Wow, this is surreal. I never thought I'd see the day when this fic would be finished and posted. I didn't think it would take me nearly a year to write…but it was worth it. This fic is exactly the way I want it. I took about four months to edit it (the entire thing) and it all works. Everything fits. This is my favorite thing that I have ever written by far… and I feel quite accomplished because I've always wanted to write something that deals with Rachel and Locke because he's my favorite Final Fantasy character ever, plus nothing between them was ever really explained. (And how fun is it that I finished it on his birthday! I'm such a fangirl, I love it!) I'm very happy with how this fic turned out and I appreciate you all for reading it… thank you thank you thank you! Without further ado…here's the epilogue. It's actually much, much longer than an epilogue is supposed to be, but whatever. It just basically sums everything up. NOW all your questions will be answered. Believe me, if you find a loose end that I didn't tie, you better email me and inform me of it so I can fix it! Lol. I am extremely happy with the way the epilogue ended up…I always have a hard time starting and finishing fics, but I think it worked out rather well. (Plus, I love the beginning of the Epilogue…lol…Poor Terra!) Oh yeah, one more thing…this chapter in no way implies any kind of LockexCeles pairing. Just so you know. So…thanks again!

Epilogue

"Ah ha! That's right, bitches! Full house!" Edgar cried out as he slammed his cards down face up on the table. Locke and Terra groaned as they threw their cards in the middle of the table and Setzer calmly took a sip from the mug that was in front of him.

"I had nothing to begin with," Terra informed them as she crossed her legs and sighed. "I should've folded before we even started."

Locke chuckled as he looked over at Sabin, who was still looking at his cards, his jaw dropped. He gently nudged Terra as he spoke. "Hey, I thought we made the rule of 'no magic' at the table. I think you gave Sabin a paralyzing spell and that's called 'cheating.'"

She rolled her eyes at him and playfully scoffed at him. "Oh, shut up. I did nothing of the sort." Waving her hand in front of Sabin's face, she said, "Sabin, the hand is over."

"I know, but this is just un-fucking-believable!" He exclaimed in disbelief. After a second of silence, he showed Edgar his cards. "I had two pair, you son of a bitch! I thought I was gonna win this time!"

"Watch what you're saying for that is your mother you're badmouthing as well," Edgar quipped as he reached for the pile of gold on the center of the table. Before he was able to grab any gold, Setzer placed his hand on Edgar's and shook his finger.

"Hup bup bup, not so your fast, your majesty, I have yet to show everyone my cards," he warned with a chuckle. "Just for you, King Edgar; a Royal Flush."

Everyone laughed at the dumbstruck look on Edgar's face as Setzer slowly turned around his cards to reveal them. In defeat, Edgar threw his cards down on top of the others' and sadly watched as Setzer took the gold.

"You sly bastard," he mumbled under his breath and Sabin patted him on the back. "I know, I know. It's only a game."

Setzer threw a few coins on the table, then gathered up the cards to shuffle them. "All right, who's in for another round?"

Edgar and Sabin threw more gold onto Setzer's as Locke pushed his chair away from the table. "Sorry guys…and Terra…but I'm out."

"Nice save," Terra said as she smacked him on the chest. "However, I actually do feel like one of the guys today. I'm sitting around playing poker and watching you four drink beer. Now all I need to do is start up a manly conversation about who has a bigger sword."

"In what context?" Edgar asked as he looked down at his lap. Terra scoffed and threw a few gold pieces at him as everyone else laughed.

"I'd win that contest anyway," Sabin chimed in with a cocky smile giving Terra a reason to make a disgusted face at him. "There's not even a reason to have a competition when it comes to this subject. I mean, look at the size of my feet! You know what they say about guys with big feet!"

"I'm not hearing this! La la la la," she said as she covered her ears with her hands and started to hum.

"I think we should change the stakes to say the winner has to pay Terra's therapy bills," Locke said as he gently patted Terra on the top of her head, causing the three other men to laugh even harder.

After a few seconds, she looked between the four men and took her hands partly off of her ears. "Is it okay to let my virgin ears be exposed to the world now?"

