Spark

By. Cassandra "Anthiena" Lone

Sept. 25, 2008-Oct. 13, 2008

I do not own Final Fantasy VI or any associated properties. Square-Enix does. Please don't sue me. This story is purely non-profit.

AN: It took me long to get this chapter done because I lost a page of the hard copy of this chapter. Should not be a problem anymore. I also lost my jump drive (I don't have internet at home) which is why it has taken me so long to upload a chapter. The ...a land has it's hero returned... bit is a paraquote of a line from Gargoyles. Why the gap between the finish and the upload? I lost my jump-drive... Spot all the references.

Chapter 2: Magic Queen

News spread, slowly but surely. Magic wasn't dead, it was whispered. It was sleeping, waiting for it's mistress to pass the test and call. Terra's name was on their lips. Where once called witch, all hailed as hero and savior. When someone whispered Goddess, it was a word that many were willing to repeat; repeat they did.

One master looked to the mountains in fear when he heard the name from his contact. It was a feeling he hadn't entertained even when a continent floated in the sky. Or when Kefka had burned the skies with the "Light of Judgement".

When a land has it's hero returned, deeds are soon found for the hero.

000

Rekki was thirteen. She liked to play with the boys at their rough games and liked a dream where she could fly. Two years before, Mama Terra had fainted and got magic again. She went out patrolling for monsters. She couldn't fly like she could before, though. Rekki understood and remembered that Terra was not her real mother, but thought of her in that way. Setzer had brought people to Mobriz over the long years since Kefka was killed. The town had been brought back from the brink. Rekki helped watch over both the children born in the town and new townees. She knew first aid and she knew Madeline.

Madeline was plain and knew it. So did other kids and made sure she couldn't forget it. Mostly the new townees. Some of them liked dangerous games. Rekki liked to help, but she couldn't chase away all the kids who were mean, kids who were hurtful to Madeline. To Rekki, who remembered the fire that took her parents, the meanness was like a little Light of Judgement. Madeline was being led along, but Madeline was too self-conscious to realize it. Rekki came up to the boys, playing on the high pilings. "What are you doing?" She demanded.

"We're teaching Maddie how to jump off the pilings, so beat it."

"Screw you!"

They all started wrestling, Madeline pulling at Rekki and the other boys cheering on. "Stop! Please stop!" Suddenly, Madeline took a step back, finding only air. "Mama!" She screamed as she toppled, bringing Rekki with her.

The boys stared as the girls seemed to float to the ground. When blood began to spread out over the ground, they fled.

000

"Mama! Madeline and Rekki got hurt!" Yelled one of the older teenagers.

Terra rushed with the young man leading, to the edge of the village fast becoming a city, where construction of new housing and businesses were. A wave of horror came over her. Those pilings are rather high... she tried to will away the nausea , but she spat a little of her lunch out when she saw them. Rekki's arm and legs were bent in the wrong directions, wrong places and red foam came out of her mouth, her breath burbling. She was going to die soon, from drowning in her own blood. Madeline had blood pouring out from her skull, her head tilted in a loose, boneless manner. Somehow, she was still breathing but all who looked on knew that shortly, they would be looking at corpses.

Terra looked on in horrified shock, eyes brimming with tears. She couldn't quite believe what she was seeing. Like a dagger thrown out of the blue, she started to scream. Only one of the Returners would have recognized the litany she then sobbed out, a bright aura forming around her. Other children ran to it, curious. She screamed out a stream of now recognizable words. "Curega! Arise! Regen! Relife!" The children saw a sight they hadn't seen since a year after Kefka became a God: Terra in Esper form. The two girls glowed too bright to see and then they both sat up, apparently unharmed... and different. Madeline had purple skin, grey-white hair, bright green eyes and gossamer wings. Rekki looked like-

"Yura. You look just like Yura." Terra blanched. "How..?"

"We already call ourselves after you, Mama..." Rekki looked deferential, her head bowed to Terra.

"We're Espers, all of us!" Called an unchanged child.

"Me and Madeline just look like Espers now." Rekki rubbed the back of her head. "Are you feeling okay, Madeline?"

Madeline just rushed to Terra, crying and apologizing again and again.

000

"Smile and just think about how they might look like if Kefka turned up."

At that thought, a predatory smile lit up Relm's face. "Do you think that they have any idea what you're going to announce?" She asked Edgar.

"None whatsoever... which is why the castle is behind us and guards surrounding us."

"Relm has a paintbrush if that fails. Relm's illusions have gotten very strong lately."

