The sun had crested the mountains by the time she returned, the brilliant rays searing into the yellow sands of the surrounding desert. Soon it would be unbearably hot outside, but the clever machinery of Figaro would keep the inhabitants cool. The great fans circulating on the tops of the towers expelled hot air, while other turbines drew air into the city and cooled it as well. "Amazing, isn't it, Bork? Who'd have thought that we'd ever be living in a lump of metal," Keyla mused as she instructed Bork to land. The chocobo offered a chirp in reply. Despite Keyla's upbringing with all these wondrous devices, she was suspicious of technology. Hadn't mankind almost destroyed itself with these machines? What lessons were there to be learned from the War of the Magi and the Empire? And what of the terrifying reign of Kefka that had only recently been ended? It was hard to believe that only three days ago she had been flying under a hellish red-orange sky, watching for attacks by mutated creatures such as Doom Gaze. She unconsciously touched the autocrossbow hanging at her side, taking little comfort in the sleek metal.

Bork gently touched down on the top of the flight tower, wings extended in a picture-perfect landing. Keyla lightly jumped from the back of the bird, then removed the saddle and harness. As she finished, she felt a light tap on her shoulder. She turned to meet the inquisitive gaze of Bork's large eyes.

"No way," Keyla said. "I already gave you something to eat this morning. You'll get fat if you eat too much. And how would we fly then?" she scolded. Bork cocked his head, then chirped shrilly. "That's right. Nothing until noon at least." The chocobo chirped sadly, then cast his eyes down in dismay. "Oh, stop that," Keyla said. "You'll get no sympathy from me, you hear?"

"Something wrong, Kay?" A grizzled soldier approached the wingrider and her chocobo, detaching himself from the other half-dozen wingriders tending their mounts.

"Morning, Jacob," Keyla said. "Just the usual; Bork is as troublesome as ever."

"Ah, I see. About that replacement chocobo you requested..." Bork looked up suddenly in alarm, his eyes growing to enormous proportions. Keyla and Jacob both burst into laughter.

"Now, now," Keyla said, stroking the chocobo's downy feathers. "Just kidding. We're a team, right?" she said. The chocobo chirped brightly in response. "So, any news today, Jacob?"

"The chancellor would like to meet with you as soon as possible."

"Hmm. Did he give a reason?"

"Nothing specific, just general discussion about the wingriders. Oh, actually, he did mention something else. The, umm, that is... King Edgar -"

"The king? Has he returned yet?"

"Not yet, and I think the chancellor is getting worried. He wants you to do some reconnaissance, probably near Kefka's tower."

"Do you think he'd reconsider if I told him what I thought of the king?"

"Hey, hey," Jacob said, catching the frigid look in Keyla's green eyes. "I know you don't get along very well, but he is the king. And not a bad one at that. Please try and remember all that he's done for Figaro."

Keyla sighed. "Very well, I'll carry out the search. But if that lecher ever mentions a beauty pageant again..."

"I'm sure everything will be fine," Jacob said hastily. "You'd better go and get ready; it wouldn't do to keep the chancellor waiting for too long."

"Okay," Keyla said. "Oh, and one thing, Jacob?"

"Yes?"

"Stop feeding Bork behind my back," she said, as she headed for the stairway.

"Of course," Jacob said, then turned to address the chocobo as Keyla's ponytail of brown hair disappeared from view. "We both know she means well, but it's not necessary to be that strict. So, how about some breakfast?" Bork nodded his head vigorously as they headed towards a feeding trough.

Keyla left the residential area and entered the central courtyard of the city. It bustled with activity as the people of Figaro went about their morning tasks. She wove her way through the crowd, heading towards the palace. A group of soldiers came to attention as she passed, and she dismissed them with a salute. One of the soldiers mentioned something about "captain chicken", but Keyla just grinned and ignored the comment. The wingriders were just beginning to become a viable military unit, and it appeared that a rivalry with the other units was already forming. Still, Keyla mused, there was nothing wrong with a little friendly competition.

