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jolienjoyswriting · 5 years

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Mortem In Contumeliam, Ch. XI

Chapter 11 of "Mortem In Contumeliam Final Fantasy VI," a Final Fantasy VI fan fiction story.

Now, here's a fun fact for you. The person that interacts the most with Wedge, in this chapter? That wasn't planned. I mean, it's not to say that I had a plan for this section of the story beyond "that scene…" but, I think it ended up being pretty cute.

Word count: 4,108 – Character count: 23,417 Originally written: July 26th, 2019

Familiar strangers arrive in the wake of chaos. Is Samasa saved?

Final Fantasy VI, Wedge, Biggs, and related characters, scenarios, and properties created by Square Soft, Inc. and © Square Enix Co, Ltd.

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“Hee-hee-hee, ha-haaah!!” Kefka insanely laughed as the huge pile of crystals jingled and clinked in his arms. “With all this beautiful Magicite, I should have no problem getting through that pesky seal! Then… then… The treasure will be mine… all mine…!!” He gave another laugh… then, he hiccuped. “Un-belieeeve-able!!” And, with that strange thought… he walked right out of the town, leaving it to burn.

“Oh, gods– oh, gods– oh, gods– oh, gods– oh, gods…! Be okay, please be okay!”

When he was sure that the power-mad man was truly out of sight, Wedge finally came out of his hiding spot… though, with serious difficulty. He was completely drenched in sweat from the impromptu steam-bath, freezing-cold from fright, and still mildly panicked from what he’d seen and heard. Despite all that, he knew he had a duty to fulfill… checking on his friends! But, that would have to way because… “Stop right there!!” As he noticed when he spun around… “It’s you guys!!” He wasn’t alone.

Standing across the way from him was a rag-tag group of people that he recognized from the dinner at Vector: a royal figure and a strongman, both of which looked similar… a heavily-armored man with a stern gaze and sharp blade… a wild child, a well-dressed man, and even a moogle, for some reason! Yes, he recognized them all as friends of the Returners and, though he was extremely relieved to see them… it didn’t seem like they were too thrilled to see him.

“Thank gods you’re here…” he sighed with a smile. When he took a step forward… he had to jerk back. A handful of shafts had pierced the ground, landing right where his foot had been. He looked at them, then looked up… only to slowly raise his hands over his head. The man in green trappings had an odd device leveled at him… a device that looked like a crossbow with a number of additions, such as a belt full of bolts hanging off it. It didn’t take much guessing to figure out what kind of weapon that was…

“O-okay, I know what this looks like, but–” “You have exactly five seconds to explain what happened here,” the man shouted as his companions angrily glared and made various threatening gestures. “The next volley won’t miss.” Wedge wasn’t sure how to summarize everything, so he just blurted out the first thing he could: “K-Kefka!!” Luckily… that seemed to be just the word to get the group to calm down. “Explain,” the man ordered, keeping his weapon aimed at the soldier’s head. And, under threat of becoming a pincushion… the soldier told the group everything that had happened.

Shortly after his explanation, Wedge was shoved aside and told to leave. He walked some short distance away… but, he didn’t want to exit the village. In fact, he wanted to help with the situation in any way he could! So, as they tended to their unconscious friends, he walked over to the well, pulled up a water bucket, then hurled some hot water at the nearest building. It wasn’t until his third toss that any of the Returners noticed what he was up to, and… “Gau… help armor man?” It was a child with wild hair and torn clothes, seemingly there to help. “Not… sure what you can do. There’s only one bucket, but–” “Gau, Gau!!” he shouted before closing his eyes. “Gaauuu… Blizzard!”

The soldier went wide-eyed as the scruffy youth stood up and cast a storm of snow at the building. When he did it, again, Wedge wasn’t sure what to say… Then, when a couple of others started doing the same to the nearby buildings, he just rubbed the back of his helmet, feeling kind of useless. His little bucket was no match for the power of magic…

Once the fire had been quenched, he was among the first to search the ruined buildings for signs of life. Thankfully, there were plenty of citizens who had kept themselves safe and out of harm’s way. The rest of the morning was spent helping them recover, dousing what fire remained, and generally trying to undo the damage that “his people” had done to Samasa.

As the sun rose up and held itself high above the land, Wedge found himself leaning on the well and thinking… only to look to his side. “Gau?” Once again, the strange youth had come up to him. He seemed to be offering a small portion of jerky to the soot-covered soldier. “Thanks.” He smiled as he took it. “Ya know… you’re a lot nicer than your friends.” “Gau…” He looked away. “Others not trust armor man. Armor man hurt others.” When Wedge tilted his head, Gau immediately corrected himself. “Other armor man hurt friends! Armor man bad. But…” The boy looked up with a bright smile. “Yous armor man seem good!” “W-well, I try…” he said as he ruffled the kid’s hair, much to his appreciation. “Hey, you!” Both he and the child looked across the way. The burly man – who looked similar to the guy with the mechanical crossbow – was walking toward them.

“Thou!” the wild child greeted as the muscle-man drew closer. “Yeah, yeah…” was the man’s chuckling response. “You. Soldier.” Wedge hesitated… then, he looked right at the man with a neutral expression. “I came over to say… thanks.” “Huh?” The soldier gave a blink. “I saw you tryin’ to put out the fire with your dinky bucket.” The other man laughed. “Got Gau all fired-up!” “Not Fire, Thou! Blizzard!” Gau corrected. “I didn’t mean– bah.” He shook his head at the laughing kid.

“Anyway… I don’t know what your game is, red-suit, but…” “Gau, Gau!!” the rambunctious youth suddenly shouted as he hopped up onto the well. He made an odd, purring noise as Wedge ruffled his hair, shortly after. “You got Gau’s trust, so I guess you can’t be all bad.” “Thanks… I think?” “If you really wanna help us… maybe, you can tell us anything else you know? Like, how’d Kefka get outta jail? Why’d he set the town on fire? And, where’s–” “General Leo!!”

A horrified shriek ripped across the town square. Both men, as well as the child, recognized the voice and, immediately after hearing it, ran over to see what was going on. What they saw when they arrived was… absolutely heartbreaking. Tina and Lock had recovered from their unconscious states and, unfortunately… the latter had managed to find what little of General Christophe that Kefka had left behind.

