Yes! Just got it in before setting off. Should have the next chapter posted in a few weeks but, if I can post it sooner, I will.

Chapter 2

As Celes and Locke dusted themselves off, high up in the trees above them, a finger was squeezing the trigger of a crossbow.

"Y'know, Locke." Celes said as she smoothed her hair down. "For a 'master treasure hunter', you sure set off a lot of traps."

"Hey, even the best make mistakes sometimes!" Locke answered hotly. "Anyway, I got the gem, didn't I?"

Celes was about to answer, when her sharp hearing picked up the sound of a 'click'. She grabbed the front of Lockes' shirt and pulled him towards her. The arrow buried itself in the ground, where he had been standing a second earlier. Shoving the gem into his jacket, Locke grabbed a throwing knife from his belt and flung it in the direction the arrow had come from.

A scream sounded out and a man fell out of the tree with the knife in his heart. At the same time two figures leapt from the jungle undergrowth and landed in front of the couple. They were both male and dressed in ragtag attire. One of them crossed his arms and smirked in Celes' direction.

"So, we finally get to meet. I presume you are Celes Chere, former general of the Vector Empire?"

"Who wants to know?" Celes shot back.

The second man chuckled.

"Well, you're just as feisty as the rumors say." He glanced towards Locke. "And who's this? Is he your boyfriend, General?" He asked in a mocking tone.

"Why, yes. He is." Celes answered simply.

"…oh." The man seemed slightly crestfallen that his taunt hadn't been affective.

"Oh, forget the trash-talk, Morgan!" His associate said, impatiently. "Let's just do what we came here to do!"

"Alright, Harry! Keep your shirt on!"

Without another word, the two of them each threw knives at Locke and Celes. The treasure hunter and former general were able to whip out their swords and bat the weapons away. Celes saw Morgan come at her, reaching into his cloak. Readying herself for sword-to-sword combat, Celes was taken by surprise when he produced a handful of white powder and blew it in her face!

As Celes stumbled back, wiping at her eyes, Morgan drew his own blade and swung it at her. It was blocked by Lockes' short sword as he leapt in front of Celes. He then rammed into Morgan with his shoulder and kicked Harry away as he tried to sneak attack him.

The two attackers regrouped and stood with their swords at the ready.

"Seems like Bandana Boy has some skill after all!" Morgan said with a grin. "You wanna handle him, while I deal with the general?"

"Alright, but remember to leave her body relatively intact." Harry answered with a grin.

"Are you okay, Celes?" Locke asked, while keeping his eyes on their attackers.

"Yeah." Celes wiped away the last of the powder from her eyes. "I'm ready for their dirty tricks, this time."

Morgan and Harry charged at the pair. Morgan leapt into the air, somersaulted and landed behind them. Celes turned, so that she was back-to-back with Locke, and her blade clashed with Morgans'. They fought like this for a few minutes. Locke fending off Harry, while Celes kept Morgan at bay. Morgan and Harry tried to split them up, but the two moved perfectly together, never allowing an opening.

Harry fell back, with a cut across his cheek from Lockes' sword. This tactic wasn't working. He and Morgan caught each others' eye and nodded. They both ran forward, leaping over Locke and Celes again, only this time they each dropped a small bomb as they passed overhead!

Locke and Celes had to dive for cover as the bombs exploded. Now that the two of them were apart, Morgan and Harry pressed their attacks individually. Locke and Harry fought back and forth. Harry was finding out, with growing frustration, that Locke was very quick on his feet. The treasure hunter was dodging all of his sword swings and then countering with fast thrusts that Harry was having a harder time blocking as the fight went on.

Celes and Morgans' swords were locked and they were pushing hard against each other. Celes gritted her teeth and reared her head back.

"What's the matter?" Morgan asked in that taunting voice again. "Too much for you?"

Celes then rammed her forehead into his nose and, as he staggered back, slammed her sword-hilt into his chin! Turning around, she planted the heel off her boot in his stomach, sending him flying back into the undergrowth.

Turning her attention to Locke and Harry, she was glad to see Locke clearly had the upper hand in his fight as well. He was swinging his sword left and right in powerful sweeps, causing Harry to back away with every step. As he swung left again, he suddenly let go of the hilt with his right hand and socked Harry in the face. Turning the weapon in his left hand, so he gripped it like a dagger, Locke prepared to deliver the final blow to his fallen opponent.

With a small grin on his face, Harry lifted his right arm, gave his wrist a flick and Locke found himself falling to the ground with an arrow in his chest!

"Locke!" Celes ran towards him but, with a whirling sound, a pair of bolas flew out of the undergrowth. They wrapped themselves around Celes' arms and legs, causing her to fall to the ground.

