femslash ficlets

Title: Choice and Treason
Fandom: Final Fantasy VI
Pairing: Celes/Terra
Rating: G
Prompt: #018 - Cut (#060 - remainder)
Word Count: 300

Celes had an elaborate sword-maintenance ritual. Since she used her blades to catch magic, it was even more involved than Cyan's. She could spend two hours sharpening and oiling her blades easily.

Terra usually matched her work for about fifteen minutes, and then draped herself across Celes' shoulders, meditating. But when Locke approached, she instinctively led him away. Celes had been brittle, since the reunion.

Terra could guess why, and a lot of it had to do with Locke. Who looked, if anything, like he was trying to explain a bad quiz score to his parents. "Um. I just wanted to -"

"Say you're sorry you accused Celes of treason in front of everyone, when she hadn't done anything to deserve it?" Terra finished.

Locke flinched, frowned. "I didn't. And she had. She did betray the Empire."

"I think you forget that I did, too," said Terra.

"But that was different!" said Locke. "They were using you. Controlling you."

Terra just tilted her head. Watched him. Waited.

"It's not the same," Locke insisted. "She could choose."

"She says that too," said Terra. "But I'm not as sure. If your choice is 'do the thing' or 'die', and you've been taught all your life that your whole duty is to obey..."

"She still had a choice," Locke insisted. "It wasn't out of line for me to believe Kefka." And he stopped right there because really, no one in hearing would cut a guy a break for believing anything Kefka said.

"Yes," said Terra. "But she chose to be executed for disobeying. She couldn't pick the locks. She wouldn't have escaped at all if you hadn't turned up. You can be a Returner and it's just risk, it's not fixed. She chose to die rather than obey and you're questioning her loyalty."

Title: Uncertain Motive
Fandom: Final Fantasy VI
Pairing: Celes/Terra
Rating: G
Prompt: #016 - Outsider POV
Word Count: 100

"Don't," warned Cyan calmly.

"But - Terra's still getting her memories back, and Kefka -" Locke began.

"Kefka is a madman," said Cyan with absolute certainty. "Terra trusts her."

"That's the problem," sighed Locke. "She doesn't know. She doesn't remember yet. But we do. I'm glad Celes changed sides, but she's still the Butcher of Maranda."

"Whom you have also promised to protect," Cyan observed. "It would seem that in protecting each other, they halve your workload."

Locke rubbed the back of his neck. He wasn't sure what he really thought of Celes, yet. "But-"

"Don't," reepated Cyan, firmly.

Title: Miracles
Fandom: Final Fantasy VI
Pairing: Celes/Terra
Rating: PG
Prompt: #13 - Luck
Word Count: 100

"Do you ever think about how impossible we are?" asked Terra, leaning back.

Celes put her arms around Terra, obliging. "A miracle is what seems impossible, but happens anyway. If we're going to count the miracles we've lived through, we will be here till dawn."

Terra tilted her head back, grinning up at Celes. "That's what I mean. It's impossible. All of it. But it happened."

"I wouldn't discount our choices along the way," Celes pointed out, kissing Terra's nose. "On the whole, I do not believe in luck. But I have come to wonder if Luck believes in us."