Chapter 5: The Return of Kefka! ------------------------------- A lone figure lay in the crater, covered with dirt and blood. Barely breathing, his life oozing away, burned and battered, his mind did the only thing it could. Retreating into itself, away from the pain, and hopefully someone would find him before it was too late. * * * Gau opened his eyes in confusion. The last thing he remembered was leaping towards the hole in the airship, trying to escape. Then a flash of stars in his eyes, a pain in the back of his head, then nothing. Now he was back in the Veldt cave, a fire burning brightly, and an oddly dressed harlequin-like figure regarding him intently. "Oh, hello, Kefka, I was expecting Dee... KEFKA?!" Gau leapt to his feet, eyes flaring as Rage started to sweep over him, the monstrous form of a Tyranosaur swelling outward. Kefka made a small gesture with one finger, and suddenly Gau was back to normal, doubling over in pain as his wounds finally registered. Kefka laughed, a familar whooping sound that sent chills of terror up Gau's spine. "I once said you so-called heroes sounded like chapters from a self-help book. In your case, you *look* like a page from a paramedic's guide!" Kefka laughed again, then helped Gau to his feet and back into the pile of furs that served as a bed. Gau pondered the implications of Kefka helping him, while trying to stifle a shudder at the feel of Kefka's hand on his arm. "Why you do this? Gau thought... er, aren't you evil?" "Settle down, now. Things have changed since you last saw me. A lot of things have changed, and that's why I'm here. By the way, my compliments on your vocabulary and hygiene. I see love has done wonders for both." "Love? What do you mean? I'm not in love." Gau stated this last part rather defensively. "Oh, please. It's obvious every time you think about her. But that's not important right now. I'm here to help you, believe it or not, and you need to listen and listen well. Understand?" Kefka sat down, and motioned for Gau to do likewise. "First off, some background. I'm not the man you knew. I'm now, for want of a better word, a god. What you saw was only a pale reflection of me, driven mad by the power infused into my mortal shell. Even before, my sanity was akin to a thinly iced pond, and the Magitek infusion was like a boulder dropped into that pond. In a way, I owe you and the others thanks. When you twelve killed me and I cast off my mortality, my sanity returned. But I have been restrained in what I can do to repair things, unable to intervene directly. I now have a small following, a "Church of Kefka", as it were, and the new MagiMaster, a promising fellow named Lahndo, has been able to spread the word." Gau puzzled over this a moment. Then he looked closer at Kefka, and for a brief moment he saw *behind* the facade, the form before him a mere mannequin, controlled by something far greater. As he did so, he also noticed a tension in the air, like a thunderstorm about to erupt, power held in abeyance by force of will. "A church? What do they teach?" "Many things. Basically the Church seeks to restore peace and order, and atone for my actions. They seek to restrain those who would restore magic to the world, spread hope anew, and make this a World of Healing. But that is unimportant for now. At this moment, the balance has shifted in the favor of the light, but will soon swing back in favor of the darkness. Your dreams of someone that looked like me were of a man named Afkek, who was indeed my brother." "I never heard of you having a brother, or any kind of family. How is that so?" "Oh, very easy. Afkek was rejected for the infusion process and pushed aside after that. He is now a bitter man, trying to outdo my reputation in a twisted fit of sibling rivalry. He may succeed, though. He has managed to enlist the aid of some powerful allies, elementals from another world that grant him magic equal to that of old, as well as some new abilities never before seen. He is aided by a woman known as Sascha DelAubre, also known as "The Beast". This is *not* an idle nickname. She is every bit his equal for ferocity and evil." Gau tried to assimilate all this, brow furrowing in unexpected thought. A church devoted to the destroyer of the world? And his brother that no one had heard of before, threatening things all over? Kefka waited for Gau to finish thinking, then continued speaking. "And that is just the current threat. One other, even darker and more fearsome, is awaiting his time to strike. He calls himself "The Master", and rules a place called the Asphodel Meadows. Not of this world, with a following of fiends greater than any of old. He comes to smother the light, and I cannot stand against him. When I shed my mortality, I also gave up my ability to influence the world directly. For now, I have been merely watching, and waiting." Kekfa smiled sadly, almost as if in remembrance of the old days, then winced as the memories of his actions sank in. Then Gau thought of something else that had been nagging him from the start. "Wait. How do you know what I've been dreaming? Is it something that comes with godhood?" "In a way. Your dreams are not random, or even of your own making. You have existed as you have for a purpose, and you have fulfilled some of that purpose when you stood against me." "Purpose? What purpose?" Gau suddenly felt slightly uneasy. He had never thought much about why he could do all the things he could, and the realization that something or someone might be pulling his strings... "I can say no more. But that purpose is benign, and much to be desired. Just do not succumb to the lure of your power. You and some of the others pose as much of a threat to the world as I did, should you choose to. Terra has recently regained her Esper half, and wields magic again. She is your equal in brute power, and superior with regards to finesse and control over that power. The one known as Natasha, Gestahl's daughter, lacks the overwhelming personal power that some of you possess, but could rally the new Empire to her cause, should Afkek fall. Whether she does so for good or ill remains to be seen. The same applies to Celes. A hero, as well as a formidable leader, she could rally all those opposed to the Empire into a crusade that would sweep the world, again