Many thanks to the people who have reviewed and read my fanfiction stories.

I realise it's been a hell of a long time since an update on this thing. I just found it the other day. The outline and everything. So I decided to take a shot at writing this again. Not to mention several emails to finish the story from Lufia fans.

I realise that some people have different opinions on the story and its characters. This is all that is. O-P-I-N-I-O-N-S. I do not own Lufia. Taito, Natsume and Altrus own them. This story is for pure entertainment. If I could publish it, I would. Do they publish fanfiction if you submit it to the owners of the game? I don't know. I wish I did.

I did give the characters middle and last names, which were mostly from a very old Lufia story long ago in the late 1990's. Anyone else in the story belongs to Elizabeth Marion Whittaker, including characters that are Sinistrals before their transformation.

As forewarning, I would suggest reading The Knights Task and the Warrioress' Test and Reflection before reading this story, since there are mentions of the story. Also if you have not beaten Lufia I or II, I would suggest beating them before contining this story. This has MANY spoilers as the plot thickens.

Ok, now I'm done, I think.

For the commentors who have commented so far:

4SwordsLink: I finally have started to finish it. The statement above explains why I held off finishing the story.

Justin T. Melanson: Thank you for thinking that the scenes would rock as a video game. ;p I wasn't trying for that, but it's nice to think that someone thinks this is an excellent story. Hope to hear more reviews from you soon.

Teefa and Co: You waited long enough, now you receive. The next part of the story, for you, and all the other fans. Thank you for reading. ;p

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Part Three

The Beginnings of Pain and Sorrow

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Aguro glanced as Jerin walked back down, sighing softly. "Was--was it something I said?" he asked the rest of them. "I mean, I didn't think I said anything stupid."

"No, I don't think it's what you said," Devur told him. "I think she just needs some time. But . . . it has been a long time, already." His sigh was a clear indicator of how he felt. "I don't understand. Why is it so hard to tell? It's just a story, isn't it?"

Roman, who had gone back to making dinner, stopped and grabbed a rag to wipe his messy hands. "It's not just a story, Devur. It's her life. It's an awfully long story, as well." His eyes now looked to each one of them before putting the rag back on the counter. "It's kind of like telling someone about how you saved the world, but with much more that she has lost."

"And you would know because . . . " Jerin prompted, waving her hand toward her face.

Roman took a breath. "Because I am her father."

Devur glanced at him for a moment, shook his head, and then looked to his comrades. "Am? Of course you are, you took care of her. I mean . . . "

"No. Think about it," Roman pressed. "You see, no one would take her in, because they were all scared of her. And I, who had no questions, did not think twice. At the time, you had asked why. Why I would do such a thing. Despite her being a 'stranger' to everyone else, I had known her quite a long time." He sat down with the three of them and poured some water in a cup from a pitcher he had sitting there. Roman took a drink before speaking again. "I'm older then you think I am. Despite my age, I have seen many things and knew what was to come. But . . . I could not help at the time."

Jerin got up and pounded her fist on the table. "Why not? You could have warned us, old man!"

Aguro grabbed his wife's arm and tried to get her to sit down. "Jer--"

"No! He could have! If he knew Lufia was the Mistress of Death, then he---"

"That would have brought back her memories," Devur cut in. "I understand his actions." Then he turned to Roman. "You still could have told me. I wouldn't have told her." His hand went to scratch the back of his unruly hair.

Roman drank some more water. "I could not allow the risk of it slipping. She's bared enough pain as it is, Devur. Please understand." Standing up and pushing the chair in, he then said, "Why don't you go out and get some fresh air? Perhaps I can talk to her, maybe calm her down a bit."

Jerin nodded, moving her blonde hair behind her pointed ears. "Sure, if you think that'll help." Looking to Devur, she asked, "Is it wise, to just let her be like this?"

Getting up, Devur sighed. "I don't know. But perhaps we should take him up on his suggestion. After all, it'll give the three of us time to discuss some things, perhaps even a plan as to how to rectify the situation." He thought a moment, grabbing his cloak and fastening it around his neck. "I was wondering if you two would come with me. I have a place . . . when I was staying in Alekia, before I left."

Aguro was the last to stand and nodded. "Sure. I get the feeling that would be better for tonight, anyway."

"What a way to spend Christmas," Jerin muttered as she grabbed her dark brown cloak, tying the straps to her neck. "All alone, in the cold, shut up in a room. I still think we should try to . . ."

Her husband's hand was on her shoulder as he shook his head. "You've always known Lufia to be stubborn when it comes to this sort of thing. Just give her some time, Jer. I'm sure she'll come down, and knows where the place is." Looking to Roman, he then replied, "Or her father will tell her. I'm sure he knows."

"True, but I feel bad just leaving her there," Jerin murmured. "It is Christmas, after all. Who wants to spend Christmas alone?" She had walked over to the door and opened it. "I wouldn't. I'd feel lonely, even disheartened that no one would be willing to spend it with me. It was like that for many years before . . . I had friends." With that she ducked her head out the door and was outside in the snowy night.

