hers as he tried to straighten himself but he just couldn't. "Why? You don't benefit from this, there's no world in danger, and there isn't a gil amount in the world I could pay you for what likely lies ahead with this... I.. I just... I just..."
He didn't understand it. He understood helping others, but this? Celes would be risking everything! If this went wrong, she could die and it would be all his fault! But she knew this, as he stared into her eyes, he could tell she knew this. But why? The tears streaked down his face as he tried to find the words, but few came. He wanted to tell her no. He wanted to tell her to stay and take care of Terra, who he knew in a world outside of her own, as tough as she was, she sorely needed someone like Celes. How could he take that away, if something went wrong? How could he risk that? But he couldn't. It didn't come out. He wanted to tell her to go back to Provo, live her life, be who she wanted to be and find her happiness wherever it might be. She'd been through so much... And she deserved better. If something went wrong on this, she'd lose out on that... And it would be his fault. But he couldn't speak that either. He just couldn't. For one reason or another, he just wasn't able to find the words...
Amongst a teared face, all he could ask was one question. One question filled with every inch of all of the emotions he was feeling at that moment. His tone was soft, strained and pleading.
"Why would you risk your life for me?"
Final Fantasy VI
22
YEARS
Female
Complicated
Heterosexual
429 POSTS
Fin
Use your own eyes and see for yourself whose side I'm on!
Use your own eyes, and see for yourself which side I'm on.
”Why?”
It was a potent question and one that Celes didn’t know if she could answer. Why? It was, as Caius said, not to her benefit. No, if Celes had only herself to consider, she’d be best served going back to Provo and pretending this whole affair had never happened. And yet…
”Why would you risk your life for me?"
That was a question she could answer much better.
”It wouldn’t just be for you. That madman is loose and he’ll keep hurting people until he’s stopped. I’ve never been one to let evils go by without consequence.” Her grip shifted in Caius’. It was starting to make her uncomfortable, but she kept it if only for the mere gesture of it all. He needed something to hold onto. It was as simple as that.
”And…” she started again, looking away for the first time. ”You’re a good person. You don’t deserve to throw your life away. I wouldn’t want you to. And I guess I’ve...come to depend on you. I haven’t felt this driven in a long time. I’d gotten used to being alone.” It was all true, but Celes couldn’t help the blush that strengthened at her cheeks. She felt suddenly vulnerable in a way she hadn’t before. It was something she hadn’t admitted even to herself.
”That aside.” Celes cleared her throat and finally pulled her hand away. They’d been touching for too long. Celes cleared her throat. ”I’m not suggesting we go after him alone. With what we just saw, adding me to the equation wouldn’t do much to overpower him. We'll need a team -- as many as we can gather. It would take time, but if we’re serious about ending him then there’s no other choice. We’ll need to warn the world of that man, and take anyone who’s willing to help us defeat him. And who’s skilled enough to not get in the way, of course.” She gave a short noise somewhere between a laugh and sigh. ”It’s just like old times. I feel like I’m traveling the world to go after Kefka again.” Funny how she could say the name now without flinching. When had that happened?
”I know you’re anxious to kill him at once, but this is simply the way it will have to be. Unless you want to take me down with you in your little suicide mission because I’m coming whether you like it or not. And when have you ever been able to talk me out of anything?” Celes straightened, her expression cleared but for a look of sheer confidence. ”Any objections?”
”It wouldn’t just be for you. That madman is loose and he’ll keep hurting people until he’s stopped. I’ve never been one to let evils go by without consequence.”
Celes was right. While this daemon summoner was no god like the thing she'd claimed to take on, and had Caius allowed himself to keep calm it was very likely he might have had a solid shot at stabbing them... This daemon summoner was a serious threat to others. Their army had come from somewhere, and they would seek to replenish those numbers. Them murdering and then converting innocents was clearly not out of his realm. They needed to stop him before he could destroy more lives as he had Caius'.
”And... You’re a good person. You don’t deserve to throw your life away. I wouldn’t want you to. And I guess I’ve...come to depend on you. I haven’t felt this driven in a long time. I’d gotten used to being alone.”
He was surprised by that, and he would stare at her in turn. She had come to depend on him? Hearing she depended on him and he had been driving force for her, well... He wasn't sure what to think. Well, he did, sort of, and he knew his feelings on the matter. Now if only he knew how to put them into words.
He took a deep breath then, as she continued. His attention was completely fixed on Celes now.