“No… no… nooo…!!” she howled as she sat on her knees, visibly sobbing into her hands over the loss of her new friend. “Tina…” Wedge was about to crouch and comfort her… only for Lock to stop him. “You stay away from her,” he said with a cold gaze and a threatening tone, pushing him away. “You’ve done enough, already.” “I didn’t–!!” he started to shout before catching himself. With a controlled tone, he explained, “I didn’t do anything…!” “Exactly.” The man in the bandanna angrily scowled. “You could have saved him… you could have saved Tina from seeing this.” “What the hell would I have done?!” the soldier growled, growing angry. “Between all the soldiers and his freaking death balls, Kefka would’ve ripped me apart! As it was, he tossed me in the well before he got bored with me!” “Maybe, you should’ve stayed down there,” the other man coldly told him. A second later, he found himself staring, wide-eyed, as the soldier threw him against a nearby mound – not incidentally, causing both the machinist and the retainer to draw their weapons.

“Look, you sonovabitch!” Wedge snarled as he pinned Lock against the rocks. “I’m not one of them! Those were Kefka’s soldiers! I serve… served… under General Leo!!” He gave a blink as the Returner spun him around, shoving him against the hill. “And, where were you when he was getting shanked?!” he yelled. “Where were you when Kefka was burning the village?!” “I was in the gods damned well! Unconscious!!” the soldier told him. “Leo was–” “More like, hiding!” Lock slammed him against the slanted ground. “You could’ve saved him! Coward!” Wedge wanted to say something. However, he noticed that as angry as Lock was… “Some soldier you are…” He seemed more frustrated with the situation than anything – something he could relate to.

The Returner sighed as he finally let Wedge go, then took a few steps away. As he did that, the people who were aiming at the soldier stood down before returning to Tina’s side. A moment later, it was Lock who knelt beside her, letting the girl cry into his shoulder.

“Armor man…?” Wedge glared at Lock… then, he looked to his side. Gau had scurried up the hill beside him and was staring with bright eyes full of concern. “Armor man sad…?” he asked with a small frown. The soldier hesitated… then, he sighed, “Armor man sad…” “Armor man want meat?” “Armor man…” He paused, again. “Wants to disappear…” At that, Gau opened his eyes and gasped. “Armor man like spooky black man?!” “‘Spooky black…?’” Wedge had to think about who that could be. When he figured it out… he just laughed. “No, kid… I mean, I just want to leave. Go home. Get away from… this mess.” “Want friend? Gau come?” “Gau stay,” he said as he offered a brave smile. “Your friends need you more. Especially Tina.” “Want go with armor man,” he insisted. “Armor man more sad.” “I… I really doubt that. I just lost my favorite general… Tina, though…” The man crossed his arms, looking toward the group. Tina had gone quiet, but she was still clinging to Lock with her face against his body. “She lost her new friend. Guess she really liked him, too…”

“Magic girl hurt outside,” Gau told him. “Armor man hurt in here…” He gave a blink as Gau thumped his chest. “Armor man no cry. Armor man strong, outside! Strong like Gau, awoo!! But, armor man feel bad inside. Drink ‘happy water?’ Write book? Not sure. But, Gau know armor man feel sad. Face sad. Heart sad. And… Gau sad… ‘cuz new friend sad.” He frowned a little more, looking even more concerned. “Armor man go, Gau go, too! Be beast! Make armor many happy!” Wedge couldn’t help but smile. Gau was absolutely determined to cheer him up… “Gau know hug?” he offered.

Almost immediately, the child jumped into his arms and gave him a tight squeeze that made his borrowed Magicite poke into his chest. He didn’t mind, though… he was just happy that Gau wanted a hug and, honestly? He kind of needed one, himself… though, he would have preferred it to be from a happy Tina, if he had his choice.

“Armor man be okay?” Gau asked as he dropped to the ground and sat like a dog. “Armor man be okay… eventually,” he told the boy as he ruffled his hair. “I have a lot of thinking to do. Today’s… been one for the record books.” –––––

“General Leo…”

The air was somber as the group gathered in a clearing just east of the town. It was there that they decided to give the general a proper burial. Once it was done, Tina stood near the freshly-overturned dirt, having placed a bouquet of colorful flowers on it. Everyone else stood a small distance away, giving her space.

“Everyone wants power…” she said to herself. “Do they want to be like me…?” She paused before looking at the blank headstone placed at the head of the gravesite decorated with flowers. “I wanted…” she whispered as she felt sadness find her, again. “I wanted you to teach me… about so many things, General Leo… I was hoping that…” The girl had to look away and compose herself. Lock took a step her toward her… only to be stopped by the man in green – Edgar, the king of Figaro. When he shook his head, the other man settled back down. Not long after, they both heard Tina give a sniffle, then a sigh. “You were taken before your time… taken for no reason other than a mean, cruel man didn’t like you. I barely had any time to know you, General Leo… but, you seemed so wise and so kind… It’s not fair… It’s not fair…”

After another momentary silence, Tina finally turned away and walked right over to Lock and Edgar before returning to her place on the former’s shoulder. She was done crying… but, she clearly had more grieving to do. As that happened, the elder of the town walked up to the grave and made a couple of gestures. “Ashes to ashes,” he said, “dust to dust. May he fly with the angels.” With that, he walked out of the clearing, leaving the group to their business.

“Gau…” Wedge blinked. He’d been standing there without his helmet, quietly taking everything in… when he noticed that Gau was tugging on his pantleg and looking at him. “What’s up?” he asked as he knelt to look at the kid. “Armor man like magic girl?” he asked. The soldier hesitated. He’d asked that so innocently… “Tina’s… my friend, too,” he quietly explained, “but Lock is taking care of her. It’s okay. I don’t really like him… but, if Tina trusts him that much, who am I to argue? Heh.” “Armor man still sad?” was the child’s next question. “Heh. Yeah… armor man still sad,” Wedge said with a nod. “General Leo was great. He let me and Biggs goof off, all the time, and–” He paused… then, he deeply frowned. “Biggs…”

Gau was left giving a confused look as Wedge suddenly left the clearing, then quietly followed on all-fours. It didn’t seem like the soldier was going to stop walking and, in fact, seemed like he was heading out of town. But, as he got to the south entrance… “Fight lady!!” He was stopped by the appearance of someone he definitely didn’t need to bump into.

“Wedge!” she called with a look of distress. “What is going on…? Another Imperial ship docked next to ours, then I heard the rumble of Magitek Powered Armor units… When I saw the Blackjack fly over, I finally worked up the nerve to come here… but, everything’s scorched and ruined! Plus…” She paused, looking down. Both Wedge and Gau followed her line-of-sight to see… “I found Shadow’s dog…” Interceptor was in her arms. And… he looked like he’d found one-or-more armored units, himself, judging by his injuries.