"For the time being." Edgar smiled at the younger woman as he chuckled. He looked over at Locke, who was shaking his head at everyone. "Anyway Locke, why aren't you going to play with us anymore?"

"Well, first of all, I'm now officially broke. I definitely learned why it is not the smartest idea to play poker against a professional gambler," Locke looked over at Setzer, who proudly smiled as he shuffled the cards. "I always used to kick the Quantz guys' asses when we used to play, but now I know how it feels."

"Sore loser," Setzer said as he began dealing out the cards to everyone else.

"Secondly," he continued with a smile, ignoring Setzer's comment and shaking his head. "I think I need some fresh air."

"Do you need some company?" Sabin asked with a joking flirtatious tone, adding a wink as well. Everyone laughed as Locke raised an eyebrow. "Remember…big feet!"

"Um, I'll be just fine by myself," he replied. He rubbed his forehead with his fingertips and watched Terra let out a yelp and cover her ears again. "I'll be up on the deck if you need me."

The others turned back to the card came as Locke opened the door and climbed onto the airship's deck. Celes was piloting the airship, and he watched as she focused to get them to their next destination safely. Smiling to himself, he walked over to her.

"Hey."

She jumped in surprise as she whipped around to face him. Locke was surprised that she didn't jerk the controls at the same time, but he was quite thankful that she had good control.

"My goddesses, I need to put a little bell around your neck or something! Scaring people like that! Who does that? Honestly!" She exclaimed, slightly panting as she tried to catch her breath.

"I pride myself on my ability to be stealthy," he said with a shrug and put his hands in his pockets. "Ya gotta be when you're a treasure hunter."

"All right, I'll buy that excuse." She smiled as she faced the bow of the airship to concentrate on her flying again.

"So, in case you're wondering, you're missing out on some quality entertainment downstairs," Locke mentioned as he pointed to the stairwell. She gave him a quizzical look, so he explained. "We're all scarring Terra for life down there. She's going to need therapy for twelve years now."

"She was in the control of Kefka for 18 years," Celes stated, her tone of voice remaining serious. "I think that's enough of a reason to send the poor girl to therapy."

"True," Locke replied, sensing that Celes wasn't in the mood for humor. "You okay? You seem kinda short with me."

She moved her gaze from her flying back to him and smiled. "Oh yeah, I'm sorry. I'm just trying to concentrate on flying this thing and not kill everyone in the process."

"You're doing a great job so far," he informed her as he began to walk closer to one of the windows. He looked over his shoulder at her, who was looking down at her hands. "But I don't think that's the only thing that is on your mind. What's up, Celes?"

"I didn't know you knew the Baron VanLente and his daughter," she said quietly, causing Locke to turn on his heel at her. "I, heh, really didn't know that she was the girl who haunted your dreams."

Locke pursed his lips and swallowed the lump that was slowly rising in his throat. "Um, yeah. She was killed in the attack on Kohlingen that happened about a year ago. That's actually the main reason why I hate the Empire. They've ruined everything for everyone. I take it that you know of her family because of the Clemix diamond?"

"Yeah," Celes replied as Locke turned back toward the window. "I wasn't there the day that Kefka ordered the soldiers to attack Kohlingen, I was still in Maranda. However, I definitely did hear about it. Everyone did when he presented the Esper to Gestahl. Gestahl had a meeting with the entire army and explained how magic was going to be the key, blah blah blah. I didn't know what happened to the girl, but I did hear the Baron's fate. I'm so sorry."

"I can't get over the way the world looks now," Locke stated, adverting the conversation away from the day that Rachel died. "The water is what scares me the most."

"I'm sorry, I know you don't want to talk about this and I didn't mean to bring it up," Celes said quickly as she noticed the look on Locke's face. "I just…"

"No, don't worry about it." He shrugged, interrupting her. "I know I was only able to see her again for a minute, but as strange as this sounds, everything seems to be brighter to me now."

"You just had the burden of something that has been haunting you for years taken off your shoulders. Of course the sun shines a bit brighter on your life." He turned around to look at her, happy that she had a very good point. "So, how have you been holding up?"

