Disclaimer: Don't own Shadow Hearts, do own Persephone, and Kain, and Pan, and Syth ::hugs Syth, as she has decided he is her new favorite::.

Syth: …off of me…

**

Koudelka had mentioned that it probably wouldn't be the best idea for the children to come along, so they had decided to first stop at London before going to Bistritz, and then Blue Castle.

Along the train ride, Alice found Yuri staring out the window. "So…you did have the same dream as me," she began hesitantly. She didn't really want to talk about it, but it was important that they did.

Yuri shook his head. He didn't turn to face her. "I'd rather just forget about it."

"It's not like you did that because you wanted to," Alice said. "I couldn't control myself either. It was the same for you, wasn't it?"

He nodded. But still, it wasn't the same. She might have been unable to control herself--but she hadn't been the aggressor. She'd just been defending herself, while he…

She bit her lip, then sighed and joined him on the chair. "What's the matter?"

"Everything's…just way too confusing. I don't want to think about this anymore."

"You want everything to be easy for you, right?" Alice said teasingly. As he laid his head down, she found herself running her fingers through his hair. It was so soft and smooth… "You want all the answers?"

Yuri sighed softly. "Regina has all the answers, I just need to get them from her."

"So…let's get them."

**

"Finally, we're home!" Joshua announced as they walked into the hideout. Everything looked the same as when Yuri had last come, except…neater. Yuri guessed that was Koudelka's doing. It wasn't like the place had been a pigsty before; Chris had helped kept it neat. But with two little kids, that was a big task for just one person.

"Can we go see Old Carl?" Sharon asked Koudelka.

"Hmm…tomorrow. I think it's a little too late now," she answered. Both children groaned and Koudelka only shook her head. "Girls are on the top floor, boys are below," she reminded everyone. "Good night. And go to sleep early, alright? You better not stay up all night Joshua."

"Aww…."

**

Zhuzhen looked at Yuri in surprise as the Harmonixer began putting on his claws and armor. "What are you doing, Yuri?" Everyone else was all settled in; the girls had already gone upstairs, and the boys had their beds set out. But Yuri apparently wasn't planning to sleep.

"I'm going to the Graveyard," he muttered. "I know we might get some answers from Keith's clan, but Regina could give me all the info."

"The claws?" Keith asked, raising an eyebrow.

Yuri shook his head. "I don't think she'll be willing to just tell me off the bat. There might be a fight. Just in case…could one of you stay up?"

Halley looked at the other guys and then at Joshua, who looked interested but clueless. He didn't think Joshua would stay calm if Yuri started getting mysterious injuries and told him, "Mom said you have to go to bed."

The younger boy pouted. "C'mon, can't I stay up just a little more? Please?"

"It's going to be really boring," Halley told him.

Joshua looked suspicious though. "You're just saying that to get me to go to sleep."

"Zhuzhen, isn't it boring?"

The Adept nodded. "Oh yes, it's very boring."

"I'm just going to be sleeping," Yuri pointed out. "I don't think it's that exciting to watch someone sleep."

"Oh." Joshua seemed put out by this and said, "Good night then." He lay down on his blankets and covered himself up.

Yuri also lay down, like he was going to go to sleep, but his eyes stayed open. Halley faced him, but discreetly checked on Joshua every few minutes. At last… "He's asleep."

"Okay," Yuri said. "Don't worry if I get injured. I'll wake up if things are getting too bad."

They nodded, knowing that Yuri had done that a few times when fighting his fusion souls. Yuri closed his eyes and concentrated on the Graveyard. It had become second nature to him to get there quickly, especially after a few scares when his talisman was red and monsters surrounded them. In two minutes, he was already there.

**

[Yuri's POV]

"Now, how to get her to come here," I muttered. Before, she had always arranged the meetings. Lately though, she'd been holding off. For the last two days, nothing. That alone made me kind of curious.

I wanted to check out the Fire grave, see if that would help me any. As I got closer to it, I could feel warmth inside of my chest, not coming from my own body. The Flare Brooch must be responding to it, I thought. The Fire grave was also glowing.

Alright, then…I pressed my hand to the grave and concentrated. Regina…come to the Graveyard…

I sent the same thought over and over in my head, turning it into a mantra. Come…come…come…

After roughly ten minutes, I sighed and dropped my hand. She wasn't coming. That wouldn't work--then how could I get her to answer my questions? There was so much I needed to know…

So many questions…well, hopefully Keith's clan would be able to answer some of them, at least…I started to turn and leave, but a voice suddenly stopped me.

