Time and Tides Archives

General Celes was an expected guest, so Steiner could be found at the castle entrance waiting to meet them. He recognised her from her last visit and nodded as she approached.

"Welcome to Alexandria, General!"

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Celes approached with the caution born of a very experienced war veteran, though her expression softened slightly as she nodded to Steiner when he called out. She noticed what he called her, but brushed it off. He didn't know that it bothered her, and in this world it didn't even matter. Not like most of the populace knew what she'd done anyway.

"Thank you," she replied, glancing over at her green-haired companion. "This is Terra. Terra, Steiner. Terra's a friend from my world who has also fought against Kefka. I trust her."

The last part was a simple statement, but coming from Celes it meant a great deal.

"I'm glad to have this chance to talk to you," she continued, coming to a halt close by. "Is General Beatrix in the area?"

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Steiner nodded. "I know! I would not forget either of you two."

He gestured for them to follow as he led them inside the castle. "Well, if it is General Beatrix you wish to speak to, I suppose I shall get back to my duties. If you seek knowledge, then why not in the company of scholars? Allow me to show you the castle library!"

He took them into one of the castle halls, where one wall was dominated by a huge portrait of Queen Garnet. A marble staircase led down into a lower area, full of bookshelves and with the odd scholar pottering about. Here was where the young Princess Garnet had been tutored.

"I'm not sure where Beatrix may be found, but I shall have my knights on the task immediately!" Steiner promised.

In the meantime, the library seemed like a decent place for the ladies to wait.

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Terra just nodded as she followed along with Celes, though she immediately brightened up with Captain Steiner appeared to greet them. She probably would've given the armored man a hug if she knew he would've hated it.

"It's nice to see you again, Captain." She said with a nod of her head in greeting. "He and I woke up in Mysidia when everyone lost all that time." She added in explanation to Celes.

Terra actually knew most of the 'important' people in Alexandria, oddly enough. Though she had never had a chance to speak with the Queen for any real length of time.

When they reached the library she moved over the shelves without even really thinking about it, peering along the titles.

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Celes blinked a little as Terra explained that she knew Steiner. The general felt a little silly introducing two people who knew each other, but how was she supposed to know something like that? Shaking herself inwardly, she nodded and followed Steiner to the library, turning to face him when they entered the room in the hope of forestalling his departure.

"I'd like to speak with both of you," she told him immediately. "Regarding what's happened to this world. Beatrix told me you know a good deal, even traveled with Zidane. I think this planet's history is a good starting place to learn more about what's going on right now. If you could help... the effort will be repaid."

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Steiner nodded. "Very well!" Who was he to argue with Celes? She reminded him too much of Beatrix for that. "Then I shall find Beatrix myself. You two ladies wait here."

He marched away, deciding that the easiest way of locating Beatrix would be to ring her. Steiner had actually got the hang of this new technology. They certainly came in useful for locating his good-for-nothing knights.

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Terra turned back as Steiner left, offering him a little wave before she turned her attention to Celes.

"So do you really think this will help?" her voice was quiet as she asked, slightly distant. She had been puzzling over the ideas of what they knew so far. "I mean...whatever happened three years ago, they stopped it right? So..."

She just shrugged.

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Celes gave a nod to Steiner as he left the room, and then turned to Terra. "I don't know, but I'm not about to let anything go at this point." She lifted a head to rub her temple as she took a few steps away, towards the middle of the room, before turning back to face her companion again.

"We're part of this world now, somehow, and I'd like to know as much about it as I can. We may hit on something that will help return us."

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wavering-blade.livejournal.com

Beatrix received the call from Steiner and quickly was on her way to the library to meet with her guests. She met up with Steiner first, and when she entered the library, he accompanied her. It wasn't hard to locate the two women she was looking for, and she approached them with an air of purpose, greeting each of them with a nod and a smile.

"Celes. Terra. It is nice to see both of you again."

[[ooc: I do know both of you, right? orz]]

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"Shall we sit down, ladies?" Steiner pulled up a chair for Beatrix. He didn't feel entirely comfortable here, aware that time spent talking was time not spent on his duties, but that didn't mean he couldn't be courteous.

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"Maybe. I do want to help," Terra wasn't really sure about the 'return' part. She actually rather liked it here on Gaia. It was...peaceful. And not ruined, like home. No Kefka's tower, no shattered cities...well, except Midgar.

When Beatrix entered Terra turned and offered her a smile and a nod of her head. "It is nice to see you also, Beatrix." Terra probably would've called her General except...well...she was bad at that. She only called Steiner 'captain steiner' because he kept introducing himself that way.

