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Terra had almost convinced herself not to go to this ball at all; social events had never been her forte as she had been to so few of them. When she had made her way to banquets or gatherings in the past, she always felt at a loss once she had arrived, nervous and self-conscious and not sure what to do or say, and always desperate for a familiar face to talk to. It was only during the past year or so that she'd had familiar faces of any kind to look for, but the novelty of the luxury of friendship was not something that was likely to wear off anytime soon.

She had finally talked herself into attending, assuring herself that her nervousness would pass (she was getting much better about that these days, after all) and that it would be a pleasant evening if nothing else. She had dressed up for the occasion, in a simple but elegantly cut red dress, a color chosen both for its seasonal significance as well as because it was one of her favorites. She had been unsure of what to do about her hair, curly and difficult to tame as it always was, but wound up pinning it back with a pair of combs so that it remained reasonably neat.

The crowd was overwhelming at first, and it took a few moments for her to adjust to the noise of people talking loudly over the music that was came from somewhere she couldn't quite discern. She moved stiffly through the throng of people, careful not to bump anyone as she passed, and felt an incredible surge of relief when the people in front of her parted just enough for her to spot two faces that were a sight for sore eyes.

"Sabin! Gau!" she called over the chatter of the people around her, offering the pair of them an almost bashful wave before attempting to weave her way through the remaining crowd to reach them.

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Gau accepted Sabin's hand as he was brought to his feet, letting go Gau swayed a bit before steadying himself and pointing excitedly down the street. "free! food!" Gau said as a figure approached from that direction. A girl just younger than Sabin with greenish-blonde hair waved as she called their names. "Friends!" Gau shouted as he looked around at the rest of the crowd to see if he spotted any of the others.

He turned to Sabin and Terra. "Others here?"

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Sabin could not help but chuckle as Gau regained his footing, and immediately exclaimed his excitement over free food. "Trust me, we'll all pay for it later." he responded, about as cryptic as Sabin would ever get. Not that he could say much if Gau overate, he almost certainly planned on doing the same thing. Nights like these were for drinking, and being merry, and he had a lot of merriment in him!

As the familiar voice cut through the din of the crowd, he lifted his head in surprise. Eyes scanning the people nearby in an attempt to locate the owner of that particular voice. "Terra?" He called out, about the same time Gau shouted. He was surprised, that another of his friends would be nearby. Other than tonight, he'd only seen Edgar, and then only during his brief trip to Figaro.

"Terra! There you are!" He sounded rather happy to see yet another friend. Not that he would tell anyone, but he'd been feeling a little on the lonely side since they had all parted ways. It was hard to simply go back to being a wandering martial artist, when they had all spent so long together, doing so much. "I'm not sure if anyone else is here. Seen anyone Terra?" Personally, he wondered if Edgar might have found the time to make an appearance. These kind of events were made for his brother, more than himself. Yet with a couple of friends with him, there was the potential for a great night ahead.

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Smiling warmly from ear to ear, Terra shook her head as the distance between the three of them closed, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear with one hand while laying the other atop Gau's head in a show of affection. "I haven't seen anyone, I just got here," she admitted. "Feels like I haven't seen either of you in ages! I can't think of anyone I'd be happier to run into right now. Have you been here long? Do you think anyone else will show up?"

She lightly tousled Gau's hair before reclaiming her hand. "You're enjoying yourself, I hope!" she said specifically to the younger of the two. She hadn't been sure of what to make of him when they first met, but as time went on, she had developed quite a soft spot for Gau. Children of any age always made a big impression on her these days.

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Gau cocked his head to the side at Sabin stated that they would pay for it later, his mouth grew small. "Gau no money!" he said as he beamed at Terra as she messed up his green hair even more than usual. "Gau have fun!" he said before remembering something, turning to Sabin, he pointed in a random direction.

"Gau go to place, machines! lots of machines!" he said as he did a poor impersonation of a engine "Very shiny things!" Gau said as his eyes grew wide with the thoughts of shiny things

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Sabin nodded his head slightly as Terra spoke. He hadn't expected her to see anyone else, but he had lost nothing by asking the question. "I've been here for a few hours myself. It's been fun so far, getting to know everybody." As to her question of whether anyone else they knew would show up, he could only shrug his shoulders. "I'm not sure. I saw Edgar, when I stopped in at Figaro Castle, not too long ago. He seemed to be doing well, but I think his duties might keep him too busy to go anywhere for a good long while." As...carefree as his brother acted, he knew that Edgar could be depended upon to be serious when needed. Especially when it came to running the Kingdom.