”I’m not suggesting we go after him alone. With what we just saw, adding me to the equation wouldn’t do much to overpower him. We'll need a team -- as many as we can gather. It would take time, but if we’re serious about ending him then there’s no other choice. We’ll need to warn the world of that man, and take anyone who’s willing to help us defeat him. And who’s skilled enough to not get in the way, of course.”
”It’s just like old times. I feel like I’m traveling the world to go after Kefka again.”
It felt like she was traveling the world to go after Kefka again, she said. This insurmountable enemy, one she couldn't ever hope to face alone and live. But with others... Despite the fact that she was used to being alone, perhaps even about as much as he was, she seemed to be confident she could pull something like that off.
Maybe... Just maybe...
Maybe he didn't have to be alone anymore. This was a new world, the darkness was gone, new people, a new environment, a new story... A new start.
Perhaps with Celes and others, they really could make a difference. Maybe they could take him down before he hurt others... He missed that, the more she spoke. The more she spoke, the more he was reminded of his time with the Kingsglaive. Having that goal of stopping something that seemed insurmountable and keeping Lucis safe. He missed having a purpose, and he'd not had one since he had been sent here...
Maybe his purpose was standing in front of him this entire time. The purpose he'd been searching for.
”I know you’re anxious to kill him at once, but this is simply the way it will have to be. Unless you want to take me down with you in your little suicide mission because I’m coming whether you like it or not. And when have you ever been able to talk me out of anything?”
"Any objections?"
Caius stared at her for a good, long while at that. It was funny, the way she looked at him as she demanded that she come with him, whether he liked it or not. That she was insistent they build a team to take this one down, as she had before... A team like the Glaives he had served with for what felt like a lifetime, even if it was only a few years at the most.
And then he started to laugh. He started to laugh hard and hearty. She had her ways of just making his worries disappear, she did. Releasing her hands just as she had begun to pull, he would wipe the tears away as he gave her a big smile. A real, genuine smile. Not a smirk, not a confident grin, nothing wry, nothing playful... Just a big, real smile.
"No objections here, Ma'am."
A small chuckle escaping him, he realized he couldn't help it. Her own laughter from before was infectious. "It will have been some time since I've operated with a team" He would admit. "But listening to you talk about your travels makes me miss the Glaives. Perhaps... Perhaps we can do this after all" He spoke softly.
The confidence seemed to return a bit in his eyes as he would seem to change his mind on something.
"No. We'll pull it off" He spoke, his expression regaining it's life as he got to his feet. "I know we can."
Caius took a deep breath then, as the words he'd been wanting to say finally started to bubble to the surface when he would look Celes in the eyes.
"... Thank you" He spoke sincerely, genuinely and graciously. "For everything. For working with me, and for being there for me."
It was a feeling he hadn't felt in a long time. To know someone cared, in some fashion. That someone was there. That he didn't have to completely be alone anymore. He kind of liked it. It also made him realize that he didn't think he could ever go back to the way he was anymore. He had become partial to Celes, preferring her over all else in regards to who he would see be his company in battle. And he had grown to trust her deeply. He just wasn't sure if he'd be able to put it into words, or if he'd ever find the will to admit that. But he did at least manage one thing out of everything.
"And..." He trailed off. "I uh..." He began softly, his words starting to fail him for a moment before he seemed to regain them. He didn't know why he was having trouble admitting this, but... It was what it was. He knew he wasn't the best socially, perhaps he just feared screwing it up? His own cheeks began to glow a radiant red, unbeknownst to him. The heat he felt on his cheeks, he would likely just attribute to the fire nearby. Though the way he scratched his head as he tried to say it indicated there were some nerves on his end.
"I feel I've grown to rely on you as well. I would want no one else by my side in battle more than you."
For one that wasn't the best at compliments or showing the way he felt, and especially for a warrior like Caius... It was the highest compliment he could offer. The biggest show of trust he knew. With that though, he tilted his head to the side a moment, as he finally noticed her rosey cheeks... Completely, blissfully unaware that he suffered the same fate.
"Are you cold? Your cheeks are red" Caius would inquire. "I can get us some more firewood and stoke the fires a bit to warm you up if you need it. Please just tell me in future, I don't mind-"
Caius' question and Celes' likely awkwardness was interrupted by a loud sound that shot through the camp. It was close, very close. Close enough to send Caius into alert, as he would immediately grab the branch he had been using to stoke the fire. The sound came again...
CRACK!