“Kefka betrayed us,” was his simple response. “K-Kefka…?!” she exclaimed, accidentally disturbing the sleeping dog. “A-ah, sorry, Interceptor… Kefka…? Here? Why?” “Take a wild guess.” She grimaced, then she shook her head. “Gau, where are our friends? Are they here?” “Gau, Gau!” the child barked. A second later, he trotted back toward the center of town, followed by the lady general. “Yeah… Go find your friends,” Wedge said to himself. “I–” “Armor man!” He blinked, then turned around. Gau was looking out from behind a building.

“Come!” he said. “No, I–” “Armor man friend!” the boy interrupted. “Armor man friend of magic lady, armor man friend of Gau! Armor man come back or… or Gau drag back! Grrr!!” There was no reasoning with the little wild child… So, despite his better judgment, he followed Gau and Celes back into town, then into the clearing.

“W-what’s wrong with Interceptor?! Oh, geez… bring ‘im here!”

Shortly after Celes arrived at the grave, Lock ordered her to bring Interceptor over. He was quick to remove his bandanna and, with a combination of a Hi-Potion and that makeshift bandage, he treated the poor dog’s wounds.

“As if General Leo wasn’t enough…” he muttered as Interceptor weakly resisted. “Seems like even hired help like Shadow isn’t safe from those bastards. Damn the Empire!” He sighed, shaking his head. Then, he re-focused on the slender hound. “That’s the best I can do, for now. Thanks for not biting me, ‘Ceptor.” “Poor doggie…” Lock looked over and noticed that the little girl in the beret had walked over. After audibly sympathizing, she sat next to the beat-up pup. “Don’t worry,” she told him as he settled next to her, “Lilum will keep you safe!” Surprisingly – at least, for everyone but Lock, Tina, and Stragos – Interceptor seemed… relaxed around Lilum. So much so that he put his head on her lap and even let her pet him. It was kind of sweet.

“General Christophe… He… he’s really…?”

Celes stood in front of the fresh grave, her hands over her mouth and her eyes staring at the fresh dirt. She couldn’t believe what she’d been told… “Kefka…” But, rather than stay sad about it… “He’ll pay for what he’s done!” She grew angry!

“The Empire betrayed us all, it seems…” After Celes paid her respects, the entire party – including the Imperial Magitek Soldier – quietly left the clearing and met in the square of the town to continue their conversation. As they settled, it was the man with long, white hair and nobleman’s clothing that spoke up.

“What do you mean, Setzer?” Tina asked, despite knowing better. “Heh. We were this close,” he explained as he lit a cigarette for himself, “to being caught in a trap, ourselves. That’s why we’re here, in fact!” “We managed to escape, ere,” the black-haired man with a pencil-thin moustache explained. “King Figaro’s information is to thank.” Lock smiled. “Using that royal clout, huh?” “‘A little kindness goes a long way,’ as they say…” the king said with a grin. “My kindness toward a tea maiden allowed her to open up and share some interesting information about the goings-on in Vector. She was quite well-informed… and, quite lovely.” “So… you flirted the info outta her…” his brother said with a disapproving frown. “My dear Macías,” Edgar said as he waved a finger, “don’t misunderstand my intentions. Yes, my actions could be misinterpreted as idle flirtations but, I assure you: it was a simple courtesy. Cour-te-sy! It is my kingly duty to make the fairer sex feel… appreciated!” Macías rolled his eyes with an “Uh-huh…” “That aside…” the young king said, changing the topic, “I believe we need to rethink our tactics. Let’s return to the airship, formulate a plan, and stop the empire from entering the Eidolons’ World.” “May I come with you?” Both Edgar and Macías blinked, then turned to face the source of the new voice.

“And, you are?” Edgar asked as he looked at the old man who stood more-than-a-head shorter than him. “That’s Stragos,” Lock told him from a short distance away. “He’s from here.” “He’s descended from the magic-users of this land,” Tina added. “He can help us!” The young king gave a puzzled look between his two friends… “Magic-users, you say?” “I can’t just let the Empire abuse the power of the Eidolons like they are!” Stragos suddenly told them. “I aim to stop them in their tracks!” “Lilum, too!!” All eyes fell upon the old man’s granddaughter. She had spoken up from behind and was hopping in place with her arms over her head.

“No,” was her grandfather’s flat response. “Stay here.” She made a noise and pouted… something that got a laugh out of Macías. “What’s funny?” she asked him with a pout. “It’s cute that you wanna help,” he told her, “but, a kid would just slow us down!” She threw her hands up, putting on an angry face. “What the hell, muscle-man?!” That just made him laugh even harder! “Well, you’ve sure got a lot of spunk, missy! But–” “Grrrr…” He stopped, staring as she reached under her hat and whipped out a paintbrush. “Hold still…” she told him in a vaguely-threatening way. “I’m painting your portrait!” “Whoa! No, stop!” As she twirled the brush between her fingers, Tina and Lock both ran over, pulling their friend aside. Meanwhile, Stragos snatched the painter’s tool away from her, much to her further annoyance. All that… just seemed to confuse the ox-of-a-man.

“Lilum…” the old mage sighed, “you simply won’t take ‘no’ for an answer, will you?” “Nuh-uh!” Lilum said with a shake of her head. “Bless you for having your mother’s temperament…” He paused before telling her… “If that’s the case, then…” The mage politely handed the brush back with a smile. “You can come.” “Oh, yeah!” The girl leaped up, triumphantly throwing her fist into the air. “Thanks, Gran’pa!” “Just, behave yourself. Okay?” “Okay, Gran’pa!” she told him with a bright smile. “Lilum promises!”

“Well, that settles that!” Macías gave a nod to everyone, looking satisfied. Then… “Let’s head out!” He headed the pack as they headed out of town. Not long after… “Hey, perv! You comin’?” Lilum walked back, getting the attention of the man who’d hesitated to leave.

“E-excuse me?” King Figaro asked, being drawn from his thoughts. “Lilum said, ‘you comin’?’” She offered a smile as she said, “C’mon, Kingy! If you’re niiice, you may get a pooortraaait from The Great Lilum Arrowny, Mistress of the Long Stroke! You do wanna pose for Lilum, don’cha?” There was an awkward period of silence as Edgar stared at the girl. She just stood there with her hands behind her back, cutely shimmying and happily smiling. “You… uh… have quite the spirit.” “Thanks, Kingy!” she said with a wink. “Lilum thinks you’re alright, too!” He rubbed his cheek before awkwardly asking, “Sssay, uh… how… old are you, exactly?” “Why, Lilum is ten-and-a-half years old!” she proudly proclaimed. A second later, she gave him a suspicious look and asked, “Whhyyy…?” “N-no reason!” he exclaimed, sounding flustered. She narrowed her eyes… then, she gave a shrug. “Whatever!”

