Terra could not help but smile and give a soft giggle at Celes’s admission that she could not believe that there were trees upon her first arrival on Zephon. Closing her eyes Terra nodded slowly toward Celes. ”I was the same way. I… actually hugged a tree when I first arrived. I felt the life in it and then I felt my magic returning to me. At first it was like a trickle of water after crossing Figaro’s desert. Then it all came back to me just as it did when I came back to myself in Zozo. It was an amazing thing to experience…”

Her own words spoken and let out into the air between them was something that she could not help but do. There was something always unspoken between the two women. Hope was certainly the one thing that Terra would never let out of her hands. Always looking at the better side of everyone and every situation was what she had to do. Hearing Celes mention the Returners she smiled wide toward her friend.

“To bring hope to the world. Be that shining ray of hope I believe is how I was introduced to the Returners…” Terra’s words slipped out slowly as she recalled what Banon had told her so long ago for the both of them. Before everything went to hell. Before everything was turned on its head and they had to scrounge out every moment of happiness.

Though it was what Celes spoke to her that made Terra’s smile turn a little sad and yet still strong. She nodded toward Celes as she knew that was exactly what she wanted. ”Celes…. You know full well that I will stand at your side. Through thick and thin we made an oath. An oath to protect others from the pain that we both have experienced. I think we can say that we renewed that. I have nothing to do here so let's use the Dragonblades to protect this planet.”

There was a single thing that she had bothering her and she knew full well that she needed to spill it out to Celes. “Celes… we won.” She let out the words as she took a pause to let the words sink in. “We killed him, Celes. We shattered all three of the Statues of the Magi. We destroyed all magic in our world, stripped Kefka of all his powers then we killed him. You and I delivered the final blow to him.” Taking several long breaths as she kept herself calm and spoke about what had happened in the past.

“We managed to escape the tower but we lost all the Magicite and I lost my esperkin side. Surviving all of that with only one reason. I had you and the rest of my friends there wishing for me to survive. That.. is why I am happy to be here with you even if all that I experienced was not with you directly.” She had to just blurt all of this out to Celes and she was afraid of just what all she would say and do but she knew she just had to speak it and let it lay out there.even if this was Celes’s possible future and Terra’s own past.

(( Celes Chere ))

All of Terra’s embarrassment and everything that had been racing around in her mind finally calmed down as Celes began to speak. Showing off the calm and mostly collected friend Terra needed in the here and now. Yet s he could not stifle the light chuckle as she heard Celes speak about how the men assumed that her and Caius were a couple. “That is the truth Celes. Before I told anyone that I knew you they assumed I was moving in on him and trying to take him from you… It nearly made me turn the color of a tomato. As for the two of you… no I cannot see it. He is not Locke….”

Terra could not help herself as she blurted out the rumors she had heard and how she somehow slipped into them as something of a homewrecker. Obviously her reaction to all of that had been natural and she could not have helped herself in that moment. Thankfully she had known when to shut up and had not said anything to make her predicament any worse. Yet she did realize what she said and quickly brought a hand up to cover her mouth as she was even shocked at herself. It was not something she would have said so openly but behind closed doors she did not have any sort of filter in place. A bad habit she picked up after Kefkka’s defeat.

“Where was I… I was in the middle of the Headstone Forest I believe they called it. There was a small set of wagons that I managed to cobble together into a home. My magic would not allow me to do much nor go to any of the local villages too often.” She spoke softly as she moved to take a seat on one of the only chairs in the room. Looking around it as Celes seemed to apologize to her for it and she just raised her hand and waved it off. As she diid not care how it looked as they both were simple people with simple needs.


“As for why I am m doing here… I came to find you Celes. I heard from a travelling merchant you were here and here I am. As for doing jobs for Caius..” She rubbed the side of her head out of a small bit of embarrassment. Though the embarrassment dropped as Celes asked her if she needed gil and that they did not need to be machines of war. It brought Terra back to the times were they had shared that moment. A smile crossed the green haired woman’s face.

“We are both not being forced to do war for someone morally bankrupt that he would experiment on and kidnap children. We do these things because we help people. Well it is why I wield my magic now. I do not want to see the poor face any sort of pain. As for working with Caius. Honestly it was a cover to just be here to be at your side again. Last time I f elt like I was doing any sort of good was when I w as working with you and the others.” Terra rambled on for a bit before smiling toward Celes.

“Before you a nd Caius got here and did your good I helped the city as well… I do not know if they remember it too well but my cloak in my room. Was handed to me by some minister or something for defending the town from a beast who wielded magic that even Kefka would have been hard pressed to match. Yet I did somehow.” A moment of pride for Terra and it had given her more then enough money to survive till now. Hence why she did not respond to Celes directly about gil as she still had plenty on her.