Cries of panic and alarm shook her from her reverie, and she looked upwards, following the stares of the surrounding people. High overhead, a single wingrider clutched desperately to the neck of his chocobo, trying to pull himself back into the saddle. "Damn you, Derek," Keyla breathed. "What did you do this time, forget to strap yourself in?" The chocobo banked and headed for the ground, but pulled up as the rider lost his grip with one arm. "Good move, Sky," Keyla whispered. "He's going to fall."

"You're Captain Brillare, aren't you?" a nearby soldier shouted. "Do something!"

"I am," Keyla said.

"Wha-"

The soldier's reply was cut off as Bork swooped into the courtyard, wings beating furiously. The crowd surrounding Keyla ran for cover, leaving the slender wingrider alone. She jumped as Bork approached, executed a flip, and landed lightly on the chocobo's back. The crowd murmured in astonishment as Bork soared upwards, flying to intercept the other chocobo.

Bork pulled up just below the slowly circling Sky. "Derek! You'll have to jump down!" Keyla shouted. The wingrider remained where he was, eyes bulging with fear, one arm flapping in the breeze. "Derek! I'll catch you!" Again, the wingrider didn't seem to notice her. "Derek! JUMP! That's an order!" Yet again there was no response, and Keyla could only watch as Derek's fingers slipped from their deathgrip on the harness. "Bork, we're going to have to catch him if we won't jump. Get rea-"

Derek fell, pitching towards Bork's left side. Keyla lunged for him, but the wingrider hit the chocobo's wing and slid off. Keyla dove after him, and a horrified wail rose from the crowd in the courtyard as both wingriders plummeted towards the desert sands.

Keyla quickly caught up to Derek's flailing form and firmly grabbed him around the waist, then partially deployed the emergency wings. Wind raged about them as the metal-reinforced material extended from the back of Keyla's uniform. Although their fall slowed somewhat, the wings were designed for one person, not two. If they were deployed fully, the fragile fabric would surely shear. Yet if they hit at this speed, both wingriders would be killed...

"Derek! Grab Bork!" Keyla shouted, as the faithful chocobo flew beneath them. She couldn't be sure if the panicked man heard her or not, but there just wasn't any time. She guided Derek towards the chocobo, let go, then lost sight of the rider as she snapped the wings open. She had just enough time to go limp as she hit the sands and went crashing down the side of a dune.

She lay there for several moments before she gingerly tried to move. Nothing seemed broken; her right shoulder was killing her, but she expected that. It was only when she realized she couldn't sense Bork that panic seized her. "Bork," Keyla whispered, "you couldn't be..."

A fierce grin came to her lips as she heard Bork's triumphant call and saw the chocobo alight near the gates to the city, the rider still clutching at the bird's purple feathers. A crowd milled restlessly on top of the city walls, and it suddenly occurred to Keyla why the people were so silent. She rose from the sand, and cheers rose from the people of Figaro as the captain of the wingriders waved to the city.

***********************************************************************

It was a full hour before Keyla reached the top of the flight tower, bedraggled and covered with sand. The wings had torn off from her uniform, leaving large gashes in the back. "Are you okay?" Jacob asked, hurrying to meet her.

"I'm fine. How about Derek?"

"In the infirmary. The doctors wanted to treat him for shock."

"What happened?"

"Hard to say, but it looks like the safety straps snapped."

"The backups?"

"Wasn't wearing them."

"Hmm."

"You know, it was an honest accident. And most riders don't wear their backups, especially you."

Keyla nodded. "Well, he deserves a good chewing out, but I'll leave that to you. Put him on stall cleanup for two weeks, and if he ever makes another big mistake he'll have to leave the wingriders."

"Fine with me, Kay. Going to see the chancellor now?"

Keyla sighed, ruefully examining her once-pristine uniform. "Well, hopefully he'll be impressed," she said, grinning.

"Good luck, Kay," Jacob said. Keyla smiled and nodded, and headed to meet the chancellor just as the clocks struck noon.

"I heard what happened. Are you alright, captain?"