As she spun around and started skipping away, she told the king, “Better hurry up, Kingy! Lilum won’t wait for you, forrreeeverrr!” And, as she walked out of town, Edgar had to take a minute to catch the breath that had left him and adjust his cloak. “Pull it back, Edgar…” he quietly told himself. “She may act grown up, but she’s just a kid. A real cute kid…” Almost immediately, he slapped himself. “J-just focus on the mission! Gods… The last thing my kingdom needs is that kind of publicity! Uh… wait, why am I talking to myself…?” All-at-once, he called to the girl before running after. However, as he left… “Armor man!” Someone else came back.

“What? Gau? What are you doing back here?” Wedge was stood near the well of the town – his new favorite spot, apparently – and hadn’t been paying any attention to anything that was going on. “Armor man come! Join friends!” the wild child said as he walked over, standing upright. “Fight bad man!” “N-no, that’s okay…” was his response. He figured that Tina and her friends had everything under control and, despite his newfound distaste for the Empire… he couldn’t see himself being any use to them on their quest to dismantle it. But… “Join friends!” The kid who had befriended him seemed as stubborn as the little loudmouthed girl…

“Listen, Gau…” he started to tell the blond boy in animal hides, “I really don’t think your friends need my help. I mean, up until today… I was part of the people they’re about to go fight! So–” “Fight lady was bad! Fight lady good, now!” he interrupted. “Magic lady was bad! Magic lady good, now! Armor man good… Gau know, others learn! So, come!” “No… no, it’s fine.” Wedge gave a soft smile. “I’ll just… stay here, where my best friend and favorite officer died. Maybe, in time, the nice folk might even forgive me and let me stay here in town! Yeah… yeah, I could see myself being happy in this town…” “But… Gau like armor man… If armor man stay…” The boy deeply frowned, his eyes looking right into Wedge’s. “Gau be sad…”

Wedge narrowed his eyes – forgetting that Gau could see them, since he was still holding his helmet. He knew – and, couldn’t believe – that Gau trying to manipulate him, like that! Still, there was something about his words… something in the way he was frowning and staring… something genuine… that made him eventually say… “O… o-okay. Just… gimme a second?”

The soldier met up with Gau some short time later. When asked what he was doing, he wouldn’t say… but, in actuality, he’d decided to leave something of his own on General Leo Christophe’s grave…

A tarnished sword… and, a beat-up, red-orange helmet with a lightning bolt on it.

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jolienjoyswriting · 5 years

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Mortem In Contumeliam FFVI, Ch. XIII

Chapter 13 of "Mortem In Contumeliam Final Fantasy VI," a Final Fantasy VI fan fiction story.

Tako-tako-tako, spo-i-ler~ (Don't tease the readers, kids~)

Also, if this chapter seems a little… "compressed?" There's a good reason for it… I was getting tired of writing so many chapters! Weh! This is handily and easily the longest single story I have ever written!! (At least, if you don't count Essence of Ragnarok as one very long story.) … but, if it does seem like things got rushed, I apologize. I think the pacing is okay… but, I wrote it, so…

Word count: 5,582 – Character count: 32,443 Originally written: July 28th, 2019 Partially rewritten: Same day

There's panic in the air as the Blackjack finds unwanted company high above the world!

Final Fantasy VI, Wedge, Biggs, and related characters, scenarios, and properties created by Square Soft, Inc. and © Square Enix Co, Ltd.

[ ← Prev. Chapter | Next Chapter → ]

A gigantic cloak of darkness fell over the airship, Blackjack, and its crew. High above them was something that not one of them had ever seen before… an entire continent of land, held aloft through unknown means – though, one beholder had their theories.

“The origin of magic… the Three Warring Gods…” All eyes were on Stragos, an old mage from Samasa Village. He wore a look of shock and dismay, seemingly talking to himself… or, perhaps, no one at all. “They found them… the three, sealed in stone…” “The Empire?” Lock loudly asked as he ran over to the old man. “They found the Warring Triad?!” “They sealed themselves… canceled out each other’s powers and brought balance back to the world they’d helped destroy…” All-at-once, he spun around, grabbing the treasure hunter by the collar. “If– if those fools do anything to the triad… even turn one statue away from another by just a fraction…! “W… what would happen?” Tina asked, choosing to stay by Wedge for the time. “The balance would crumble…! And… and, their power would…” He trailed off as Lock pulled himself free. Despite leaving his thought unfinished… it didn’t take much guessing to figure out where he was going with it.

“Well? I think it’s pretty obvious what we need to do, kupo!” Wedge gave a blink before joining the others in looking toward the steering wheel. Standing there was a small creature, covered in white fur, with an angler-like bauble on his head and tiny, purple wings on his back. He had his arms crossed and unless the former soldier missed his guess… seemed to be speaking the same language as everyone else! “We need to go up there and kick some butt, kupo!” the creature told the group. “Do… moogles normally talk like people…?” the soldier asked Tina. “No, but I made Old Man Rumah teach me the language, kupo!” the moogle replied with a chittering chuckle. “You’d know that if you were here when this lot rescued me, kupo!” “It’s a weird story involving a thieving wolf,” Lock added. “We’ll explain later. For now, Mog’s right!” “‘Mog…?’” Wedge chuckled to himself, much to Mog’s irritation. “Setzer!” “Yes?” the ship’s owner answered. “Think this baby can catch up to that flyin’ island?” “I’d bet my life on it!” was his confident reply. “That may well be the case…” Stragos suddenly whispered as Setzer ran to the controls, shooing the other man way as he made adjustments. “If we don’t stop the Empire…” “We will, gran’pa!” his granddaughter told him. He shakily looked over… only to brighten up as she gave him a comforting smile. “Bless you for–” “‘My mom’s spirit,’ yeah-yeah,” she interrupted. “Get us up there, Fancy-Pants!” Setzer blinked and paused before giving a nod. Then, they were off!

The ship’s engines groaned and the machinery whirled, causing the ship to move faster than anyone else dared to fly it. Not long after, the airship pushed through the clouds and followed the continent as it reached a stable altitude. A look overboard would have told any of those onboard that the ground was a long… long… way below them, but everyone’s focus was on boarding that continent and stopping the Empire from doing any more damage!

“Um… I don’t want to alarm anyone, but…” Setzer paused before announcing, “We’ve got company!” “What? No, that’s impossible!” Edgar shouted as he ran to the side of the ship and looked over. But, sure enough… “Machines! Heading right for us!!” A legion of what looked like flying Magitek Powered Armor was chasing them, propellers whirling from their sides and mechanical arms reaching up with metal claws.

