Author's Note: Greetings everyone! It's been a while since I've written some Castlevania-theme stories, but this is New Generation's sequel, which takes place four years later.

Hold me now I need a reason to feel relief,
like I never wanted anything.
I suppose I'll let this go,
and find a reason I'll hold on to.
I'm so ashamed of defeat.
And I'm out of reason to believe in me.
I'm out of trying to get by.
I'm so afraid of the gift you give me.
I don't belong here and I'm not well—

"The Gift"—Seether

Seuche in Deutschland (Plague in Germany)

Chapter I

The leaves were falling, the sky was gray, and the snow began to descend. But inside the Tepes home a warm fire made everything bright and cheery.

In the kitchen Maria watched a two-year-old girl wearing a pink dress with blonde hair and blue eyes, and a pacifier in her mouth toddle into the room.

"There you are, baby girl! Come over here to Grandma!"

From the dinning room table, all of this was witnessed by the girl's mother. She prepared to write a letter to the girl's father, but she took a moment to smile at her daughter and mother-in-law before she put pen to paper.

27 November 1823

Dearest Lysander,

As I write this letter to you, our baby girl is playing around with your mother in your parents' kitchen. The more I watch Sophia with Maria and Adrian the more I wonder if they view Sophia as the daughter they never had.

In the last letter that you sent me, you asked me a variety of questions; and I'm going to do my best to address all of them.

When I last checked a few days ago, Brian was still leaving the country with his parents to visit Russia. I hope he enjoys his time there. It must be nice to visit a new country.
Your cousins—Christian and Sidra—along with your aunt and uncle, stopped by to visit your parents the other day when I was over with Sophia.

Christian was without his new wife, Catherine. But we did learn the good news that Catherine is pregnant. It's almost hard to believe that Christian's going to become a father. And yet, at the same time, you're five years younger than him and I'm the same age as your younger brother, and we have a two-year-old daughter together.

As for your younger cousin, she was telling me all about her boyfriend, Johann, and that her father approved of the two seeing each other. It almost seemed to me that Sidra believes she's going to marry this person, but I think she should be careful with such thoughts.

Other than that, your uncle—the priest—asked me if you had been attending Mass in Prussia.

You also wrote to me that you were concerned about your younger brother. Here's what I can tell you. Alcander is essentially the same. He still goes to class and makes good grades, which makes your parents happy. But what worries them is that apparently every night he's still drinking heavily. Alcander has money to throw away, due to the money that he received—and continues to receive—from the victory over Vlad the Impaler.

Alcander's very luck though. If he didn't work out after school every day—performing the same exercises that you did when you were here—he probably would have become fat. But he's very handsome, and the girls in the village watch him every time they can.

But despite all the attention he receives from different girls I think he's still in love with Jessica, even though their relationship ended sometime ago. I talked to her when I was at the market last week with Sophia, and I think she feels the same way. I tried to bring some of this to his attention, but he quickly informed me that I was not his mother; and that I shouldn't talk to him like I was his mother.
Finally, is your life improving in Prussia, or more specifically, Berlin? I'm sure being a representative to the Wallachian Government is an interesting job, but I remember in your previous letters that you told me that you hated it there. I hope your fortune has improved. Plus it won't be too much longer until you return to Romania, right? Our house has been very lonely without you. The other day, Sophia asked me when her daddy was coming home, so I hope it won't be too much longer.

But if it is, I want you to know that Sophia and I wish you a happy 20th birthday on the 6th of December.

Until then, with all of my love,

Dana

01 December 1823

Dearest Dana,

I recently finished your letter, and I can't you enough for it. Whenever I feel lonely for you and Sophia, your letters comfort me. I even have some good news. By the time you receive this letter, I may be back home in Romania. I should at least be home before my birthday.

Since your last letter, I can tell you that my situation in Prussia has improved. Granted I'm considered a "diplomat," but Wallachia is nothing more than a puppet to the Russian Tsar; and the only reason why I have this position is because Christian refused to take it.

Nevertheless, I think that I've become more accepted in Prussia. Since I was a boy, Prussia began to abandon its Eastern European heritage and embrace Western Europe, which in the eyes of some on its citizens has made me 'back woods.' But in a sense, maybe they're right. If you were to compare the technology over here to what's in Romania, we might as well still be living in the 13th century, instead of the 19th. And I want to bring you here to see it, Dana—along with seeing Russia.

It's interesting that Uncle Richter asked you if I had been attending church in Prussia. A few days ago an old man asked me if I was Protestant or Catholic, and I told him that I was Orthodox. At first he chuckled, because of my Romanian accent whenever I speak German, before he replied, "Oh yes, that's what all those Russians are."

Prussia is predominately Lutheran, but there has been peace between the Lutheran and the Catholic minority. And don't tell Uncle Richter this, because although he and the bishop gave me permission to receive the Eucharist in the Catholic Church—you know what Uncle Richter thinks about Protestants—I haven't been going to church much since I've been in Prussia.

