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CelesMaria2

Celes impersonating Maria.

The Opera Maria and Draco (オペラ〜マリアとドラクゥ, Opera~Maria to Dorakū?) is an event in Final Fantasy VI and the collective name of a set of four tracks, written by Nobuo Uematsu and Yoshinori Kitase, featured in the original soundtrack, later released as a single track in multiple album compilations. It is sometimes referred to as The Dream Oath, though this title is never used in the game or in any of the compilations.

The four tracks that play during the sequence are "Overture", "Aria di Mezzo Carattere", "Wedding Waltz - Duel", and "Grand Finale".

In the original Japanese version the music is closely aligned with the lyrics, although because of technical limitations the "voices" are created on the SPC700 sound format. In the Pixel Remaster edition, the song is voiced by real opera singers.

The "Aria di Mezzo Carattere", one of the Final Fantasy series' most famous musical themes, is performed within the opera.

The development team had an idea to include an opera scene and Yoshinori Kitase wrote lyrics for it, while Uematsu composed the music. Translator Ted Woolsey found the opera scene unique and interesting and thus spent plenty of time on that scene; the scene had multiple files that combined to provide the experience: battle texts, the opera text displayed during the different cinematics, and the usual screen text all had to work in concert.[1]

Gameplay[]

FFVI Celes Sings Opera iOS

The opera.

To establish contact with Setzer, the owner of the only functional airship in the World of Balance—the BlackjackCeles impersonates the opera singer Maria, with whom Setzer is in love. Although Celes successfully poses as Maria for the majority of the opera, Locke discovers during the performance that Ultros is planning on dropping a weight on Celes from the rafters.

The attempt to stop him ends with Locke, his allies and Ultros plummeting to the stage, knocking the actors playing Ralse and Draco unconscious. Locke thus attempts (and somewhat succeeds) to improvise this into the opera, and after battling Ultros, Setzer kidnaps Celes as per the original plan.

SNES / PS / GBA / 2014 versions[]

FFVI Celes Opera Flowers

Celes throws the flower bouquet off the terrace.

The opera also features a small game element. Three times during the opera the player has to pick the correct line for Celes to sing. Failing to do so will stop the opera, and the player must do a new attempt; it is easy to guess which line is the correct one, however. Although if one "overthinks" the line to be chosen, the game will automatically select the highlighted line after a couple of seconds. The lines to be chosen are the first, then the second, and then the first one again. Then Draco appears on the scene and turns into a flower bouquet. The player has to pick it up and walk upstairs to throw the bouquet off the terrace to finish the mini-game. Doing it too fast (Pixel Remaster version only) or too slow will also get the party kicked out of the Opera House. Failing the opera four times in total will be resulted as a game over. Story-wise, the actions are intended to be performed so that the events of the opera are performed in time with the music, thus performing the actions too quickly would throw off the musical cue. Throughout portions of the opera sequence, the player is not permitted to advance dialogue.

Final Fantasy VI: Pixel Remaster[]

The castle set has been redone in a 2.5D isometric style and all musical parts are voiced in Japanese, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Korean. The English version has subtitles in Brazilian Portuguese and Russian while the Japanese version has subtitles in Thai, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese. Many of the above sequences are automated, meaning that the player will not be required to move Celes save to run toward Draco's avatar. Button cues will appear that the player must press to advance in the scene. On the third cue, the player must wait until Celes approaches the balcony to throw the bouquet, or the attempt will fail.

Story[]

The Dream Oath

Artwork by Yoshitaka Amano.

The armies of the east are battling the forces of the west. The hero of the western army is Draco, who is in love with the western princess, Maria. When the west loses the war and Draco is presumed lost, Maria is forced to marry the eastern Prince, Ralse.

During a ball, the survivors of the west, led by Draco, launch a surprise attack. A duel ensues between Draco and Ralse, in which the latter is defeated and Maria and Draco go on to live happily ever after.

After Ultros threatens Celes (who doubles as Maria's actress to draw out Setzer), Locke and the other Returners stop him from dropping a 4 ton weight onto the stage during the opera. The Returners end up knocking out the actors for Draco and Ralse during the "duel", and ad-lib the confrontation as if it were part of the opera while also dealing with Ultros.