“You!” Wedge gave another blink… before finding himself shaken by his chest plate. “Gyaah!! Lock, what the he–” “Why didn’t you warn us about these flying things?!” the angry man interrupted. “Would you believe me if I said ‘I didn’t know?’” The ex-soldier offered a little grin… but, Lock just scoffed and let him go. “You’re absolutely useless, you know that?” he said as he walked over to the pilot. “Love you, too…” Wedge adjusted his armor with a sneer. “Jerk.”

“Setzer, what’re our options?” “Well, that depends…” The nobleman grinned as he asked, “How many of you own bows and arrows? Because… this ship is entirely without weaponry!” “Edgar has an auto-crossbow…” Macías helpfully suggested, drawing a dirty look from his brother. “Actually…” Lock turned to the king and asked, “Hey, Edgar, what else ya got?” “Uh… I have a couple of Noiseblasters…” he said as he checked his pockets and cape, “a Chainsaw, a Drill… this broken camera we weaponized…” “Those Noiseblasters and that camera of yours. Are they easy to use?” “Fairly easy.” The king hummed… then, he gave a smile. “I think I see where this is going… Good thinking, Lock!”

“Right! Kaien, Wedge, Mog, grab a tool!” The trio did as they were instructed, Wedge and Mog grabbing the Noiseblasters while Kaien picked the broken camera, giving it an utterly baffled look… “Everyone else? Magic up and form a perimeter!”

Wedge tilted his head as everyone ran to one side of the ship or the other, the group making an uneven circle around the railing. Four of them – including himself – were holding devices while Lock pulled out what looked like a boomerang and a sharp-looking metal disc. Almost everyone else had brought their hands up, channeling energy and preparing to use whatever magic they had at their disposal. Two, however, didn’t quite seem combat-ready.

“Gau, Gau!” the green-haired wild child shouted from beside Wedge. “Aren’t you gonna… uh… ‘magic up?’” he asked as he tried to figure out how to work the strange-looking hearing horn that was attached to a metal box. “Gau fight how Gau know!” was the child’s reply. “Gau be bad guy!” The former soldier had no idea what he meant by that… until the boy stood back and drew a sword from seemingly nowhere. A second later… “This is the end of the line!” he shouted, sounding nothing like himself. “Everyone, hold your positions! We’re in for a decisive battle!” “Gau…? Are you feeling–” “Back off, Imperial scum!” the boy yelled, jerking away from Wedge and giving him a steely glare. “You’re lucky we’re shorthanded, otherwise I’d throw you overboard, myself!” The ex-soldier… was understandably confused by the uncharacteristic display of leadership and borderline-antagonistic behavior he was given. When he took a look around… no one else seemed bothered. Not even Stragos and Lilum, the newest additions to the Returners. Though, that may have been because they were busy arguing…

“Lilum can help, gran’pa!!” Lilum told him. “You don’t know how to use magic!” was her grandfather’s reply as he readied his own. “Lilum knows, but Lilum can paint ‘em up! They just… need to stay still for Lilum!” she explained as one aircraft went whizzing by, below. “Go down to the lower deck and wait for me to tell you it’s safe.” “But–” “Lilum!” The old man spun around and scowled. “For the sake of your departed mother, just–” “Look out!!” Before Stragos could turn back around, an orange-red suit of powered armor came up from the side of the main ship. A panel opened and it began charging energy, when… “Hold that pose!!” Lilum pushed her grandfather aside, pulled out her paintbrush, and waved it around. Wedge almost couldn’t believe his eyes as, right next to the powered armor… another appeared only to crash into the original, propellers-first, then vanished as the panicked, distant screams of one very perplexed soldier filled the air before fading away.

“We make a great team, gran’pa!” she chipperly said as her grandfather caught his breath. “Gran’pa Stragos ‘n The Great Lilum, Heroes for Justice!! Sounds cool, huh?” “Y– yes… very ‘cool,’” Stragos panted. A second later, he gave a begrudging smile and told her, “Stay close and keep your eyes peeled, granddaughter! We’ll lick these soldiers, yet!” “Yaaaaay!! Er, Lilum means…” Lilum corrected as she took on a more moderate attitude, “You got it, gran’pa!” With that, the two redoubled their focus as a team, ready for the next attack.

“Here they cooome…!”

That was the war-cry that Setzer gave from the controls of the Blackjack, keeping the ship steady as the Imperial Air Force closed in. Wave-after-wave of their flying units darted and weaved in, some shooting lasers, some firing missiles, and some drawing close enough to slash at the support beams keeping the giant, metal air-pouch and its passenger car attached. But, just like the one that tried to attack Stragos and Lilum… each-and-every-one of them failed. Some of the air units were knocked out of the sky with a well-placed electrical attack. Some of them were popped like balloons and made to explode by either a flurry of arrows from Edgar or a curious, violent wind that seemed to come from Gau. Others found themselves out-of-control due to pilot error, sometimes by a deafening roar from one of two Noiseblasters, or by an absolutely blinding flash of light coming from Kaien’s camera… usually, by accident.

Eventually, what few units remained decided to break off and fly away, causing those on board to cheer! But, that cheering would be shortlived… “Hey, do you guys see that…?” Something weird was floating toward them. “That can’t possibly be…” Something shiny! Something slimy… Something that wriggled and writhed. “Gran’pa, look! It’s that octopus from before!” Something… that almost everyone on board recognized as… “Orthros!!”

A giant, purple, jellyfish-like creature with eight, wiggling limbs and a row of razor-sharp teeth had flown in from nowhere and landed at the head of the ship, squirming and grinning as best as he could. “You remembered!” he called. “I’m touched! Really!” “What the hell is that thing?!” Wedge called out. “That, soldier, is a giant octopus!” Gau told him before clearing his throat and hunching down to growl. “Octo-man bad! Try hurt fight lady!” “Alas, that was not one of my finer moments!” Orthros sighed, bringing one tentacle up to his forehead, closing his eyes. “It’s against my very nature to harm a lady!” He paused, peeking out with one eye. “Especially one that’s dynamite in a virgin-white dress! Woo-woo!” “You… be qu-quiet!” Celes spat, looking both flustered at and furious with him. “Ah, and I see the cute girl with the long legs is here, too!” Two tendrils waved toward the sky as he made some strange, squishing noises. “Did’ja miss me, baby?” For the first time that Wedge could recall… he actually saw Tina blush. She wasn’t saying anything, but her shy, uncomfortable body language said certainly more than words could… “What did you do to–?!” “Aaand… beret-girl is here, too! Wonderful!” He squirmed forward, reaching toward the distant Lilum. “Come give Uncle Orthy a hug, cutie-pie!” “Lilum would rather paint your picture, again!” the young girl smartly said, causing the octopus to recoil.