Magic seemed to be returning, slowly but surely. First Celes noticed, then Strago and then Relm. They were raised in it, they more than anyone else would know magic when it touched them. Strago himself was dying and lingered in the apartments in the castle. Nothing could help his lack of breath or his failing heart. Not long term, anyway.

"My people. As you know, my father intended for Sabin and myself to rule Figaro together, side by side. We didn't start out that way and Gods know we ended up not exactly what he had hoped for. Sabin is the strong arm of the kingdom, protecting us and a friend of the common man. I know that neither Sabin or I have wives or children. I intend to change that. I present to you, Lady Mage Relm Arrony of Thamasa, age 19, Pictomancer; in a fortnight's time, I shall make her Relm Arrony-Figaro, Princess-Consort and my wife."

Things got real interesting then.

Relm ended up in the throne hall, where Cyan and a giggling Gau, who collected himself under a withering glare. "Thine subjects art very disappointed." He commented dryly. Relm smiled and handed Gau a pouch of money while Edgar preened.

"Just be glad you aren't in old-times Doma; Sometimes they would give Prima Noctra to their favored vassal to keep the bloodline fresh. I got a kick out of that part of history." Gau grinned.

Cyan blushed scarlet, but remained his stoic self. "Verily, that was long ago."

The next week Relm found infuriating. She'd known all the important guests nine years except for Strago, whom she had known her entire life. Gau made her want to paint his picture-not the pretty kind, but the kind that hurt-badly. She wasn't sure what made her finally agree to marry Edgar. She wasn't sure if she was going to leave him at the altar or not either. The preparations over the next two weeks were intense. Terra came three days before the nuptials with some pretty looking kids. Setzer had brought Celes, Locke and Sabin. Mog was too old too make it and Umaro wouldn't leave his friend's side.

She wouldn't admit it, but she was watching for someone else.

The night of was a big Relm was fussed over by Terra and Celes. Terra smiled gently as she rubbed Relm's head to rid her of her headache and didn't notice until she was done that the veil had been transformed into a beautiful tiara that looked like thin willow branches woven together with a spray of jewels and multi-colored pearls over them, only made of gold and platinum. The fabric that tickled her shoulders seemed to be made of the finest silk, but seemed to have the color of beautiful mythril. By Terra's own shocked look, she looked like even she wasn't sure how she did it.

Celes meanwhile, fussed with the bouquet and chased the men away. "Well, today you find out if Edgar's words are empty or not."

"Give it a rest, Relm knows that Edgar is a flirt, but Setzer is worst, he's a rake!"

Both Terra and Celes blushed. "You are right. Setzer is a man whore." Terra nodded emphatically.

"Did he boink you both?" Relm grinned from behind her veil.

"No, I'm faithful to Locke!" Celes protested.

Terra was conspicuously silent. "You didn't-!" Both Celes and Relm stared at her, shocked and critical respectively.

"Did what?" She smiled faux-innocently.

Both women shook their heads.

000

Setzer stood with the other best men, Sabin, Locke and Cyan; out of the friends who had adventured, only Gau and Strago sat in the crowd. Strago didn't have a year left to live and that was putting it mildly. Gau... well, Setzer recognized the look on his face and it wasn't friendship he had on his mind. Setzer didn't begrudge him, though; Setzer thought Gau a better man than he; he wasn't sure if he could sit though the wedding of a woman he loved or lusted after, which was why he didn't come to Celes and Locke's.

Maybe some of Cyan's teaching was getting through.

Music started to play and Edgar looked ecstatic at the vision of beauty coming to him down the aisle. Relm looked pleased and proud. Mr. Figaro was welcome to her indeed; she was too much like her father. Shadow had come back a year after Kefka's defeat to confess to his daughter who he was-in relation to her. It had been the year where he stayed far, far away from Thamasa indeed. Celes looked happy and almost as beautiful as the bride, which really said something. Terra looked her exotic self, green hair curling everywhere. She hadn't put it in a ponytail since the day of Kefka's defeat. She could always look exotic, even in ordinary clothes.

He grinned and remembered the first time he had met them. He was glad in retrospect that he hadn't gone ahead with his near-rape of her he had thought he had Maria on his ship. Oh, he had fully intended to seduce her, right up to her engagement announcement. He'd gotten very drunk in Terra's little cabin in Mobriz, in fact. It wasn't Celes, the marriage or Locke that had changed his mind, it was Terra, who had taken care of him. He'd intended to stay drunk, but curiosity had won over misery. Terra had been in front of him. They had danced around each other until finally sleeping together.

It wasn't yet five years since then. He had avoided her long enough and he decided that he had waited and fooled himself long enough. Two nights before, he had gone to her, her looking surprised. She was wearing a thin nightgown with nothing under it, so she couldn't have been too surprised.

