Another World Or My Imagination:

Chapter 14.

The next morning. They were packing up their things and sticking them back into their sacks to leave. "Where are we heading today, Edgar?" Celes asked. Edgar looked at her smiling and trying to show off his best features. "Vecter." He replied with a striking smile, she raised her eye brows at his behavior but shook it off. "So soon?" She asked walking beside him to the ship. "Well, we have to attack sometime, we can't sit around waiting for the Empire to come and get us, or the towns people." She nodded and walked onto the ship. "This should be an interesting trip, sirs." Cyan was saying walking over to the ship gradually but he didn't make it on because a bird flew over to him. "What is this now?" He asked himself taking a slip of paper from a ring around a carrier birds ankle. As he read it to himself his eyes widened. "Oh no!" He shouted out loud. "What is it?" They asked being called by his attention. "Look upon this, sirs." He showed it to Edgar.

Your Highness,

The  castle is being invaded.

The  forest  has been making

Some type of sounds in the night

We  went  to check it out and  got

attacked, we need your help.

Your trusty soldiers.

They looked shocked, they couldn't believe their eyes. "Well you have to go save them!" Sabin said to him with not a moments hesitation. "But how shall I get there in time?" He was hurt inside they could hear every strain in his voice trying to sound normal, but, they didn't know what to do. "I've got an idea!" Locke said with a finger raised as though asking for permission, they looked to him with question. "Setzer could take him back to Doma and help him, while we keep on the trail. Then, he can come back and join us at Vecter." They thought about the possibility of his plan working then agreed to what he had suggested. "Setzer will you do it?" Edgar asked. "No need to ask me, I'm already there." He saluted responding. "Guys," Terra was saying staggering forwards. "I don't feel so well." She collapsed on the ground. "Terra?!" They cried out, Setzer lifted her head off the ground into his arms while Celes checked her pulse. "She's still alive, she has a good pulse." "I wonder what's wrong with her?" Sabin said. "Sirs, thou art just as worried, but, I really must be going." Cyan said impatiently. "Oh, yes of course," Setzer handed her to Edgar who picked her up and took her back to the cave. "Lets be off then." They boarded the ship-.. made one quick wave and were on their way. "Hey Terra, wake up girl....come on?" Celes was saying. "I laid out her sleeping bag, put her on here." Locke said smoothing it out. They walked her over to the sleeping bag and lied her down. "I wonder what could be wrong?" Sabin whispered as if she might be offended if she heard him. "Maybe it was the fish we ate?" Celes threw out an explaination. "Or maybe it was the mushrooms, hers had them on it." Locke said staring at her. "I don't know, but, she can't stay here...it's not safe for her health or her physical status, someone might find her when we're gone." Edgar said standing. "We're leaving her behind?!" Celes asked bewildered. "Of course not!" Edgar exclaimed, walking out of the cave looking in each direction. "Well how will we get her into a town? We can't carry her the whole way." She asked. "We won't have to," Edgar was saying. "we can rent a Chocobob and ride her to one, it's easier than on foot and safer too." "We couldn't just wait for Setzer to come back?" Sha asked hoping he'd change his mind. "We can't count on that Celes," Sabin butted in. "I'm going with Edgar to find some birds, you guys stay here, okay?" He asked them looking to their faces. "Yeah, sure." Locke said quietly. "O-..." She stammered out. "O-kay." They promised to return soon and ran out leaving them, alone.