“Anyhoo,” he said after taking a moment to recover, “I heard you guys were gonna save the world! Great! I’m all for it! In fact, that’s why I came! Let me join up and lend a hand… or, a bunch’a hands! Just imagine what all these gorgeous hands could do for you! Ladies.” When he gave a wink, Tina finally hid behind Wedge and Lilum pulled her beret over her face, seeming more bothered than embarrassed. Celes, on the other hand… “Why don’t you drop dead, you lech?!” she shouted as she drew a new sword – a red sword with a spiked blade that looked like fire. Wedge recognized it as a Flametongue. “Now, hang on, Celes…” Lock raised a hand to the former general as he walked over to the then-crying Orthros.

“Look. Orthros. No offense, but… you aren’t the most trustworthy cephalopod we’ve ever met. Why the sudden interest in saving the world?” “Are you kiddin’ me?!” the octopus exclaimed. “Why wouldn’t I wanna save the world?! Could you imagine how rich and famous I’d be…? ‘Sexy octopus saves world from weird island!’ Oh, the babes would be breaking down my door to get a piece’a this!” His cheeks turned a rosy pink as he fell into a self-made fantasy. “Ladies, please! I only have eight tentacles! Wait your turn and I promise… I’ll send you all to sticky, wriggly heaven one-by-one! Mwah, mwah, mwah!!” “You’re disgusting,” Edgar – of all people – told him. “Go home.” “Oh, I see how it is!” Orthros crossed two tentacles in front of him. “You guys wanna save the world so you get all the fame and glory! Well, then…” The octopus’ head curled upward, causing his teeth to bend in a weird… yet, somewhat-threatening way. “I’m just gonna have to beat you all up and steal your ride! En garde!”

Edgar, Celes, and Lock stepped up as the octopus affixed itself to the deck with four arms, the other four wriggling erratically as he shimmied in-place. All three of them drew their weapons, ready for a fight! “This is our last battle!” their opponent called in a lighthearted way. “It’s true, it’s true!” “You’ve got that right…” Celes coldly told him. “Fira!!” Orthros screamed like a frightened little girl as a sharp curtain of flame swept across the deck and hit its mark, bathing the octopus in a powerful wall of flames! He twitched, scorched and red, before sliding off the ship’s head and out-of-sight. It seemed like the battle was over before it even started! But, just as the trio put their weapons back… “Ugh… Losing, again…!” Everyone heard that creepy, unnerving voice call from below. Shortly after, everyone stared as the octopus slowly floated back into view.

“I knew this’d happen…” he hissed at the men and women of the Blackjack, “so that’s why, today, I’ve got a strooooong ally! Folks, lemme introduce you to…”

The whole group went wide-eyed as Orthros continued to float up. It wasn’t long before they realized, however… that he wasn’t floating. He was sitting on something. Something pink and cloud-like… something huge… something with piercing, yellow eyes, strong arms with sharp claws, and something with a gaping maw full of horrible, jagged teeth.

“Grand Master Typhon!!” Orthros announced as he flopped back onto the ship and enthusiastically waved a pair of paper fans he’d retrieved from… somewhere. “Say ‘allo, GMT!” Everyone had to cover their ears and brace themselves as a massive blast of wind rushed over the deck, accompanied by a teeth-rattling “Gruhk– phuuuuuhhhn!!” “Articulate, ain’ ‘e?”

The octopus waved his fans and cheered as his “master” took swings and swipes at the group of adventurers, his claws crashing against Celes’ fiery blade and Edgar’s lance while his other arm blocked the tossed projectiles from Lock. “Yeah,” he said, “he may not have my natural good looks or my silver tongue… but, his strength’ll blow you away!!” Typhon pounded the deck, causing the airship to physically dip enough for some people to lose their footing. Setzer stabilized the vehicle and everyone got back to their feet, then. “The master’s scaaary if you get him maaad!” Orthros warned, wriggling his arms as Typhon inhaled… “Seriously, he’s teeerrifying! You guys might get eeeaten…!” The octopus paused as his companion spewed fireballs at everyone within range. Setzer was quick to shout orders to douse the flames while the trio fighting him continued their attack… seemingly, with little effectiveness. “Why… just the other day, I was dozing off and I got my head gnawed on!” Orthros laughed. “Guess GMT was bored or hungry or somethin’… Man, do his teeth hurt!” “Tph. Tph tph,” the frightening, pink creature huffed, covering his face as blades and blunt objects came his way. He didn’t seem like he was into the fight as much as his friend…

“So, you guys give up?” Orthros eventually asked. “You gonna let me join up, now?” “In your dreams, ink-breath!” Celes shouted, still visibly angry from before. He closed the fans then flipped them open, waving them toward the big, pink thing. “Master Tyyyphon.” “Grnk?” “Give ‘em the good stuff, pal!” Typhon paused. And, then… “Hyah!!” Celes leaped up and heel-kicked Orthros right in the face!!

“Cuuurse yooou and your sexy leeeeegs…!!” The octopus sadly cried out as he fell off the ship for a second time. Once he was out of earshot, the three at the bow, as well as everyone else, turned their attention to Typhon…

Lock leaned over to Edgar and whispered, “Why isn’t he moving?” noticing Typhon’s sudden disinterest in fighting. The creature hadn’t done much since Orthros’ departure. “I… don’t know.” The king of Figaro pondered before suggesting, “Maybe, he’s bored?” “Could be…” The treasure hunter stared at the giant beast… “Should we do something?” “Blizzara!!” Both men jolted as a female voice broke the unwelcome silence. When they looked, they noticed that Celes had made another move, angrily pointing a finger at Typhon… who had a huge chunk of ice attached to his face.

“Celes…!!” Lock squeaked as he ran over to the woman. “What did you do?!” “I took the initiative and disabled my opponent,” she calmly explained, holding her sword with both hands after her spell. “Okay, but…” Lock frowned, glancing at the creature who was frantically scratching at the magical ice. “He wasn’t doing anything, anymore…” “He attacked, first!” she countered. “Now, are you going to stand there and judge me, or are you going to–” “Graaaaahhh…!!” The three of them were thrown backward as Typhon broke free of the ice, his booming voice sending splinters everywhere.

“Just get rid of him, already!” Setzer called from the ship’s console, looking genuinely worried about the additional holes to the top deck. “He’s hurting my baby…!” “We’re working on it!” Celes shouted back. “Thundara!!” The giant beast groaned as a crackling line of electricity ran from her hand to his body, zapping him. A second later, he retaliated with another flurry of fireballs, causing Setzer to shout about the ship even more.

“This is getting us nowhere!” Edgar called as he shot the beast with his Auto-Crossbow. “I’m not even sure we’re hurting it!” “Gotta say… I think you’re right,” Lock agreed as his bladed disc bounced off Typhon’s head. “This thing is just too strong for–” “Fira!!”