"I'm fine, sir. I'm just glad that I requested that the emergency wings be placed on the dress uniforms."

"It always pays to plan ahead," the chancellor said. "Now, if you can excuse me for being so abrupt, I have some urgent business to discuss."

"The king, right?"

"Yes. Allow me to explain. Our finest lookouts were on duty when Kefka's tower crumbled. Although it was difficult to see through all the dust, they were able to locate his majesty's airship leaving. However, it seemed to have sustained a large amount of damage, and soon flew too low for them to follow. Our engineers have determined that the airship could have gone no further than Tzen or the nearby bay. Even one of the islands to the west of Tzen would have been a miracle."

"So, you want the wingriders to recover him?"

"Yes. We've sent a rescue party, but it will take the greater part of a week to reach the southern island. Your chocobos could get you there in one or two days. Speed is of the essence, for his majesty might be in danger. Besides the airship, the lookouts also noticed a brilliant beam of red light emanating from the top of the tower. None of our scholars are sure as to what it could be, but they do agree that it cannot be anything good."

"I see." Keyla paused, momentarily unsure if she really wanted to see King Edgar again. "I... agree to go on the mission to rescue the king, sir."

"Excellent, excellent," the chancellor said. "Don't forget the prince as well. You and your riders will leave tomorrow -"

"I'm sorry, sir, but I will have to go alone."

"Alone? That's -"

"Too dangerous? Frankly, sir, none of the other riders are experienced enough to fly to the southern island, let alone fight in a battle. Even the most experienced has had only two years of training."

"I see. So how long have you been flying?"

"Eleven years, sir, ever since I was ten."

"Eleven years... ah, that's right. Your parents discovered the purple chocobos, didn't they? How are they?"

"They're... dead. Killed during the end of the world."

"Oh... I'm sorry, terribly sorry," the chancellor said. "Please accept my condolences."

"You're very kind, sir."

"Thank you, captain. Please go and prepare yourself; you are to leave tomorrow morning. All the resources of Figaro are open to you, so don't hesitate to ask for whatever you think you will need. If you run into trouble, we will have lookouts posted an hour before dawn and an hour after dusk. Signal with your flash device, and we'll help in any way we can."

Keyla saluted. "Captain Brillare requesting permission to leave."

"Granted."

She was cleaning and oiling her autocrossbow when Jacob knocked on the door. He didn't say anything at first, wordlessly entering and studying the contents of the small room. He finally stopped to examine a photograph of Keyla and her parents, taken a year before the war with the Empire.

"Your parents would be proud of you, Kay."

"My father didn't want the chocobos to be used for war."

"True, but he supported you when you wanted to form the wingriders, didn't he? Peace is fine, but there'll always be tyrants and warlords. Sometimes, it's necessary to fight to maintain peace."

"I know."

"Good for you," Jacob said, then stopped smiling when he noticed Keyla's gloomy expression. "Something wrong?"

Keyla shrugged. "Just nervous, I guess. I've flown all over the world, but never for a reason this important."

"Don't worry too much about it. Besides, it's not like you're riding into battle. King Edgar is fine, he's probably just taking his time to return. I imagine he's visiting his friends, or maybe he's at that club in Albrook he used to talk about.

"Probably," Keyla said, shaking her head. She managed a slight smile. "Thanks for stopping by, Jacob. I guess I needed some cheering up."

"Anytime, Kay," Jacob said. "Good luck, and bring the king back safely. And try not to rough him up too much on the way back," he added.

Keyla closed the door behind Jacob as he left, then returned to field-stripping the autocrossbow. She worked in silence for a while, painstakingly inspecting each piece, trying to avoid the memories. They came for her nonetheless, awakened from their subconscious slumber by the reminder of her parents and her fears about the mission. Finally, she put the weapon down and lowered her head to the table in despair, surrendering to the images and their story...

****************************************************************************

"You can see it from here," Keyla said. She was standing on a cliff to the south of Figaro, looking across the sea to the isle of the Empire. The floating continent was indeed visible; in fact, it was impossible not to notice it. It hovered above the isle like a dark, rapacious cloud. "I should be there now, father."

