Into Albrook...

Celes was growing weary and achy from having been riding the Chocobo for a couple hours. It was now, as she could tell by the moon�s stand in the sky, a little after 8 p.m. The Chocobo slowed to a gentle trot as it strode into Albrook. Only the faithful beast and rider had no idea what was awaiting them there�

A youthful-looking woman ambled through the shadows in a back alley of Albrook. She had noticed over the past few months how the lands had swiftly recovered from the great war between the humans, Espers, and Kefka. The grass was growing once more, there were trees all over, and even flowers had begun to bloom. The world was looking much nicer�

She brushed her fingers through her long brown hair and hummed a tune. There was a skittering behind her. "Hn?" Turning around, she addressed nothing but shadows.

Skrit, skrit, skrit�

She turned back to the way she had been facing. Nothing.

Skrit�skrrrrr�

A light flashed and the girl cried out as she was lifted into the air by a cackling, shapeless form. "You shall now serve me� the Returners will plummet into a world in which they belong! Selene! You are mine."

Selene�s eyes widened. "No� Edgar�What shall become of Figaro?" Her eyes grew anxious and filled with fear as she was raised into the sky and carried away.

General Celes dismounted from the back of her rented Chocobo once she�d reached a local stable. The air was thick and dusty, so she left it and hurried out.

The town of Albrook was considerably small. It had been, and still was, the home to the Mage Warriors� descendants, including Strago; an old man who�d aided the Returners in the defeat of Kefka only a few months before. Kefka had been foolish to try and harness the Espers, especially when the Returners had the half-human half-Esper girl, Terra, on their team. The battle had left so much damage, but the land and its inhabitants were recovering, slowly.

Celes caught herself in the middle of a stone path, not knowing how she�d gotten there. She suddenly realized it had been because of her obliviousness while thinking of the past. Looking up, she noticed before her stood the great oak tree that marked the center of the town. A gentle smile crossed her face when she saw that there was someone sitting behind it.

"Locke." The figure turned a little, then stood and came out from its refuge. It was a young man, the famed Locke Cole, Treasure Hunter. He wore shabby clothes (as always) and his blue and yellow bandana.

"Yo Celes. You made it; it was getting late."

She let her eyes wander about the scene. "Yes� but something isn�t right here."

"Whaddaya mean?"

"I suppose you wouldn�t know, but I sense a strange magical force� not that of Espers, Terra, of Mage Warriors�"

"Sheesh, you would." Celes, before becoming a general for the Empire (even though she no longer was at this point) had had Magicite fixed into her so she�d develop the power to use Magic. She was one of the few Magitek warriors.

For no reason, Locke moved forward and embraced her. Slightly surprised, Celes put her arms around to his back very gently. His body was warm, and his embrace was sweet� "It�s good to see you again."

Then it hit her. �This isn�t right; it�s all wrong� It just doesn�t feel right�� She tried to shove Locke back, but his grip was like steel. He backed away, but kept a firm grip on her shoulders, then began to� morph.

He became a strange man whom she had never seen. His eyes were sharp red and his hair was long and black. "Returner� you shall get the fate you were destined� Kefka wasn�t sane enough to do things correctly." He let go of her, and she didn�t move. She was shocked; she had no idea who this was or what was happening.

"Where�s Locke?!" she demanded in an unwavering tone.

"You�ll see him soon." He cackled in a bone-chilling way and held his hands out, palms toward Celes. They were covered in thick black gloves, which were soon pulsing with energy. The energy was released, and Celes was flung backwards with intense force- not hitting any building behind her, but sinking into the air. She was gone.