Gau's sudden movements caught his attention, his eyes glancing off towards the direction that Gau pointed. "Machines?" There was a time when the mention of machines would make him think of the Empire. Even now, it nagged at him. Like an old wound, that refused to be ignored. "It sounds like you enjoyed it there kiddo. You'll have to show me sometime?" With that, he turned his attention back towards Terra. Grinning, as he waved a hand at everything around them. People, servers, tables, even some entertainment. "We can still catch up while we check out the sights. I think the both of you will enjoy it here. It'd be a shame to let this night go to waste."

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"It's all a little much," Terra confessed, a faint blush creeping into her cheeks as she paused to take in their surroundings more fully. The noise persisted, but it was a pleasant sort, really -- she could never begrudge anyone the cheerful talk and merrymaking that sounded from every direction. "I'm not used to so many people at once, but it does seem fun. Much more so with the two of you," she added. She wanted to ask how Edgar was -- it had been far too long since she'd seen him, as well -- but Gau's excitement distracted her.

"What kind of machines?" she asked him with genuine curiosity. She wondered, afterwards, if it was useless to ask. After all, Gau was likely to reiterate "shiny" a few more times before moving on to something else, but his finds were often very interesting. "I'd like to see, too, when you go." Machines had a negative association for her as they did for Sabin, but she was willing to give them a chance. They seemed to be everywhere these days. There was no escaping them, so it was best to learn about them, she had decided. No reason to apply fear of the unknown to the things.

"What is there to do here?" she went on to ask. "I don't know where to start."

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Gau shook his head a bit to bring himself back to reality. Terra asked about the machines as Gau mimed a large object with his hands. "BIG AND SHINY! and go WHOOSH!" Gau said as his hand flew around as he made whoosh noises. "and then BOOM!" he mimed a crash landing and explosion. "People nice there. Give Gau food!" he said as a man started playing music on a trumpet as Gau grinned happily. "SHINY!" he said as he rushed over to watch

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Sabin could not help but laugh at both Gau's energy, and the way his attention bounced around. The kid certainly was a wellspring of energy. "Well, I guess that Gau's gone and decided for us?" He stated to Terra, as Gau ran off to observe the performers.

If they didn't end up following after Gau, he was sure that they would eventually lose the kid in the crowd, so with a look that was a good mix of helpless, yet amused he glanced over at Terra once more, before turning and following their younger, green haired companion. With a wave of his hand he invited Terra to join them, not that it wasn't obvious they wanted her company.

"So Terra, what have you been up to since we all last got together?" It was obviously easier to ask her that question, than Gau. He was pretty sure her attention wouldn't be snatched away in the middle of an answer. As they strolled along after Gau, Sabin stretched his arms into the air. Holding the motion for a moment, before setting his hands one atop the other, on top of his head. It was a natural, relaxed looking position for the Blitz Master. He seemed pretty at ease in this kind of situation. He'd been through a lot of this when he was younger, and though he didn't always enjoy the razz and pizzazz of the Gala's that Edgar had to throw, this was different.

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Terra followed Sabin's lead as he started to trail Gau, keeping up fairly easily despite the fact that she was quite a bit smaller and therefore in possession of shorter legs than the monk. Every few steps she sped up to cover any lost ground, smoothing out the skirt of her dress with both hands as they went.

"Not much, honestly," she told him, then decided to rephrase. "Well. It probably doesn't seem like much to anyone else. I have trouble tearing myself away from the kids, you know? They need me. I like feeling needed. And really, there's never a dull day out on that farm, someone's always losing a tooth or needs a scrape taken care of or a tear mended, and of course keeping everyone fed takes a lot of work! What about you? What have you been doing with yourself? Are you still training?"