"Heh, heh, heh." Morgan came out of the undergrowth, dusting his hands off. "Well, looks like we'll get to take her alive, after all." He smiled in the direction of the bound Celes.

Celes struggled against the ropes around her. She couldn't let these creeps take her. What about Locke? He was lying on the ground with the arrow shaft protruding from his jacket, clearly in a lot of pain. They were probably going to just leave him there to die. She couldn't let that happen. She had to save him!

"Y'know, Harry. I was wondering." Morgan said as Harry reloaded the small crossbow attached to his wrist, inside his sleeve. "Seeing as how this magic is supposed to be a part of her body, d'ya thinks it might be hereditary?"

Celes turned her head in surprise. How did they know about the magic in her body? Only a small group of people knew about that. They consisted of her friends, who she knew wouldn't go telling anyone, and Cid, who was dead. So who told them about – Wait! What did they mean by hereditary!

"Well gee, I don't know Morgan." Harry replied. "But I'll suggest it to the boss. I'll even volunteer my services to find out!" He added with a grin.

Celes' eyes flashed with anger. She resumed trying to break free as the pair began walking towards her. Suddenly, from out of nowhere, several small, thin rectangles embedded themselves in the ground around them.

"What? What the hell are these?" Morgan asked.

"I don't know." Harry bent down to have a closer look at them. "They look like… playing cards?"

Those were his last words because, at that moment, the cards exploded!

Celes shut her eyes to shield them from the blast. When she opened them again, it was to see a friendly face looking down at her.

"Are you okay?" Setzer asked as he reached into his coat and took out a knife.

"I'm fine. But Locke needs a phoenix down." As soon as Setzer cut through her bonds, Celes was on her feet and hurrying towards Locke. She knelt beside him as Setzer reached into his pouch for a life-giving phoenix down.

(This is probably a good time to explain a few things about phoenix downs. Contrary to popular belief, phoenix downs do not bring people back from the dead. They can bring them back from near-death. This meaning, as long as the soul hasn't left the body – which usually occurs a few seconds after all the motor functions have ceased – a person can be revived. Keep in mind, phoenix downs don't work on natural ailments i.e. sickness or old age, and will only heal a person to the point where their life is no longer in danger. To recover fully, potions are required, or hi-potions, depending on the severity of injury.)

"Ow… oh damn, damn, damn!" Celes held Lockes' hand as he writhed in pain.

"Hang on, Locke. You're going to be alright. You're not going to die." She said to him.

"I know I'm not going to die! I'm cursing about what that guy did to the gem!" Locke answered.

"What?" Celes opened up his jacket and saw that the arrow had gone through the gemstone and gotten stuck in it. Its' tip had penetrated Lockes' chest, but not very deeply.

"Here's the phoenix down." Setzer held it out to Celes, but she just held her hand up.

"False alarm. He's fine."

"Fine!" Locke looked up at her. "In case you haven't noticed, I've got an arrowhead in my chest!"

Celes just grabbed the arrow and yanked it out of him.

"Yow!" Locke sat up, with his hand over his chest. "I hope you don't have any future plans to become a doctor!"

After downing a potion, Locke was as good as new. He peered through the hole the arrow had made through the gem.

"D'ya think this'll affect its' price?" He asked Celes and Setzer.

"What do you care?" Replied Setzer. "You two never keep the money anyway."

In the year since Kefka had been defeated, most of the Returners had been trying to do everything they could to help the world get back on its' feet. Locke and Celes had been traveling around the world, with Setzer, in the Falcon. They'd visited every tomb, temple and underground treasure-hold Locke knew of, plus a few they'd fallen into by accident.

Once they'd retrieved the treasure, they took it to Figaro Castle and gave it to Edgar and Sabin, who always made sure the money went to helping to rebuild the various shattered kingdoms throughout the world. Thanks to Edgars' foresight, Figaro had been the only kingdom to escape, relatively, unharmed during Kefkas' reign. Therefore, he and Sabin considered it their responsibility to help the other kingdoms as best they could.

"Why were those men attacking you, anyway?" Asked Setzer.

Celes had her arms crossed and a serious look on her face.

"I don't know exactly what their intentions were, but it had something to do with the magic I've got inside me."

Setzers' eyes widened.

"They knew about that?"

Celes nodded, grimly.

"So, ya think they could be old imperial loyalists?" Said Locke.

"I don't know. But they must have some sort of link to the Empire, to know about my magic infusion." Celes replied.

"Well then," Said Setzer. "It is a good thing we're heading towards Figaro Castle. I'd say Edgar and Sabin will want to know about this."

As the trio walked back to the Falcon, they did not notice a real falcon watching them from the branch of a tree. Spreading its' wings, the bird flew up into the sky and set off towards the mountains.