In an early draft of the opera sequence, Biggs and Wedge disrupted the opera instead of Ultros, using icicles rather than an anvil.[2]

Lyrics[]

The opera has been arranged and performed live in its entirety numerous times, both in English and Japanese. Its lyrical content has varied accordingly, although it is possible to determine 6 different versions of it:


Super Famicom Japanese lyrics with English translation

Impresario
  西軍と東軍の戦いは
  日ましに激しくなっていった。
 西軍のガルー城の戦士ドラクゥは
  激戦の戦地で母国に残してきた
    マリアの事を思う……
Draco
  ♪ オー マリア
    オー マリア
わたしの こえが とどいているか
   おまえの もとへ ♪
Impresario
  西軍は破れ、マリアの城は
   東軍の支配下におかれた。
東軍の王子ラルスとの結婚を強いられた
マリアはドラクゥへの思いをすてきれず
 毎晩夜空を見ては恋人をおもう……
Maria
 ♪ いとしの あなたは
        とおいところへ?
 ♪ いろあせぬ とわのあい
     ちかったばかりに  ♪
♪ かなしい ときにも
      つらいときにも
  ♪ そらにふる あのほしを
      あなたとおもい ♪
 ♪ のぞまぬ ちぎりを
      かわすのですか?
   どうすれば? ねえあなた?
      ことばをまつ  ♪
Draco
ドラクゥ「さあ……マリアよ
 私といっしょにステップを……
ドラクゥ「はははは……
Maria
♪ ありがとう わたしの
      あいするひとよ
  いちどでも このおもい
      ゆれたわたしに ♪
 ♪ しずかに やさしく
     こたえてくれて
  いつまでも いつまでも
      あなたをまつ  ♪
Chancellor
大臣「ラルス王子がおさがしです。
 ダンスのお相手を。
もうおあきらめください。
我が国は東軍の属国になってしまった
のですから……
Messenger
西軍の生き残りが攻めてきた!!
ラルス「なに!!
Ralse
「なに!!
Soldiers
 待て!!
Draco
  ♪ マリア ♪
Maria
 ♪ ドラクゥ
  このひを しんじてた。 ♪
Ralse
 ♪ マリアは このわたしの
きさきになる べきひとだ ♪
Draco
♪ いのち つきはてよう とも
     はなし はしない。 ♪
Ralse
  けっとうだ! ♪
Impresario
The battle between the West and the East
was growing more fierce day by day.
On the battleground during a furious skirmish,
the soldier Draco of the Western castle Garou
thinks of Maria,
whom he left in his homeland...
Draco
Oh, Maria
Oh, Maria
Is my voice reaching
To where you are?
Impresario
The West was defeated, and Maria's castle
came under Eastern control.
Maria, forced into marriage by
the Eastern Prince Ralse,
does not abandon her feelings for Draco,
but thinks of her lover each night
as she watches the skies...
Maria
My beloved, are you going to a distant place?
And we just pledged eternal love...
Through sad times and hard times,
I'll think of that shooting star as you.
Do I have to exchange vows with one I don't love?
What shall I do? I'm waiting for your words...
Draco
Come... Maria.
Dance a step with me...
Ha ha ha ha...
Maria
And I thank you, my beloved,
For my feelings may have swayed,
But oh so gently, and so kindly, you answered me
I'll wait for you forevermore...
Chancellor
Prince Ralse is searching.
For his dance partner.
Please resign yourself to this.
We've become a dependency
of the East, after all...
Messenger
The Western survivors are attacking!
Ralse
What?
Soldiers
Attack!
Draco
Wait!
Maria!
Maria
Draco!
I had believed in this day.
Ralse
Maria is meant to
be my queen.
Draco
Though it may cost me my life,
I refuse to let her go.
Ralse
Then we duel!