When I return home I'll have to congratulate Christian. I'll have to tell him that I think Sophia's going to become a big sister to his child, similar to how Christian was something of an older brother to me, Cander, and obviously Sidra when we were growing up.

As for Sidra, I've met Johann before. He'll treat Sidra well.

I'll have to have a chat with my younger brother when I come home. I have to wonder how much beer he drinks in a day. I think that if one night he went out to celebrate something special with his friends then it wouldn't be a problem. But if it's heavy drinking every single day, then that concerns me.

Finally, of course Sophia is the daughter Mom and Dad always wanted! She's so beautiful! Who could resist her?

Well, I can't wait to see you in a few days! Until then, all of my love,

Lysander

After Lysander finished mailing his letter, he visited a tavern that he frequented near his Berlin apartment. Lysander's drink of choice was St. Pauli Girl, and he had just finished his first beer and prepared to order a second when a familiar voice called to him.

Lysander turned to discover a moderately tall man in his late twenties with blonde hair and blue eyes.

"Good evening, Luther," replied Lysander. "How're things with you?"

"Couldn't be better, but I understand that you're leaving Berlin tomorrow."

"That's correct."

"You're going back to Romania?"

"Yes, I can't wait to see my wife and baby girl…But…I have to confess that after I read a letter from my wife today a knot tied up in my stomach."

"A knot?"

"Yes."

"Why's that?"

"In the letter she mentioned about a person named Brian. Brian was with me on a trip across Romania with my cousin and younger brother about four years ago when I first met my wife. She had lost her closest relatives and decided she was going to leave her village, but I asked her to join me and my party. I told her that we'd travel some more, because I wanted to travel."

"All right, I understand what you're saying so far. But what I don't understand is how does this Brian character relate to the story?"

"Dana—my wife—informed me that Brian was going with his parents to Russia. And she added the words, 'it must be nice to visit a new country.'"

"So, in other words, you're feeling regret, because you haven't been able to keep that promise to her, correct?"

"…Yes."

Luther ordered a St. Pauli Girl and added, "Well, Lysander, try to look at it from a positive perspective. Most people never leave the village, town, or city that they're born in. Take Berlin, for example. Do you know how many of the residents of this city have been here for generations? Try most of them. My family has been here for four generations. You brought your wife to a new village when she went on that journey with you. That's more than what most people can say."

"…Granted, but it's not like I don't have the resources to Dana somewhere. I'd like to take Dana to Prussia, but because our daughter's only two it'd be impossible for us to make such a journey together."

Luther took a large gulp of his beer and added, "Well, I'm sure she realizes that Lysander. But I think that you're worrying yourself too much over this issue. Once your daughter's older, you and your wife'll be able to travel like you promised."

Lysander smiled, and took another drink of his beer. "You're probably right, Luther."

Lysander asked the bartender to bring him a pencil and something to write on, and the bartender did as Lysander requested.

"Here Luther," Lysander said, while he handed Luther the paper that he had written on. "That's my address in Romania. Please feel free to write me sometime. I'm not sure when I'll be back in Prussia."

"Will do, Lysander!"

While Lysander had a drink in Prussia, his younger brother brushed away some of the snow that was on a branch that he and Lysander had climbed on when they were children. In Alcander's hand was a lager beer that he had purchased from the village tavern. The tree had lately become a favorite place for Alcander to sit in and drink beer before dinner.

With each gulp, Alcander took a moment to watch the snow descend, and feel it quickly turn to water when it came into contact with his blonde hair.

"There you are, Alcander!"

Alcander turned to notice Jessica standing beneath the tree, and wearing a red dress and white stockings.

"Ever consider going inside, Jessica?" Alcander began, as he leapt from the tree. "It's cold outside, and I seriously doubt that your stockings'll keep you that warm."

"Perhaps I could ask you a similar question, Alcander. Why aren't you at home, or at your parents? It's cold outside, and I seriously doubt that your trousers're protecting you enough."

Alcander smiled. "That's why someone invented long underwear. Besides, I had to finish the beer that I bought from the tavern…nearly one down and six more to go!"

"Yes, and that's one of the reasons why I came by to see you. Drinking again, as usual? You drink way too much! Do you realize that?"

Alcander sighed. "You know…Are you even aware that all this nagging at me's the reason why our relationship ended? It makes me feel like I'm around my mother all the time."

"I'm not trying to be your mother. But I still care about you. If you were to drink like that when you're out once in a while with your friends it wouldn't be a problem. But you…Are you listening to me! …Huh?"

A gust of wind went underneath Jessica's red, and glided against her skin that was unprotected by her stockings. Alcander had quickly moved behind her, and lifted up her skirt high enough where he could faintly see her underwear.

"Very nice…they're white…and lacey."

Jessica's face turned red, and her body shook. "Alcander, you pervert!"

Jessica presented Alcander with a hard slap that knocked him into the snow. Alcander chuckled, while he rubbed his face to relieve the pain.

"Stupid boy! Hasn't grown up any since he was two-years-old!"