"You called?"

I turned and saw Regina, sitting on top of the grave. This time she wore a short black dress, and her hair was up in a bun. She smiled and slid off of the grave. "Sorry. I couldn't make out anything at first, but I heard you."

"I want you to answer my questions," I said. When she didn't seem to understand, I added, "I hate these games. Why don't you just tell me the truth?"

"The truth?" she said thoughtfully. She looked around the Graveyard. "And just what do you think the truth is?"

"Why don't you just tell me?"

Regina shook her head. "I can't. You'd never believe me."

"Because it's all lies!" I forced myself to calm down and said, "Look, just tell me, okay? It'd be a whole lot easier for everyone involved."

"Except for me. And it would do a disservice to you."

I growled and clenched my fists, sending a clear message to her.

"You have your claws? Well there's no more malice, and no new fusion souls…" She sobered suddenly and said, "I suppose you want to fight me."

"If I win, will you tell me everything, right now?" I said. I was fairly confident a fight could do me no harm. After all, she didn't want me dead, and I could easily get out of the Graveyard if necessary. I didn't plan on having to do that though.

"Hmm…I suppose I will. It's a good thing I woke up Pan." She held out her open right hand and a long whip appeared. No…not just a whip. "Never seen a cat o' nine tails?"

"A what?"

"Nine knotted cords fastened together." She shook out the cords and I saw in the knots, the shine of metal. "Listen, I don't want to hurt you too badly, so I won't use magic on you."

"Oh, thanks a lot," I said sarcastically. "I'm not that weak. But I guess then I won't fuse. Deal?"

She smiled mysteriously. "You don't have to be a gentlemen."

Is she trying to get me mad on purpose? I wondered. If so, she was starting to do a really good job. But she offered not to use magic--what did that mean? Was she being condescending? Or was magic not her strong point anyway, it didn't matter if she used it or not?

Or…was she honestly concerned about not hurting me more than was necessary?

We'll see, I thought. "Ready?" I asked.

She nodded and I ran forward, just one test shot. I wanted to see how fast she could react with that whip of hers, but surprisingly, she didn't do anything, just stood there. Dammit, she is being condescending, I decided, either that or she's really underestimated me. I threw a punch aimed at her face--and hit only air.

"Huh?!" I turned and saw her standing to my right, smiling. Dammit…that smirk was really starting to piss me off now. No more playing around. I punched again, and this time she jumped off of the mound with the three graves before the hit connected. "What the hell! Are you going to attack sometime?"

"Perhaps."

Okay, calm down, I thought to myself. She's probably trying to get me mad just so I do something stupid. Calm down. Nope, wasn't working. I was seriously considering fusing, but I'd said I wouldn't, so I'd better not. If I started a fusion, she would probably start using magic--which would make things worse for me. After all, she was the ruler of the Fire clan, and she had enough magic to break a strong seal, from what Alice had told me.

Just physical strength…usually that was enough for me, but how could it help if I couldn't even land a punch?

"This is foolish, Hyuga," Regina said. "You're a mortal now. You're weaker."

No…that didn't make sense…Keith wasn't that much better than the rest of us…but then again, he was only four hundred years old…and she was at least two thousand…so her experience must be her strong point.

"Besides…I've seen you fight so many times," she said. "Your fighting style is as familiar to me as my own."

Shit. No wonder she was dodging so easily. "Come on then," I said, walking towards her, just in the range of her cat o' nine tails. "We're not going to get anywhere if you just keep dodging."

"I suppose you're right," she said. She held the whip in both hands, but now she lashed the whip against the ground with a loud, almost deafening, crack. I supposed that was my warning. She straightened the nine cords and then lashed out at me. I barely had time to dodge, the whip hitting the ground just missing my foot, and then it was my turn. This time I did a kick--she shouldn't be able to block it now--

Which was why I was stunned when cords wrapped around my leg as it was coming down. Regina had backed away again and gotten the whip around my leg. The smile on her face vanished as she pulled hard, digging sharp metal bits into the skin and throwing me to the ground.

**

"His pants have blood on them," Keith noted. He rolled up Yuri's jeans and took a look. "My…What kind of weapon does this?"

Both Halley and Zhuzhen looked at Yuri's leg. The lower left leg was bleeding badly. There were bruises, as well as cuts, all up and down his leg. Zhuzhen shook his head. "I've never seen anything like that."

"I wish we could wake him up," Halley said, looking Yuri over. "I hate the Graveyard, I can never tell what's going on. He's fighting…but is he winning? Is he losing? It's frustrating as hell."

