Born With Magic (Book 1 Of The Last Fantasy Duology)

Chapter 25: Gestahl, Lord Emperor of the Empire

"Terra!! Are you alright?!"

"Locke!" Terra cried, and jumped to her feet just as the thief caught up to her and the others, throwing his arms around her in a rather jumbled hug.

"Are you alright!?" Locke asked again, and Terra nodded, pulling away a little to push her hair from out of her eyes.

"I'm fine... Mog and Gau... they protected me from Kefka." Terra smiled gratefully at the two smaller Returners, who smiled back at her. Locke let out a sigh of relief and stepped back, pushing his bandana up on his forehead.

"So Kefka WAS there... But I suppose you managed to talk to the Espers if Gau and Mog fought him off?"

"Yes, I did, but..." Terra trailed off. "... We lost Setzer..."

"No you didn't!" Setzer suddenly exclaimed as he ran up to the group. Terra blinked and couldn't help but point her finger at him as if he were a ghost.

"Where did you come from?!"

"The same exit you did, silly." Setzer laughed and crossed his arms over his chest. "Although I couldn't find a way back into the Sealed Gate, so I flew back to Narshe with speeds faster than I had ever seen the Blackjack use, and picked up Locke and the others. The rest are waiting onboard."

"So that is how Locke got here too..." Terra nodded and pressed her lips together in worry. Mog seemed to be reading her mind.

"The Espers flew off together..."

"I know." Setzer said, his tone now darker as he looked to Locke. Locke sighed again and put his hands on his hips.

"But what way did they go?" Terra asked worriedly.

"Toward the capital... towards Vector..." Setzer trailed off, and Terra gasped.

"We have to go to Vector now! We have to make sure they don't do anything horrible!!"

"Don't have to tell me twice!" Locke cried. "Lets hurry up and go!"

The reunion on the deck of the airship was short-lived as Setzer demanded that everyone go down into the lower decks so that they would not be in danger when he raced the Blackjack to Vector. However, Edgar and Locke insisted they stay aboard to be with Terra while Setzer piloted, and Terra consented. Setzer revved up the engine and they took off roughly, the entire ship shaking violently as it lifted from the ground.

"We'll be at Vector soon!" Setzer called back to the others, but Terra was no longer paying attention. She was staring outside of the ship, and her lips parted slightly as if she wanted to say something, but wasn't quite sure of what that might be. She walked past Locke and Edgar towards the nose of the ship, her eyes narrowed as the wind whipped through her ponytail.

"There!" Terra suddenly cried, and pointed out in the distance at something small and sparkling. It almost resembled a shooting star in the middle of the daytime sky. Locke blinked and raised his hand over his forehead.

"What's wrong, Terra?" He asked, and Setzer looked up from the wheel to see what she was talking about also.

"I can feel it... it's coming closer and closer..."

"What do you mean, you can feel it?" Locke asked again, his tone slightly upset.

"It was... glowing... !" Terra cried again, and Locke frowned as he looked away from Terra and back into the sky, where he finally saw what she had seen. Terra became transfixed as the light came closer and closer, but Locke realized what was happening and became alarmed.

"An Esper!!" He cried. "Watch out, Terra!!" However, Terra did not reply, and before they could be struck, Locke dove on top of her and knocked her to the deck just as the Esper whooshed over their heads and nearly smashed into Setzer.