He was suddenly very aware that he was standing and an absurd quote from a deeply funny play came to him. Believe me, even though we're sitting, we're giving you a standing ovation. He pinched himself from bursting into laughter. He checked out Relm and Gau again. Relm didn't seem to be comfortable looking at Gau. The naked desire on his face was as obvious as his green hair.

Only Figaro could be such a potential disaster.

"Is there anyone who could speak on the bride's behalf?" Asked the Councillor.

"I can." In the doorway stood Shadow, all in black, with his usual mask on.

Relm had mixed emotions on her face. She looked cautious, angry, anxious, earnest and fragile all at once. He took off his mask and looked at all shrewdly. "Who are you, sir?" Asked the Councillor.

"I am Clyde Arrony, Relm's father." He stated simply.

The crowd stayed silent as the councillor finished the ceremony. The couple held their bound hands together. "I present to you their majesties, Relm and Edgar Figaro, heroes and Godslayers!"

Subdued cheers rang out. Relm Figaro turned to Clyde Arrony. "So why were you late?" She asked him, annoyed.

000

"Mother Terra!"

Terra sighed. The people who thought she was a new God meant well, but they were annoying. It wasn't their fault; the past sources before her had insisted they were Gods, so of course they thought of her as such. Worshipers just didn't do anything for her ego, though a part of her thought it was funny. Kefka would be just livid.

000

One man did not come for the celebration, but for watching. They treated him well, in spite of his cover as a drunk from Zozo. He'd been watching for two years and couldn't believe his luck. He'd written his findings and sent them off. The Zealot Prince would be pleased.

He couldn't believe his good fortune when he saw a courier hawk arrive. He took and opened the Scroll.. He began smiling and wrote his reply on the back and put in back in the container and released the raptor.

Information received, the scroll said. Kill as many as you can. Leave the Pretender alive.

"Heard and shall obey.'" He laughed.

000

"Fuck that, I will never do this again!" Relm seethed.

"Only a few hours left to go..." Edgar soothed.

"King Edgar, Princess-Consort Relm, I pledge my faith in you as Prince-King Sabin Rene Figaro." Sabin bowed deeply and went over behind the throne. "Master Duncan had me do this under waterfalls, luckily. After that, this will be nothing." Sabin added sotto voce, smiling with his usual good nature.

First came advisers, then nobility, then castle servants, then native commoners. After that were visitors from other city-states and countries, where even a solitary Zozo citizen was in attendance. Strago came before the visitors from Narshe. "So you're a big, fancy queen, hmm?" He smiled. Something was in his hands.

"Piss off, old man. I'm Princess-Consort, not Queen."

He produced a slightly tarnished crown. "Not according to this, you delightful harpy." Relm rolled her eyes.

"Some mage you are. You think a moldy old crown is talking to you."

"Before the War of Magic 1,000 years ago, Magic Warriors had a city with three rulers. One for each of the Gods, but when Kefka took that power, the crowns of Glory and Victory disappeared leaving the Crown of Souls. Only that crown could heal. Glory inspired, Victory protected but victory couldn't protect anyone and Glory couldn't inspire anyone. I recognized this from old books I read. I found it last month. There's always a bearer who has to bring it to the new ruler. The Magic Warriors before me named our city after the fallen capital Thamasa."

"So you're the bearer?" Edgar asked. "So what happens now?"

"Not much, really. The Magic Warriors will die out soon because there aren't any Espers or Magicite anymore. The Crown of Souls belonged to the Ruler over Espers. Glory was the Magic Warrior's crown and Victory the mediator between the Gods of Magic and the rest of us. So Relm is Queen of Espers, though she isn't an Esper herself. Maybe because the new source is half-Esper it's changed. He put the crown on her over her tiara.

"All hail Relm Figaro, Queen of Espers." Relm shrugged.

The surprise came when the two pretty kids, Setzer and Clyde all bowed instantly. "Oh my... I don't think I have my powers under total control yet..." Terra looked bashful.

"Fira!" Yelled the man supposedly from Zozo. Everyone stared at him. He swore. "Oh, well; Plan B. For the Zealot Prince!" He started tossing balls around him. They broke, spilling some kind of liquid and people avoided them. Nobody started screaming until he lit a match and tossed it. The "liquid" lit up, as did people who had been splashed. Chaos broke out.

Cyan, Gau and Clyde ran to the man, all four of which now armed. The strange man from Zozo turned out to be an excellent swordsman, but nobody was a match for the greatest Domajin Swordsman who ever lived, his wild apprentice and the greatest assassin living. A fan of blood hit the ground and one fell, but it wasn't the Zozo man, because they didn't stop fighting. Terra got to him and tried healing the wound. Gau and Cyan met blow after blow, Gau making unpredictable swings. "Move, Cyan!" Gau yelled.