SNES-GBA English lyrics

SNES
Impresario
The West and the East were waging war...
Draco, the West's great hero, thinks of his love, Maria.
Is she safe? Is she waiting...?
Draco
Oh Maria!
Oh Maria!
Please, hear my voice!
How I long to be with you!
Impresario
The forces of the West fell, and Maria's castle was taken.
Prince Ralse, of the East, took her hand by force.
But she never stopped yearning for Draco...
Maria
Oh my hero, so far away now.
Will I ever see your smile?
Love goes away, like night into day.
It's just a fading dream.
I'm the darkness, you're the stars.
Our love is brighter than the sun.
For eternity, for me there can be,
Only you, my chosen one...
Must I forget you? Our solemn promise?
Will autumn take the place of spring?
What shall I do? I'm lost without you.
Speak to me once more!
Draco
Come, Maria. Follow my lead.
Draco
Ha ha ha ha...
Maria
We must part now, my life goes on.
But my heart won't give you up.
Ere I walk away, let me hear you say
I meant as much to you....
So gently, you touched my heart.
I will be forever yours.
Come what may, I won't age a day,
I'll wait for you, always...
Chancellor
Prince Ralse is looking for a dance partner.
Leave the past behind.
Our kingdom is adopting the spirit of the East.
Messenger
The survivors of the West attack!
Ralse
Impossible!
Soldiers
Attack!!
Draco
Wait!!
Draco
Maria!
Maria
Draco, I've waited so long.
I knew you'd come.
Ralse
Maria will finally have to become my queen!
Draco
For the rest of my life, I'll keep you near...
Ralse
It's a duel!
GBA
Impresario
The war between the East and the West
Was growing more violent by the day...
Draco, a soldier from the West,
Thinks of his love, Maria,
Back at home...
Draco
Oh Maria!
Oh Maria!
My beloved, do you hear
My words whispered in you ear
As if I were by your side?
Impresario
The Western armies were defeated,
And Maria's castle fell into the hands of the East.
Forced to wed the Eastern Prince Ralse,
Maria still thinks only of Draco
As she gazes at the stars each night...
Maria
O my hero, my beloved,
Shall we still be made to part,
Though promises of perennial love
Yet sing here in my heart?
I'm the darkness, you're the starlight
Shining brightly from afar.
Through hours of despair, I offer this prayer
To you, my evening star.
Must my final vows exchanged
Be with him and not with you?
Were you only here To quiet my fear...
O speak! Guide me anew.
Draco
Come, Maria! Dance with me...
Ha-ha-ha...!
Maria
I am thankful, my beloved,
For your tenderness and grace.
I see in your eyes,
So gentle and wise,
All doubts and fears erased!
Though the hours take no notice
Of what fate might have in store,
Our love, come what may,
Will never age a day.
I'll wait forevermore!
Chancellor
Prince Ralse is looking for his dance partner.
Please, leave the past behind! Our kingdom is part of the East now...
Soldier
The Western survivors attack!
Ralse
Impossible!
Soldiers
Attack!
Draco
Wait!
Draco
Maria!
Maria
Oh, Draco!
I knew you would
Come for me, my love!
Ralse
Insolent rogue!
Knave of the Western Horde!
You would address my queen to be, Maria?
Draco
Never shall you have Maria's hand!
I would die before that day comes!
Ralse
Then it's a duel!

English live performance lyrics (Distant Worlds/More Friends)

Draco
Oh, Maria
Oh, Maria
Though I call you from afar,
Will this message reach your heart?
Oh, how I long to be with you!
Maria
Oh, my hero!
My beloved!
Shall we still be made to part?
Though promises of perennial love
Yet sing here in my heart
I'm the darkness you're the starlight
Shining brightly from afar
Through hours of despair, I offer this prayer
To you my evening star
Must my final vows exchanged
be with him and not with you
Were you only here to quiet my fear
Oh, speak! Guide me anew!
Draco
Maria!
Maria
Draco! I knew you would return to me, my love!
Ralse
Insolent rogue! Knave of the Western Horde!
Would you address my Queen-to-be, Maria?
Draco
Never shall you have Maria's Hand!
I would die before that day comes!
Ralse
Then we duel!
Ralse
I yield... this day is yours, Draco.
Curse you should you let Maria go!
Draco
Peace, then! For you have my word
With me she'll know nothing but peace!
Ralse
Maria! Maria!
I love you so!
Draco and Ralse
Maria! Maria!
Return to me!
Maria
I am thankful, my beloved
For your tenderness and grace
I see in your eyes, so gentle and wise
All doubts and fears erased
Though the hours take no notice
Of what fate might have in store
Maria, Ralse, and Draco
Our love, come what may
Will never age a day
I'll wait forevermore...
I'll wait forevermore!


The Black Mages III: Darkness and Starlight[]

"Darkness and Starlight" is a rock arrangement of Maria and Draco included in the Black Mages' third studio album The Black Mages III: Darkness and Starlight. Because the opera scene in the game ends abruptly with Celes's kidnapping just before Draco and Ralse's duel, the rest of the lyrical content was unknown until this release. The album features the complete opera scene in a rock rearrangement which, while slightly deviating from the original version, was made to be as faithful to the original opera as it may.

