Shards of Memory

Chapter 7

Betrayal

“With friends like these, who needs enemies?” – Old English proverb.

---

“Looks like it’ll be dark soon,” Onion Knight mused, looking up at the sky. Cloud followed his gazed to see the sun hanging right in the center of the sky.

“How can you tell?” Cloud asked. “That sun never moves right, sometimes it moves too fast or not at all. There’s no way you could tell the time by looking at it.”

“Sure there is, it’s an educated guess,” Onion Knight said. Terra let out a soft chuckle behind them as the three walked across the hilly green friends. The forest had thankfully come to an end that morning, leaving them in lush green countryside. There were a few pits that looked artificially dug out here and there, leading to cave mouths that they had decided not to risk exploring. None of them had recognized this place, so Cloud had assumed it to be from another world none of them had come from. Which was fine, the plains were eye pleasing and there seemed to be no Crystelles or monsters around.

“Well we can’t tell for sure, so we’d best keep moving for now,” Cloud said. “That mountain up ahead should be a good place to explore tomorrow, we should make it to the base by night.”

“Oh, listen to Mr. High And Mighty,” Onion Knight sniffed. “Who died and made you the boss?”

“Cloud’s right, Onion Knight,” Terra said. “We should try and cover as much ground as possible. The presence Cloud and I sense is far away, and it may be a Crystal. We should try and get there as quickly as we can.”

“Gang up the kid why don’t ya,” Onion Knight picked up the pace and marched ahead of them, grumbling under his breath. Terra shook her head and smiled.

“He’ll act like such a child one moment, and a brave knight the next,” she thought aloud. “He is trustworthy though. We’ve been through a lot of battles together.”

“I’ll bet,” Cloud nodded. “There was a girl like that in my world. She didn’t always act courageous…or trustworthy even.”

“What did she do?” Terra asked. Cloud scowled slightly as he remembered the difficult going through the Wutai wilderness, made more difficult by their impaired abilities. That had not been an enjoyable trip, no Materia to fight with, or to heal injuries, which there were more of since fighting was harder. The bitter herbal taste of the Potions they’d been forced to rely on had been stuck in his mouth for a week afterward.

“She stole our Materia and ran off with it,” he replied. “We had to track her down and practically strong-arm her into giving it back.”

“Materia…that’s those glowing orbs you have with you, right?” Terra turned her head towards Cloud. “The ones you said let the people on your world use magic.”

“Yeah, that’s it,” Cloud nodded, reaching into a satchel on his belt. He withdrew one of the three Materia orbs he had with him, this one Fire, and held it in front of him. The normally shimmering Materia was dull in color. As Cloud had discovered early in this world, Materia was much weaker than he was used to. “They take their power from the Lifestream, so with the cataclysm they’re not at potent as they are normally, but yeah, they can cast magic.”

“So why did she steal them?

“Long story, one I personally never bought. She said Materia was outlawed in her country, and she wanted it to help restore their reputation. But even years after our quest she was obsessed with it. Yuffie was always sneaky…” Cloud smiled slightly as he remembered the battle with Sephiroth’s avatars, and the twisted incarnation of Bahamut they had summoned to destroy Edge. “But when it came down to it, she came and fought to save the world. We weren’t exactly the most likely groups of allies you could think of, but we still all come to each other’s aid when we need it. We’re a team, all of us. Even the ones that like to swipe the team’s items and run for it.” Cloud let out a small chuckle that Terra shared in. “In the end, we all have something to fight for, and we can all count on each other.”

“I understand exactly how you feel,” Terra nodded. “My allies were like that too. We all stuck together through the worst of things and fought to protect each other. We didn’t always get along, but when it came time to fight we were there.” She lowered her head and let out a breath. “But in the end, I still felt so alone sometimes. I was the only…” Terra stopped herself from saying ‘half-Esper’, “the only Magitek Knight in our group for a long time, before we met Celes. No one else knew what I was going through.”

“Hm,” Cloud nodded, pocketing the Materia orb between his fingertips. “Yeah, that sounds familiar. We all traveled together, but it was my goal, my grudge, my vendetta to settle. I had chosen to pursue Sephiroth and get vengeance for the destruction of my home. I wouldn’t rest until I had tracked him down and taken him out…then after a while I realized how selfish I was being. It wasn’t just my fight, but everyone’s, for the sake of the planet.”

