Sharra sighed and took off her apron. The pub of Milama was getting ready to close and her shift was over. As she lay her apron on the bar, she found herself looking at the green ribbon tied around her right wrist. She touched the satin ribbon, her mind drifting back to the man who had given it to her. He had said that his name was Jack Van Burance. Sharra sighed again. Why had he given this ribbon to her, and why did she have a feeling that she had met him before?

As Sharra exitted the pub and started off toward the house that some of the villagers in Milama had built for her, a voice entered her mind saying, "I can answer your questions."

Sharra whirled around. No one was there. In fact, no one was on the streets at all. When the girl had exitted the pub, there had been dozens of people walking around, now there was nobody. Sharra stood up straight and asked the air, her voice confident, "Who's there? Show yourself."

Suddenly, in front of her, a creature appeared. It had the body of a black cat yet stood on its hind legs and wore a bright red coat and black boots. "I am the Guardian of Time. Dan Dairam."

"What do you want?" Sharra demanded.

"To help you, my dear," Dan Dairam replied, "I can give you back your memories. After all, I am the Guardian of Time."

Sharra gasped, "You will!" Dan Dairam nodded.

"But on one condition. Once I grant you this wish, you must, in turn, do me a favor."

"What?!" Sharra demanded, a new joy flaring within her, "Anything!!"

"You must find Jack Van Burance and join him and his friends. They will need your skills and abilities," Dan Dairam answered. Sharra nodded vigerously, brushing her pink hair out of her face. The Guardian pointed one of his massive, black paws toward her. A glow surrounded Sharra and memories flooded into her mind. A smile crept across her face as she remembered why she had felt that she had met Jack before.

"My...my name isn't Sharra," she said in a whisper. Dan Dairam looked at her. He seemed to smile, but it was hard to tell since he had the face of a cat. "I am Elmina, the Sword Princess of Arctica Castle!"

"What did you find this time, Seph?!" Noble Knight (heehee; and, no, not Sephiroth, just Seph) growled as she followed her friend over the rocks that covered the beach of the island that she lived on. The blue and silver, wolf-sized fox bounded over the rocky shore, his large, tiger-like paws not even making a sound as they hit the stones. Noble Knight gasped when she saw what her pet had found. There was a person collapsed on the sandy beach. He wore blood-soaked, black, gold, and orange armor and a black helmet with a visor that hid his entire face. Strapped to his back were two large boomerangs.

Sitting beside the man was a blue and silver wolf that looked a lot like Seph except for one thing: Seph looked more like a fox than a wolf. When the wolf saw Noble Knight and Seph, she began to growl, leaping between them and her master. "Shh," Noble Knight spoke, soothingly, "It's alright. I won't hurt you or your master." The wolf's growling started to lower as Noble Knight held out a hand toward her. The wolf sniffed her hand and licked it. "Now, let's see." Noble Knight walked over to the man. "Eeeewww! He's in pretty bad shape. Looks like he's been through hell!" (I know, bad pun! But I just couldn't resist!!) She bent down and picked the man up, using her amazing strength. The wolf whimpered as Noble Knight walked away, her master draped over the girl's shoulder. "Don't worry, Wolfie! He'll be okay. C'mon, Seph!" With that, Noble Knight, Seph, and the blue wolf walked up a hill toward a small, wooden cottage.

Cecilia sighed as she pulled down the sheets of her bed at the inn, her mind never drifting from Alicia's dream. The stars were shining bright outside the window. Jack and Rudy were in their rooms and Zed was in his. Alicia was in her house.

Cecilia shuddered as she blew out the candle and pulled up the sheets over her shoulder. The description of the monster chasing her and the others that Alicia had given sounded too much like Mother, the creator of the demons that had nearly destroyed Filgaia three years ago. Cecilia shook her head, trying to forget about Alicia's dream.

Meanwhile, Zed was still wide awake, staring at the cieling of his room. He was lying in his bed with his hands folded behind his head. He muttered, "Please don't let her dream come true. Please, oh, please! Please say that mom's not coming back!!"

Elmina bounded through the forest, Dan Diaram in front of her, guiding her to Jack. Elmina called to the Guardian, "Y'know, I still can't believe that he saved the world three years ago."

"Well," Dan Diaram said, "He did. Along with the help of Rudy Roughnight and Cecilia Adlehyde. Right now, they are in the village of Saint Centour. We are to get to them and warn them of the force arriving on Filgaia."

"Force?" Elmina wanted to know.

"Yes. Remember the demons I told you about?" Elmina nodded. "Well, they are the force that is threatening Filgaia...again..." Elmina did not say anything else after that.