The recording for the Black Mages' third studio album had already started when the idea of adding Maria and Draco came to Uematsu, and he decided to add it because he wanted to try something new with the album. He has stated that nothing had really changed from when he was composing Final Fantasy VI; he always wants the challenge of something new.[3]

Lyrics

Impresario
Seigun to tougun no tatakai wa
himashi ni hageshiku natte ita.
Seigun no Garuu-jou no senshi
Draco wa gekisen no senchi de
bokoku ni nokoshite kita
Maria no koto o omou...
Draco
Oh, Maria!
Oh, Maria!
Watashi no koe ga todoite iru ka
Omae no moto e
Impresario
Seigun wa yabure, Maria no shiro wa
Tougun no shihaika ni okareta.
Tougun no ouji Ralse no kekkon o
Shiirareta Maria wa
Draco e no omoi o sutekirezu
Maiban yozora o mite wa
Koibito o omou...
Maria
Itoshi no anata wa tooi tokoro e?
Iro asenu, towa no ai, chikatta bakari ni
Kanashii toki ni mo, tsurai toki ni mo,
Sora ni furu, ano hoshi o anata to omoi.
Nozomanu chigiri o kawasu no desu ka?
Dou sureba? Nee anata? Kotoba o matsu.
Messenger
Ikinokotta wazuka bakari no seigun heishi ga
Saigo no chikara o furishibori
Garuu-jou ni semeitta.
Sono sentou ni tachi otakebi morotomo
Tougun heishi o nagitaoshite iku
Kizu darake no hitori no yuusha.
Senshi Draco ga kaette kita no da!
Draco
Maria!
Maria
Draco!
Kono hi wo shinjiteta.
Ralse
Maria wa kono watashi no
Kisaki ni naru beki hito da.
Draco
Inochi tsukihateyou tomo
Hanashi wa shinai.
Ralse
Kettou da!
Draco
Maria no tame ni inochi o kakeru
Ralse
Ai no ookisa naraba dare ni mo makenu
Draco
Yuku zo!
Chorus
Tebukuro nage!
Ralse
Saa koi!
Chorus
Tsurugi majie!
Draco
Omae ni totte no Maria to wa?
Chorus
Dore hodo daiji da?
Ralse
Kisama ni iwareru made mo naku
Chorus
Tottemo daiji da
Draco
Yahari tatakau shika nai ka
Ralse
Maria wa...
Draco and Ralse
Watashi no mono da
Make wa shinai!
Impresario
Ryousha ippo taritomo ushiro ni wa nokanu
hageshii tatakai de atta.
Shikashi shoubu wa toki no un de aru.
Fukade o otta Draco no hanatta saigo no hitotsuki ga
Ralse no mune o tsuranuita.
Part 4
Ralse
Watashi no make da, Draco.
Maria o hanasu na yo.
Draco
Yakusoku shiyou, kanarazu shiawase ni
Ralse
Oh, Maria... oh, Maria, itoshii.
Draco and Ralse
Oh, Maria... oh, Maria, ai se yo.
Maria
Arigatou, watashi no aisuru hito yo
Ichido demo kono omoi yureta watashi ni
Shizuka ni, yasashiku kotaete kurete,
Maria and Draco
Itsumademo, itsumademo anata wo matsu
Anata wo matsu
Impresario
The battle between the West and the East
was growing more fierce day by day.
On the battleground during a furious skirmish,
the soldier Draco of the Western castle Garou
thinks of Maria,
whom he left in his homeland...
Draco
Oh, Maria
Oh, Maria
Is my voice reaching
To where you are?
Impresario
The West was defeated, and Maria's castle
came under Eastern control.
Maria, forced into marriage by
the Eastern Prince Ralse,
does not abandon her feelings for Draco,
but thinks of her lover each night
as she watches the skies...
Maria
My beloved, are you going to a distant place?
And we just pledged eternal love...
Through sad times and hard times,
I'll think of that shooting star as you.
Do I have to exchange vows with one I don't love?
What shall I do? I'm waiting for your words...
Messenger
The few surviving soldiers of the Western army
summoned the last of their strength
and invaded the Garou castle.
Leading these soldiers with a fierce battle cry
and cutting down the warriors of the East
was a single hero, battered and bruised.
The soldier Draco had returned!
Draco
Maria!
Maria
Draco!
I had believed in this day.
Ralse
Maria is meant to
be my queen.
Draco
Though it may cost me my life,
I refuse to let her go.
Ralse
Then we duel!
Draco
I risk my life for Maria's sake
Ralse
My love for her is greater than anyone's
Draco
Take this!
Chorus
The gloves are off!
Ralse
Come and get me!
Chorus
Clash your swords!
Draco
Maria--what is she to you?
Chorus
How important is she?
Ralse
Do you even have to ask?
Chorus
She's very much so
Draco
I guess we have no choice but to fight
Ralse
Maria is
Draco and Ralse
Mine!
I'm not about to lose!
Impresario
Neither retreated even a single step
in their fierce battle.
But the match came down to luck.
The badly wounded Draco unleashed a final thrust
that pierced Ralse's heart.
Part 4
Ralse
I have lost, Draco.
Don't let Maria go.
Draco
I promise you we will be happy.
Ralse
Oh, Maria...oh, Maria, my dearest.
Draco and Ralse
Oh, Maria...oh, Maria, I love her.
Maria
And I thank you, the one I love,
For my feelings may have swayed,
But oh so gently, and so kindly, you answered me
Maria and Draco
I'll wait for you forevermore,
I'll wait for you.