“Sounds a lot like him…” Terra thought aloud.

“Huh?” Cloud turned his head towards her. “A lot like who?”

“Locke, a friend of mine,” Terra explained. “He was like that, once. He was searching desperately for something, something personal, but once he got it…he told me it was what he wanted, but he realized it wasn’t what he needed. He had gotten that a long time ago…”

“Locke…was he like, a boyfriend-type friend?” Cloud asked. Terra blushed and shook her head.

“No, nothing like that, he loved someone else, a couple of someone elses actually. I loved him as a friend though…” Terra kept walking with Onion Knight. Cloud shrugged. He wasn’t sure why he had asked, it wasn’t his business, and besides…

“Just like him.”

Cloud’s eye twitched and he stopped, wincing at the flash headache that had come from nowhere. He blinked rapidly, and looked up to see Terra turn to stare at him with bright green eyes. Cloud’s vision began to swim and he stumbled back a step.

“Cloud?”

“The same as who?”

Cloud let out a cry and dropped to his knees, clutching the sides of his head. His eyes squeezed shut, a flash of light going off behind his eyelids.

“My boyfriend.”

“You were…”

“I liked him for a while…”

“Cloud!”

The light faded behind his eyes, and the headache receded. Cloud lifted his head and opened his eyes to see Terra kneeling in front of him, a look of concern on her face. Several feet behind her, Onion Knight was staring too. Cloud calmed his rapidly beating heart and lowered his eyes, breathing heavily.

“Are you okay?” Terra asked. Cloud nodded and stood up.

“Yeah, I’m fine…” he muttered. “Just got a bit of a headache is all.”

“You sure?” Terra repeated.

“Yeah…just need a good night’s rest is all…” Cloud lifted his head as Terra stood. “Don’t worry about me, let’s keep going.” Cloud began walking, Onion Knight turning and moving forward after a moment. Cloud heard Terra begin to move behind him, and decided he had done a decent job of avoiding what had happened.

Come to think of it, what had happened? Cloud wasn’t quite sure, he was telling the truth about the headache though. There was a flash of a conversation, then a bright light, then pain. Whatever it was, it had been triggered by what Terra said. Their conversation about this ‘Locke’ person seemed familiar…was that what it was? A memory?

“That makes no sense,” Cloud thought, narrowing his eyes. “Unless…it was one of those memories I’ve forgotten. That didn’t sound like the voice from the dreams, though…so…” Cloud thought about that for a moment. Another memory he’d forgotten and couldn’t recall. A memory Terra had unknowingly brought to the surface, if only for a moment. But it wasn’t like just remembering, this had actually hurt. Like something was keeping the full force of the memory buried…Cloud furrowed his brow and growled slightly. He hated feeling confused and helpless like this. He had enough problems with Sephiroth and the other Warriors of Chaos, he didn’t need to deal with headaches and hallucinations.

“Speaking of which…” Cloud turned his head to look over his shoulder. Terra had her eyes downcast, staring at the ground as she followed behind him. A moment after he turned, she looked up to meet his gaze, and Cloud turned back around. “That’s what I thought…blue eyes. Not green, blue…” Cloud shook his head to clear his thoughts. “I’m hearing things and seeing things…great, what next?”

---

“Are we ready?” the Cloud of Darkness whispered.

“They’ll be in position within the hour,” Sephiroth nodded. “We’re all competent enough to complete our assigned tasks?”

“Yeah yeah yeah,” Kefka muttered, locking his fingers together and stretching them out. “Just stand back and watch me work. You two focus on getting big, blond and boring away long enough for me to work the magic on her.”

“As if I would fall to such an insolent little pest,” Kuja said. “The little cretin is just a prelude to my magnum opus.”

“Planning something?” The four villains turned their heads as Golbez walked out from one of the darkened halls leading deeper into the Chaos Shrine, overlooking them from the ledge about their heads. “Isn’t this inspiring, four people like you putting aside your differences to work together…” Golbez chuckled, crossing his arms. “What little schemes are you brewing this time?”