Keyla's father shook his head. "It's far too dangerous. You wouldn't accomplish anything against the Imperial air force or Kefka's creatures. It's best to leave it to the king and his allies."

"Someday, you'll be a fine knight," Keyla's mother said. "But you still have much to learn. You may be one of the best at crossbows and swords, but there are other forms of knowledge as well. In any case," she said, gazing at the growing shadows, "it's getting late. Ready to head back?"

"Just a little longer," Keyla said, studying the distant continent. Was it her imagination, or was it beginning to crumble? Her suspicions were confirmed a moment later as massive explosions wracked the continent, sending a hail of stone down on the isle below. "Look!" Keyla shouted excitedly. "The king must've won!" Then the continent exploded with a massive surge of white light as brilliant as the sun. Keyla dropped to the ground, shielding her eyes from the radiance. A low rumble began somewhere beneath her feet and soon grew into a loud roar. The cliff cracked and began to fall apart, sending fragments of rock falling to the distant grasslands below. "Mother! Father!" Keyla screamed.

"We're here, Keyla," her mother shouted, barely audible over the sound of falling stone. "Are you -"

"I'm fine, but we need to get out of here!" Cracks were forming all along the cliff; it was only a matter of time before the entire face of the mountain collapsed. "Bork!" The chocobo appeared from a cloud of dust and sailed down towards the cliff. "Listen to me," Keyla shouted. "There isn't time for Bork to land. Take my arms, and hang on as tightly as you can."

"You won't be able to hold us," Keyla's father shouted. "Even if you do, Bork won't be able to hold that much weight without slipping. We'll all fall to our deaths."

"Shut up!" Keyla shouted. "Just hang on!" She reached to take her parent's arms... and failed as they took a step backwards. "What are you -"

The cliff collapsed with a deafening roar, sending massive stone shards falling to the ground below. Bork dove into the falling rock, disappearing into the shower of stone and dust. Then he was soaring upwards with Keyla clutched in his strong feet.

"NO! Go back!" Keyla screamed, sobbing uncontrollably, but Bork ignored her. The chocobo banked to the north and climbed as rapidly as possible, trying to avoid the wall of raging crimson flames surging from the south.

They were almost over the mountains when the flames caught them. The heat was incredible; Keyla couldn't see, couldn't even breathe. She was vaguely aware of shards of rock tearing themselves from the mountains and flying south towards the Empire. Her last conscious thought was one of pain as something brutally smashed into her right shoulder, and then there was darkness and an awful sense of falling...

*****************************************************************************

Keyla awoke with a start, her eyes wide with terror, drops of sweat glistening on her face. She was hyperventilating, and had to force herself to take slow, deep breaths. Tears welled in her eyes as she tried to unsuccessfully push away the memories. "It wasn't my fault. There was nothing I could do. Even if I had caught them, there were the flames and the rocks." However, there was no conviction in her voice. She saw them again; the sad smile on her father's face, the words her mother mouthed to her; and watched through a haze of tears as they disappeared into the billowing dust and falling stone. That day had taken away her parents, her confidence, even the use of her arm. She couldn't so much as open a door without wincing, let alone wield a sword. Still, she had learned to live with the pain. It was far easier to bear than the pain in her heart.

She was breathing easier now, the memories fading back into her subconscious. Yet one image remained, that of the young green-haired woman that had visited Figaro shortly before the war with the Empire. "This is all your fault," Keyla said softly. "You were the one that opened the gate to the Espers, you were the one that allowed Kefka to destroy the world. Somehow, I'll find you. And then... you will pay for your crimes."

She finally arrived at the stunted trees and brush where she had left Bork and ducked underneath the tarp she had set up earlier. It was mostly dry underneath, even though the tarp leaked in several places. Well, leave it to engineers and inventors to bungle something as simple as a rainproof piece of cloth.