(( Celes Chere ))

As she stood there Terra could not quell the butterflies that welled up within her stomach. It was there and it was causing her to feel uncomfortable as much as she had ever felt in her life. For her it felt like the days not knowing if any of them survived and as the skies darkened and the Light kept crossing the world. All the nervous energy was released though as Terra heard Celes speak toward her. Hearing her say the words that she was sorry made Terra’s breath catch in her throat. “There is nothing for you to feel sorry for Celes… There has never been a reason for you to say that to me.”

Terra’s words came out barely audibly above a whisper but she knew that Celes would hear it. Even with that she heard that as she listened to Celes. Hearing that she believed that their first meeting so long ago had just been another of Kefka's tricks. To which she could understand as initially she thought the brief peace after his death was just another game for him. A game that she knew that he would have loved to participate in. As Terra had been in a similar situation upon her first trip to Zephon. Initially the planet’s magical reserves had overwhelmed her and forced her in and out of her Esperkin form. Alongside that she was able to wield all the powers of the Espers at her peak instead of the equilibrium that she was within in the here and now.

Terra blinked away a few tears that have welled up before they had the chance to roll on her cheeks as she could not help but smile toward her. Hearing Celes say that she could just scream made Terra smile toward her with her usual soft smile. “The scream Celes. Scream it all out and do not bottle it all up. We are not machines no matter what the Emperor tried to do to us. We are women that have emotions… all of them. The tiring, disgusting, overwhelming, and frustrating emotions of being alive…”

Speaking up she let all of the words that she had held back just out into the open. She had learned so much over her small time here in Zephon. She had learned that it was unusual for someone to not experience emotions and to let them out. So she had just started acting like a normal person, well as normal of a person that she could be with the fact she could transform into a pink fur covered beast. Yet even with her words spoken she would suddenly feel Celes’s hand upon her shoulder. It had taken her back a little but still she was not unwelcoming of the contact.. With Celes once more apologizing she could not help but shake her green hair covered head.

That only lasted but for a moment before Terra sprung forward and just wrapped her arms around Celes. Burying her head into Celes’s chest she let out the tears that she had been holding back. Through the tears of the genuine emotion and reunion Terra spoke up. “There.. Is nothing… to be sorry for Celes. We are friends… maybe even family after everything…. That we have been through together. I would be stupid to not be here. Be here right here and now. I am happy that you have found your place here Celes.”

“I had to leave you though… .As I should be the one to say I was sorry. The magic of Zephon overwhelmed me. I kept flickering into my Esper self even after it was lost after we killed Kefka… And my fire magic became unstable. I had to learn to control myself.” Terra had to explain to her close friend as to exactly where she had been and why it was that she could not find her. Terra was so far away from any settlements but she was not going to tell her that. Instead she let it linger with a final. “I am happy to be here as well Celes.”

(( Celes Chere ))

As they walked Terra would remain quiet and just admire the city that Caius and Celes was defending with their lives. It was quite the pleasant walk as she enjoyed it as this time the city was not on fire nor half destroyed. Approaching the Wyvern’s Rest Terra could not help but smile as she admired the building. ”It is quant I believe the word is? I would of expected something more imposing but this is more welcoming…”

Speaking up as she walked alongside him and slipped inside of the building as he held the door for Terra. Though she would instantly see the attention that it seemed that Caius got when he entered behind her and the other mercenaries that called the place home stood up at his entrance. She had only really seen this behavior once or twice before and that was inside of Figaro when Edgar and Sabin arrived home and when all was aid and done and they had their gathering there.

Seeing how nervous that the salute made Caius she could not help but give him a reassuring smile. It was a little charming for her to see him like this. The uncomfortable look in his eyes and the look of how he was returning the salute without a second thought. Though she was quickly snapped back to reality as a female voice called out toward Caius. Looking at the woman who came running over to her. The compliment on her hair made Terra redden a little with a blush. ”Th.. Thanks. I try to take good care of it…”

She mumbled out a thanks as she was not used to the compliment but she quickly turned her attention to Caius as he introduced her to Tomoe. Terra would bow her head once more and was about to speak as Tomoe started to go in on Caius for being a workaholic and that Celes was also a lot like him. This brought a giggle from her lips as Terra nodded. “That does sound a lot like Celes.. And I do not know Sir Caius enough to say one way or another. But it is truly a pleasure to meet you Tomoe. Yes, I am a friend of General Chere’s… You could say we have been through quite a lot together back home…”

With the words said Terra was quiet and she could not help but just give a wide smile as the place felt like a place that she could easily call it home.

(( Caius Dragelion ))