“You tell us, Golbez,” Kuja replied, tossing a stray lock of hair out of his eyes, “you always seem to know what’s going on here without being told.”

“We all have to acquire our information somewhere,” Golbez said, carefully leaping down to the floor. “Care to answer me?”

“Certainly,” Sephiroth nodded. “Before the sun rises tomorrow, the Onion Knight shall be captured and ours to exterminate, leaving Cloud and Terra alone and at our whims.”

“With no distractions, our work with them can proceed a lot faster,” Kefka sneered, rubbing his hands together. “We move out once they stop for the night. We’ve got everything covered to get the kid away from them and leave them weakened and confused.”

“I see,” Golbez said. “My compliments to you all, for actually doing something productive with one another. It’s good to know you can play nice with others.”

“Cooperation is a natural tool for dealing with a threat greater than you can handle on your own,” the Cloud of Darkness replied. “Why ought we not band together to ensure success than stand apart and risk defeat?”

“To be perfectly honest, my dear? Arrogance and incompetence.”

“Qualities you’ll find quite lacking about here,” Kuja sniffed.

“I’m sure,” Golbez chuckled. “And once the child is captured, what then?”

“We take him out, naturally,” Kefka said. “Miss. Darkness here is all ready for it.”

“Indeed. I’ve dealt with the child before, to defeat him will be a simple task,” the Cloud of Darkness whispered.

“What about the others? Cloud and Terra are strong, perhaps stronger than the boy. They may prove more challenging.”

“You don’t give us enough credit, Golbez,” Kuja said. “The girl will be incapacitated once we are done, and Cloud will have his hands full sparring with me. I’ll be keeping him busy until Kefka is done his…manipulations.”

“Manipulations?” Golbez asked, frowning inside his helmet. “Exactly what is it you lot are planning?”

“It’s simple,” Sephiroth said. “I’ll lure Cloud away, then Kuja will distract him and keep him occupied. Meanwhile, Kefka will use his control over Terra’s powers to force her to transform into her Esper form, causing her to lose control and attack her companion. When the dust has settled, we will claim the Onion Knight and leave Cloud to find Terra in her rage. The two of them will weaken each other enough for Kefka and myself to take control of them.”

Golbez’s frowned deepened. This wasn’t part of his plans, he hadn’t factored the separation of the Onion Knight and Terra into the grand scheme. Quite the opposite, the child gave Terra much-needed stability. He hadn’t orchestrated their meeting for the sake of his health, that child gave the woman an anchor to keep her weighted to her past. Without the child to provide her that anchor there was no telling what course Kefka could send her down with his scheming. He could well likely send her spiraling into a pit of despair and power. This, Golbez could not allow. It was not yet time for Terra or Cloud to take their roles in his plan, until then, he needed them acting of their own wills.

“Are you certain that this is the best course of action?” Golbez asked. He had to dissuade them, this plan of theirs might actually work and he couldn’t let that happen. Kuja scowled and opened his mouth to reply, when the Cloud of Darkness held up her hands and closed her eyes. “What is it?” Golbez asked.

“They’re decided where to stop,” she whispered, focusing on some vision only she could see. “They’re going to settle down for the night at the base of a mountain. We have their location now. It’s time to get into position.”

“Lovely,” Kefka grinned. “Sorry Golby, that’s our cue. Gotta fly!” Kefka let out a snicker as he was enveloped in an orb of dark violet energy, vanishing in a crackle of electricity.

“Irritating clown…” Sephiroth snorted and crossed his arms, vanishing as well. The Cloud of Darkness closed her eyes and lowered into a portal in the floor that appeared beneath her feet. Kuja let out a small chuckle and nodded towards Golbez.

“Wish us luck, comrade,” he said, bowing as he vanished in another flash of dark energy. Golbez let out a small growl and slammed his armored fist into his palm.

“Damn,” he muttered. This was a potential disaster. His plan hinged on Terra and Cloud not yet succumbing to the wiles of their respective enemies for some time. He didn’t care about the Onion Knight, he was nothing but for a tool to help shape Terra’s path the way he preferred. He had to stop this scheme of theirs from fruition. But he couldn’t interfere directly, he needed his supposed alliance with Sephiroth for information on Cloud, he couldn’t jeopardize that. Golbez thought quickly. He’d either have to find another way to stop them, or he’d have to find a new method to acquire information on Sephiroth’s influences over Cloud. And right now no true alternatives to either were presenting themselves. Damn…

“I miss something?” Golbez lifted his head as Jecht emerged from a hall, walking to the edge of the platform overlooking the main shrine. “I heard talking, something happening?” Jecht asked, setting his sword against a stone pillar.

