Chapter 15: Jidoor By Night
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        The journey to Jidoor had been long and arduous, complicated
by his recent magical wounds and the frequency of monstrous beings in
the area.  But finally, Locke had arrived.  He stood at the top of a
hill, looking down on Jidoor as the sun set.  The storm had stopped
since he'd been underground, apparently, and, though the weather was
nothing like what it had been before Kefka's time, it was almost
pleasant.  But Locke had problems greater than the weather.
        <What's happened to Jidoor?>  The once-proud homes were hollow,
burned-out shells, and soldiers stood at the outskirts of town.  Many
soldiers.  It reminded Locke of the time he had spent in South Figaro,
delaying the Empire's troops so the Returners could have a chance to
escape.  That was where he'd met Celes...
        <Figaro!>  Of course.  Those uniforms...  <These soldiers come
from Figaro!  But why?>  Had there been some invasion that had required
Edgar's forces to help repel?  But there were so many guards...  <Edgar,
what are you doing?>
        Edgar had never wanted to be king, although he did a better job
than he would admit to himself.  <You joined the Returners as soon as
you could, when you saw they were fighting against the Empire's
conquest.  Why are you in Jidoor now?>
        The sun had set.  Locke decided to slip into Jidoor, cloaked by
the moonless night.  For better or for worse, he'd find out whether
there was any truth to his suspicions.  If there wasn't, he and Edgar
could laugh about it later.  If there was...  Locke was, perhaps, the
person closest to the King of Figaro, with the exception of Sabin.  If
it was true, it was up to him to stop Edgar.
        <I'm getting too old for this.>  He remembered, a few short
years ago, taking Terra to meet Edgar.  She was the world's greatest
hope, then.  How surprised she had been...  'Surprised that someone like
me would know a king?'  And that was nothing to the surprise she'd given
them later.  Magic.  <That seems like so long ago.  Before we met any
of the others.  Before Kefka killed Gestahl and broke the world.  When
we could afford to tell jokes, because the Returners would triumph.
Well, maybe we did, but the world isn't any better for it.>
        He slid past the last guard, hugging the wall.  <No, that's
not true.  The world is better off than it was under Kefka.  Flowers
are beginning to grow again...>  Soon, he would have to track down his
friends.  <Being a hero isn't what it's cracked up to be.>
        It was difficult to find someone who was willing to speak, but
that alone confirmed his fears.  <They're terrified of Figaro's troops.
Edgar, you'd better have an explanation for this.>  He couldn't remain
in Jidoor, regardless of what Celes had said in his dream.  As far as
he could tell, there was nobody in Jidoor who matched the description of
any of his friends.  <Well, looks like I'll be on my own for this.>
        Carefully securing the pouch with the glowing disk to conceal
its light as best he could, he slipped from the occupied city once more.
<Now, to get to Figaro... isn't there a Chocobo forest near here?>  His
thoughts were interrupted as he crested the next hill and stared down.
A large line of earth had been gauged out of the ground.  At the end of
the barren trail rested... Setzer's airship.  Or what used to be Setzer's
airship.  <Could anyone possibly have survived that crash?  Would they
still be here is they did?>  He noticed that the main body of the ship
seemed to have been repaired to some extent, and the discovery lifted
his spirits.  <At least I know Setzer's alive.  He's the only one who
could possibly have repaired the airship.>
        Locke set about searching the debris.