Disclaimer: I don't own Psychonauts. Tim Schafer and Double Fine do.

Rating Explanation: Rated T because there are things in here that I don't think kids should either read or understand. Suggestive content, coarse language, and minor gore in later chapters, but nothing to the extreme.

CHAPTER 1

The sun filtered in through the thin treeline around the parking lot of Whispering Rock. Everything was caught in the peacefulness of the fresh morning; the air was crisp and pleasantly cool with the coming of winter, and small birds sang their songs joyfully. The peacefulness was punctured suddenly by the creaking of old, wooden wheels as a circus trailer pulled up into the parking lot. It was obviously old and run-down, kept not for its usefulness but for its sentimental value—a reminder of the older days.

He door swung open with a painful squeal, and a teenager stepped out, eyeing his surroundings. It's been a long time, he thought.

"Razputin!" his father called, sounding just as cheery as he had 6 years ago after the Meat Circus ordeal had been righted. "Have a good time, son."

Smiling slightly, Raz closed the door behind him. "Don't worry."

The trailer drove off, and the sounds of nature picked up again. A real father-son moment, Raz though to himself sarcastically. Not that he wanted his father to make a fuss over them leaving—he was a Psychonaut now, and over the years he had proved to his father that he was capable of watching out for himself.

Considering six years had passed, Raz's fashion hadn't changed very much at all. Instead of his lime green turtleneck, however, he wore a simple lime green shirt and a long scarf tied around his neck of a matching color. He wore the same type of helmet (except bigger to accommodate his growing head), same type of coat, shoes, and black jeans. On his back, the one strap slung over his shoulder and diagonally across his chest, was the old backpack he had worn many years before, during his first year at Whispering Rock. It was almost comically small, but he kept it with him, for reasons even he wasn't sure about.

The only major difference in his appearance was that some people—namely, a teenage girl who had changed little as well—would consider him a great deal more handsome.

Raz sighed, finally snapping out of all his thoughts. Reaching into his small backpack, he pulled out the letter that had appeared on the ground in front of his trailer two weeks before. He read it over one more time.

Raz,

It's been six years, hasn't it? Time is short, so this letter will follow suit. I want to see you again. Meet me at Whispering Rock Psychic Summer Camp. I have something you would probably like to see…

Lili

He folded the paper again, his black gloves rustling softly as the passed over the paper. The style in which it was written was exactly like Lili—short, straightforward, and to the point. And considering how advanced she was in her psychic powers, he didn't wonder how it had appeared right in front of his trailer. Lili could find a way, he thought fondly. But—where is she?

He looked around, the though just occurring to him. "Standing around here isn't going to do any good," he grumbled.

He entered the main campgrounds, where the lodge sat. He cast a good, long look around, but there was still no sign of Lili. He didn't bother stifling the frustration grunt that escaped his lips. Feeling rather impatient, he unfolded the letter again and concentrated. One hand pressed against his head, his eyes closed tight, he began to use clairvoyance.

It was a quick process that seemed painfully long to Raz. He searched for the connection between the paper and its writer… slowly, trying to understand what she must have felt when she was writing it…nothing. Another frustrated grunt, and he focused on something different… the pen that she had used to write the letter.

Suddenly, Raz was no longer looking through his own eyes. He wasn't exactly looking out of the pen, either; but he could see the area around it. It was jutting out of a small pocket in Lili's plaid shirt. She was sitting on a dock, her feet dangling just above water, with a distracted look on her face.

Water.

Raz severed the connection quickly and nearly fell over. Despite the years that had passed, the curse on his family had not dissipated, and it probably never would. But despite that, he wanted to see Lili more. And he knew one of the only places in the camp with docks was the beach near the boathouse.

Swallowing his fears, Raz stepped onto the creaking planks that would take him to the Boathouse and Beach. As he made his way down the winding, rickety walkway, one of his hands on the rough wooden rail, he tried to calm himself. He never did get to tell Lili about the curse on his family, and he hoped she would listen to him before something unfortunate happened.

He stepped on the soft, yellow-white sand of the beach and stared out. There, on the dock in front of him, was Lili. She looked a great deal older, but her fashion sense remained the same. The only thing different about her was a small bag she carried slung across her shoulder, resting against her hip. That, and she was much taller—not as tall as Raz, but taller than he expected.

Raz made his way silently up behind her, his footsteps practiced, showing that all the treacherous missions he had gone on and all his circus training had paid off. He was overwhelmed by relief to see her, so much that he almost forgot he was on a rickety, sun-bleached dock above what could most certainly be his death.

He gingerly placed one hand on her shoulder. She turned calmly, but her eyes widened when she saw him, despite the fact that she had been waiting for him.

"Raz!" she practically yelped, throwing her arms around him.

With a slight whoof, he returned the embrace. "It's good to see you too."

She stopped hugging him, but her hands were still on his arms. Both stared into each others eyes, hardly believing that they were back together again.

Raz was just about to suggest they leave the dock when Lili gave him a playful shove. The move was so unexpected that he stepped backwards clumsily, and lost his footing. A loud splash followed, and Lili stared down, expecting to see him resurface any second. Suddenly, Raz's head broke the water, but some sort of had, comprised entirely of viscous water, grabbed him and forced him under again.

"What the..?" Lili said, but quickly regained her composure, never one to stand around gawking.

Quickly, she put one hand on her hand and moved the other one around skillfully, forming a large, square hand comprised entirely of psychic energy. The hand lunged underwater and pulled up a sputtering, terrified Raz, the demonic hand still grabbing onto his ankle.

Lili gave one final tug, and the hand finally relinquished its hold. Both of them crashed backwards onto the dock. Raz sat up quickly, panting, wiping his face on his sleeve. Lili sat up and looked at him.

"Not even thirty seconds into our meeting and we get into trouble," she said, rolling her eyes.