“It is of no concern to…” Golbez stopped himself, synapses firing in his mind. He looked up as Jecht gave him a strange look, a slow smile crossing his face. An alternative had just made itself known: Jecht. Jecht was a bit of a wild card, not unlike him, and he wouldn’t care one way or the other about angering Sephiroth or Kuja. And it would be in his interests to interfere with Sephiroth’s manipulations of Cloud. Golbez weighed his options and formulated a new plan. Yes, Jecht would do quite nicely. Of course, it wasn’t likely the man would take a direct order. Golbez would simply have to be more clandestine about it then. Fortunately he was well versed in such things.

“Actually, yes,” Golbez nodded. “It appears our ‘allies’ finally decided to do something productive besides sit around wallowing in their own greatness.”

“Oh really?” Jecht muttered, sitting down on the edge of the platform with his legs over the edge. “What’s that?” Golbez thought for a moment. He’d had to play this particular hand of lies and truth carefully, if he wanted the intended result. Well, all hands entered play with a single card to start.

“Sephiroth is furthering his plans to take control of Cloud,” Golbez said. “Kuja is to battle the boy and weaken him, while Kefka uses his control over Terra to make her fight the Onion Knight. Then she will battle Cloud, and in their weakness Kefka and Sephiroth can take full control over their minds.”

“Yeah?” Jecht asked, looking down at the floor and frowning. “Good for them.”

“You…approve of Sephiroth’s schemes?” Golbez said, laying down his next card. “I’m a bit surprised at you.”

“Why’s that?” Jecht lifted his head, taking the bait.

“You know full well what he plans to do once he has Cloud under his control. Cecil, Tidus and Firion will die by his hand,” Golbez said, repeating what he already knew Jecht knew. “I thought you wanted Tidus to yourself?”

“It ain’t my place,” Jecht muttered, turning away. “If the pretty boys want to take him out, it doesn’t matter to me. He’s my son, but in the end he’s gotta die one way or the other.” Golbez let out an inner laugh. Jecht was many things, but a convincing liar wasn’t one of them. He could work with that.

“I personally find the entire plan rather troublesome, needlessly so,” he made a show of sighing and shaking his head. “Kuja is resting to save his energy for Zidane. If they would send someone stronger after Cloud, they could eliminate him outright. It’s not as if we don’t have alternatives for the other three, I don’t understand why they’d pass up a perfectly fine opportunity to finish Cloud off. I personally wonder if it’s because Kuja simply isn’t strong enough.”

“He’s plenty tough, he’d have to be to do what he says he’s done,” Jecht replied. Golbez smiled. Already he could sense the gears in Jecht’s mind beginning to turn. One final play, then, to make sure his plans had been laid perfectly.

“I suppose, but strong enough for Cloud? I doubt it, especially since he’s supposed to be resting. I think they’d be better off finding someone willing to go all out against Cloud,” Golbez watched as Jecht’s eyes narrowed slightly, the man going off in thought. “But then, it’s their scheme, not mine nor yours. Let them keep Cloud alive, it’s not as if it’ll be us they use to attack him with.” Golbez turned and walked up the ramp of the main hall.

That had gone well, perfectly he could almost say. Well, that may have been a stretch, this hand was his, but only this one. The next hand was Jecht’s to play, and Golbez had no direct control over him. But he had played his hand well, and he knew Jecht was a man of action. He had no doubt what sort of action he would take. Golbez stopped and looked over his shoulder. Jecht was still staring at the ground, lost in thought. Golbez smirked.

“It’s your move. Even if you don’t realize it.”

---

The sound of the tree trunk slamming into the ground echoed up the mountain slopes above as Cloud cleaved the foliage apart. With the tree lying on the ground, Cloud drew the Buster Sword back over his head and slammed it down twice, cutting a three-foot log from the rest. He stood back and huffed, sticking out his boot and rolling it away from the rest of the tree to where Terra and Onion Knight were waiting.

