Kayi stared ruefully stared out at Marie, who was casting Thunder, striking out with her sword,and narrowly dodging a few saber-strikes from the Blue Mage.

"Bruno, can't I-"

"No."

Kayi glowered and cast another Heavy Dust.

"Okay, I cast a spell, and now-"

"No." Bruno shifted, and where a moogle stood there was a frog, ribbitting in a melancholy manner.

Kayi glowered. She hated watching a battle from afar, unable to do anything but cast spells and spells.

"Bruno... Why can't I ever-"

"Kayi!" he suddenly yelled, his voice breaking in fragments. An spell suddenly ripped apart the ground, heading straight towards them.

Bruno muttered a few words and a bolt of his own raced out to greet the one that had been sent by the Blue Mage.Kayi was caught in the middle! She screamed, and the world blacked out...

------

Kayi got up. Everyone was gone! "Everyone! Hey! Not funny!" Kayi yelled. If this was Carlos's idea of a joke, oh she'd get him...

"Huh?" The forest looked younger. There was no cliff, and the trees that Starkin smashed in his Burn-out were new again and younger. The sign marking the way wasn't there...

"Oh no, I'm in the future!" Kayi cried. "Someone! Time Mage, anyone! HELP!"

"Misssy Viera, are you in need of my asssisstensse?" a voice asked. A very much younger version of a familiar voice...

"Starkin!" Kayi whirled around.

"Yesss, that'ss my name. Now, missss, do you need my help?"Starkin asked. But it wasn't the Starkin she knew, not the old, decrypt-and-frail Bishop. The Starkin that stood before her was a handsome young Dragoon. His legs were not twisted or crippled in any manner, and he had lost all signs of age that he had yet to aquire. Young Dragoon Starkin held his Paristan in one hand and his helmet in the next. Nowonder he was popular among the girls, Kayi thought, thinking what her sister Kayalie would have done. Flirted with him, of course. Kayi wasn't interested in boys or mature relationships yet, but was old enough to know a lady's man (or bangaa) when she saw one.

"Um... Well, Starkin! You're my bodyguard, and I'm from the future, but only-"

"Whoa there, young Missssy," Starkin said, shaking his head and laughing. "I think that you've been in the woods just a bit too long. How about I esscort you to your home? These aren't ssafe partss, you know," Starkin said, laughing. He had a rich, deep voice- such an idol of a bangaa.

"Well, you see, I'm really from the future. But..." Only one nu mou could help her now. Bruno was a Time Mage before. "Bruno! Bruno can help me!"

Starkin winked. "Well, Bruno's out right now. You're welcome to sstay with usss until he returnsss, though."

"Yes, I'd like that very much," Kayi said, deciding to play along. What other things could she find out about her old bodyguard?

Starkin bowed courteously. "Well, follow me, Missss..."

"Morgana. Name's Morgana."