[Fic][FFVI] Undeserved

[wallwalker]

Title: Undeserved
Fandom: FFVI
Characters: Celes
Rating: SFW
Length: 460
Author's Notes: Written for fan_flashworks (Prompt: Stripes).
Summary: Celes wonders if she's really earned her new rank.


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Celes looked down from the balcony, happy to be done with the pomp and ceremony. He had allowed her to take her leave at once, and she had done so with as much haste as she could without being overtly insulting.

The crowds beyond them had not yet dispersed, and the mood of the town was an almost manic glee; the Emperor could've asked his citizens to make any sacrifice, to do anything for their nation, and they would've gladly agreed. Gestahl was ignoring them, and was busily conferring with Kefka yet again. She could not see Kefka's face, although she could easily imagine the twisted grin, but even from that distance she could see the joy in Gestahl's eyes.

She bit her lip - an old habit she had managed to break only when there was no one around - and brushed her hand against her new badge of rank. She was a General now, the youngest in the admittedly short history of the Empire. She was the reason those men and women were still cheering, the newest of the warriors who would lead them all to glory. It was an unwanted weight, and if she could've ripped it off and thrown it away without incurring the Emperor's wrath, she would have done it the minute he'd pinned it upon her chest.

She was going to lead the assault against Maranda, while Leo and Kefka would prepare for the attack on Doma. There could be no failure, she knew that much. She shook her head as she turned away, not wanting to watch Gestahl and Kefka speak any further. She wanted to enjoy a moment of privacy while she still could.

Most of the soldiers stepped away to give her room, saluting her as soon as they saw her approach. She nodded back, trying not to let her discomfort show, as she walked away. They said that she had deserved this, through her actions on the battlefield and her service to the Empire. But when she saw how Gestahl treated her and Kefka - the way he'd begun to shun the non-magical members of her army, even General Leo - she had trouble believing it. Magic ran cold through her veins, and she couldn't help but think that was why she'd been chosen. There had to be other warriors who were more worthy than she was.

No. If she was going to feel that she'd earned her stripes, she was going to have to prove it - to herself, if no one else. Her invasion of Maranda would have to be the most successful offensive in the history of the Empire. She knew she was up for the challenge. She just hoped that nothing else would go wrong.