Locke Cole
Locke can be found by completing the Phoenix Cave, which is only accessible after acquiring the airship. There are rumors that this cave houses the legendary Phoenix Magicite, a Magicite capable of resurrecting the dearly departed. I immediately suspect that Locke has journeyed here to secure the Magicite for his old flame Rachel, so I send the crew in after him.
The Phoenix Cave is a complex puzzle that needs two teams cooperating to beat, but it was actually much less aggravating than I anticipated, especially since Mog led one of the teams with his Moogle Charm in hand. We make it through this underground maze and eventually find Locke and the Magicite at the end. He smiles, winks, and immediately rejoins his old friends. He also hands over a large stockpile of delicious booty, treasure from empty chests (empty when we got to 'em!) that he had reached first. I considered that a really nice touch.
After exiting the cave, we immediately make our way to Rachel. Locke uses the power of Phoenix, and... I CAN'T CONTROL IT!
Dark Rachel rises!!!
Not really, but she does wake up. Unfortunately, even Phoenix's powers are limited, and Rachel is only granted scarce seconds in this mortal coil. Selflessly, she uses her last moments on earth to comfort Locke. She tells me to let go of his guilt, live for the future, and live for the one who's now in his heart (obviously hinting toward Celes without stating it outright). She passes again, and that, IIRC, is pretty much the end of Locke's story, barring a few more moments of tenderness and development with Celes.
I really like the way Locke and Celes's relationship was handled. Very classy, very touching, and here's the important part: very subtle. A 2011 game would have spelled it out for us with 20 more conversations and a sex scene. Final Fantasy VI thought more of its audience. Or maybe the technical limitations of the time made sex scenes unrealistic, who knows.
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Yoblazer: http://oi52.tinypic.com/ad21i1.jpg
Watch and you'll see... someday I'll be... part of your world!