* * *

The air ship flew high over the skies and came into the landing feilds near Doma. "Look there!" Cyan shouted pointing downward. They looked into the forest the best they could, there was a battle going on in there along with the fields that led to the castle. "I'm bringing her down!" He flew lower to the ground, when it was low enough he and Cyan jumped out over the railing landing heavily on the ground into the middle of the battle field. The air ship flew a distance and settled on the ground. Setzer reached into his jacket pocket and threw cards at some rushing soldiers knocking them injuredly to the ground. Cyan, using his swordtech ran through some troops using his quadra slice slashing six men in half. "Your highness, you've returned!" One of his men shouted when seeing him. "They've arrived!" A Templer Guard shouted to his troops. "Kill them!" There was an uproar in the crowd as they changed the two of them Cyan's men tried to defend them the best they could, but, were unsuccessful. "Yah!!!" Cyan yelled slamming into one of the men. "Ah!" Setzer was jumped by three men, he managed to punch one of them back before he went down. "Aaaah-Aaaahh!!!" Another of them staggered backward with a doom dart stuck in his chest and he fell to the ground. The other one got into a strangling contest with him. Two of Cyan's men slashed two soldiers into pieces but were attacked by four more in the process. "Setzer, over there!" Cyan shouted a command to him, Setzer looked in the direction he pointed and tossed five darts at them having direct contact with the soldiers killing them on contact. He kicked one coming at him in the stomach and ducked from another attacking to his left. Cyan spun his sword around using his stunner attack. The men froze for a brief moment, but, began to move again with in seconds, as the battle went on someone was watching them closely in the woods studying their every move. As the battle came to an end Cyan lifted his sword directly to the sky and said out loud. "Cleave!" He swung his sword downward to the ground than back up to the sky flipping backward vanishing all the men left in the field. Setzer was already running towards the forest and Cyan did the same. When they got there, Setzer grabbed a branch swinging himself around it kicking a soldier in the dismount but he got punched in the face from a surprise attack behind him, when he turned. Cyan grabbed a branch snapping it in a soldiers face to give him a slight stun, then he punched him in the face. The battle went on fiercly and finally it was over. They were panting heavily as they looked around the forest looking for strays, but there were none. "You fought splendedly, sir." Cyan smiled at him shaking his hand. "Thank you, you weren't so bad yourself, old man." He glanced over his sholder at his ship and turned back to Cyan. "Listen, Cyan-..." He was cut off by him. "No need to explain, you go on back to the cave and help out Terra and the others they may need you...I'll join you later, but for now I believe my place is here, sir." Setzer patted him on the shoulders and went off to get his ship.

Chapter 15.

"Locke?" Celes started to ask him. 'Oh no, here it comes.' He thought and she looked him in the eyes he avoided them by looking at Terra then a pile of rocks near by. "I wanted to tell you something for the longest time and....well....I think now would be the perfect time to do it, no interuptions, no distractions....Locke I think that I like you, alot more than a friend..." She looked at his face then continued. "I thought alot about this and I wanted to let you know because when something is just that important you let it out...right?" He didn't say a word he just looked at the rocks. "What do you think?" She asked waiting for his response, but as he opened his mouth the others returned with the birds and map of the land they were on. "Ready to go?" Edgar asked. "Yes." Locke said standing and picking up Terra in the process. "Lets go." He said walking by them quietly after that. Sabin and Edgar shrugged to each other and walked out. Celes sighed deeply and followed. "How close is the nearest town?" Locke asked. "Miranda. Up the back roads a few miles from here. We better travel fast so we can get her to a bed and some cleaner water." They hurried along, not saying much, but stopping every once in a while to check the map, once they made it there they dismounted the birds and left them in the stables inside. "Here's a very large amount of money, see that this girl is taken complete care of, you got it!" Edgar threatened with Sabin's braun to back him, and his brother cracked his knuckles. "You got it," the man said terrified. "best room in the place. Bring her in room 205, here's the key." He said handing it over. "Thank you my good man." They walked her into the room and lied her down on the bed to rest. "you take care of yourself, okay?" Edgar said, rubbing her head with a cool towel. "We better get back to the mission, cause this has gone on too long!" Locke said getting angry. "Whao,whao buddy calm down what's wrong with you?" Sabin asked. "I-...I don't know, I'm just tired of all this fighting Terra was right, we need this done and over with so we can get back to the simple things like...sleeping in the field and enjoying being king, flying around and what have you, not sitting here hoping a friend survives, now lets g-..." He tried to go by them but Edgar pushed him back lightly and shook his head. "You're far to angry to pay any attention to what you're doing, you're staying here." He insisted but he tried to fight back verbaly with protest and lost. "Just let me know if you need any help, okay?" Locke said to them as they were leaving. "We promise, bye Locke." "Bye." "Good bye, Locke." Celes said personally. "See you..." He turned back into the village and went into the hotel room with Terra.

* * *

Night had fallen and try to as he might, he couldn't stay awake. He closed his eyes and fell alseep on the chair leaning across to the pillow on the bed. The figure walked into the room and stood over Terra again. "Now, the games will begin." Her eyes scrunched and the shadow moved in closer. "No," Her voice tried to yell. "No, all my friends the ghost-...they're gonna die..." tears fell from her eyes as the figure broke into evil laughter and it leaned into the lamps dim light.

