Author's Note: This is my first fanfic ever, and this is also the first time I've ever written in first person (excluding homework assignments), so um, please be nice? Also, English is not my first language, though I'm only stating this to make excuses for potential bad spelling and poor grammar. With that said, constructive criticisms are welcome. :)

Additional Note: I think I'm going to tell this story from multiple points of view to get a more complete feel. For example, Chapter 1 is going to be told by Terra and Edgar. The time frame and events are the same, but they happen at different places and are told through different perspectives. I think I'm going for 2 views per chapter on average. I'm hoping it'll turn out well.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything FF either. Sad. :(

Root of Love

Iris Mist

Chapter 1: New Beginning

I held up a hand to my eyes, shielding them from the violent winds while keeping my bangs from obscuring my vision as the airship took off. I smiled and waved good-bye to two of my comrades, Relm and Strago. "Don't forget to write!" I reminded as I called down to them.

"And don't you forget either!" the little girl called back.

"You all take care, and remember, you're always welcome in our town!" replied the old man to the remaining crew on the airship.

It had been almost a week. Almost a week since the decisive battle at Kefka's Tower, though you never would have guessed it by the surroundings. People littered the streets, and kids ran freely in the still-barren fields. They were no longer afraid to come outside, to stand under the sun, to feel the wind against their skin.

Kids...

I smiled as I remembered my bunch back home, in Mobliz. Orphans, they were. Orphans because their parents died in an attempt to save them from the destruction that rained upon their town. Orphans because of Kefka. At that thought, the smiled faded from my lips and my hands tightened into fists. I loved them, every single one of them. They were the ones who taught me how to love. They were the ones who gave me my will back to fight. And ultimately, they were the ones who kept me alive after Magic disappeared from this world.

"Let's see, the closest destination from here would be... Mobliz," said Setzer as he pointed from Thamasa to Mobliz on his self-made map. "Well, looks like you'll be next, Terra."

I looked at him and smiled a nod. "Thanks again, Setzer."

"Anytime, darling," he smiled back. "It's getting late today. You should probably go back and get some rest. We should be able to get you home in about another two or three days."

I nodded again.

It sure was convenient, having access to an airship. Normally, a trip like this would have taken over a week. I turned my attention away from our captain and glanced out at the clear blue sky. I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath, enjoying this feeling of peace, of freedom. I wasn't sure how long I was out there, but suddenly, I heard a loud slam that made me flinch. I turned only to see a tall blonde figure storm across the deck to the other side of the ship.

"Celes, wait!" called the man who followed a few paces behind her. He sighed heavily and stopped his pursuit when he saw me standing there, watching them.

I swallowed nervously, wondering if I should excuse myself. Before I had a chance to decide, he walked toward me, rested his folded arms on the side of the ship, and sighed once more. "Shouldn't... you go after her?" I asked hesitantly, somewhat uncertain of what exactly to say or do in a situation like that.

"Typical, huh?" he asked emptily, ignoring my question, and pulled his bandana out of his hair.

"What... what do you mean?"

"That we had another fight," he answered as he fidgeted with the bandana.

"Fights are normal in a relationship, aren't they?"

"They are when they don't occur as often as this. I just don't understand why she gets so upset so easily, especially over..." He shook his head and managed a chuckle. "Never mind."

"What did you do this time?"

He chuckled again. "You make it sound like it's always my fault."

"I-I'm sorry, Locke," I replied quickly. "That's not what I meant."

"I know, I know," he sighed again and turned his back to the railings, leaning against it for support. "I guess I'm just a little bitter. I'm sorry, Terra. I wasn't trying to start another fight, and I wasn't taking my frustration out on you either."

I nodded and managed a weak smile. "You don't need to apologize. I understand."

"It's just..." he began, but didn't know how to finish. "I wish..." He gestured with his hands, as if explaining something simple to a child, but failing miserably. "I just wish that she could be a little more tolerant," he finished awkwardly with his head hung in disappointment.

I leaned down slightly to look at his face. "So... you did do something?" I asked in a tone that sounded more like a statement than a question.

Locke glanced at me. For a moment, I was afraid that he would scream something incoherent and storm away, but instead, he just laughed. "Yeah. Yeah, I guess I did."

"Well, would you like to talk about it?" I offered.

"Okay, to make a long story short, I mentioned Rachel at an inopportune time. Does that answer your question?"

"Oh."

"Yeah, 'oh' about sums it up," he slid down to a sitting position, still fidgeting with his bandana. "It's not like I did it on purpose. It just... slipped out. I don't know."

I lowered myself to my knees next to him. "I thought you had put that behind you," I said unsurely, afraid I might offend my good friend.

"I have," he explained, sounding a little irritated again. "I told her that I wanted to move on, but that doesn't mean I can do it right away." Another sigh escaped his throat. "I wish she would understand that I'm not trying to push her away. I just need time."