Bork was sitting amidst the trees, thoroughly enjoying the weather. Keyla was immediately jealous of the chocobo, for his purple feathers provided nearly complete protection from the falling water. "Bork, come over here," Keyla said. The chocobo cocked his head at her and chirped. "No, I'm not going out there." Another chirp. "Yes, I realize I'm soaked through. Don't argue with me and get over here."

Bork hopped over to the tarp and stuck his head underneath it, peering at Keyla with his large luminous eyes. "Well, it does look like we've been searching in the wrong place. So much for three days of work." Bork chirped at her. "Yes, I realize I should've taken your advice. Next time, we'll stop at the towns first." Another chirp, this one more mischievous. "WHAT? What did you call me?" Keyla grabbed a handful of twigs with her left hand and threw it at the chocobo. "You've got some nerve saying that!" Bork hopped back out into the rain. If chocobos could grin, Keyla thought sourly, he would be now.

Chirp. "No, I'm not going out to play." Chirp. "Yes, I am mad. And I need to do some planning. Go ahead and fly if you want, but I'm staying put." Bork looked at her for a moment, almost seeming to laugh, then extended his wings and flew upwards. Keyla sighed loudly and flopped onto the ground. "What did I do to deserve this?" she asked, to nobody in particular.

Well, at least she knew where to search now. The people of Tzen had seen the airship when Kefka's tower fell a week ago, and everyone agreed that it was flying west, over the ocean. Of course, the destination of the airship differed with every story. About half said Jidoor, others said Maranda, Zozo, and Kohlingen, and one young boy said it was headed towards Figaro. Well, at least she could throw out one possibility. Intriguingly, that same boy also told her that a large, powerfully-built, blond-haired man had purchased passage on a boat to somewhere in the north. He also said that this man had saved his life a few weeks ago by holding up the boy's collapsing house. Yeah, right. The description matched Prince Sabin, but Keyla knew better than to believe a young boy.

"So, what to do?" she asked aloud. Most of the people she had talked to were positive that the airship had held together long enough to make it over land. If so, Maranda or Jidoor might be a good place to start. Someone must have seen something. It was a little late in the day to start towards Jidoor, so Keyla decided to head to Maranda first. After a relaxing night at the inn, she could head on to Jidoor. Now if only the damn rain would stop.

A splash of color caught Keyla's eye as she walked towards the city. Could it be... She hurried to investigate, and suddenly forgot about the rain as she noticed the blue wildflowers. There were tears in her eyes as she dropped to one knee to admire their simple beauty. It had been a year since she had seen a flower. She remembered waking up in the infirmary in South Figaro to find stalks of wilting grass in the vase next to her bed. The flowers had all died, she had been told, within a week of the world's ruination. Yet here they were, returned from the dead. "Perhaps there really is hope for the world," she whispered, in awe of nature's resilience. Keyla rose to her feet, smiling and elated, and continued walking.

She hated to leave Bork behind again, but she really needed a good night's rest. She was exhausted from flying for half a week through the rain, and all she could think about was a hot meal, a warm bath, and a soft bed. She reached the outskirts of the city, passing by freshly-planted fields, and began to search for an inn.

*****************************************************************************

Rhiannon Meylith entered the vast, shadowed chamber and dropped to one knee before the cloaked and hooded figure before him. "I have news to report, my lord," he said.

"Go ahead," the figure said. The only feature visible in the depths of the cowl was the dark green, glowing eyes.

"All plans are on schedule, including investigation of the individuals you mentioned. However, I have located another highly promising addition to our ranks." Rhiannon smiled thinly, the expression more cruel than comforting. "Her name is Keyla Brillare, and she is the captain of the wingriders of Figaro. I sent a flight of Floaters to watch her and summoned a rainstorm to conceal their presence. Forgive the crude methods, my lord, but with the other spies absent I had no recourse."

"Tell me about the captain."

"Her weapon skills are remarkable, her judgement and leadership are exceptional for her age. She has no knowledge of magic, rendering her vulnerable to its influence. Finally," Rhiannon said, the smile widening into an evil grin, "her spirit is tormented by the loss of her parents and her own suffering. She walks a narrow path in the shadows between Light and Dark, ever unsure of her footing. One gentle shove, and she will be lost in the night."