"I'm feeling pretty shitty still, but I'll be all right in the long run and I guess that's what matters," he said with a small smile and an exhale. He was relieved that his response was confident. "I mean, everything just feels more resolved now. Finally, you know?"

"So now you're telling me that's all you needed?" She asked as she raised an eyebrow. "Now you won't be bitchy? No one likes you when you're bitchy. Mainly me."

"Very funny," he stated, although he knew that she was right. "I've been tormenting myself for so long. I was so angry….angry at myself for my weakness. I just needed her to tell me that she still loved me and forgave me for what happened. I guess that is all I needed. Sad, isn't it?"

"Why would it be?" She looked at the map on the wall to make sure that she was going in the right direction, then slightly turned the wheel to the left. "Sometimes resolution is all we need in life."

"What about you?" He asked as she gave him a quizzical look. "I mean, you don't exactly have resolution in your situation."

"My resolution will be sticking my sword so far up Kefka's ass that he'll be able to taste the steel," Celes responded with a very large smile, causing Locke to chuckle at her. "As soon as we get to his tower, which is our next destination, mind you, I will do said event."

He leaned against the wall and crossed his ankles. "By hearing you speak, you would never guess that you're only 18 years old."

"You remind me of someone else that I know." She said with a breathy laugh. "The way you talk, the way you evaluate everything, all the way down to the treasure hunter aspect."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Locke replied with a stately nod, knowing exactly who she was referring to. "Your brother, Xane Riley, is one of the best men I know."

She whipped her head up at him. "X…Xane? You knew him?"

"He and I go way back," Locke began to explain, the surprised look still on Celes' face. "We were in Quantz together, that's how we met. Damn, he hated me for a very long time, but then we eventually got to be very close. As a matter of fact, I was with him the day that he was arrested."

"Oh!" Her look of shock turned into one of enlightenment. "I knew that you looked familiar! From the day that you rescued me, I've been trying to figure out where I knew you from! Thank you! I know now!"

"That's how I knew you as well," he clarified for her. "I just didn't want to say anything."

"I haven't seen him since they shipped him off to Vector." She bowed her head and softened her voice. "That's…That's why I joined up again with Leo right before the world fell. I wanted to make sure that he was alive still. Unfortunately, Leo wasn't knowledgeable about what happened either."

"Why didn't you tell me that?" Locke asked her as he narrowed his eyes. "You didn't have to say that you had a brother if that was what you were worried about. You could've just said that you wanted to see if a friend was alive or something while we were in Albrook. Instead you just walked away from me that night. I was really worried about you."

"I should've told you and I didn't, I know," she replied. "Heh, I don't know why I didn't, but I just thought that I should keep my mouth shut."

"I saw him two days ago actually," he mentioned with a smirk, causing her to whip her head up again. "Before my two day boat trip to the Phoenix Cave."

"What? When? Where!" She asked frantically as she grabbed onto his vest. "Is he okay?"

"He was the one who told me about the Phoenix magicite in the first place," Locke began to explain, Celes' smile widening with every word he said. "He hurt his leg a while back, but otherwise, he's doing just fine. You should know by now that you don't have to worry about him. You worry too much."

"Xane told me a while ago that I need to live a little," she admitted as she shrugged her shoulders. "I guess he's right. I never really did have a childhood, but oh well. Too late to go back and change it."

"The only solution to that would be to actually start living your life now," Locke suggested as she shook her head. "Why not? You're still very young."

"I told you, I need resolution first," she clarified as she pulled out her sword and inspected it. "This has to be introduced to Kefka's ass before I can begin to enjoy whatever part of my youth I have left. I need to atone for what I did while I was a general."

"You're like me," he informed her as he watched her put her sword back by her side. "I don't want to tell you not to dwell on it, 'cause I know you will, but I can tell you that you'll feel better when this whole thing is over."

"I was a puppet for 18 years of my life," she said in disbelief and looked down at her fingernails. "I guess that's why Terra and I have so much in common. Well, I at least know what I did, and she doesn't. It must be nice to forget everything that had happened. I guess she has it easier."

"Maybe, but can we not?" Locke crossed his arms as he thought about it for a second. "Let's not bring up the amnesia thing, okay?"