Personnel in Darkness and Starlight[]

Darkness and Starlight full

Darkness and Starlight cover featured an artwork piece of, presumably, Draco and Maria.


Distant Worlds V: More Music from Final Fantasy[]

In May 2019, Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY released their fifth studio album, Distant Worlds V: More Music from Final Fantasy, included "Opera "Maria and Draco" (FINAL FANTASY VI)" in Track 6. The lyrics are an English translation based on the complete Japanese lyrics from The Black Mages's "Darkness and Starlight" version.[4]

Lyrics

[Chapter One]
Impresario
The war between the East and the West
Grows more violent by the day.
Draco, a soldier from the West,
Thinks of his love, Maria, back at home...
Draco
Oh, Maria
Oh, Maria
Though I call you from afar,
Will this message reach your heart?
Oh, how I long to be with you!
[Chapter Two]
Impresario
The Western armies are defeated,
And Maria's castle falls into the hands of the East.
Forced to wed the Eastern Prince Ralse,
Maria still thinks only of Draco
As she gazes at the stars each night...
Maria
Oh, my hero!
My beloved!
Shall we still be made to part?
Though promises of perennial love
Yet sing here in my heart
I'm the darkness you're the starlight
Shining brightly from afar
Through hours of despair, I offer this prayer
To you my evening star
Must my final vows exchanged
be with him and not with you
Were you only here to quiet my fear
Oh, speak! Guide me anew!
[Chapter Three]
Impresario
Mustering the last of their strength,
A handful of survivors from the Western armies
Gather to lay siege to Castle Garou.
At the van, leading the ill-fated charge, is a lone hero.
And though battered and scarred,
He fights with the spirit of a thousand,
Felling one Eastern soldier after another.
Yes, Draco has returned!
Draco
Maria!
Maria
Draco!
I knew you would return to me, my love!
Ralse
Insolent rogue!
Knave of the Western horde!
You would address my Queen-to-be, Maria?
Draco
Never shall you have Maria’s hand!
I would die before that day comes!
Ralse
Then we duel!
Draco
For my dear Maria!
This life I'm ready to give!
Ralse
No one man shall deny me her hand!
'Tis for our great love that I live!
Draco
Prepare to die!
Chorus
Ah, the gauntlet is cast!
Ralse
Say goodbye!
Chorus
Hear the swords as they clash!
Draco
Tell me now what Maria is to you!
Chorus
You cannot love her more than I do!
Ralse
There is nothing more I need to prove!
Chorus
My mind is set, my heart, it is true
Draco
Then we are left with but one avenue:
Ralse
On my blade I swear
Draco/Ralse
You shall not win this time
Maria, is mine!
[Chapter Four]
Impresario
For what seems an eternity,
The bitter rivals exchanged blows,
Neither yielding any ground.
Until, that is, Fate chooses to intervene,
Guiding the blade of a grievously wounded Draco
Straight through the heart of Prince Ralse.
Ralse
I yield... this day is yours, Draco.
Curse you should you let Maria go!
Draco
Peace, then! For you have my word
With me she'll know nothing but peace!
Ralse
Maria, Maria, I love you so.
Draco/Ralse
Maria, Maria, return to me.
Maria
I am thankful, my beloved
For your tenderness and grace
I see in your eyes, so gentle and wise
All doubts and fears erased
Though the hours take no notice
of what fate might have in store,
All
Our love, come what may
Will never age a day
I’ll wait forever more!
I’ll wait forever more!