Final Fantasy VI
22
YEARS
Female
Complicated
Heterosexual
429 POSTS
Fin
Use your own eyes and see for yourself whose side I'm on!
Use your own eyes, and see for yourself which side I'm on.
Caius laughed. He laughed for a long time, hard laughs that nearly doubled him over. Celes stared at him in surprise for a moment before a weak smile crept up on her. He smiled right back, a wide one as he wiped at his eye. Whether the tear came from laughter or pain, she couldn’t say.
”No objections here, Ma'am.”
Celes almost wanted to call him out on his own nerve, but he looked so happy that she couldn’t help it. Somehow, what she’d said had actually gotten through to him. She wasn’t about to complain about that.
"It will have been some time since I've operated with a team. But listening to you talk about your travels makes me miss the Glaives. Perhaps... Perhaps we can do this after all.” He started quiet but quickly straightened, standing as he added, ”No, we’ll pull it off. I know we can.”
Celes blinked her surprise. Even she couldn’t have predicted this strong a reaction. Had she really been so persuasive? For the first time in her life, had she actually said the right things?
”I…” she started and then lost her words again. ”I’m glad.” She tried for a smile, but knew it was weaker than it should be. Why couldn’t she keep this up?
Caius met her eyes. ”Thank you,” he said with such sincerity that Celes felt her cheeks heat again and she glanced away. "For everything. For working with me, and for being there for me."
”I really wasn’t. Not as well as I could have been.”
”And…” He paused in a way that Celes usually only heard in herself. ”I, uh…” Celes glanced to him to see that he’d looked away as well. Was it just the shadows of the campfire or was he blushing…?
Her stomach clenched in realization. Oh no. The moment she’d dreaded with every male partner she’d ever had. The moment when friendship was forced into something awkward and altogether unwanted. She watched in dread as he patched his words together.
He scratched at the side of his head. ”I feel I've grown to rely on you as well. I would want no one else by my side in battle more than you."
Celes bit at her tongue. No no no! Why did it always have to come to this? Why had she ever reached for his hand?
But the rest never came. She stood there, staring at him, waiting for the proclamation to drop like an anvil from unsteady rafters, but it never did. ‘I want you by my side in battle.’ That was all. She couldn’t help but marvel at him, standing there silhouetted in open flames. The man was a minor miracle made flesh.
He looked back at her and blinked. ”Are you cold? Your cheeks are red.”
”Huh?!” Celes jumped at touched at her face. Was she blushing? How long had she been blushing? ”Oh! Oh no, I’m fine! I’m-!”
”I can get us some more firewood and stoke the fires a bit to warm you up if you need it. Please just tell me in future, I don't mind-"
CRACK
Celes stiffened and thrust her hands together before remembering her exhausted magic and reaching for her sword instead. She’d already forgotten her own battered state, about Caius’ fatigue, and her promise to protect them both. "Stay back." Her eyes narrowed at the rustling grass and she took several steps until she stood between it and Caius.
She had no intention of breaking her promise to him.
Once again, Celes Chere had majorly underestimated the power of cluelessness that was Caius Ignis Dragelion. He didn't seem to notice that she was fretting over what she thought to be a confession of love, and he certainly wouldn't have taken the hint even if she tried to tell him. Celes had become sort of his partner in a way... In battle, anyhow. She was the yin to his yang, in the form of one who complimented his battling style perfectly. His swordsmanship, her spellcasting. One was easily able to provide openings for the other depending on the method needed to take an opponent down. Behemoths, the undead, daemons, shadow clone jutsu... None had been a match. Their chemistry? Their chemistry was phenomenal, there were clear fireworks as the two had learned to work absolutely seamlessly. Their styles meshed, their attacks came as though they were one. Caius knew he was able to trust Celes, and it made even the riskiest of strategies work like a charm. Celes was the ideal partner for Caius, and her skill with his own made them a dangerous pair. Someone with her skill, her ability, her loyalty, her reliability... Someone he could depend on, someone he could rely on... He couldn't imagine anyone better to fight alongside.
Meanwhile, Caius still wouldn't understand a sign of romance if it hit him in the head. Womp womp.
Their focus was taken by the cracking sounds. Celes would reach for her sword and step forward, telling Caius to stand back. Caius though, as stubborn as he was, would spin the large stick between his fingers as if it were a bow staff and walk past Celes, shooting her a grin.
"It's like you said. We fight together."