Both men leaped out of the way as a tongue of flame violently slashed the pink giant right across the face. When he stopped moving and brought both gnarled hands up… “I… think you got his attention, Celes…” Lock smirked. It didn’t seem like Typhon was in a fighting mood, anymore. Actually, he seemed to be breathing pretty heavily, for some reason…

“Are you ready to concede?” the former general asked, standing at-the-ready, just in case he decided he’d rather keep fighting. “Hruuh… hruuh…” he panted, keeping his face covered. “The lady asked you a question,” Lock said in a scathing tone. “You give up, Pinky?” “Hruuh… hraah…!” “Wait a second…!!” All eyes were back on Stragos. He’s shouted and looked like he’d just seen a ghost!

“I just remembered something! I know what this creature is!” he called. “Okay? Good?” Lock crossed his arms. “Do you know how to beat it?” “No, but…” “Hraah… hraaaaah…!!” “Gods above! Everyone, get down!!”

He’d tried… He really had. But, Stragos was too late to warn them… “Hraaah-pheeeeew…!!” That Typhon had some seriously strong nasal passages!

The people closest to the beast found themselves blown overboard, all three of them hanging on to the rails in a half-panic. The people to the sides were knocked to their feet or tossed up against the guardrails, thrown for a loop. As for the people straight ahead… “Look out…!!” Wedge stood in front of Tina, guarding her with his body as a huge, semi-invisible projectile warped the air and headed right toward them. As it made contact with the former soldier, he expected it to hurt. However… “Whaaa-hoo-hoowaaah…!!” It, instead, sent him flying… right off the deck and, unfortunately… much farther than even the people closest to Typhon. He had absolutely no chance of grabbing onto anything and wound up in a freefall some distance away from the Blackjack!

For several moments, he flailed his limbs and screamed in a complete panic! As the realization that he was going to become a really big mess on the ground far-far below set in… he stopped screaming and put his hands over his face, deciding not to watch. “So, this is how it ends?” he asked himself. “With an over-the-top sneeze and a looooong plummet with a very sudden stop at the end! Can’t say I ever imagined that one…” He sighed, moving his hands and crossing his arms. “Ya know… I don’t think the Imperial Army ever planned for anything like this… Or, maybe, they did? I didn’t even know we had air machines, ‘til now, so…” He gave another sigh, closing his eyes and going silent for a while. “Guess there’s nothing left to do but–” “Weeedge!” The ex-soldier gave a blink. He could swear he’d heard a female voice scream his name. “Great, now I’m hearing things…” “Weeeeedge…!” “Go away, female-voice-in-my-head! I’m already freaking out enough without you–” “Weeeeedge…!!” “Okay, fine, what?” “Grab on…!!”

Wedge gave a hard blink. Grab onto what? he thought. A second later… “Please…!! Take my hand…!!” That same, somewhat-distorted voice called to him from his left. He finally convinced himself to look… only to see a vaguely-familiar, glowing form in a dive right next to him. “T… T-Tina…?” She was desperately reaching for him with one purple-pinkish, clawed hand, her angular face full of worry and fright. “Grab on…!!” she called, again. Not a second later, he did just that before being pulled into her arms to hang on for dear life!

“Look, not that I’m not grateful that I have someone I love escorting me to the great beyond… but, Tina!” He squeezed her. “I’m gonna kill you if you didn’t get sneezed off, too!” “I followed you!” she shouted over the whipping air. “I couldn’t let you die…!!” “You idiot… I’m gonna kill you.” Wedge smiled, giving her a loving hug. “You seriously leaped after me? I… uh… hang– hang on. Something’s not right.” He looked around. Were they falling… slower? “Tina… Um, tell me something.” “Yes?” she called in a softer, calmer tone. “Your Eidolon half… Uh, can it, by chance… fly?” “Yes,” was her simple answer as she slowed, stopped, then started flying back up, carefully carrying the former soldier in her arms. “You didn’t know?” Wedge blushed… then, he sighed. “Just… get me back on the airship, please.”

The fall down had taken about three minutes, but the flight back up took twice as long. He watched Tina, feeling relieved that she didn’t seem to be struggling with him… but, felt extremely embarrassed that he didn’t know she could fly… not that he’d have any reason to think otherwise, of course. He’d only seen that form twice, counting his current situation, and the first time was a less-pleasant experience, for him. Still… he was glad that she’d come to his aid. And, as he looked her over… he couldn’t help but notice how pretty her Eidolon form was. He made a note to ask her to pose and turn for him in that form, later.

“This is as far as I can go…”

Tina landed somewhere before collapsing onto her knees. Wedge was quick to kneel beside her, ready to help her to her feet. When they both stood, he looked around… only to scowl and furrow his brow. “Tina…?” “Y-yes…?” she panted. “Either this isn’t the airship… or, Typhon really did a number on the flight deck.”

They both looked around at their surroundings. Just as Wedge had noted, they weren't standing on the deck of an airship… but, rather, a large chunk of rock and dirt which, not unlike the airship, was hanging in the air and flying free. Unlike the airship, though, the mass of land seemed twisted and torn, and seemed to stretch on for quite some distance.

“Weee’re… on that flying continent, aren’t we…?” “I… I couldn’t make it,” she told him, leaning on his frame. “I don’t have the stamina… haa… to stay in that form… for very long. I’m sorry…” “Hey, hey, it’s alright…” Wedge smiled, gently nudging her head up. “You saved my life. Which is funny… ‘cause, it’s usually the guy who saves the girl!” “I can… relate to that…” He gave a blink… then, he smiled, more. She was grinning at him.

“So, we’re stuck on this island ‘til your friends head this way, huh?” “I guess so…” Tina slowly parted from her friend… only to wobble and fall to her knees, again. “T-Tina!” He was quick to kneel behind her. “Are you okay?” “N-not really…” she admitted. “Still worn out from the trip back up?” “Yes, but… there’s something else.” Slowly, she raised a gloved hand, pointing into the distance. Biggs had to adjust his goggles before he noticed… “Are those…?” “The Warring Triad…”

He couldn’t see it very well… but, situated at the approximate center of the island, stood upon some sort of plateau, were a trio of gray figures. While he couldn’t make out any of their features, he could seem the radical power emanating from them. Considering that he wasn’t the slightest bit magically-inclined… it was enough to send shivers up his spine.