Final Fantasy VI: Balance and Ruin[]

The Opera spans three tracks in the OverClocked ReMix album: "The Nightmare Oath", an original track that borrows many motifs from "Overture"; "The Impresario", a reinterpretation of the Opera itself; and "Till We Meet Again", a reinterpretation of "Aria di Mezzo Carattere". All three tracks feature original lyrics that tell a different story from the original sequence of events as told in the game.

A fourth track, "Jidoorian Rhapsody", is remixed from "The Wedding", but is non-lyrical.

"The Nightmare Oath"[]

The lyrics of "The Nightmare Oath" follow a dialogue between Draco and Ralse that mirror their exchange during the original sequence's overture. The title refers to the Opera's apocryphal title The Dream Oath.

Lyrics

Draco:
O Maria
O Maria
O Maria
O Maria

On far off shores, my words call to you
This distant war; my sword sings the truth

Ralse:
Bow to me, the East will overrun this wretched land; defeat has just begun
Spoils of war, your will no longer free; Draco is banished, Maria belongs to me

Draco:
Though the stars fade in the sky, the light your love gives never dies
I will return, I swear on my life

O Maria
O Maria
O Maria
O Maria

Love conquers all; this is not the end
I will not rest, we will meet again

(Ralse:
This nightmare oath will seal our fate forevermore;
My ambitions realized, now I will rule them all)

The Impresario[]

The lyrics of "The Impresario" tell a wholly different story from that of all other arrangements of Maria and Draco. The story is told in the form of a flashback, as Draco recollects how he arranged eloping with Maria but was caught when they attempted it; Maria is slain in the ensuing fight between Draco and the members of her family, and it is implied that she was accidentally killed by Draco himself and that, upon realizing this, he plans on committing suicide to join her in the afterlife.

Lyrics

INTRO:

Look into the sins of your past
Love as if today were your last

Better times have slipped away, I'm lost beneath the waves
Nothing left to save...

EXPOSITION:

SAVAGE CRIME! IT WAS NOT YET HER TIME!
FOR WHOM THE TOWER PEALS ONE FINAL MOURNING CHIME!
FOR THE SURVIVORS.....

SCENE I (present time, evening):

Speak to me, before my fate is reckoned
Comfort me, they'll arrive at any second
Six o'clock, and I got no doubt the gang is out for

BLOOD IS ON YOUR HANDS!
OUR OWN, KILLED IN THE FIGHT!
YOU'LL DIE TONIGHT!

SCENE II (flashback to two days ago):

O, (THERE HE IS!)
Maria, (WHY IS HE ON OUR BLOCK?)
Morte mia (TRACK HIM DOWN, MAKE HIM BLEED! WE'LL TAKE HIM!)

I'll be waiting patiently (WE'LL BEAT HIM DOWN, TAKE HIM TO THE GROUND)
Come on out and dance with me, (THE DEVIL)
The night is young,
And so are we!

[guitar solo]

O Maria, cara mia,
And I know the deck's stacked against us,
Even though it feels so right...

Forbidden is our love,
Our families, divided from above.
Your brothers will see through the lie;
Tomorrow... they won't ask why...

SCENE III (yesterday):

[piano intro]

O Maria...
Far away now...
Will I ever see your smile?
As night turns to day,
I beg you to stay,
I'm down, down on my knees here...

I'm the darkness, you're the starlight,
And I'm burnin' up in here, I (MY HEART WILL)
Die every day, when you hide away
I don't wanna fear... (THEIR RIVALRY)

So even though they may discover us,
I'm never givin' you up
And if they try to tell me what to do...