"Yes, thank you." She took another of the nearby chairs as Steiner suggested it, settling her hands in her lap and waiting for Celes to lead the conversation. Terra was mostly just tagging along, after all.

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"If nothing else, I want to know why we were all brought here and what can be done to... learn and set whatever is going on to rights." It was something that bothered her and she wasn't quite sure why.

Celes' expression softened when she spotted Beatrix walking in, and she gave a nod to the other woman. They'd definitely cultivated an almost friendship over their similar pasts and Celes was glad to have the chance to speak to her again. She took a seat close to Terra and settled her thoughts around before speaking again.

"Thank you both for meeting with us," she began carefully. "Now that I've started speaking to others about the occurrences, I wanted to run a few of the details past you-" She nodded to Steiner and Beatrix. "- and also to simply speak with you again, Beatrix. I haven't been able to stop in to see how everything's going in Alexandria lately."

Celes paused for a moment, more out of habit than a need to gather her thoughts. She'd been considering all of this for quite some time, so it wasn't anything new. "As for what's been happening lately, I spoke with a few of the people you suggested-" Another nod was given to Beatrix. "-and I'm not much more enlightened than I was before."

She glanced to Terra at this point. The finer points hadn't been discussed between them, but now was as good a time as any.

"Mikoto told me a little bit about a man named Garland and what he was trying to do. But I still... feel as though details are missing. I just don't know what. Captain Steiner, for the sake of continuity, can you tell me of your experiences with Garland and his plans?"

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"Garland?" Steiner frowned. "The man is dead, and I'm not sorry for it! But if you wish to know... Garland was ultimately responsible for much of Gaia's history. The Mist, the Iifa Tree, the destruction of Madain Sari, the existence of the Genomes... They were all his doing."

He sighed, sitting back as he tried to remember the details. "Garland was created to ensure the survival of a world called Terra. Terra was dying and it needed to... assimilate another world to survive. Five thousand years ago, Garland attempted to assimilate Gaia into Terra. We should all be thankful that he failed! Gaia was young and alive, and Terra was old and dying. Of course, Garland could not simply give up. He created the Iifa Tree to filter souls, preventing the souls of Gaia from flowing whilst allowing those of Terra to move freely... A long siege, a battle for the souls of the planet which most of us were never aware of. I am proud to have fought for the sake of Gaia."

Steiner shook his head as he reflected on their current situation. "I fear the battle is not over. Mist has covered this world again, and Gaia has become home to more foreign worlds than anyone could ever have suspected..."

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wavering-blade.livejournal.com

Beatrix was about to respond to the question, but Steiner spoke first. When he finished explaining, she nodded her head.

"It is as he said," she told the two women. "We are thankfully rid of Garland, though the odd events as of late remain a mystery." She frowned just slightly. Even if he was dead, it seemed possible that the recent strange events could be attributed to something he set in motion. Or perhaps they were due to something else entirely. With as little information as they had to work with, it was impossible to tell.

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Business being surprisingly quiet at the inn for that time of day, Ashe had ventured downstairs to take a quiet booth, joined shortly afterward by Rasler, their infant son wrapped snugly within a warm, blanket-lined basket. Opportunities to eat together, like this, were simple pleasures yet pleasures nonetheless.

Awaiting the meal's preparation, Ashe found her attention straying momentarily to the window, noting the city's bustle in spite of its icy weather conditions. Weather which inconveniently happened to make itself known whenever a patron would enter.

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Since it was nearing lunch time, Celes decided that food was on the agenda next. The inn was nearby and as she didn't want to put the castle inhabitants out any further than they already were - she'd brushed it off as needing to keep to her time schedule - she pushed open the door to the inn, choosing ease over luxury for now.

The cold air followed her inside and her eyes roamed the room for a free table, narrowing slightly when she recognized two of the Sky People she'd been looking to talk to sitting at a table. She had a feeling she knew who the two adults were, especially since they had a baby with them.

Putting on her best general expression, Celes approached carefully. "I don't mean to interrupt, but I'm looking for a Lady Ashe and Lord Rasler. Perhaps you can tell me where I might find them?"

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Celes had thought Terra was right behind her, but apparently not. Shrugging to herself, she nodded to Rasler, inwardly pleased that she'd been correct.

"I had hoped to speak with several people while I was here," she answered, pulling up a chair so as not to intrude too much. "If it's not to too much to ask, you both are on the list. I need to know your intents for Figaro."

Short, sweet, and to the point. Celes never danced around a subject.