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Gau.....was growing sleepy to be honest. The night was growing long and Gau, even before he started being with the Returners....after all living on the Veldt, you want to be in as much light as you can, makes it easier to find food and to keep from being food. Not to mention that he was young, barely 14, Gau stifled a yawn as his eyelids started to droop and he slammed to pavement, sleeping away

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Sabin nodded his head, as Terra explained her goings on. He was pleased as punch, that the green haired woman had found a place where she belonged. She had seemed so...fragile, when they were traveling together. Well, fragile wasn't really the right word, but he couldn't think of a better way to explain it. To see her speaking of her days now, it was almost as if she were glowing. "Well, it certainly sounds as if you've got your hands full! As long as you're enjoying yourself, then I can't imagine a better place for you to be." Being such a free spirit, Sabin wanted nothing more than for his friends to find the place where they belong.

Of course he grinned when she asked if he were still training. "Of course I am! You should have seen me when I walked into Figaro Castle last month, covered from head to toe in dirt. I've been training harder than ever." There he seemed to pause for a moment, as if he were reflecting. Or wondering what else he should say. As the moment passed, he just went with the flow, and kept talking. "I've actually been looking for a student. Since I am now a Master of my art, it's only right that I pass on the techniques that Duncan passed on to me."

Anything else that he might have said was interrupted when Gau slammed onto the pavement. Sabin was worried that something might have happened to the young child, and so he rushed over to Gau's side. Crouching down beside the kid, he rolled Gau over, and just started to check him over when he started to laugh. "Haha, he fell asleep!" The tone in his voice was incredulous, he was amazed that Gau could have just passed out like that. Having trained in various wildernesses, Sabin knew to get sleep when you could, but...this was ridiculous. "What should we do with him?" He tilted his head up to look at Terra, an amused grin plastered on his face. He found the whole situation to be highly amusing.

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"There's always a lot to do," the emerald-haired woman confessed, but the smile she gave him as she did so was bright and unquestionably happy. She had clearly found her niche in caring for the orphans of Mobliz; indeed, anyone who probed her enough for information would set her to talking about the children at great length, bringing them up-to-date on all the latest happenings in the lives of her wild bunch, from each fight and skinned knee to certain children's progress with the farm chores. "But I don't think I've ever been happier. Though, I do miss everyone... I wish we hadn't scattered so far, sometimes."

She beamed at him proudly as he told her of his training. "I knew you'd never let yourself go slack when it came to that. I'm sure Edgar was impressed by your attire that day," she added with a smirk. "A student of your own? It does sound like the natural order of things... did you have anyone in mind yet?"

She stopped short when Gau hit the ground, covering her mouth with one hand as she winced. Oh, that looked painful. She frowned for a moment, concerned, but relaxed when Sabin announced that Gau had fallen asleep. She laughed, letting her fingers drop away from her lips. "Oh. Well, I'm not sure... we can't just leave him there, of course. Is there an inn nearby we can take him to? He'd be safe, and we wouldn't be far..."

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Sabin could understand Terra's wish that they had all stayed closer together. After they had put a stop to Kefka's reign of terror, they had each gone their separate ways. It wasn't something that could have been helped, each of them had responsibilities that needed to be tended to. Still, in response to her statement Sabin could only smile at his emerald haired companion. "We are only so far away from each other, as we think we are Terra." It was that laid back attitude that was his trade-mark. The world was a simple place, in his mind.

"Actually, I met somebody when I visited Edgar that looked like he would do nicely." Granted, it was only an estimate based on the guy's physical traits. It took someone with a strong body to learn the art of Blitz, but it also took a strong will to guide it. There were times during his training that had tried him to the edge, and back again. Yet he was stronger for it now, and he knew that.

The blonde haired martial artist closed his eyes for a moment, as he tried to imagine the layout of the city as he'd seen it so far. "I think there's one just a few blocks from here, actually." He had to admit that it was a good idea. There was no harm leaving Gau in a room, at an inn. The boy had been doing well for himself so far, he had to have been, to make it here. It was an easy task for him to take the green haired child into his arms, and lift him. All those muscles came in handy, every now and again! "Do your children do this too? Or do you think this is just Gau's unique ability?" He asked her as he started walking through the crowd towards the inn. Chuckling to himself, as he imagined a whole group of children just picking a good area to fall asleep in, and hitting the dirt, so to speak.

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Her lips split into an easy grin, and she cocked her head to the side as she studied Gau in his current state. "I think this is a special ability of his," she decided aloud, laughing a second time. It was a good thing that Sabin was able to carry Gau so easily; she had plenty of experience with hauling children off to bed after they'd drifted off, but none his size. It was good to have a 'bear' like Sabin around, and personally, she couldn't think of anyone Gau would have liked better to carry him.

