Playing Along

�I remember�� a voice echoed in Celes� head. She saw only black. ��Espers� and the Returners�� Her subconscious tried to revive her. �That war� it doesn�t seem like it was seven months ago; only maybe seven days ago��

Celes opened her shining blue eyes. They were filled with fear of the unknown, but she made like she was courageous. She noticed she was in a very uncomfortable position; lying on the ground with her hair in a mess over her face, an arm flung on either side of her. She stood up and brushed her hair back with a single hand, dusted herself off, and then took in her surroundings.

Trees were all around her and her feet touched a carpet of soft moss. There was a magical air to the surrounding scenery that felt almost as though she had stumbled into the Espers� world� but not quite. The auras she gathered felt much different.

"Locke!" She gasped. Her memory was back. Flashing in her head were scenes of the imposter Locke, the wicked, crimson eyes, and that laugh. She shuddered. "I have to find him�"

Wandering around, she soon came to a clear path. The shrubs nearby it were neatly trimmed back. �Wow,� she thought, �this place is so much more beautiful than home�� After only a couple minutes, the ex-General reached the forest�s edge. She stood on a grassy cliff that overlooked a marvelous city. The buildings were like none she had ever seen. She even began to wonder if this is what her world had been like before the War of the Magi�

Walking to her left, Celes carefully made her way down a path that led to the border of the city. When she was on level ground, she looked the tallest structures up and down, blatantly hesitating entrance with a raised brow. She sensed much Magic here, as though it wasn�t a special gift at all, but something every person had� �This seems unreal� I need to find Locke and get out of this mess.� When the words of the dark man hit her, she corrected herself aloud. "No, I need to find the Returners and get out of here."

Very slowly, she began a shuffle towards the city. The odd, ever-present auras made her feel out of place and fairly uncomfortable, as her power to sense them wasn�t adapting to these new feelings. She sighed. �Great. This is a brand-new adventure, and I have to begin without my senses functioning properly� This may bring disaster�� Celes loosely gripped the Rune Edge that hung at her waist and walked into the city.

Celes wandered about the town. Elegantly dressed people passed her, laughing and joking. When she stopped and looked around her, she realized that they weren�t the only group doing so. Dozens of little cliques of people, dressed in beautifully designed cottons and silks, were all going in the same direction as the first group she had seen.

When a man and woman, arm in arm, strode up near her, she gently touched the woman on the shoulder. "Excuse me. Can you tell me what city I�m in an what�s happening?"

A shrill laugh was emitted from the jewel- laden throat of the woman. "Why, you�re in Calista, of course!"

Her escort, a finely trimmed man, finished the answer to her question. "What is happening? The gala, that�s what! Saishirou is taking her throne this eve!" He cleared his throat and straightened up. "Everyone from everywhere has been invited. You should clean yourself up if you intend to go." With that, the couple briskly continued on their way.

�Everyone will be there�?� Celes thought. �Maybe I�ll find him!� She looked down at herself, still a mess since entering the world. "Well," she spoke to herself aloud, "I guess I do need to be cleaned up. Let�s do this quickly."

After about an hour of running through shops and having to convince shopkeepers that her currency was really money from the hands of this �Saishirou�, she was very ready to attend this gala.

She had had to use a public restroom to dress, and she had had to put her belongings into one of the plastic sacks from her newly bought clothes, but she didn�t find it a problem. Her hair had been elegantly curled and put up into a bun, leaving a few spiraling strands of golden locks to hang by her cheeks. The long, crimson dress she wore was made of a silky material. It swept down nearly to the floor. She adjusted the straps that held it on her shoulders. �At least it�s not low-cut,� she thought, �I�ll be damned if I ever show in public in some kind of floozy�s dress.�

She walked down the street alone, her ruby heels clicking quietly on the pavement. Following everyone else was surely a method that would get her to where she had to be, and it was. She strolled into an open courtyard where at least four hundred others were waiting to be let in. Apparently, she and they were early to the event. She tried to hide the unattractive plastic bag behind her as she walked; she did wanted to fit in perfectly here.

�Now I guess I just wait�� She sighed. �I hope he shows up��