"Well, you'll have to give her time, too," I said. "You know, time for her to accept that you're not ready to move on just yet. I'm sure she'll wait for you if you tell her." Even as I said that, I felt my throat tighten. No, I didn't love Locke. I didn't love anyone except the kids back in Mobliz. However, I was quite fond of the self-proclaimed "treasure hunter." With the exception of Arvis, the man back in Narshe who initially freed my consciousness from the Slave Crown, Locke was the first one to come to my aid after I lost my memories. "I won't leave you until your memory returns!" he had told me at that time. Regardless of if he meant it or not, or even if he was lying or not, a gesture like that was enough for me trust him, at least at that time. I had to take that risk, and luckily for me, it was a good gamble.

"See, the problem is, I don't want her to wait for me," he explained patiently. "It's not fair to her, especially since I don't even..." He trailed off and shook his head.

"You don't what?" I asked almost instinctively, then immediately wished that I had kept quiet. It was none of my business. I had no right to ask it and he had no obligation to answer me. "I'm sorry, you don't have to answer if you don't..."

"It's okay," he cut me off. After a few moments of awkward silence, he spoke up again. "I don't even know how I feel about her exactly. Sure I'd like her to wait for me, but that's the selfish side of me speaking. I can't ask her to do something like that."

"Because you know if you ask, she'd wait for you?" Again, that sounded too much like a statement.

He looked at me and nodded slowly. "Maybe."

There it was, that awkward feeling again. Was I jealous? Jealous that they shared such an understanding? Or was I envious of the fact that I've never felt like that toward anyone? I swallowed hard again.

"It just isn't fair to her," he repeated to no one in particular. "Maybe if I knew I'd be able to love her in the future, maybe then I could ask, but this just isn't right. I mean, what if I ask her to wait, but then I fall in love with someone else? What if..." He glanced at me and scowled. "Terra, are you okay?"

I looked up quickly and smiled. "Of course. I was just... thinking."

"About?"

"About... you," I said as I shifted my position, wrapping my arms around my knees. "I've always thought that the two of you were in love already." I blinked a few times. "And had been, for some time," I added.

"That's silly," he told me. "I'll admit I like her. I like her a lot, but there's still a big step between that and love."

I looked down. I... guess I wouldn't know...

"See," he continued, obviously not aware of my expressions, which I was glad for. "I sometimes feel like I wouldn't be as attracted to her if it weren't for Rachel."

I turned toward him. "What do you mean?"

"It was pretty unfair of me, to both her and you."

"Me?" I asked, confused.

"Yeah, I flirted a bit with you, too, when we first met."

"You... you did?"

He laughed lightly. "I guess you didn't even notice. See, at the time, I was... still recovering from what had happened to Rachel, and both you and Celes reminded me of her in different ways. I guess a part of me knew that she was gone, and I was desperately trying to find someone to fill the empty space in my heart."

I reminded him of Rachel?

"Do you remember the first thing you said to me?"

"I..." I paused to think back, but before I came up with an answer, he went on.

"You asked me if I saved you, and you told me you couldn't remember anything at all."

"You... saved me?"

"Save your thanks for the Moogles!"

"Uhh... I can't remember anything... past or present..."

"You have amnesia?!"

He was right. That was the first thing I said to him.

"And you know, Rachel had amnesia, too," Locke said sadly. "And I failed to protect her in the end. So in a way, I guess I was trying to free my emotional guilt by protecting you until your memories returned. Silly, isn't it?"

I shook my head. Silly was how I never realized why he wanted to protect me till now. "And... what about Celes?"

"Celes," he leaned his head back and closed his eyes. "Celes looks like Rachel. A lot like Rachel. I know it probably sounds shallow, but when you first meet someone, the thing you notice most is their appearance. When I freed her in South Figaro from the Empire guards, she asked me why I was helping her. And I told her it was because she reminded me of someone. That someone was Rachel." He paused for a moment. "I know I must sound like a superficial bastard, but I couldn't help it. I couldn't avoid it. Every time I look at her, I see Rachel. Overtime, that resemblance grew on me and developed into a strange sort of infatuation. At certain times, I somehow even managed to convince myself that she is Rachel."

"That's all right, isn't it?" I asked softly without looking at him.

"I thought so, too, until other things began to surface. Terra, Celes isn't Rachel. She may look like her, but their personalities are so different. During times when I did manage to convince myself that Rachel was still alive and in front of me, I'd subconsciously expect her to act the same as well. But that never happened. I'd often get frustrated, or say things that I don't mean, or just become really secluded, and Celes would get upset, and we'd end up fighting. Like now."

Things like that had never occurred to me, and I could only imagine how it must have been like to be in his position.

"And they'd always be little things," he went on. "Little things that do not and should not matter. Like the other day, Celes put sugar in her tea. Rachel never puts sugar in her tea. And that somehow bothered the hell out of me. Then yesterday, I was telling Edgar about one of the treasure caves I found near Albrook, and then Celes came by and asked if I ever got tired of crawling around in dark tunnels. Rachel and I used to go treasure hunting all the time. It was one of our favorite things to do together. You know, just small things like that always jump out at me, reminding me that Rachel is gone." He looked at the bandana in his hand again and tied it back around his forehead. "If I were to truly love Celes, I'd have to love her for who she is, not whom I want her to be. But I can't tell any of that to her. She wouldn't understand, and I don't want to hurt her feelings."

