"I've finally found it!" he yelled as he ran towards the town holding a parchment in his outstretched arm. He was unfortunately stopped by the wall of the inn. "Oww!" the boy cried before returning to his feet. He shook his head in an attempt to regain his equilibrium before continuing to Locke's house.
He entered the cottage through the front door, and nearly ran in to another object. The main difference between this object and the previous object, besides the size difference, was that this one was organic.
"I've found it bro!" he announced excitedly as he handed the parchment to Locke.
"For the last time, I'm not your brother." Locke said as he took the rolled up paper.
"Well you sure look like him" the boy said while punching Locke playfully in the arm.
Locke rolled his eyes. "Yes I look like a Jamaican that lost an arm in the second War of Magi." He commented sarcastically before unrolling the parchment.
He looked it over before getting large cartoonish looking eyes, and starting to jump around the room like a kangaroo on speed. "You found it, you found it, you found it!"
This went in until the boy started mimicking his actions.
"Stop that you look like moron." Locke proceeded to slap the kid up the back side of his head, and begin to exit his home. "Come on, we gotta get the others."
Locke had changed since the battle with Kefka. After they escaped the tower he and Celes had gotten engaged. Everyone rejoiced, though it became evident that it wouldn't work out when Locke no longed had anything to protect her from. He started getting way over protective to the extent that when Celes had a bug in her salad at a restaurant, he kidnapped the cook, and fed him to a gigas. Had it been any one but one of the saviors of the world he would have been executed, but no one wanted to try to arrest him as he was at level 99 and he could kill any normal person with a poke from the end of a salad fork.
Now that he no longer had Celes or Rachel he resigned himself to newly formed village that was more than happy to name themselves after a hero that was willing to live there, even a mildly insane one. He had now been living there for twenty years, and had become a middle aged curmudgeon.
"So you think that we can actually find it?" The boy asked eagerly.
"Of course we can, or else you'll die trying."
"Wha..?" The kid stopped with his mouth hanging open, while starring at Locke for a moment. Who promptly slapped him on the back.
"Just messin' with ya kid." With that they proceeded to finish their walk to the end of town.
The edge of town however was not their destination, thus, they continued walking until they reached the next town, formerly known as Zozo.
"Welcome to Las Vegas," a very ornamented deputy said as they passed the entrance to town. And by ornamented I don't mean by medals, I mean covered in shiny objects. It was a well known fact that since Zozo had become Las Vegas the town had become more and more decorative with objects that any place else on the planet would have been considered tacky.
But in a place that had been as bleak as Zozo, anything that could make it look a little brighter was thought to be a good thing. So when all of this happened the newly formed sheriffs department decided that they could best represent their city by making themselves look as shiny as possible, to the extent that on an especially sunny day they could literally blind criminals into submission.
Locke and companion headed through town passing by the many shiny casinos until they reached he shiniest building of all, town hall.
"We're here to see the mayor." Locke announced to the receptionist sitting behind the desk at the entrance.
The secretary didn't even look up from some paper work. "Do you have an appointment?"
"No, but me and Setzer go way back," Locke replied.
She still didn't look up. "I don't care who you are, you have to have an appointment."
At this Locke pulled out a dagger, and slammed it into the desk. "Look lady, you wouldn't even have a job if it wasn't for me. I'm one of the saviors of this planet, and if I don't get a bit of respect I might just mug your but."
The receptionist immediately looked up at him. "Oh! It's you! He said you show up one of these days. Yes you may go right in. He's probrobly just entertaining a guest, if you know what I mean." She pointed to a doorway behind her desk.
Locke and the kid went through the doors, and sure enough Setzer was at a candle lit table with a woman half his age.
"Setzer it's time to leave!" Locke yelled at him with all his strength.
"Not now Locke I'm busy," Setzer retorted before returning to his guest.
Locke became furious again, and went to within an arms reach of Setzer.
"You can get your game on later, we need to leave."
He looked annoyed back at Locke. "What is it this time?"
"I have a map." Locke grabbed the parchment from the kid, who had been carrying it most of the trip.
Setzer unrolled the map and looked it over. "Wow, another map to a hidden magic source," he said sarcastically, "what a surprise."
His voice gained a frustrated tone. "You didn't kill my secretary again, did you?"
"No, I wouldn't do that again. I think." He began to get a little sheepish.
Setzer stood up and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Locke, you know I love you like a brother, but these crazy quest really have to stop."
Locke got angry, and slapped the hand away. "What do you mean crazy quest!"
Setzer sighed. "Every couple of years since we beat Kefka you've been trying to come up with a way to return magic, with the reasoning that you want to save the planet." He paused." Now this is very admirable, the only problem is that the planet is doing just fine. Setzer turned around to face a window that had a garden outside. "Look out there Locke. The world doesn't need saving. Sure we lost a lot of people at the end of the world, but once Kefka was destroyed the plants grew back, and every ones been at peace since." He turned back to Locke. "It's been fun going on these adventures, but getting too old for this. I'm sorry Locke, but if you're going to continue with these delusions then count me out."
With that Locke grabbed his map, and stormed out of the room.
Once they had reached the outside of the building Locke went to the side where few would see him, and collapsed in a heap on the ground.
"What now Bro?" The kid asked.
"We go home Joe, we go home." And with that he rose to his feet and they left for Town of Locke.