Cyan immediately stepped back, though concerned. Immediately, Gau and the Zozo man matched blow for blow, pushes, vicious body checks, punches with the butt of the sword... it was beautiful to behold. Cyan had trained Gau, but it was Gau's childhood upon the Veldt that had taught him to be able to emulate any style he saw. He had learned the Zozo man's style within seconds with some variation.

Cyan helped Clyde out of the way as Terra drew upon her power. She hadn't touched a sword in years and was rusty. It wouldn't be swordsmanship that would save them. She cast a bubble around the fighters and Gau smiled at the Zozo man and stepped back as the bubble formed around the crazed man.

The bubble was hard for Terra to keep up. People were running and screaming around her and the Zozo man beat at his mystical cage. He looked surprised when a wizened old man stepped through the bubble. "What the hell do you think you're doing, old bag?!" Relm yelled, grief coloring her features.

"Going out with a little style, mmm? This old mage won't be dying slow any time!" He called with a grin and sparkle in his eyes. "GRAND TRAIN!"

The attack hit as the false Zozo swordsman stabbed Strago. Terra was sweating from exertion when she fell. The bubble expanded and expanded until it was over the whole castle. The two Esper children sent energy to it and it dissipated. All faded to white.

000

Terra was first to awake. It was night and gasped when most of the people became visible. All of them, Espers. "Oh, no..." She looked at Strago's bloodied form. It seemed so senseless.

Relm, Clyde, Gau and Setzer were among the few who had not changed appearance. Others, like Celes and Cyan had changed very little-Cyan looked unbelievably young, though now with totally silver hair. Some, like Sabin and Locke had changed significantly. She didn't see Edgar. Edgar popped up with a large set of antlers and a blade poking out from each shoulder. "What... happened?" He asked, looking drowsy.

"My power swept over everyone and changed them... what have I done...?" Tears flowed down her face. "The cycle is starting all over again!"

"No, it isn't." Came Clyde's voice. He sat up with effort. "You are different than any of the other sources. You are like a mother, where the Sources before were like children. The Triad fought like children. Kefka wanted to kill and destroy everything like a spoiled child. You want to protect."

The two children got up. Terra went to them and got on bended knee to them. "Rekki, Maddie, are you alright?" She embraced them as they both replied in the affirmative.

Gau bolted up and looked around. "Gau! Mr. Thou! Cyan!" He went to Cyan and shook the elder warrior.

"I'm not dead yet. Thou should know; a warrior of Doma is more than a match for anything, even in dotage, I hast told thee this before." Cyan puffed.

Relm pushed herself up and looked for Strago. Terra looked away as Relm came to him, trying to feel if he had any life in him still. Her pained scream echoed over the ramparts of Figaro, waking an Esper who had come from South Figaro. She looked at the upper torso of the man who had attacked the wedding.

"Stupid man." She muttered and got up to shaky feet and kicked the corpse. Parts of him were within a small area-where the bubble had been.

She looked around at the people around her. She looked at her now clawed hands and realized something. She got to the outside and found a hawk with the Zealot Prince's seal on it. She took a piece of parchment and wrote a few words. She sent the hawk off and sighed. She knew she would be dead soon. Probably a horrible death, too. News would get out that everyone at the wedding was now an Esper.

000

The Zealot Prince was not a foolish man, he was just crazy. Still, he could figure events out in such a way, what happened next was usually his prediction. Some believed him to have a piece of Kefka's soul. Whether it was true or not, didn't matter. It certainly helped him keep the Fanatics under his control.

He had started out as just another Fanatic, but when Kefka died, he realized, he hadn't been sad anymore. He had been happy with having a little power. He wanted more of it. For years, he had climbed the rank and file of the Fanatics and when he had assumed power, he had utterly changed the nature of their former chaotic organization into something that Kefka had never thought of or bothered with had he indeed thought of it.

Most believed that he wanted to revive Kefka. He let them, though the higher-ups knew differently. He didn't want to destroy the world, he wanted to rule over it as a God of Magic... or perhaps with Terra as thrall to him. Mother and Father to the world, perhaps?

He got recruits and trained them carefully and slowly. Those who couldn't handle it became entertainment, one way or another. One was screaming on a rack nearby as his former fellows turned the screws to break bones. It surprised him, but the female recruits did much better than their male counterparts. Fewer women failed.

One who had failed most recently in the field was on his mind. He had just gotten a message from his contact from South Figaro. His spy in Figaro had failed; a few people had been killed, but only one of the ones who had fought Kefka. The oldest one who had been already dying.