“We have firewood,” Cloud announced, returning the Buster Sword to its holder. Terra smiled and knelt down, holding out her hands. Her skin pulsed, and a small blast of flame shot out to the log, lighting it. “Sure, you get the easy part,” Cloud grumbled. Terra giggled slightly and sat down cross-legged by the flaming log. The sun had begun to set on the horizon, and the trio had stopped at the base of the mountain they had been striving to reach. They had agreed to rest there for the night, and explore the mountain and whatever may be beyond it in the morning.

“We need something to eat though,” Onion Knight said, kneeling down beside Terra. “I haven’t eaten in more than a day, and it doesn’t seem like there’s any monsters around here to snack on.”

“I’m hungry too,” Terra said. “We should look around for something to eat, there has to be something edible around.”

“Yeah, we…” Cloud trailed off and furrowed his brow. He turned his head to look around the site, but his companions didn’t notice. He felt like someone was calling his name. Which was absurd, of course, he hadn’t heard anything and no one else had either. Still, he felt it…

“Well, you guys handled the fire, I could look for food,” Onion Knight offered. “I don’t think there’s any Crystelles around here so I should be okay.”

“That sounds like a good idea,” Terra said. “Okay, Cloud?” she looked up at the blond to see him staring up at the mountain with a strange look on his face. “Cloud?”

“Yeah?” he murmured, not looking at her.

“Do you want Onion Knight to look for food?” she asked, growing concerned. Cloud slowly shook his head.

“No…no it’s okay. I’ll go,” he replied. “I sense something on that mountain, there may be something there. I’ll check it out, look for food on the way.”

“Do you want us to go with you?” Terra asked, standing up. “If there is something there you shouldn’t go alone.” Cloud finally broke out of his daze and shook his head again.

“No, I’ll be fine. I’ll just take a look and come back, I won’t be long,” he said, turning towards Terra. “You two stay here, I’ll be back.” He turned and walked up to the winding dirt and grass path leading up the mountain. Terra watched him go, a worried look on her face.

“Did he seem alright to you?” she asked. Onion Knight sat in front of the fire and rubbed his hands together in the dimming light from the horizon.

“As compared to normal?” he replied, scrunching up his face. “Not really. Seemed a little spaced there, but we all get like that. He’s probably got something on his mind is all, let him go off and think and he’ll be fine.”

“I guess so,” Terra said, lifting a hand to her forehead and sighing. Onion Knight lifted his eyes from his hands to look over the fire at her.

“What about you, you okay?” he asked. Terra lowered her hand and nodded.

“Yes, I’m alright. Just have a little bit of a headache is all.”

---

Sephiroth opened his eyes and smirked.

“He heard my call and has answered,” he said. “He’s coming, the girl and the boy are staying at the camp.”

“Perfect,” Kefka sneered. “Your show now, pretty boy.”

“I aim to please,” Kuja said, bowing. “And you?”

“I’ll be getting a front-row seat further down the mountain, I don’t wanna miss this show!” Kefka laughed. “The lady in red is already in position to move in once they’re done beating the crap out of each other.”

“I’ll be heading back to the shrine, my presence here is no longer required,” Sephiroth said. “Remember Kuja, you need only distract Cloud. I don’t an injured puppet to control when you’re done with him.”

“I’m not incompetent, thank you,” Kuja sniffed. “I remember the plan perfectly well. I’m more than capable of keeping that cretin busy until the finale. You two have played your parts well, now stand back and let me play mine.”

“As you wish,” Sephiroth closed his eyes and vanished in a burst of dark energy. Kefka grinned and gave Kuja a four-fingered wave as he followed suit. Kuja rolled his eyes and turned his attention to the small area below where the mountain flattened out into a small clearing. The ledge he was currently on was hidden in the shadows behind the sun, giving him a perfect vantage point to ambush Cloud when he appeared. There was a crackling behind him, and Kuja narrowed his eyes at the sensation of a dark portal opening behind him.

“Come to wish me luck, I suppose,” he muttered distastefully.