"I see. How do you propose to obtain her?"

"She blames the death of her parents on the one known as Terra. She possesses great hatred for the halfbreed, and would undoubtedly attempt to kill at any opportunity. It would be simple to influence her after such an encounter."

"Very well." The figure paused for a moment, lost in thought. "So, another pawn."

"Nay, my lord. No mere pawn, but a valiant knight who would sacrifice her own life to protect yours. When I am done with her, she will not be another mindless, charmed servant; she will love and respect you as she would the King of Figaro."

"Interesting. An excellent plan, Rhiannon. Use whatever methods you deem necessary to obtain the captain. That is all."

"My lord," Rhiannon said. He rose and turned, the red cape fluttering behind him, and stalked into the shadows. He disappeared sooner than might be expected, melding anonymously into the gloom.

******************************************************************************

Keyla listened as the soft pitter-patter of the rain on the shingled roof quieted, then died out completely. She was dry for the first time in days, sitting before a roaring fire and sipping a mug of hot cider. She definitely felt that her luck was changing for the better, and not a moment too soon. All that remained was to locate the airship and rescue King Edgar and Prince Sabin. Then she would have to deal with the urge to drop the king into the ocean each time he made a pass at her.

She watched the crackling flames for a little longer before deciding to retire. Sleep came easily, and she awoke totally refreshed and ready to travel at dawn. She felt a little uneasy, but quickly discounted it as the last remnants of that bad luck.

It was much later when she would recall the shadowy, red-caped figure, reaching towards her with an outstretched hand, whispering: "You are mine."

She stopped to rest at a bench in the shade of some trees and drank some tepid water from her canteen. She felt frustrated and out of place in this city of ostentatious wealth. Someone had to have seen the airship go by, but she had no idea as to how to find Edgar and Sabin. Maybe she could try a tavern, but she doubted if she had enough money to afford more than two drinks.

Keyla sighed and looked up... and looked up again as a familiar form at the end of the street caught her eye. Tall, well-muscled, blond hair... "Prince Sabin!" she shouted, jumping to her feet and running after him. "Prince Sa-" There was a whoosh, and suddenly Keyla was surrounded by a cloud of damp fog. The sun, the sounds of the city, and the surrounding buildings vanished, leaving her alone in the misty indistinctness. It was peaceful, like flying through a cloud. She briefly wondered why she wasn't concerned, then forgot as the feelings of tiredness and lethargy overcame her. Keyla took a few more steps, then stumbled and sank into the billowing fog.

***************************************************************************

She was standing in a barren chasm, empty save for piles of broken rock. Wind blew in irregular gusts, throwing up sprays of dust and grit. Above, dark clouds smothered the sky in roiling puffs of dark gray.

She quickly sensed that she was not alone. She drew her sword with her left hand, the sharp steel glistening in the pale light. Movement to her left; she backed up, putting a boulder behind her, searching the surroundings for her foe. Then the creature lunged at her from behind a pile of rock, slashing with its wicked claws.

It fell to the ground, green ichor oozing from its chest as she struck thrice and leaped to safety. Three more of the creatures appeared less than thirty yards away, closing quickly. She raised the autocrossbow, ignoring the pain in her arm, and fired. The shots went wide, but they forced the creatures to take cover. She sheathed her blade and shifted the autocrossbow to her left hand. One of the creatures looked out from behind a pile of rock, then collapsed backwards as three bolts from the autocrossbow exploded its head. She slowly backed up, keeping the weapon ready, then turned and ran.

Sounds of pursuit followed her as she fled over the broken ground. The walls of the chasm narrowed, forming a network of jagged passages cut into the surrounding cliffs. She ran down one, then came to a halt as it ended in a sheer rock face. She turned to head back, then stopped as the soft click of claws on stone sounded from just around the bend. She raised the autocrossbow and drew a knife with her right hand. Half a dozen of the creatures stepped into view, venom dripping from their fierce jaws. She studied the creatures grimly, backing up as far as she could. There were just too many of them. She could kill two, maybe three before they reached her. Then her knife would be all but useless against their ripping claws and teeth.