"But I'm okay?" I asked in a soft whisper. I immediately bit my lip, wishing that I had kept quiet or hoping that he didn't hear.

He looked at me, confused. "What do you mean?"

I'm okay because you're not afraid of hurting my feelings? "I mean, I'm glad that you think I would understand," I finished with a smile. Good save.

He smiled back. "Well, of course. You've become one of my best friends, Terra. I feel like I can tell you anything. And besides, this is just one of those things that you can't really talk to a guy about, you know? I mean, imagine my having this conversation with someone like Gau. Or even worse, someone like Edgar. Or Umaro."

We both laughed at the thought. "You're right," I stood and looked out the ship again. "I'm glad you can trust me, Locke. That means a lot more to me than you can imagine."

"Of course I trust you, Terra." He also got up to his feet and stepped closer to me. "Thanks for listening to me ramble," he said as he placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. "And I hope you know, if you ever need someone to talk to, I'll be here for you."

I smiled a nod at him.

"So um, how are you and Edgar doing?"

I blinked and I felt my cheeks grow red. "W-What? What are you talking about? I... We... we're not even..."

"No? Well, whenever I see him, he always has his arm around you with an unnaturally huge grin plastered to his face, so I assumed..."

"Locke!" My cheeks redden even more.

He laughed and gave me a playful nudge.

I bumped my shoulder into him and knocked him back a little. "See if I ever listen to you ramble again."

"Aww, lighten up, Terra," he said as he wrapped his arm around my shoulder. I laughed a little and rested my head against his chest. "Really, so there's nothing between you two?"

"I don't think so," I said thoughtfully. "But then again, it's not like I'd be able to tell even if there is something. He's just a good friend, like you."

"Ah."

Was that... disappointment I sensed just now? I could have sworn I heard a sigh and felt his shoulders slump a little. No, I must have imagined it. "However, I do feel different when I'm around him. Just like I feel different when I'm around you, too. And... I can't tell what's what, you know?"

"It's all right. I'm sure you'll figure it out soon," he rubbed my shoulder reassuringly.

I let out a small sigh and tried to take in the moment. I liked standing out there with Locke. It seemed perfect. We were in our own little world. No one else was around to bother us. No one else existed. Just us. Unknowingly, a smile crept to my lips, and it stayed there until his voice brought me back to reality.

"So, does that mean you'd be slightly affected if he were to give you a little more breathing space?"

It took me a while to realize that he was talking about Edgar.

"N-Not that it's any of my business, but I was just curious. You don't have to answer me."

I giggled. What's he getting all nervous about anyway? "You mean, would I be jealous if he were to shower his attention on some other girl?"

"Don't worry, Terra, my dear," came a voice from behind. "That'll never happen."

We both turned to see a tall man with blonde hair and sapphire eyes standing a few paces behind us. Locke immediately released his hold on my shoulder, cleared his throat, and straightened his clothes. "Edgar," he began. "I didn't know you were here."

I suppressed a laugh. No kidding.

"I noticed," he said as he walked over to me and slipped an arm around my waist. "I trust that 'Mr. Treasure Hunter' didn't do anything unspeakable to you?" he asked me as he elbowed Locke jokingly in the ribs.

Locke laughed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Whatever, Edgar. So that cute waitress at the bar wasn't able to keep your interest for too long?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Edgar replied and gave him a little shove.

Locke shoved him back, which knocked me slightly off balance, too. Boys, I thought as I rolled my eyes.

"Well, I should go. Celes probably has had enough time to cool off already," said Locke as he waved good-bye and walked toward the door that Celes disappeared in quite some time ago.

I watched him leave and kept my head averted in that direction until I realized that Edgar was talking to me.

"Terra?"

"Oh, sorry. What was that?"

He smiled simply and asked again. "Are you tired? You should probably go back and get some rest."

I nodded.

"All right, I'll walk you to your room."

We walked back in silence, and my mind kept wandering back to my conversation with Locke. I paused slightly at a thought and glanced up at the king of Figaro. Locke was right, he did have an unnaturally huge grin on his face. I felt my cheeks grow red, but at the same time I wanted to burst out laughing. Thankfully, I was able to save myself the embarrassment and the trouble of explaining. Edgar quickly looked away and cleared his throat. "So Terra, would you like to join me for lunch tomorrow?"

I considered for a moment and nodded. "That would be nice."

We stopped in front of my room and Edgar picked up my hand and planted a small kiss. "I look forward to seeing you tomorrow then."

"Good night, Edgar."

"Good night, Terra."

I glanced behind my shoulder as I shut the door. I hope Edgar is all right. He didn't seem like himself for some reason... I sighed as I walked over to my bed and jumped onto the large pile of pillows. They're both my friends, right? I thought as I closed my eyes. I took in a deep breath and let it out in a long sigh. Another two or three days, and then all these confusing feelings would go away. Because then, I'd have nothing to worry about except take care of the kids back home. Slowly, I drifted into sleep. Little did I know, it was going to be the last restful night that I would have for a very long time...