"They fall asleep in some strange places, but it usually takes a little longer! He just about fell asleep on his feet, poor thing. He must be exhausted. Wonder where he traveled from to get here? I worry about him out there on his own, you know."

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Sabin could not help but chuckle, as he shifted the weight that was Gau in his arms. No matter how strong one happened to be, the best way to carry dead weight was to shift it around every now and again. It also helped to keep the carrier from hurting himself. "Well, I'll have to ask him to teach me this one then. It looks pretty useful."

His shoulders rolled in an easy shrug, as he continued walking. At least people were considerate enough to move out of their way, it wasn't always like that during a social event of this size. "I worry too Terra. Physically, this kid has got to be the most capable I've ever met, but his social graces certainly didn't flourish while he was with us." It wasn't for lack of trying. They had done their best to bring Gau along, yet his childhood in the Veldt had probably left a permanent imprint on him.

Sabin glanced at Terra out of the corner of his eye, not wanting to look away lest that be the moment he managed to trip, and hurt both himself and Gau. "So, why don't you tell me more about your little ones? Got any rough housers in the bunch? Or are they all pretty decent tykes?" He wanted to know more about how Terra had done since their adventure. He had been meaning to drop in on her, as well as everyone else but he often lost track of time during his training.

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"He's capable of surviving on his own, but he needs so much more than just the bare minimum, especially at this age," Terra fretted aloud, with the air of a woman who had much more worldly experience than she actually did. She had learned a lot from Duane and Katarin, the oldest of the orphans -- only a couple of years younger than herself, and both immensely helpful in keeping everyone in line and care for. They had taught her a lot about the sort of needs most people had, particularly those who were still growing up. They had taught her something about social graces, too, though by the time she reached them, she was already fairly well-acclimated to being around people as herself, thanks to the time spent with her travelling companions. "We should keep an eye on him if we can, though I know there's no stopping him running off if he wants to."

She tilted her head back, looking skywards as she thought about how to best answer his question. "Well," she began with a sly smile, "They can't all be angels, can they? Really, for the most part, they're well-behaved, they all want to work together to take care of each other. That's all they have now. But there's a rough-houser or two! Kale, you'd love him. He's just like you, or what I imagine you must have been like as a kid." She grinned. "Lots of energy and no idea what to do with all of it. He helps with a lot of the outdoor chores, and it helps, but I sense a strong case of wanderlust in that one."

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Sabin had the sense to stay quiet while Terra was talking about her children. That might not have been the best way to say it, but to Sabin that's how it sounded. She seemed to have such pride in those kids, take such joy in taking care of them. Terra had come a long way from the woman he had first met on Mt.Kolts.

"Well, from all the time we spent together I imagine you have a notion or two of how to handle energetic boys." He gave his best impression of a Cheshire grin, as he nodded his head down to indicate Gau. There were days where both Gau, and himself were likely a handful to contend with, and he was a grown man! "I wish that I could have made it out there, while you were together with them. I can imagine it must have been quite a sight, seeing you with those children." The same Terra who at first struck him as such a shy, and timid creature. He was sure the sight of her with those kids could have melted the hearts of the coldest creatures.

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"You'd be right, that's where my career got started," Terra laughed as they walked, giving Sabin a very gentle shove against his massive shoulder. "Looking after you and Gau, not to mention Locke, Setzer, Edgar... a lot of overgrown troublemakers, all of you," she informed him with another grin. She had tied herself in knots over coming to this event, but now that she was among friends, she couldn't imagine any place she would rather be.

"Well, you could still come by sometime. Things are changing and the world isn't what it was, but Mobliz is still home, and I'll be going back there before too long. I can't stay away for ever, though Duane and Katarin all but banished me from the house for a week for my 'health.' Whatever that's supposed to mean," she tacked on. "I'm sure they'd love to see you. You're Kale's favorite in the stories. They remember when you and Celes came looking for me, and of course once I got back, they wanted to know about everything that had happened..."

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Sabin felt the same way. While he may normally be uncomfortable in these situations, being with both Terra, and Gau made him feel more at ease. More himself. Now he was no longer attempting to socialize, he was just...being himself. "In our defense, each of us was a different kind of troublemaker!" He rocked his body with the nudge that Terra had given him, looking almost like he was about to fall over for a second. Of course that was all done on purpose.