A human figure stepped out from behind the bend, dressed in dull gray plate armor and wearing a billowing red cape. The creatures turned towards the newcomer, and she fired, dropping two of the creatures before she emptied the cartridge. One creature turned to face her; the other three charged the armored warrior. He watched impassively as the reptilian forms approached, then became a blur of action as he drew a double-handed sword and sliced two of the creatures in twain with appalling ease. The third hesitated, then was no more as the warrior went into a spinning strike and removed the creature's head.

The remaining creature charged her, leaving her no time to draw her sword. She dodged as it slashed with its bony claws, but lost her footing on some loose pebbles and fell roughly to the ground. The creature drew its arms back to slash... then collapsed as the warrior ran it through.

She sat up as the warrior sheathed his sword and wordlessly extended his hand towards her. She reached up to take it... then suddenly drew back as a voice in her head screamed a warning. She went for her sword as the warrior gestured, and then everything shattered around her...

*****************************************************************************

"I think she's coming to."

Light. Voices. She was lying on her back with something cool on her forehead. Keyla cautiously opened her eyes. She was on the bench she had been sitting at earlier, with what appeared to be a wet handkerchief pressed to her head. There were several people peering down at her with concerned looks on their faces. She attempted to sit up, but was so dizzy and lightheaded that she would have fallen over if someone had not caught her.

"What... what happened..."

"Looks like heat exhaustion," one man said. "Here, drink this," he said, handing her a glass of water.

Keyla tilted her head back to drink, then stopped as she noticed a flyer posted on one of the trees near the bench. "Visit the Nightsider's Club for a night of excitement and fun. Crafted from an actual airship - That's it! The king must be here!" She jumped to her feet, or at least tried to. Somehow, she was unable to control her legs, and instead stumbled and fell.

"Are you alright?" one woman said.

"She must be delirious," one man said. "Let's get her to an inn."

"Wait! You don't understand..." Keyla continued to argue with the small crowd as they assisted her towards a nearby building. With all the excitement and the dizziness, she took no notice of the red-caped, golden- haired man carefully studying her with his violet eyes.

*****************************************************************************

Rhiannon stepped into the shade of the trees just outside the large mansion that dominated the northern part of Jidoor. The surrounding shadows began to draw together, coalescing into a dark figure with glowing green eyes. "My lord," he said, dropping to one knee.

"Report, Rhiannon."

"I was able to prevent her from meeting Prince Sabin," Rhiannon said.

"Excellent. And what of your powers?"

"I tried, my lord, but as predicted her will was too strong to overcome. It appears that mental domination will yield few, if any, results. I will have to resort to more cunning measures."

"Very well, but it will have to wait. More important issues require your attention."

"Locke, my lord?"

"Yes. He has recovered and is currently in Kohlingen. Observe him for now. I will give you further instructions as necessary."

"I exist to serve you, my lord." The cruel smile came to Rhiannon's lips. "Is there anything else you require?"

"That is all." The green glow of the figure's eyes faded and the dark body dispersed, returning the shadows to normal.

"As for you, my lovely knight," Rhiannon thought aloud, "what shall I do with you?" He rose to his feet, eyes distant as he considered his options. "The stun should last until tomorrow morning. That should be more than long enough to prevent you from interfering with Annis' trap." He chuckled, the sound deep and mocking. "You've escaped for the moment, but next time I will be sure to leave nothing to chance. Farewell." He traced a crawling black rune in the air and vanished, engulfed by the shadows.

* S * P * L * A * S * H *

A dripping-wet Keyla shook her head and grinned at Bork, who was floating on the pond. "Okay, you got me pretty good that time. Just wait until I get you back, though." Bork chirped. "You don't think so, huh? Well, wait and see." Chirp. "Ah, sorry about that. I didn't mean to stay overnight, but I wasn't feeling well." Bork chirped, looking concerned. "I'm fine now," she said, smiling reassuringly. "So, any news from Figaro?"