“Not exactly,” a gruff voice replied. Kuja whirled his head around in time to see a black sword swing from the darkness behind him. The flat of the blade slammed into the side of his head, and he pitched to the side and crumpled to the ground.

---

Cloud’s boot crunched on the rocks and pebbles dotting the path as he climbed higher. The feeling he had sensed before had vanished, but he had to know the source. He turned the corner of the rock face on the left side of the path and came upon a small, flat area, the walls of rock rising high above it. The path ended here. Cloud stepped into the clearing and looked around the edges for any sign of what had called him here.

“About time.”

Cloud’s hand snapped over his shoulder to the handle of the Buster Sword, and he turned. A man landed behind him in a crouching position, his hand on the hilt of a wide, black sword. The man stood up and rotated his arms a few times, leaving his sword stuck in the dirt beside him.

“And you are?” Cloud asked. The man smirked and pounded a fist on his chest.

“Sir Jecht, star player of the Zanarkand Abes,” he grinned. “And you’re Cloud…nice sword. I think mine’s a bit bigger though,” Jecht reached out and tapped the hilt of his sword.

“Looks like it,” Cloud said dryly, relaxing his grip on his sword. “So, you’re the infamous Jecht.”

“You’ve heard of me, have ya?” Jecht smiled, crossing his arms.

“Tidus talked about you a lot.”

“Oh yeah? What did the runt say about me?”

“In as many words, that you’re an old drunk with a big head,” Cloud said. Jecht let out a laugh.

“Yeah,” he said, shaking his head in amusement. “That sounds like my boy.”

“You fight on Chaos’ side. You’re one of the evil ones I’m here to defeat,” Cloud accused. Jecht sighed, his smile and amusement vanishing.

“Evil? That what ya think?” he asked quietly. “Tidus never did tell you the whole story, did he?”

“He just told me that you were a lousy father and became a destructive monster,” Cloud replied. Jecht closed his eyes.

“Yeah…that sounds like my boy…” he repeated. “He never was all that bright sometimes…it ain’t that simple, kid, though I wish it was. But what is that simple, really? When you’ve seen the things I’ve seen…done the things I’ve done, ya find out good and evil ain’t so abstract. Ever heard the saying ‘cruel to be kind’?”

“Did you come here just to preach about morality?” Cloud asked, narrowing his eyes. “Save it, I don’t need to hear it.”

“Nah, you don’t, and I didn’t come here to tell it to ya either,” Jecht shook his head. “I came here to do my boy a favor. Not that he’ll appreciate what I’m gonna do for him, but he never really did.”

“What are you talking about?” Cloud said. Jecht gave him a small glare.

“You’re a dangerous kid. You know that, I’m sure, we both know you’re a real toughie. But the fact is you’re more dangerous than you realize. You’re a danger to yourself, a danger to your friends, and a danger to the Crystals. You’re on a path of self-destruction and you don’t even realize it.”

“What do you mean?”

“Sephiroth,” Jecht said simply. Cloud narrowed his eyes. “He’s plotting against ya, right now. Who the hell do you think it was that called you here?”

“Sephiroth…” Cloud whispered. “So that’s it? You came here to help me?”

“Nah,” Jecht said. “I don’t fully understand what it is he’s planning for ya, and don’t really care. The fact is you’re a danger to your own cause. The best thing you could do for the Crystals and Cosmos, right now, is lie down.”

“So that’s it,” Cloud huffed. “You came here to tell me to back off. I don’t think so.”

“I didn’t expect ya to go quietly,” Jecht admitted. “That’s fine…been a while since I’ve had some action.” Jecht cracked his neck to the side and grabbed the hilt of his sword. Cloud scowled and drew the Buster Sword over his head, the metal clanging slightly as he held it out in front of him. “If ya won’t lie down,” Jecht said, drawing his sword from the dirt, “then I’ll put ya down.”

“Bring it on,” Cloud replied. Jecht forced a small smile and shrugged.

“Sorry kid, really. Nothing personal,” he said. And with that, Jecht swung his sword behind his shoulders and ran forward.

---

“I hope Cloud finds something up there,” Onion Knight grumbled, rubbing his fist over his helmet. He had taken off the headgear to polish it slightly, noting with dismay a few clumps of dirt caught in the ornate swirls of the helmet’s design. “I’m starving down here,” he finished, reaching up to clean the dirt away. On the other side of the fire, cross-legged, Terra clenched her eyes shut and reached up with both hands to clutch her temples.