The invitation that Terra had just extended to him warmed his heart. While he was prince of a nation, and a recognized hero...he didn't have many places to call home. Not...places with people. There had been no doubt that if he arrived Terra would be glad to have him there, but the act of inviting him meant a lot. "That means, that if you don't get out for some fresh air and relaxation you'd work yourself into an early grave. You are too important, to too many people for that to happen Terra."

He paused in his speech as they rounded the corner, the Inn wasn't far now. They could see it just down the street, there was a small group of people coming out of it as a matter of fact. "Oh ho, so you've told them all about us huh? That wouldn't be a fair meeting considering I know next to nothing about them!" Of course it was easy to tell he was joking, it was all in the tone of his voice. "It's good that they want to know, isn't it? It means they care about you. Besides, admit it. All of us together make a pretty awesome story, don't we?" He laughed once more. A deep, booming thing that came from deep within his chest. He couldn't help but wonder how Terra told the story. Maybe he'd sit in on a telling?

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"It's true, you all had your own brand of trouble to get up to. At least it left me well-prepared! I think I can handle just about anything now," Terra told him with such confidence that she even surprised herself. It wasn't so long ago, really, that she had first been freed of the slave crown, and had been so timid and unsure of herself. Time had cured that, as well as the company and support of her friends and what had now become her family. She smiled to herself, proud. She couldn't help chuckling as he made a show of almost toppling over. "It's hard to say which of you was the worst! Oh, probably Edgar, relentless rake that he is, but you give your brother a run for his money! I've still never met anyone with as much energy as you've got."

She clasped her hands behind her back as they approached the inn. "Well, I'll accept that, but I do hope they won't make me stay away too long. I worry about a lot of things, I guess," she confessed, turning slightly pink in the cheeks. "It's nice that they want to know what happened. And I tell them the truth, really, though I leave out some of the scary parts, since some of the kids are still so little, but -- well, most of it is there! And you're right. It is a pretty incredible story. I still have trouble believing it, sometimes."

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Gau blinked his eyes open slowly when he realized he wasn't on the ground anymore, in fact someone was carrying him. Gau glanced over at Sabin as he responded with a very clear denial by flailing his arms and growling deeply. "GAU DOWN!"

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Whatever else happened tonight, Sabin thought that it was worth the trip just to see Terra brimming with confidence like this. She was a new woman entirely. Sabin chuckled at the thought that Edgar's jaw would hit the floor, if he could see Terra as she was right now. "I will have you know that I have worked long, and hard to be considered a better trouble maker than my brother!" A boisterous declaration, from the guy who did every from wrestle bears for his dinner, and hold collapsing houses up by sheer power, and force of will. "It sounds like Kale might give me a run for my money though, if you give him a few years?"

Sabin's purposeful gait paused once they reached the entrance to the Inn. He made sure to steer clear of the entrance, just in case somebody hurried out. It'd suck to get Gau all the way here, just to have him bonked on the head by a swinging door. "Nah, they probably hate being away from you as much as you hate being away from them. Look on the bright side, taking this break brought you here to meet me and Gau. Maybe we'll follow you back to Mobliz. Then there'll be some stories to tell." Terra wasn't the only one who couldn't believe it sometimes. What they had been through, and done was nothing short of incredible. It hardly needed embellishment, to be amazing.

They had been so busy talking, that he had no idea that Gau had woken up. It wasn't until the green haired rascal started flailing, and shouting that Sabin realized it. To be honest it surprised him, thankfully he was strong enough to hold a flailing teenager, even one as rowdy as Gau. "Whoa there, calm down Gau. I was just bringing you to the inn." he attempted to explain the situation, as he put Gau back down onto his own two feet. He didn't think the kid would be this against being carried. Then again, it probably was a shock, wasn't it?

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"Well, I certainly have nothing bad to say about running into the pair of you--" Terra began, finding herself cut off by Gau's flailing and vehement demands to be let down. She stifled a laugh, covering her mouth with one hand to smother it before it had a chance to escape and possibly offend. Taking the two of them back to Mobliz would definitely add some color to the stories the children were always demanding, that was for sure. Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to visit a few other friends on the way home, if she was able... the problem was tracking some of them down.

"Sorry, Gau," she apologized. "We didn't want to leave you asleep on the ground back there, anything could have happened."

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