"Oh, sorry," she replied quickly as she blushed a light crimson. She turned away from him for a second and he felt guilty.

"I didn't mean to snap at you," he explained as he put his hand on her shoulder. "Like I said before, I'll be okay in a while, but it's still a little sore spot in my memory and I'm imagining it will be for a while. I've been battling with everything for over two years, and now I know that I'll never be able to get her back."

"Well, you heard her," Celes said with a shrug and kept the grim look on her face, although Locke could tell that she was trying to conceal a smile. "Stop complaining and move on with your life."

"Ha, you're such a pain in the ass," he replied with a gentle shove to her shoulder. She let out a giggle and she pushed back at him.

"Bastard," she instinctively replied back. She clicked the airship into auto-pilot, put her hands on her hips and faced him. "You know, I could pull out my sword and beat you down with it. Go ahead, just tempt me."

"Oh, we're gonna play this game, are we?" He raised an eyebrow at her and she flashed him an innocent smile. "That's fine, I can handle it…" He trailed off and looked at her out of the corner of his eye, then added: "Traitor."

The word stung her slightly, but she let it roll off her shoulder as she thought of a come back. With a mischievous grin, she looked at him and said a word that was a low blow, yet so accurate. "Thief."

He screamed as he threw his hands up in the air in frustration. "That's treasure hunter!"

Celes could only double over in laughter over his reaction and tears started to brim in her eyes. "Just so we're clear, you are aware that is only a synonym to 'treasure hunter,' right?"

"Hey, there is a big difference," he clarified, trying to keep the angry look on his face. After a second of seeing Celes giggle, he smiled and shook his head. "All right, you think you're so funny, ha ha."

"Oh no, Locke, I don't think, I know!" Locke rolled his eyes and walked to the window once again. After a few minutes of silence, she put her hand over one of her pockets then looked back over at him. "Hey, Locke."

"Yeah?" He questioned as he turned toward her once again. Seriousness was on her face as she reached into her pocket for something. "What is it?"

"The reason why I was thinking about the Baron VanLente and his daughter..." She trailed off, not taking her hand out of her pocket. "Well, I've, um, had this for quite some time."

Locke looked at her with wide eyes, afraid of what she was going to take out of her pocket. Turning her head to the side, she presented her hand in front of him, her fist tightly clenched around something inside. "Are you going to show me what it is?"

To answer his question, she turned her fist palm up, and slowly loosened her grip. It was the Clemix diamond. "Xane was the one who actually told me about it when he was locked up in Jidoor before he was sent to Vector. He intrigued me, so I went into the basement to get a better look at it. I knew the code because Kefka never changed it, so I was able to walk right in without having to break down the door. Of course, I didn't know that it had any connection to your life; I grabbed it as I heard Kefka and some of the soldiers talking about poisoning Doma. I was curious to what they were saying and became so interested in the conversation that I forgot that I was holding onto it. I must've absentmindedly put it in my pocket when Kefka saw that I was eavesdropping."

"It's just as I remembered it," he whispered, taking it in his hand and inspecting it closely.

"I think you should have it. None of us really need it." Celes smiled and nodded at him, giving him a pat on the shoulder.

He looked up at her and weakly smiled. "Thanks, Celes." He wanted to verbalize his gratitude more, but those were the only words that he was able to think of.

"You're welcome," she replied, folding her arms across her chest. "I won't even tell the others if you don't want me to."

Nodding his head, he opened up the door to go onto the deck of the airship, not taking his eyes off of the magicite that he had in his hands. This damn thing cost me the most important thing in my life…He thought as he reached the railing and looked down, realizing that the ocean was directly underneath the airship. Locke closed his eyes and remembered what Rachel said to him on his 24th birthday when they were at the Opera House.

"Again with the damn diamond. I would love to throw it in the bottom of the ocean so the world wouldn't have to fight over it…"

Just as quickly as he shut his eyes, he opened them, feeling the painful burn of tears that he held in. He gritted his teeth, tightened up his grip, then threw the diamond as far as he could. Resting his arms on the railing, he watched it sparkle as it reflected the final rays of the sunset before it hit the water. As the wind whipped through his hair, he quietly whispered, "Goodbye, Rachel…"