Bork nodded his head and chirped. "That means... return immediately," Keyla said. "You're sure that was the signal?" Bork chirped again. "Don't worry, I believe you. And there's more?" The chocobo nodded and chirped several times. "King Edgar is... well, well. So much for our first mission. I guess we'd better follow orders," Keyla said, sighing. "Let's get everything ready to go."

She spent the next quarter hour securing the saddle and harness and packing up gear. She noticed the dark storm clouds forming over the ocean just as they were ready to set out. "Looks like another storm," she said. Bork chirped. "Well, hopefully we can outrun it. If not, I guess we're in for some rain. Let's go." The chocobo spread his wings and flew upwards, then banked and headed northeast towards Figaro.

The city still looked the same; shiny, imposing metal set against a background of dull yellow sand. There was considerably more activity than usual, however, especially on the flight tower. "That's odd," she thought aloud, shielding her eyes from the weak sunlight filtering through the clouds above. "The chocobos look a little different. Larger, darker, and... talons? But... that's impossible... what are the black chocobos doing on OUR tower?" Bork chirped uncertainly. "Well, they won't be there for long. Let's land and figure out what is going on."

The purple chocobo flew lower, heading for the flight tower. Just as he circled in preparation for landing, a sinister low hum echoed over the city. Keyla looked up to the tower atop the palace with a gasp, just in time to be blinded by a beam of brilliant white light which surged from the tower and streaked to the east with a deafening roar.

Bork landed, and Keyla disengaged the safety straps and jumped to the ground, clutching at her eyes. It was a few moments before her sight returned. "That almost looked like... Kefka's Light of Judgement," she whispered. "You!" she shouted, addressing a nearby sergeant. "What was that beam, and where was it aimed?"

The soldier shrugged. "King Edgar's latest invention. As for where it was headed, I don't know for sure, but probably at Doma Castle. Its people have been insolent lately and needed to be taught a lesson."

"Taught a lesson? Just what is going on here?" she said, her green eyes flaring with anger. The soldier blanched and stepped backwards. "Would you care to explain?"

"We're at war, Captain Brillare." A man dressed in flowing robes approached.

"War? You can't be serious! And who might you be, anyways?"

"I am L'sith, the royal alchemist and advisor."

"I don't recall the king ever needing an alchemist or an advisor."

"Ah, but you've been away for a long time, captain. Things change, with time. And thus has Figaro's position in the world changed. The enlightened few have a responsibility to bring peace, prosperity, and stability to other, more unfortunate nations. If that means that we must use force to topple cruel and petty tyrants, then so be it."

Keyla glared at L'sith suspiciously. She started to say something, but stopped as she noticed a black chocobo preparing to take off. The bird turned to stare at her with its baleful eyes, sending shivers down her spine. It flexed the cruel talons on its feet and extended its wings, then took off into the sky.

L'sith followed her gaze, a slight smirk on his face. "Ah, the black chocobos. You realize, of course, that we now have enough for a full military unit. They are far superior in fighting ability to the purple chocobos. Is something wrong, captain? You look pale."

"I... that's not possible. No decision was made regarding the chocobos..."

"Ah, I suppose you were not aware of the new breeding program. It was decided to raise enough black chocobos to ensure Figaro's superiority in the skies. I'm sorry for you and your father's program, but the purple chocobos just didn't show enough promise."

Keyla looked L'sith right in the eyes, her expression of shock replaced by a cool stare. "I'm going to see the king. Enjoy your position while you can, alchemist. Things change, with time. A once important office can quickly become useless and discarded." She turned and stalked towards the stairwell, telling one of the chocobo caretakers to unsaddle and feed Bork.

She reviewed the events of the past several minutes, trying to make sense of what she had seen and heard. Yet each time her thoughts returned to the sinister, predatory black chocobos. "Mother... father," she whispered. "Your work has become... a nightmare..."