FFVI-5 Ch9 WoN V: Truth

Bartz found himself in a difficult position at raising his sword to a Chocobo. It was difficult because he loved the creatures and it's young face reminded him well of Boko, but his heart began digging him. Sabin was frantic in disbelief, but Bartz continued to plunge the sword until...

Bartz felt the sword hit something hard, with a loud clang. The chocobo held out it's wing, as if to guard the oncoming sword. The tip of the sword touched the edge of it, without the bird suffering a scratch.

"Well done," a creepy voice emitted from the Chocobo. "And how long exactly did it take you to figure me out?"
Bartz quickly let go of it, he didn't know what he was holding anymore. "Who or what are you?" Bartz asked calmly.

"I am Deegor," It said "One of the five great Dragon Espers!" In a shine of light, he revealed his true form, a small dragon no bigger than a chicobo covered in solid armour, and solid wings for arms.

"So this is the Deegor you spoke of," Sabin looked at the Esper with his back turned from his wife, who was smiling again behind him "What else have you been hiding from me!?"

"Ha! I'm surprised she managed to keep the act up as long as she did! What was it now, nearly half a year!?" Deegor mocked.

"Oh yes," Kateran spoke, her tone sounded more malicious then before "But you'll forgive me Sabin, you always do..."

Bartz could see it now. The entire plan to the caverns of Narshe was a trap, it was an easy pitfall to fall into, Kateran feigning her marriage for so long to stage an act of treachery against Sabin. But that wasn't all the answers...

"Sabin! Get away from her!" Bartz warned.
"Sabin..." Kateran spoke quietely into her husband's ear "You know better than to trust that man... if you talk with me a little we can sort this out..."
Sabin seemed to become hypnotised by her words. The whole event Bartz began to witness felt nostalgic to him of one he had experienced a year before.


It was a dark and dreary night and Bartz had remembered crawling from the last of the abandoned shipwrecks of the Ship Graveyard on the coast of the vast sea. Accompanied with him was Lenna, Faris and an elderly man in in 50's or 60's by the name of Galuf. All of them were exteremely tierd and emotionally haggard. At the edge of the shore, Bartz had noticed someone familiar look at him with his hand out.

"Mother? Is that you?" Bartz began to reach out his own hand, trying to touch hers, but as he moved closer, she seemed to move away.
"Come closer... come closer..."
Those were the final words Bartz heard before he was driven into unconciousness.

It wasn't long before he felt a heavy slap on his back, forcing him to wake up. He then saw Galuf running over to Lenna and Faris' fallen bodies trying to wake them up. "Don't be fooled! A Siren is trying to hypnotise you!"
Faris and Lenna both eventually got up and saw a tall woman stand before them, with large wings.
"My mirages failed to fool you old man. Why do you choose to protect these three!?"
"Because..." Galuf quickly glanced around at Bartz, Lenna and Faris before turning to the Siren once more to the Siren ...They are my friends. I owe them my life,"

Galuf was a great fellow. Comedic and cheerful, as well as thoughtful, he assisted Bartz as one of the 'Four Warriors of the Dawn'. However, against Exdeath, he died in an effort to save his granddaughter, Krile, who eventually took up his role afterwards. But nothing could have ever replaced his fun and easy going character.

("Enough of that") Bartz thought. He now saw why Sabin had been hypnotised for so long.
"SABIN RUN!" Words no longer seemed to reach him as Kateran stared deeply into his eyes. Bartz then tried to surge up magic of thunder to rain down on Kateran, hoping to separate her, but he felt no surge of power. "THUNDAGA!"
Nothing more happened.

"Foolishness," Deegor laughed. "Magic simply doesn't work in this world for normal mortals anymore "But Espers on the other hand. We ARE the magic!"
Despite being so small, Deegor launched his own rendition of Thundaga from his wings, causing Bartz to tumble aside to get out the way.
If what Deegor said was true, it would explain why Bartz was unable to use it and that he really wasn't on his own world anymore.

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On the edge of the continent a young blonde-haired girl was exploring through the shrubs, unaware of where to go. It was Krile, and she too had noticed the town in the distance. It was more obvious than before because of Tritoch's attack on the house.

She then saw Tritoch in the sky, clumsily flapping and losing altitude with weakness and gave shrill cries as it fell. Krile noticed almost instantly something wasn't right, and gave chase after it.

Thankfully, because of the hard snowfall, it's rough landing was cushioned somewhat, not before bellowing a plume of snow into the air. She walked up to it, the creature seemed to lay there unwilling to get up, willing to give up. As she drew closer, it didn't appear large and menacing, twice the size of herself and quiet as a mouse.

As she walked up to it, she saw it's face which seemed sad and empty, asides heavily battered. The wound from it's wing had reopened, gushing more blood, staining it's feathers. Krile went to her pocket and drew out a vial and showed it to Tritoch.

"Drink this," She opened up the tight lid. "It's a recovery Elixir. Will fix you up in no time!" She smiled.

It was one of Krile's last, but she didn't mind. The bird seemed to refuse as it's mouth didn't open. "Please," Krile pleaded "I'm not trying to poison you,"

Tritoch took a moment to look at her trusting and kind face and reluctantly accepted. Krile felt relieved.

"Thankyou... but why did you help me?"

Krile could hear Tritoch's words and understand them where most couldn't. It was her strange talent since birth. Up close Tritoch didn't appear threatening at all. By just looking at it Krile could feel a kind air. "I helped you because I care, silly!" Krile then thought to herself "Do you have a name?"

"...what a bright and optimistic girl. I fear to mention my own name." Tritoch felt it's energy returning as the effects of the elixir sunk in. "You can call me by this, as long as you tell no-one else.

Call me Celes."