“This entire island,” Tina told him as they both stood back up, “is being held in the sky by those three. This place also feels… familiar.” The girl looked at him with sad eyes. “I think… this may be what became of my home…” “Wait… are you trying to tell me that this island, itself, is the Eidolon’s World…?” “Wh-what’s left of it, anyway…” She shivered. “My home… My dad’s friends… It’s all… it’s all…!” “Tina, no… please, don’t cry…” But, she couldn’t help it. The realization that they were standing on what little remained of her home… that the Empire had, more-than-likely, utterly eradicated all of the Eidolons… hit her like a ton of bricks. It was emotionally overwhelming for the poor, half-Eidolon girl.

“W… W-Wedge…?” “Y– yeah, Tina?” She looked up from hiding her face against his chest. Despite her wet eyes… she looked angry. Angry… and, determined. “We have to stop the Empire. Even if it means… if it means…” She looked away, sounding like she didn’t want to finish that thought. “Yeah… yeah, I guess we– hey, wait, Tina! Where are you going…?” “I’m sorry, Wedge…” She’d pushed him aside, then took a few steps away before telling him, “I have to do this. For my family. For my friends. For my kind…” Wedge hesitated… then, he started to give chase. “Y-you don’t have to do this alone!” “H-he’s right, you know… ehn…” Both figures stopped in their tracks. A somewhat-familiar, gravelly voice had spoken up. When they turned to see who had spoken… “S-Shadow!!” Tina called with a start, covering her mouth with one hand. There, shambling toward them, was a beat-up man completely covered in black cloth… which had been stained red, in places. It could be none other than the self-made mercenary, Shadow.

“Damn the Empire – present company excluded…” He coughed, giving a nod to Wedge as Tina started magically healing him. “Once they were done with me, they tried to kill me…” “They didn’t do a very good job,” the former soldier nervously joked. “What’s worse? I never got paid for the Triangle Island job. Heh.”

“Are you going to be alright?” Tina asked as she finished. She was trying to wipe his darkly-clad face with a white linen cloth, but he just kept ducking away. “I’m fine, stop fussing over me,” he eventually told her, gently grabbing her wrist. “We have bigger concerns, right now.” “O-okay…” She offered a slight smile as he let her go, then tucked her cloth into her dress pocket. “Where are your friends?” was the man’s next question. “We could use their help.” “They’re… up there, I think? And– oh!!” She had pointed to the sky, but when she and the others actually looked… they were shocked to find that the Blackjack was being attacked by some massive construct! By the look of it… the airborne vehicle was full of nasty weaponry, too.

“No…!” she gasped, covering her mouth, again. “We have to do something…!” “I mean… if you think you can fly up there, let’s go,” Wedge commented, “but…” “I can’t–” the girl quickly answered before looking away in sudden silence. “Then,” Shadow began, “I guess we have no choice but to go forward.” Both Tina and Wedge gave a blink as Shadow stepped over to a rocky formation. When he kicked it, they were both genuinely surprised as part of it collapsed into a pathway.

“It’s kind of a shame.” He crossed his arms, leaning against the rocks as he told them, “I’m sure at least one of your other friends has a score to settle with the Empire.” “More like, all of them…” Wedge added with a grin. “We could just wait for them. But…” Shadow looked up and the other two followed suit. That huge air vehicle was still focused on the Blackjack, bright flashes of magic and explosions firing off near both. “They could be a while.” “Hey, uh…” They both turned to Wedge as he spoke up. “As much as I’d love to go punch Kefka and Gestahl in the face, right now?” He skittishly squirmed. “I’m pretty sure they’d tear me apart. I mean, hell, I left my sword… uh…” He’d paused. Tina was curiously looking at him with her hands folded over her lap. “I left my sword… somewhere,” he half-lied, “so, I’m a bit under-dressed for combat.” “You can use my sword, if you want! I never use it, really…” The former soldier gave a blink. Tina had unhooked her scabbard from her sash and handed it and its blade over with absolutely no hesitation… and, a smile. “Well… shi– oot. Shoot,” he corrected himself. “I guess I’m… ready to go, then?” “Okay!” Her smile brightened. “Lead the way? I’ll make sure no one sneaks up on us!” “Who would possibly–” A deafening roar from somewhere on the island stopped him from finishing that thought. Somewhere… something was waiting for them and, from the sound of it… it was angry.

“You know… I think we should wait for the others!” Wedge suddenly exclaimed. “Just in case there’s, uh… something really ugly up ahead!” “Wedge…” He gave a blink. Tina had nudged up to him with a soft, sweet smile. “It’s okay if you’re scared,” she told him in that innocent way she spoke. “I’m scared, too. But, we’re not alone. We have Shadow, and he’s a super-cool ninja!” Wedge wasn’t sure… but, he thought he heard said ninja chuckle. “Plus… We have each other…” He blushed a little, then. Tina held his hand in hers before looking right into his eyes. “It’s okay if you’re scared…” she repeated in a softer voice. “Just, don’t let that fear eat you up. We’ll make it through and stop the bad-guys. I promise.” A moment later, she had to tilt her head. One hand reached up, brushing his cheek. “Wedge?” she asked, her face filling with concern. “Are you crying?” “You are such an innocent, sweet little cinnamon bun, Tina…” “Thank y– oh– mm!!”

Shadow turned his head away, hiding his face behind one hand. Without any warning, Wedge had grabbed the girl by her other hand and pulled her around to pull her closer. A second later, he had done something he’d been wanting to do since the failed mission in Narshe.

He kissed her.

“I… um… I… o-oh…” Those were all the words Tina could find as she stood there, her face red with embarrassment and her hands fumbling over each other. She had never been kissed like that… or, kissed at all, actually! It was completely new to her, and… she wasn’t sure how to react!

“Listen…” Wedge said, causing her to jerk upright. “I know this isn’t the time or place for that, but… Tina?” He took a deep breath. “I couldn’t live with myself… if I died before I let you know how I feel.” “This really isn’t the time or place for this…” Shadow commented. The former soldier grinned at the mercenary… who just shrugged and turned away, again.

“So… yeah. Ever since that time in Narshe where I abused the Slave Crown–” “Oh, come on!!” Shadow shouted. A certain kind of picture had entered his mind. “– I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you. I know you have a million other things on your mind… and, I know you have a whole company of cute guys you trust with your life… but, Tina? I… I love you. And, well… if we… no, if the world survives today?” He inhaled, then exhaled as he told her… “I’d… really like to take you out that date I promised. I-if you still wanna, I mean!” “I… I’d like that…” she shyly told him as she brushed some hair away from her face. They shared a smile, then Wedge spun around, looking at Shadow. “Sorry,” he told the mercenary. “We’re set, now. Let’s go kick Kefka’s ass!!” “Finally…” the man in black sighed. “Take the lead, ‘ex-soldier.’” And, that’s exactly what he did as the extremely-unlikely trio navigated the island.

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