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Fanfiction: "That Nebulous Thing Called Love"
Title: "That Nebulous Thing Called Love" (3,812 words) [FFN]
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Final Fantasy VI
Rating/Warnings: General Audiences / No Warnings Apply
Characters: Celes Chere, Terra Branford
Relationships: Celes Chere & Terra Branford
Summary: Celes encounters a very different Terra in Mobliz than the one she thought she knew. Frustrated by Terra's unwillingness to fight, Celes ponders the reason behind it, and her own interpretation of love, and is eventually moved toward understanding by an innocent gesture in the dead of night.
"I guess I really don't have the strength to fight anymore," Terra whispered, more to herself than to anyone in particular. She burrowed deeper beneath her blanket, though not far enough to hide the bruise blooming across her cheekbone, and glanced up at Celes, as if seeking confirmation. Instead, Celes bit her lip and shook her head, fighting the urge to seize Terra by the shoulders and shake some sense into her, to coax the fire inside her back to life.
Terra sighed and sat up, then looked around her tiny room, at the little faces peering over the edge of the bed making sure "Mama" was all right. She turned back to Celes with a sad smile. "I'm staying here," she said. "I wouldn't be any help to you now. And… the children need me."
"They need a future," Celes replied, "and if we don't start fighting back, they won't have one. Look at what Kefka's already taken, from them, from us, from the world. And he's still not satisfied. If we don't stop him, he'll finish what he started."
One of the children whimpered and reached for Terra. She drew the little girl close and smoothed her hair, whispering reassurances. Celes tilted her head and frowned; that such tenderness could come from hands hardened by battle seemed impossible to her, yet it came so naturally to Terra. A Magitek knight turned mother figure—it would be comical if it weren't so absurd.
Would these children still feel this way if they knew what Terra was? The thought struck Celes like a thunder spell and began to grow into an idea. Would they trust her if they knew she'd served the Empire? Would they love her knowing she'd once been Kefka's pet? Or would they run her out, leaving her no choice but to fight? Celes cleared her throat.
"Look at you," she said, a hint of derision creeping into her voice, "the gentle mother, now. You've certainly come a long way from—" She stopped, the words lodging in her throat as three pairs of inquisitive eyes turned toward her and she saw past their childish curiosity to the pain and fear beneath. They'd lost enough, already; if she took Terra from them, especially in this way, she'd be no better than Kefka.
"Yes, I have," Terra said, her expression indicating she'd understood what Celes was going to say, "and that's why I'm not ready to give this up. Maybe it's selfish, but it feels good. It feels right."
"I understand," Celes said, though she didn't in the slightest.
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Final Fantasy VI
Rating/Warnings: General Audiences / No Warnings Apply
Characters: Celes Chere, Terra Branford
Relationships: Celes Chere & Terra Branford
Summary: Celes encounters a very different Terra in Mobliz than the one she thought she knew. Frustrated by Terra's unwillingness to fight, Celes ponders the reason behind it, and her own interpretation of love, and is eventually moved toward understanding by an innocent gesture in the dead of night.
"I guess I really don't have the strength to fight anymore," Terra whispered, more to herself than to anyone in particular. She burrowed deeper beneath her blanket, though not far enough to hide the bruise blooming across her cheekbone, and glanced up at Celes, as if seeking confirmation. Instead, Celes bit her lip and shook her head, fighting the urge to seize Terra by the shoulders and shake some sense into her, to coax the fire inside her back to life.
Terra sighed and sat up, then looked around her tiny room, at the little faces peering over the edge of the bed making sure "Mama" was all right. She turned back to Celes with a sad smile. "I'm staying here," she said. "I wouldn't be any help to you now. And… the children need me."
"They need a future," Celes replied, "and if we don't start fighting back, they won't have one. Look at what Kefka's already taken, from them, from us, from the world. And he's still not satisfied. If we don't stop him, he'll finish what he started."
One of the children whimpered and reached for Terra. She drew the little girl close and smoothed her hair, whispering reassurances. Celes tilted her head and frowned; that such tenderness could come from hands hardened by battle seemed impossible to her, yet it came so naturally to Terra. A Magitek knight turned mother figure—it would be comical if it weren't so absurd.
Would these children still feel this way if they knew what Terra was? The thought struck Celes like a thunder spell and began to grow into an idea. Would they trust her if they knew she'd served the Empire? Would they love her knowing she'd once been Kefka's pet? Or would they run her out, leaving her no choice but to fight? Celes cleared her throat.
"Look at you," she said, a hint of derision creeping into her voice, "the gentle mother, now. You've certainly come a long way from—" She stopped, the words lodging in her throat as three pairs of inquisitive eyes turned toward her and she saw past their childish curiosity to the pain and fear beneath. They'd lost enough, already; if she took Terra from them, especially in this way, she'd be no better than Kefka.
"Yes, I have," Terra said, her expression indicating she'd understood what Celes was going to say, "and that's why I'm not ready to give this up. Maybe it's selfish, but it feels good. It feels right."
"I understand," Celes said, though she didn't in the slightest.