After that, he had to rely on second hand news from Castle Figaro. He couldn't risk newcomers there at that point until he had other, more experienced spies. He reflected on the enemies he had yet to kill. Edgar was a political force, in spite of the small size of his nation. He exported machinery and the old research that Cid had saved in the little hut he had died in had been found. Magitek was possible to build, but not at the moment. He had compunctions about draining the few existing Espers. His new queen, Relm was a capable mage but not much of a warrior.

Celes and Lock were still worthy warriors, though of late, out of practice. Shadow was an unknown, never seen by any of his spies, though some who had looked for him had vanished, only to be found with slit throats. Mog was too old to be worried about and Umaro was as questionable as it was possible to be. Impossible to tell what it would do next.

Terra, the Pretender Goddess called "Mother Terra" and even Gaia from time to time, was a thorn in his side and he hoped to kill her, steal her power and use it himself. Mostly he wanted to kill her because the rank and file of the Fanatics knew she had killed their God. Unfortunately, he had no Fanatic strong enough to kill her. Or brave enough to face her magic. It was a definite problem.

Gau was fast becoming one of the greatest swordsmen to ever live. It helped that his mentor, Cyan, was one of them. Cyan's new Domajin however, he considered a waste of time. One of his South Figaro spies who had gone to the wedding hadn't reported in or had been seen since the wedding, which was a week before. He knew from other sources that his spy that had survived the wedding was now an Esper. "I need you to kill this person." He tossed a picture to someone he didn't want to look in the eyes. It was shameful, but he didn't care. "This person is an Esper, so collect the Magicite; bring it to me."

The first Magicite since Kefka's death would be very useful indeed. The Zealot Prince tossed a bag of Gil to the one in the shadows. "You'll get the rest when you bring the Magicite." The rest being a very large amount of money.

The person left, leaving the Prince mostly alone. He thought about how he had come to the Fanatic's Tower, not caring. Kefka was going to burn the world, he had figured out that much, but when the rather insane clown was put down, the ones who had actually believed stayed while most of the fearful and depressed ones left. He had seen opportunity. While most declared them to be hideously dangerous, he had spent six years getting to the top, speaking of Kefka's rebirth.

He had no such intention; why destroy this world? If it was destroyed, he would go with it. His work made the Fanatics into a credible threat. He wanted power, real power.

He would get it, sooner or later.

000

She was traveling to Thamasa as quick as she could. South Figaro was no longer safe for her. She had wanted to escape the Fanatics and that city of Mages was her only chance. Tomo was sure she'd be safe there-if she even made it there.

She stumbled through the woods in the dark; not her place. She ended up stumbling into a campsite. "I'm sorry!" She fell into the dirt.

The younger warrior helped her to her feet. "What are thou doing in this wild wood?" The older one asked.

"Running from a Fanatic Assassin." She decided to tell the truth.

"Weren't you at the wedding?" The younger had caught sight of her new claws.

"It's a long story."

"Explain thineself; we have the time." The elder insisted.

000

"...we have the time." Cyan insisted.

The woman looked like a deer caught unawares and Gau was sympathetic. Cyan was not. He'd been through too much and was a great Domajin Samurai, now a Shogun. He was also not a stupid man and would not leave it at simply Maiden in Distress. "Whence did thee come from?"

Tomo sighed. "I'm originally from Tsen. I was brought up hidden in the mountains by a mostly crazy woman who claimed to be a retainer of the Royal Family. It was alright and my friend Mash was there for me when Elena died. For a while, I was really happy. When the world ended, Mash got killed and I ended up as one of those robed Fanatic idiots."

"Thou art a Fanatic no more... correct?" Cyan led.

"Not since the marriage of the King of Figaro and Queen of Espers. I became an Esper and I heard Mash laughing. He told me that I was foolish and should run."

"I thought that the Fanatics finally disbanded two years ago."

Tomo sighed and frowned. "No; some guy got to be leader four years ago. He started making changes and quietly training some people. I didn't care, I was still too focused on the fact Mash was gone. I was sent to live in South Figaro as a spy. Terrus was a disturbed man. He actually wanted Kefka to come back. I think he doesn't want to bring Kefka back, but I can't keep on like that. I can't, now that I am no Fanatic and now an Esper." She looked at the canopy and the gaps between trees where stars showed through. "Which is why the Zealot Prince is trying to have me killed."

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AN: I actually had the havok following the wedding going a very different way. I like this better. As for the Zealot Prince, I gave conflicting accounts to kind of show he's not exactly the most stable rock in the pile.