Knowing Celes wouldn't be far behind, Caius would follow the source of the noises, deciding to prepare for a preemptive strike if necessary. But the noises seemed like they were too far away all of a sudden, and Caius would look around, bewildered and puzzled as he tried to follow the sound...
Until he came to his pack near the fire.
Quirking a brow, the confused Caius would pull down the bag's handles, unveiling the egg he had been carrying with him since the trek with Rydia. It had begun cracking loudly as shards from it would begin to drop to the ground. Caius would back up, completely taken aback by the turn of events...
And then the egg shattered.
Tumbling out was a small creature, with a scaly body. It had the tiniest of red wings, to compliment a set of blue scales. It had a set of four main limbs, two sets of front claws and two sets of back claws that seemed to be barely visible and likely still needed to grow in. The creature would look around for a moment before it's gaze set on Caius. Seeming to suddenly be happy to see the one in front of it, the dragon let out a series of high-pitched cooes.
And Caius' heart immediately melted.
It was... Surreal, for Caius. He had spent his whole life seeing it leave the eyes of others. Whether they were his comrades, or those he killed himself. But to see a life be brought into this world... He didn't know how to respond. What to think. What to feel. But the second it made it's first sounds, Caius' heart gave out for it. It was small, and helpless... Like his adopted sister had been, the one he had been so protective of when he was a child. Perhaps what he had seen earlier had caused him to become protective all over again, as he would kneel down and scoop the creature in his arms.
He wouldn't cry again. He couldn't cry again... He had failed to be a protector before, but he wouldn't fail this one, he had decided. That was a promise.
After taking a moment to regain himself, he would look toward Celes. He'd managed to steel himself again, but even now his gaze was still far softer than it usually was.
"This one was an unplanned victim of a job I had some time ago. I had tried to re-home it, but no dice. I decided to take care of it while I figured out what to do, but..." He trailed off after his explanation. "I guess it was closer to hatching than I had thought."
Caius had a soft spot for small animals. Who would have thought?
Final Fantasy VI
22
YEARS
Female
Complicated
Heterosexual
429 POSTS
Fin
Use your own eyes and see for yourself whose side I'm on!
Use your own eyes, and see for yourself which side I'm on.
Caius pushed past her, insisting on standing the front. Celes gave him a startled look. ”Caius, I told you I’d take care of- Is that a stick?” And so it was. Devoid of a sword, Caius had instead picked up the nearest stick and held it in front him like a staff.
Celes gaped at him. She wanted to berate him for the apparent idea that he always needed to cover her, that even when she had no magic and he was practically defenseless, she still needed protection. But that would have to be saved for another time because Caius was already starting off, heading towards that noise with a reckless abandon that he really couldn’t afford when he was armed only with a stick. ”Hey, don’t go-! Caius!” Celes followed him closely, ready to shoulder him to the side if anything actually showed up. Why did he have to be so stubborn?
Caius slowed to a stop, looking at something near on the ground. Celes followed his gaze to find...Caius’ bag?
There was another crack and it gave a violent shudder. Celes raised her sword against it, ready for anything that might leap out at them, and then Caius pulled down the sides to reveal...An egg?
It was about the size of a chocobo’s egg except with a shining blue sheen that she’d never seen on anything. It was visibly damaged, and after a moment, it gave another loud crack followed by flying bits of egg shell. Celes winced, letting her sword fall to her side as a reptilian face poked out through the hole. It gave a quiet cawing noise before slithering wetly into the grass.
Celes stared at it. It looked for all the world like a baby alligator except for its blue scales and the leathery wings on its back. She opened her mouth, about to say something, and then closed it when nothing came. The reptilian creature looked directly at Caius with its round yellow eyes and let out a series of chirping noises.
A dragon, Celes mind supplied. Caius had hatched a dragon.
Caius stared back at the creature before looking up at her. ”This one was an unplanned victim of a job I had some time ago. I had tried to re-home it, but no dice. I decided to take care of it while I figured out what to do, but...I guess it was closer to hatching than I had thought."
”Oh. That’s…”Insane, she thought though she didn’t say it. Dragons were dangerous monsters and quite often deadly. ”A whole horde of them were let loose a while ago. They rampaged across the whole continent. I don’t know how many people they killed.” She paused looking between them again. Whatever Caius thought of it, he didn’t seem particularly concerned. No, he looked at the little monster like it was his first born child.
”I’m just saying,” she started again, cautiously this time. ”It might be cute now, but once it’s an adult…” She paused. She didn’t want to say it. ”Well. It might be more than you can handle.”
