Chapter 31: "Cutting" Out ------------------------- Celes struggled to pull herself together. The tattered and torn garments of the Imperial uniform she wore were drenched with her blood. She had entered into this battle tired, and the arrow and Edge's shrieken hadn't helped much. She stumbled to her feet and fumbled her sword as she prepared to face the flying Gargoyle, with Magitek enhancements. All she had going for her was the dragoon boots, and the sky was no place to hide from someone like this. "COME NOW, GENERAL. SURELY YOU CAN PUT UP A BETTER FIGHT THAN THIS!" She faced him, and she felt something she hadn't felt in a long time: fear. She had been able to laugh in the face of certain death, to hold hands with danger and become friends with pain, even her fight with Kefka had just been another day-at-the-office to her. But now, she actually felt scared. She knew that this huge Gargoyle could easily pick up her fragile body and break it in two without her even putting up much of a fight. She pulled herself to her full height. If she was going to die today she would die as she lived, with a sword and her spunk with her. "I've let you win the first few rounds, but this time I'm fighting back." Lore laughed. Celes couldn't help buf smile herself; she probably looked like an ant to this huge thing, threatening to destroy it. She glanced backward; Rosa and Terra were getting up. What was that old saying? "The weak can band together..." She was certain she had read that somewhere. Maybe Rosa or Rydia could fill her in on it later; she was sure it was from their times. That was, if there would be a "later." "PREPARE TO BE DESTROYED!" Lore screamed. "COME AND GET ME, BASTARD!" Celes shouted back, equally loud. The gargoyle flew right at her, and she slashed at it. It wasn't much of an attack, but she was able to keep herself alive long enough for Rosa and Terra to pull themselves together. The three lined up, weapons drawn, ready to attack. Lore stood at his full height, bearing down on them, much like a huge dog would look down at a Veldtian flea. Celes looked at the two women on either side of her. "If I don't get to say it later..." Celes found herself at a loss of words for the two people she had come to respect as both fighters and people, "It was nice working with you," was all she could say. Rosa smiled, "Feeling's mutual," was all she said. Terra glanced at her and said, "Celes, thank you...for everything." "HOW ENDEARING. CONCERN FOR THEIR FELLOW FIGHTERS." Lore laughed again. The three fought as best they could. They were able to do a half-decent job, which was helped along by Rydia joining the fray, but Edge was still nowhere to be seen. The wounds they inflicted on Lore weren't nearly as much as the more-powerful, rested, Lore had done on them. "WHAT'S THE MATTER? HAVING TROUBLE DEALING WITH A GOD?" Lore laughed sinisterly again. Celes, meanwhile, found herself wishing that Lore would turn to stone at daybreak like the other gargoyles, but that was hoping for a miracle again. She couldn't understand it, the dragon before had been so easy...Most of the solides were gone now, she noticed, appearently Sascha and Akfek had decided to pull out of Thamasa. She pulled herself up from the debris around her, as did Rydia, Rosa and Terra. As daybreak came, Celes struggled to pull her blood-soked body up from the rubble around her. She managed to get to her feet, wobble for a few seconds, and then fell back to the ground. Her strength was gone. She turned on the ground, only to see Lore's shape towering over her. This was it. "THIS IS IT, EX-IMPERIAL GENERAL CELES. YOU HAVE BEEN A GOOD OPPONENT, SO I OFFER YOU THIS CHOICE, JOIN THE EMPIRE NOW, AS YOU HAD BEFORE, AND YOUR LIFE WILL BE SPARED." Celes wouldn't give him the satisfaction of succumbing to him. "Never." "THEN... DIE!" A voice came from behind him. "Asura!" "I don't think so." Rydia... Edge... Celes couldn't think. She fell unconscious. Edge, Rydia, Rosa, and Teraa stood at battle-readiness, healed by Rydia's Ashura. "YOUR PARLOR TRICKS DO NOT AMUSE ME, CALLER!" Then Lore noticed Edge, "AHHH! A NINJA. PERHAPS ANOTHER WORTHY OF MY ATTENTION. HOPEFULLY YOU WILL ENTERTAIN ME MORE THAN YOUR FRIENDS HAVE..." He paused, "OR EVEN THIS ONE." He picked up Celes' body and tossed it casually into a building as if it were so much meat. "Celes and I have had our differences... but she's my friend, and you'll die for hurting her." Edge drew his swords. Terra glanced worredly at Celes, "I have to go help her." "We'll cover you." Rydia whispered. Terra broke into a run toward Celes. "Bahamut!" "Catch these." "Wall." As Rosa's wall spell came into effect, two shuriken and a dragon attacked Lore head-on. "HA!" Lore laughed, sidestepped the shuriken, and started attacking Bahamut. He attacked so fast and so strongly that Rydia couldn't send Bahamut back to the land of the summoned monsters. "Bio! Ultima! Trinity Attack!" Bahamut was hit by the pure poison of Bio, engulfed in Ultima, and then hit by the three-way fire, ice, and lightning Trinity Attack. Rydia screamed in pain as Bahamut disappeared. "NO!" Edge charged Lore. Rosa bent down near her old friend. "Rydia..." She started to cast cure, but Rydia stopped her. "When a called monster dies, the caller dies also..." Rydia whispered. "No! I refuse to believe there's no way." Rosa whispered. "Any spell you cast on me has no effect. I know my people, Rosa, there is no way." "Any spell cast on you..." Rosa whispered to herself, a thought forming in her mind. "Celes!" Terra wakened her friend, and bent down to help her. "Terra," Celes whispered horsely, "can... can y-you morph still?" "N-no... I-I haven't tried." Terra was afraid of trying again. "Try..." She removed the necklace with the orb shard. "Alright... Lend me your power, Celes, I'm going to need it." Celes smiled as Terra spun and started to change. The espers were gone, but Terra still had some of the power left, and it was magnified by the orb. Whether it would last after this battle, or just this once, or not at all, Celes didn't know. She didn't really care either, so long as Terra was trying... Meanwhile, Edge was being beaten by Lore; he needed help. "Rosa... don't bother yourself with me, you have to help... Edge." "No, I think I have a way." "Please, help him, and tell him... I love him." Rosa closed her eyes. "I bet they didn't even try it..." She stood up. "There is nothing physically wrong with you, but maybe..." "Life2!" "That won't work..." Rydia whispered slowly. "Not on you..." Bahamut started to reappear. The life spell had brought him back, and thus saved Rydia. Suddenly she came to life, jumping to her feet and drawing her sword. She un-called Bahamut and said, "Come on, let's go!" Lore fought valiantly, but against three rejuvenenated fighters, and a morphed Terra, even he stood no chance, as Terra dealt the final blow to Lore with her bare hands. She morphed back into human form and fell to her hands and knees. Rosa ran over to help her, as Edge hugged Rydia. Finally, they all came over to a weak Celes. "Cure4!" Celes' wounds closed up, and she immediately felt stronger. She got to her feet. "Thanks, everyone." "We all did it... together." Rydia smiled. Edge looked around, "Guess we're going to have to help rebuild here too." "Yeah." Celes took a few steps, wobbled, fell, and was caught by Rosa. "Alright, but not before we all get some rest. Doctors' orders." Rosa said. "Who made you a doctor?" "Strange thing to ask of a woman who just saved your life." Rydia turned away, blushing. The morning sun making her face seem even more red. And they all laughed, as they walked out of another battle and into a new day.