Locke snapped his eyes open to the sound of something breaking. "What the-...?" He looked blury eyed across the room, when he cleared them he saw Terra making her way across the room. "Wait! Where are you going?!" He got up and followed her, but she was moving so fast. He ran down the hall of the hotel as fast as his legs would carry him, when he finally caught up to her he reached for her arm and she froze with a haunting laugh. "Terra....?" He forced out, under a panic that it might not be her. She laughed long and hard. He didn't know what to do so he ran, but she began to follow him flying through the halls, barely a vision behind his head. He ducked into a room and found himself outside in the fields, he let out a sigh of relief. "I'm saved," he walked out further into the grass lands to hide himself incase she made it outside too. It was dark hardly nothing was showing except the moon in sky. 'Where am I?' He wondered and he heard a noise, a familiar stomping sound. 'It can't be?' He thought to himself. When he turned around to look to where the noise was coming from and what it was, he didn't like what he'd seen. Doom Phantoms! He ran through the field having a flash of deja'vou and hoped that the shack would have been rebuilt but it wasn't there. 'Shoot!' He thought. '....I can't keep running from them, I'd never last.....but what?" He had to think fast, they were rushing down on him. So he stood his ground. 

* * *

The others were in the middle of a ghost fight. One of them dropped Celes, after lifting her to the sky. "Aaah!" She screamed falling from the sky but Sabin caught her. "Thank you," She said. "Watch out!" He yelled though he was still holding her, he spun around kicking through a ghost. "This isn't working." He swung her out of his arms in one move and used his aurabolt the ghost was hit but the hole repaired itself and it came back for more. Edgar was shooting at high speed with his drill but it missed and hit the mountain side instead, causing an avelanche. "Get out of the way!" They ran for cover and the ghost faded there forms to aviod the rocks and bolders. "We better re-group, come on!" Edgar shouted, they took cover inside a cave the ghost flew around looking for them so they walked to the back of the cave. "We should be safe in here...." Sabin said, but little blue lights appeared in the caves entrence and they kept moving so they wouldn't be seen.

* * *

Flying in his air ship to return to the others, he looked around him. 'The night came so quickly' He thought. 'What's that light?' He left the wheel and went to the tip of the ship for a better look. There was a tiny blue light flickering down below. 'Could be someone who needs help,' He thought. 'better go down and have a look.' He went back to the wheel and steered the ship towards the ground. As he got closer to the ground he saw a face appear behind a blue mist. "What is that?" He thought out loud. There was a low plea coming from the light. "Help me Setzer..." 'Terra?' He thought remembering what the others had said when they first met about her weird behavior sometimes, maybe this was the effect of her magic. "Help me." It said, and flew into the air. "Wait!" He called out following her, at one point he turned the lights on but he had to shut them off again because he couldn't see her through them. 'Where is she taking me?' She flew fast and he almost had a hard time keeping up, but he had. Faster and faster they went until. "hahahahaa." She laughed disappearing. "Terra-...Whao!!!" He pulled up on the wheel, he had nearly smacking into a mountain and as he tightly flew the ship up the bottom scraped up against the mountain side, but, it was fine. 'That was weird, I wonder why she would do that? Unless of course it wasn't her, but who could do something like that?' He thought as he re-leveled the ship, he saw another field on the other side, and....Locke! He was being attacked! Setzer flew the ship down and headed towards him.     

Chapter 16.

In Thamasa. Relm wakes up and sees Gua sitting across from her and she gasped jumping from the unexpected visitor and he smiled at her. "Gua come back, he know friend Relm going through tough time. Gua have many of those too." She could tell he was really trying to talk to her normally, so she kept his company and repsonded with a smile of sympathy. "I'm sorry, but, I'm glad you came back, Gua.....I was getting kinda lonely watching grandpa all by mysel...?" Her words froze as she looked across the room. "What wrong friend Re-...Aaaahh!!"

Three grim, ghastly figures floated across the room pointing to the both of them and the old man. "Wha-...What are they?" "We've come for your souls" One of them said evily, "first him, than youuuu" the voice rang through her ears like death and she took out her paint brush and a mithril rod. "Over my living body!" She shouted. Gua jumped up too, getting in battle stance ready to defend Relm to the end. "There's nothing your tricks can do....you will die, just like your friends." Her eyes welled up with tears as she thought of them already dead. "Nooooo!!!!!!!!" She ran at them swinging as hard as she could, but, it was impossible to hit them with her wand, she tried to paint their pictures, but, they came up blank. "Gua will stop them," He used one of his rages from the Rhinitaour he leaped into once, but the bolt wouldn't work. "Prepare for your doooom!" The haunting voice called to them. "Nowhere to run." It said. "Nowhere to hide." Another one. "Bloody persistance." Relm and Gua held each other screaming, but a breeze threw by and one of the ghost cried out in a horrible pain. As it vanished in a puff of smoke they looked through the dusty remains of it to see-.... "Shadow!?" They cried out to him.