“Y-yeah…” she whispered, gritting her teeth. The headache had become a migraine, sending pain shooting through her skull and down the rest of her body. Onion Knight turned his attention to her and frowned.

“You sure you’re okay? You don’t look okay,” he said. Terra lowered her hand to the fire to warm them in the chilling air.

“I just have a real bad headache is all,” she replied, opening her eyes. The pulsing and undulating flames of the fire did nothing to quell the pain, even antagonized it more. Still, the glow was nice, and made her hands feel warm. Terra pulled back her hand, and gasped. The glow was still there, the heat growing hotter. Her eyes went wide.

“So, if we can’t climb the mountain tomorrow,” Onion Knight asked, lowering his head and sliding his helmet back on, “where do we go?” Terra pulled her other hand in front of her eyes as she noticed the same heat in her palm, and began to pant. Both had the same glowing pink-purple aura over them. Her hands shook, and it was then Terra realized what was happening. She pushed aside the heat, the pain and focused and sent out her senses to the landscape around them. She felt what she knew she would find, and jumped to her feet.

“He’s here,” she hissed, stumbling away from the fire. Onion Knight looked up at her and stood up.

“What, what’s going on!?” he cried. Terra lifted her hands in front of her, the aura looking like fire itself as it traveled up her arms and down the rest of her body. “Oh no…” Onion Knight whispered, running in front of her. “W-why, there’s aren’t any enemies around!”

“Kefka…he…” Terra let out a cry of agony and clutched her head, her fingertips digging into her hair. “Go, get out of here!” she yelled. “I can’t stop it!”

“No way, I can’t leave you like this!”

“Can’t…go!” Terra fell to her knees and let out a scream. The aura around her flared up, and a shockwave of energy pulsed across the landscape. Onion Knight cried out as the wave knocked him onto his back, continuing beyond and rolling the firewood around on the grass, the blaze extinguishing. Onion Knight groaned and sat up, pushing up the visor of his helmet. He looked up and gulped at the sight of the glowing, floating, fully-transformed Esper hovering over him in the pre-dusk light, eyes blazing red.

“Oh no…” he whispered, scrambling back. Terra floated silently a few inches off the ground, watching him intently. “Terra,” Onion Knight said softly, slowly getting up. “You have to listen to me. You lost control and transformed again. You have to get a hold of yourself before you do we’ll both regret, especially me.” Terra let out a low growl as Onion Knight slowly backed away, not taking his eyes off her. “Terra, really, you have to try and control it,” Onion Knight said, a bead of sweat dripping down his face. “Um, ah…I’m gonna go find Cloud,” he gulped, “and we’ll find a way to get you back to normal. Okay?” Terra’s lips curled up, and Onion Knight nodded. “Right, I’ll go get him.”

He turned and bolted towards the mountain. Terra shrieked and drew a hand back over her shoulder, her arm slowing white. She flung out her hand and fired a crescent-shaped wave of energy. The blast sliced over Onion Knight’s head and slammed into the mountain, rocks and dirt raining down to cover the path. Onion Knight skidded to a halt in front of the blockade and turned as the Esper floated towards him.

“Uh…right then, we don’t need Cloud,” he said nervously. Terra stopped in front of him, hands clenching and unclenching. “Alright, think for a sec. Terra normally transforms when she’s in danger or there’s a fight,” Onion Knight thought. “She changes back when the fight’s over or when she’s weak…oh.”

“Right…okay…” he said, licking dry lips. He reached to his waist and drew his sword. “If we gotta wear you out…I guess it’s up to me,” he declared. Terra let out a snarl, and Onion Knight took a breath. “Sorry about this…” he muttered. “I’ll try to go easy, okay?”

Terra snarled again and drew back her arm again. Onion Knight cried out and leapt over another wave of white energy.

“So much for that plan!” he cried, landing and rolling to his feet. He turned and scowled. “Alright, fine. No holding back Terra!” he called. “Bring it on!” Onion Knight let out a wail and charged forward, sword held over her shoulder.