"Calm down," Zhuzhen said, shaking his head. "We'll find out soon enough."

**

[Yuri's POV]

Slowly, I got back up on my feet. My left leg was screaming bloody murder and I looked at the whip with newfound respect. It definitely wasn't a toy.

"You can't beat me as you are now," she said simply.

"I'm just a little rusty," I said. "Give me time." It was partly true; I hadn't had many difficult fights in a few months, and I probably wasn't as strong as I'd been when we had fought Meta God. But the outcome of this battle, now that I had an injured leg, was fairly certain. Regina would probably win.

Realizing that…I wondered for a minute if I shouldn't just admit defeat and give up. But if I did that, how was I going to figure out what she was after, what was going on? I put my fists up again, getting ready for her next attack.

She chuckled. "You're still as stubborn as ever." She closed her eyes and said, "Let's end this."

I was already charging as she said that. One thing was for sure, in a fight you always concentrate on your opponent. She wasn't doing that, and I might as well take advantage.

At least, that's what I thought, until once again, my punch missed. Nine cords lashed against my back twice, and I was already falling forward when they wrapped around my right arm, jerking me out of the fall but putting me in even more pain.

I looked to my right and saw Regina. Her eyes were still closed and in a last desperate move, I tried to punch her with my left fist. Her eyes shot open and she grabbed my fist with her hand. She began twisting my arm and I tried to resist it, but she was too strong and forced me to the ground.

Then, suddenly, she stopped twisting. "I think you know by now you can't beat me," she said, looking at me. "With, or without magic. It used to be I who could not beat you." Regina's smile returned, and she began healing me. I wondered how she trusted me not to attack again--but then realized the grip she still had on my right arm was enough of a deterrent. "We used to spar against each other occasionally, for fun--I could never defeat you. You were a strong fighter." But she hadn't even broken a sweat, her bun still perfectly in place. Her deep red eyes pierced mine. I could almost hear her laughter again, along with my own…

I shook my head, trying to get rid of the thought. "What are you doing to me?" I said suspiciously.

Her smile turned wistful. "You may have fancied her--maybe still, you do. But I am the one you need. I am not angry for what you did. You have been given enough pain and grief for your mistake, too much. So…when you realize who you truly love, I will be waiting for you with open arms."

When you realize…waiting… My mouth opened, but no words came out. Her eyes were filled with a flame--one that seemed to burn away everything else.

She bent down and asked, "Shall I show you a truth?"

**

Halley couldn't understand what was going on. Yuri had been injured, and now he was fine--well, except for his right arm. But as he and the others watched, that also healed.

"He's not fused," he pointed out.

"No." Keith wondered for a bit and then said, "Is she healing him then?"

"But why would she?"

Yuri rolled over onto his side, and Halley thought he had woken up. "Yuri?" Halley touched his shoulder and the Harmonixer rolled back, his eyes still shut. His head turned, back and forth.

"Is he out of the Graveyard?"

"No, I don't think he is," Zhuzhen said, looking him over. "Yuri usually wakes right up, he doesn't stay asleep."

Yuri suddenly began thrashing and Halley realized that the problem was he couldn't wake up. "Yuri!" he yelled. "Wake up!" When that didn't work, he shook him. "Yuri!"

Yuri's eyes opened. For a minute, he stared at Halley, who quickly became uncomfortable being stared at. Then he let out a sigh of relief and covered his eyes. Just a dream… "Halley?"

"Yeah?"

"She just kicked my butt. I don't think I'm going to find anything out this way."

Keith nodded. "I thought as much."

"What?! Keith, if you knew I was going to lose-"

"I knew you would lose if she was the real Regina. But I thought there was a chance she could be an imposter."

Yuri shook his head and sighed. "I'm pretty sure she's the real deal."

"Then, my clan should be able to help you."

Yuri nodded. "Alright. Show's over. Guess it's bedtime now."

The others wrapped themselves in their blankets and gradually fell asleep. Yuri lay down…but he couldn't sleep. Every time his eyes started to close, they would appear again and scream.

He sat up, shuddering. His fusion souls agreed with them. They agreed, and joined them in the accusations. Those horrible accusations…

He was still dressed, and he simply got up and went downstairs, not wishing for sleep.

**

"Auntie Koudelka, can't we go with them?" Sharon pleaded.

"Auntie?" Yuri echoed. Halley shrugged.

Koudelka smiled. "No, I already told you. We should just wait here for Halley to come back. By the way," she said, turning to her son, "You do remember when the ship comes—"

"Gah, I know, I know mom! There's a good two months before it comes. I'll be back way before then."