for either good or ill. And that is just the beginning as even your *friend*, has recently acquired a implement that has the potential for immense power if it comes into contact with others of it's kind although she's not aware of it. And so many others have arrived on this world, from other places and times, all with the potential for good and evil mixed." At the mention of Dee, Gau started to wonder how she was doing. "Do not worry, she is fine. Dee has currently started to explore your cave, and is in no danger at the moment, except from herself." "First, what do you mean by that, and second, will you stop that? Get out of my head, already!" Gau was starting to get tired of this mind reading bit, and fast. Kefka stood in a swirl of rainbow colored clothing, and turned away to face the far basalt wall, his shadow dancing wildly from the firelight. "My apologies, Gau. Allow me to give you some peace of mind, as a token of my goodwill." With that, Kefka raised one hand and Gau gasped as the surroundings disappeared, to be replaced by another setting much deeper into the Veldt cave. Gau recognized it as the spot where the original companions had rescued Shadow after the fall of the world. The tracks from the Behemoth they had slain were still there, and Dee was intently studying them, and looking to see where they led. "Dee! Over here! Uwaooh, I'm back!" Gau cried, and realized he was standing again, the wounds he suffered not hurting so much now. Kefka shook his head disdainfully. "We're not there, Gau. This is simply an image, a scrying, and no more real than our former surroundings." Nonetheless, Dee looked up, with a puzzled expression. Glancing around, she shook her head and turned back to the tracks. "I did not think she possessed the talent to detect my scrying. Remarkable. Or mayhaps her pendant is responsible." Gau squinted, and noticed an unusual piece of jewelry around Dee's neck, something he thought looked familiar. "That the thing you mentioned earlier? What is it?" "I cannot say. It hails from another time, another world almost, and it's purpose is unknown to me. It is something unearthed in the fall of the world, that you discovered and casually discarded." Kefka paused, brow furrowed in thought. "Or maybe it discarded you." As quickly as it appeared, the surroundings coalesced into the original cave chamber, and Kefka turned to face Gau once more. "That is as much as I can say for now, indeed, as much as I can say to you at all. You will not see me again, I believe. Oh, and I know what you're thinking. This is all a dream, I'm just a figure of your imagination, and none of this is real. But I assure you, this is quite real. Your real body is currently near death, but that is something you will have to handle on your own. Your mind however, has retreated in shock, and you finally became receptive enough for me to intrude. But now you must return to the waking world, and I bid you goodbye. But as one last gesture, I give you two gifts, one of information..." Kefka gestured once more, and the surrounding were replaced by a flurry of images, of Gau's former companions. Cyan traveling in the company of a young man and woman, arguing wildly. Sabin walking across a desert, engrossed in thought. Setzer discussing something with a figure shrouded and masked in black, gesturing at the skeletal beams and ribs of what appeared to be a massive ship of some kind under construction. A woman dressed as Gogo in a dark place, being lectured by an old man pointing to a collection of shimmering threads. Umaro munching on a green cherry. Mog picking through wreckage of an airship, frowning. And the others, engaged in all kinds of activities, until at last the imagery came to Edgar, encased in what appeared to be a glass coffin in a peaceful forest setting. "Uwaooh! Edgar... dead? What happen?" Tears suddenly came to Gau's eyes. He never expected any of them to die, and the thought of never seeing Edgar again was an unexpected blow. "Yes, I'm afraid he did. You will discover the truth behind what happened eventually, but you must return to the real world, now." With that, Gau felt a wave of dizziness, then pain. As all went black, he heard Kefka's voice trailing away. "Tell the others I hold no enmity against any of you..." * * * Gau opened his eyes, taking in the darkness. He winced as the smell of smoke and burned flesh was too much to stand. Agony raced over his entire body, and Gau could feel himself growing weaker. A moment of clarity swept him, and Gau's eyes flared as a twisted, wretched form coalesced around him. The Gau/NeckHunter moaned as it reached gnarled fingers into it's ever- present sack. Rummaging around, the twisted, broken figure murmured in satisfaction as it withdrew a shimmering bottle and brought it to trembling lips. As the bitter potion coursed through his body, strength began to return slowly to the NeckHunter, and it giggled. "Heh-heh. That boy get us in more trouble than I ever dream. But now I free! Free! Free!" The NeckHunter started to stand, thinking Gau to be too weak to reassert himself, then snarled as it's leg twisted and the NeckHunter fell once more. Underestimating the injuries, the NeckHunter found itself weakened for a moment. As it contemplated the prospect of mayhem to come, Gau's mind regained control and banished it back into the depths of his mind, listening to the shrieks of dismay echoing through his head. "Ah, better." Standing up, dizziness swept through him again. Gau looked around at the crater he stood in, and at the pool of blood he had just gotten up from. "Uwaooh! Me a mess! Err, I'm a mess." Gau looked around, almost expecting to see Dee standing behind him, frowning in disappointment. Kneeling down, Gau picked up a shard of metal covered with blood and what appeared to be his own hair. Gau shuddered as he realized that it could have been even worse, had it been bigger, or if the edged side had connected. Suddenly a very familiar and welcome voice cut through the air. Gau looked up to see a short figure hopping off an unusual spotted Chocobo and run towards him. "Kupo, Gau!", the figure cried. "MOG!" Gau shouted. Scooping up the moogle, Gau gave Mog a rib-cracking hug of welcome. Mog squirmed, and Gau finally relented and released him. "Kupo, Gau, you stink!"