(I LOVE HER!)
I'll kill them! (I LOVE HER!)
I'll kill them! (LEAVE US ALONE!)
Down to the last!
No!
O (COME GET ME)
Maria, (UPSET ME)
I need her, for my own (COME CAST A STONE)

[guitar/piano solo... commence headbanging]

SCENE IV (this morning):

STAR-CROSSED LOVERS
LAUGHING AT THE TRUTH,
EASY FORTUNES,
FOOLISH IN YOUTH, HA-HA-HA
AFTER ALL IS SAID AND DONE,
YOU'LL BOTH BE ON THE RUN,
AND WE'LL FIND YOU

JUST WHAT WAS YOUR PLAN?
YOU ARROGANT MAN!
TI AMMAZZO, TI AMMAZZO, TI AMMAZZO!
INTRUSO!
(HE WAS WITH THE WHORE!)
CRETINO!
(SHOW HIM TO THE DOOR!)
FOLLOW HIM! CORNER HIM! MURDER HIM!
BEAT HIM DOWN! BEAT HIM UP!
SEND HIM TO HIS GRAVE!

Maria..........

DRACO, LOVE,
WE WERE NEVER MEANT TO LIVE THIS LIE!

Then I will die
Sooner than see you gone
I'm gonna go down swingin',
Ears are ringin'.....

[guitar solo]

SCENE V (this afternoon):

But I'm alive!! (AH-AH-AH-AH-AH-AH! HE'S STILL BREATHING)
MAKE HIM DEAD!
(HIT HIM IN THE HEAD!)
TAKE HIS LIFE!
(SOMEONE GET A KNIFE!)

Suddenly, (GET HIM!)
In a flash, (KILL HIM!)
I was up,
On my feet (STAB HIM!)
With a knife (DRILL HIM!)
Spun around
With a slash (PRESS HIM!)
In a split (GRILL HIM!)
Second of
Murderous (END HIM!)
Clarity, (SPILL HIM!)
I could see,

One by one, they stood before me!

Then, from the ground, came the most awful sound,
And I saw her then,
Maria lying there
Someone had stabbed her and
Her time was at an end,
And then I ran and ran and ran and RAN!

[guitar solo]

BLOOD ON THE STREET,
NOW YOUNG DRACO SHALL MEET WITH HIS FATE!!

ENDING (return to present time):

O Maria,
Now it's clear...
Broken through the pain and the fear
Before too long,
I'll be with... you.....

Till We Meet Again[]

"Till We Meet Again" is a reinterpretation of "Aria di Mezzo Carattere", featuring original lyrics that bear no relation to the plot of the opera.

Lyrics

On the edge of
The horizon,
When the last of light gives way,
The swell of the tide
Will serve as your guide,
And spirit drift away.

Every twilight,
Every sunrise,
We will glide upon a wave.
And I promise to be
What fate asks of me,
From waking to the grave.

Merchandise[]

FFColdCast6

When Final Fantasy VI was first released key chains depicting the game's cast were available in Japanese vending machines. A Celes as Maria from the opera is one such key chain that was sold.

The Final Fantasy Cold Cast Collection is a limited edition collectible series featuring cold cast statues that display notable scenes from Final Fantasy series. Only 3,000 Celes and opera house cold casts were made, each coming with a card and card stand that had the statue's limited number and description. The series has been out of production since 1999.

Other appearances[]

Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade[]

FFAB Holy - Celes Legend UR+

Celes can appear in her opera singer's dress.

Final Fantasy Record Keeper[]

FFRK Opera Celes

Celes, the Opera Star

FFRK Prima Donna Event

Prima Donna event banner

Celes' performance of "Maria and Draco" was the focal point for the Challenge Event Prima Donna, where her Opera Star Wardrobe Record could be obtained. This alternate costume pays homage to the performance.

Even if she is not wearing the dress, her Maria's Song Burst Soul Break will depict her in the dress, singing her aria and throwing a bouquet in full moonlight as is done in the opera.

Final Fantasy Portal App[]

144a The Opéra

Celes at the opera.

The Opera appears as a Triple Triad card, depicted by the scene of Celes throwing the bouquet.

Gallery[]

Etymology[]

Maria is a female given name in many diverse cultures. It became popular with the spread of Christianity as a Latinized form of the Hebrew name of Jesus' mother Mary (Miriam in Hebrew). The meaning of the name is uncertain, but it may originally be an Egyptian name, probably derived from "mry" (beloved) or "mr" (love) ("eminent lady" or "beloved lady"), although it was used in Europe even before the establishment of Christianity as a female form of the Roman name Marius.

In Latin, maria can be roughly translated as "from the sea".

Draco is Latin for "dragon".

Citations[]

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