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Celes? The name was familiar to Ashe; hadn't Locke requested they meet with someone of the same name upon arriving in Figaro? That consideration was confirmed when the woman raised the issue herself, but... surely there had been something else, some reason why Celes' name was niggling in her mind. Strange.

Ensuring her baby was comfortably asleep, the princess focused upon their visitor, prepared, yet again, to justify herself with regard to Figaro.

"We intend to relocate there to aid the people, until her true ruler returns to claim his throne, upon which our task will be complete," she explained.

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Celes had expected that answer and so she nodded in response to it. The entire situation was a bit beyond what she'd been hoping for, but then again, she hadn't wanted to be in this world in the first place.

"...I apologize for making you uneasy," she told them carefully. "Figaro is very important to a friend of Locke's and it has special features that we'd prefer not to hand over to just anyone. Especially with Kefka around. You both were rulers once, correct?"

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Were.

That one word elevated above everything else, thrusting Dalmasca and her people to the forefront of Ashe's mind. Not only did her homeland feel worlds away, in all likelihood it actually was. Too many blessings had been bestowed on her to possibly have any regrets, but the memories endured.

"Yes," she replied quietly, eyes lowering to her sleeping son. "Our countries were strong of heart yet dwarfed by the warring nations surrounding us. We were wed, that our union might strengthen our resources, our hopes." No further elaboration came, Ashe looking up to meet Celes' eyes. "As I assured Locke, we mean only to provide aid where desired, nothing more. We would not compromise the protection of your secrets."

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Terra had actually been right behind Celes almost until they had reached the inn, but she had gotten side-tracked by a small cart nearby selling a rather oddly smelling food. She was holding said food on a little wooden fork as she stepped into the inn now, chewing as she eyed the odd food.

Green eyes finally moved off until she spotted Celes, moving across to her and pausing near the edge of the table, offering everyone a little wave. "Hey, Sorry, I got..." She glanced back towards the door, then smiled weakly. "Sidetracked. By a pickle." She held up the oddly smelling food in explanation.

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Celes understood what they were saying. She hadn't had nearly as much of a problem with them, though she could understand Locke's issue. She also knew that they opposed Kefka and as long as Figaro would be kept from the maniac mage's grasp, Celes would be all right with the situation.

She was about to answer when Terra walked over. "I wondered if you'd gotten lost," she told the green-haired girl, motioning for her to sit down as she turned back to the other two.

"Terra, Lord Rasler and Lady Ashelia. This is a friend from my world, Terra." Celes introduced them. "She and I have fought Kefka far longer than anyone ever should. But speaking of Kefka, am I correct in thinking that you are against him as well? I hadn't meant to... appear rude. I simply wanted to hear your intentions from yourselves."

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Sight of Terra and her vividly coloured hair had Ashe temporarily wondering whether she was related to Rydia. From her understanding, they were of the same world, at least, the princess inclining her head in greeting.

From a political stance, Ashe could only note their discussion was progressing as desired. However, it hadn't escaped her notice that Celes' seemed weary upon mention of the fiend, Kefka. During his time in Gaia, the clown proved ever elusive. Ashe hadn't stopped to consider how long the natives of his world may have struggled to rid themselves of such a monster.

"Very much against him," came her reply, the sincerity clear within. "None should be forced to endure his madness, his reign of destruction." An incredible protectiveness came over her, desire to keep the baby in her arms safe from any such threat.

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"Not lost, just...distracted," Terra sank down into the chair Celes had indicated, taking a bit of said pickle with a little 'crackle' as she listened to the talk turn to Kefka. Of course. She was never going to escape the man, was she?

"Figaro can hide from Kefka fairly easily, but he isn't the sort to give up if he thinks something is funny," she frowned as she spoke, not quite certain if she was supposed to be included in the conversation. But who knew Kefka better than she? "He's...extremely smart, for all his insanity. You should never underestimate him. He wiped out my entire people with barely any effort at all."

To be fair, the Espers had been fairly wiped out before that last battle when he'd killed Leo and killed the ones that remained, but still. He had done it.

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Celes' attention was caught by the crack of the pickle Terra had bitten into and she made a face at it before turning back to the others. Their words gave her a little respite from worry, though Terra began to explain the only thing she had left to worry about.

"Terra's right, though. You should both be aware that he won't stop if he thinks you have something he wants." She paused and closed her eyes momentarily, remembering some of the things that had happened. "Hearing you talk against him like this... I know you're on our side of the war, but Kefka... He's not a force to be underestimated. I've known him since before he became what he is today."

She shifted in her seat slightly, glancing at Terra again. "I'm not trying to convince you not to go. Figaro can hide. He can't get inside it when it's submerged, but you should still be aware."

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