His mother's smile turned mischievous. "You better, or we'll have to leave you behind."

"Hah hah. Very funny," Halley said sullenly. He looked behind at the platform and groaned. "The train's late. This is great."

"Why are you in such a rush to leave?" Chris asked.

"Oh…I guess I'm just impatient," he said. After last night, he really wasn't in the mood to just sit around. This Regina…Yuri said he couldn't even land one hit on her. Every time he'd tried, he had ended up getting hurt. How strong was she with her magic…? "Don't worry, I'm going to come back soon."

"Here's the train," Margarete said. "Everyone's got their tickets, right?" Everyone nodded and so she said, "Well, I suppose this is goodbye," to Joshua, Sharon, and Chris. "Bye Koudelka."

"Goodbye," she replied. One by one, the others got on the train until it was only Halley and Yuri. Halley gave a goodbye hug to an enthusiastic Sharon and hesitantly allowed himself to be hugged by Koudelka. He expected Yuri to make a sarcastic remark, but there was none. He looked at the harmonixer as he passed him on the way to the train. Was it just him, or did Yuri seem a little tired? He had gotten up earlier than anyone else, so it was a possibility.

"Well, bye," Yuri said. "I hope I see you guys again."

Koudelka nodded and Yuri turned to get on the train. "Oh, Yuri, just one thing," Koudelka called. Yuri looked at her. "Everything will be alright, as long as you remember your purpose in living."

My purpose…in living?

"Sir, the train is about to leave."

"A-alright," Yuri said, stepping onto the train. Alice waved at him, gesturing for him to join them. He turned back as the doors shut and looked at Koudelka, waving goodbye. What does she mean? My purpose in living…what is it?

**

Author's Note: The last few chapters have been kind of hard to write. I had some of the scenarios I wanted to include planned out, but like I've said, this fanfic hasn't exactly been plotted out. I had to decide what to include and what to cut out and how to change everything…

Yuri: You're screwing it up again…

::sweatdrop:: Hey! It's gone well so far, so shush! I have to say the best thing about this chapter was choosing Regina's weapon. Cat o' nine tails are cool ^^.

Yuri: They hurt, you know! And it didn't help that you added metal in the knots!

Oh, don't be a crybaby.

Sorry about the writing. I actually began writing the last part of this first…and the first part was added in last ::sweatdrop:: So…this might seem like a really bizarre chapter. And I haven't answered any of the mysteries! But…there should be a few answers next time…

Yuri: Although she hasn't yet decided how many answers, or which…

That isn't true! I chose two answers.

Yuri: Oh, you chose two answers. Congratulations.

It's actually about the war, and what happened at Hyuga's birth, which explains the prejudice against him. By the way, some people might be, um…kind of offended by what it is. So…if you are easily offended, proceed with caution! And even if you aren't…

This is a warning, okay?!

Yuri: That's one way to put it.

And, of course, it also explains in part the Earth clan's role in the war. By the way, this is now PG-13 with some R content.

Yuri: Anything else?

Um…nah. On to reviewers!

**

Reviewers:

Gutterfiend: Another reason I changed it was because sometimes in video games it's not really believable that the place is as small as they make it. I mean, there's got to be more to Blue Castle than a tower and two rooms! Although it does also help explanations ^^.

Kimgrasshopper: Thanks for the review! I think Yuri is pretty smart, it's just his attitude towards things that make him seem stupid. Actually, the part I think shows how thoughtful he can be is in the last conversation with Roger Bacon (at least, I think so ::looks mournfully at where the PS2 used to be::).

And about the Oedipal complex…I have this theory-

Yuri: AEGIS! Shut up with that stupid theory!

Aww….who's BoomBoom Margarete?

PoopooPlaTTer: Sure, call me Aegis. Um…sorry about all the mysteries…Regina's not cooperating ::glares at Regina::

Regina: What? What'd I do?

Writeress? It does sound kind of weird…but thanks for the compliment.

Tiger5913: Ooh, I don't think you're going to like me later on…

Nights Mistress: There's also a Kain in FFIV, and I'm more familiar with that game than Legacy of Kain. So yes, it is just a coincidence.

Here's more Regina. Is she really that cool? I didn't think she was (although I love her weapon!).

Greyfriars: Actually, the library's on the bottom, but same thing. I just had to include the bit about Yuri breaking the vending machine.

Yuri: Yes, because she thinks she's oh-so-funny.

Oh, go jump in a lake.

The Matriarch Mavina: Thanks for the review!