"You want a fight, fight with me." He said looking at them from the side of his eye standing in the light to be seen. the phantoms turned their attention towards him and he was ready for battle. Shadow took out a long Holy sword and ran into the fight.

The phantoms rushed at him ghostly fingers pointed and swarmed over Shadowd head moaning. One of them reached out for him as he swung at another slicing it in half, when it grabbed his arm "Ah!" it burned terribly, but that wasn't his yell of pain. Relm came rushing at the ghost to kill him with her rod but it went invisable so the attacks weren't even touching it. "Nice try little one," it laughed in it's throat,  "but try to beat this." the ghost blew a cold wind in the room creating more of them flying around the room. The ghost had to return to it's visable form and it picked up Shadow, hovering him over their heads. Using this chance to touch the ghost he flipped his legs up over the ghost head before it could go invisable again and slammed it down on the floor. "Relm, use your heal rod!" Shadow shouted she screamed covering her head running over to a chest where she kept her things. "I got it!" raising it over her head she started into the fight. Shadow slashed the ghost into time and space while Relm used her rod to blow them up. Gua stood back watching then it hit him! "Gua help too!" A flash went up through the room the ghost screamed in pain of the light and disappeared for a brief moment they still had energy even from a flash that strong. Relm wasn't expecting it and was blinded a second she swung wildly to protect herself in the moment she couldn't see and her vision returned and she joined the fight again. Shadow flipped through the air cutting a barrage of attacks at the ghost, they disappeared but again more came. Gua kept using his flash on them doing some stronger damage with each time he performed it. 'Something isn't right.' Shadow thought while fighting another of the ghost that flew up to him. 'There must be a reason they keep coming back?' He swung his sword skill-fully as he cut through the crowd going into a back room. The door slammed shut behind him. 'What the-?!' There was a huge spirit sitting in the middle of the room, it was floating there pale and blue, with it's eyes closed. Shadow walked up to it none to catiously and went in for the attack. The ghost opened it's red eyes and faded out missing the swords blade. Smoke swirled in the room taking them into another demention. In the other room the ghost are endless when Relm noticed. "Shadow's gone!" She said scared "Relm? Grandpa leave!" Gua pointed at the door where Strago was heading out of. "Grandpa wai-...! Ahhhh!!" The ghost picked her up."Gua help!" He said, ready to use his flash again. "No, help my grandpa!" Gua ran over to the old man but Strago turned and bashed him against the wall with an energy blast and continued out the door. "No!" she struggled to get free. He walked to a ghost in the corner and it smiled evily pulling itself into the old mans mouth and he dropped lifelessly to the floor. "No! Grandpa!" In the next room. The ghost had rammed into Shadow so hard he heard a crack! He kept on fighting though, as fast and hard as he could. His efforts were useless, he was going to kill him. Shadow sat in the middle of the room with his legs crossed as though he were going to wait for his death in meditation, but when the ghost flew at him he threw down a smoke bomb that burst into five little balls of light. The room now blinding in light and smoke was easier to see in, Shadow saw the Demon struggling with his shape and form, he shifted in and out of after life so he took his chance. "Aaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!!!!" A ghastly cry went out as an arm writhed on the floor. "Ohhhhhh!!!" He screamed again losing another one, the light had begun to fade so Shadow moved in for the kill. "Yyyyyyyaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!" The sword went though the ghosts head killing it in a bloody mess. Shadow leaned over the dying pile of rags and half human flesh. "You can't kill someone whose already dead." He whispered. the ghost had vanished and he joined the others. The room was empty they had faded with the head ghost. 'Just images.' He thought, he heard a faint sound of crying in the corner of the room and went to it. "Why did have to die Shadow?" Relm said holding the man on her lap crying into his clothes. Shadow looked down at her but said nothing. Gua recovered from the blast and crawled over to her. "Relm? Gua is-..." Shadow put his hand up to silence him. "Leave her alone." And they did.

........To Be Continued