Devur watched her go as he saw Aguro now throwing his cloak on his muscular frame. "Yeah, I feel bad too. But she wouldn't come out if I asked her to. Her emotions always did get the best of her." He followed Jerin out the door as well, turning to look at the stairs again before disappearing out of the inn.

"It's nice to know her friends care," Roman said to himself as he watched Aguro start to leave. "Just like her other ones."

Aguro looked at him. "Other ones?"

"Yes. The ones that were with her when she escaped from Doom Island." This was said quietly as he continued with the dinner, looking at a bowl of potatoes he had not gotten to peeling. "Unfortunately, all of them died when they were recaptured. She was quite attached to them as well. And her brother . . ."

"Just how much do you know, old man?" He looked at the door, seeing a hand waving him over toward them. "I realize you can't tell us anything but--"

"I only know a little bit of it. You see . . . Lufia was not my only child. Her brother was too. The one you call Daos."

Aguro stepped back a few steps and coughed for a moment. "That ---thing---!"

"Sadly, yes. What my children were forced to become . . . that is something that makes me melancholy indeed." His hands went to grab a potato and he held it a moment, as if thinking. "But Lufia . . . well, she is more of the child she was now then she ever has been. Of course, she has been resurrected all those times but . . . I had wondered if both my children would return home to me."

"Aguro!" Jerin's voice called from the door. "Come on! It's freezing out here, twit!"

Roman turned around to look at him. "You better go. Do not worry for me, I'll be fine."

Aguro nodded and turned around, walking to the door. "I'm sure she will be too," he called before disappearing through the doorway.

> --> --> --> -->

They had walked in the snow for a few minutes before anyone had spoke again. Devur was thinking about what had happened at the inn, at how fast she had turned emotional. How Aguro finally gave his trust to her. At how much Roman kept from him. He wondered why he was the one forced to take on the responsibility of all these problems all of a sudden. Could it be that I'm just the kind of guy who deals with this sort of thing? he thought. Or is it because I'm this destined hero that everyone thinks I am?

He glanced at the lights in the houses, at all the people who were spending Christmas with their families. The family he had . . . well, two were walking with him. The other two were in the house, alone, spending their Christmas living in their past.

Devur finally reached his home, his dark home without any lights on. He wondered how it would look now since he had not been there in a few weeks. "Well, here we are," he said.

"I meant to ask you . . . " Jerin started, pausing as she thought a moment. "How are you and that one girl doing?"

"Elinori?" Devur asked.

Jerin nodded. "I heard you had a relationship with her . . . Lufia seemed rather upset about it in the letter I read."

Letter? I never realized she wrote letters to her. I should talk to her about that as well. "Well, we did, for a while. But it's over now," he answered. "She . . . doesn't like my occupation." He glanced away from the half-elf as the moonlight hit his face. "It's for the best now though."

"Still don't understand why you did it," Aguro told him. "I mean, you love Lu--"

"Despite that, there are still complications now, Aguro. The last thing she needs is more confusion!" Devur shot at him.

Jerin sighed as she put the hood of her cloak down. "You're making her more confused by going out with another woman and only being there when she needs you to be. If you do love her, tell her."

"What did you think I was doing in there?" Devur had now started to shout, tired of all the accusations of him giving mixed signals. "I was trying to, but apparently you had to throw your shoe at me!"

A shocked look came across her face. "...you...?"

Aguro nodded. "We talked while you . . . did your thing . . . and well . . . it seems that he broke up with her a long time ago. They've been friends for twelve years, they both liked one another. It was his grand plan . . . but he kind of proposed to your shoe instead. Think it said yes hard enough?"

His joke was not appreciated by the way Jerin came up and bonked him on the head. "I didn't mean to, stupid!"

"Well, it just shows you how attached he is to her," Aguro said. "I mean, he was telling me a while ago how he wanted to go with her, but well . . . he couldn't."

Devur was now blushing and trying to bury his face in his cloak, recalling that conversation as well, dressed up as Lufia and Aguro as Devur. "Come on, that was not a good time to be discussing that. That way was rather . . . embarrassing."

"Embarrassing?" Jerin asked, confused. "Why so?"

" . . . cause I kept tripping in the high heels you made me put on."

Jerin laughed. "Oh! That time! Well, shucks, that was rather funny, seeing you dress up as Lufia. You'd make a hell of a--" Devur growled from underneath the cloak. "I'm serious!" The half-elf chuckled with mirth.

"Jerin, please," Aguro whispered.

"Alright, alright." She quieted down as she saw someone walking toward them. "Devur, who is she?" Her finger pointed toward the person.

Devur lifted his head out of the cloak now and was looking at the figure Jerin was pointing at. "Oh, that's just the local fortune teller, Majainae. She's supposedly a witch. You know, the black cat, broomstick riding kind."

Jerin shivered, huddling in her cloak. "The kind that gives me the creeps?"

"She's not that scary," Devur chuckled as she came up to them. "Merry Christmas to you, kind lady."

The woman nodded to them, her long locks of curly brown hair coming out from under the hood. "And to you as well, good sir. Tell me, what are you doing, all alone, on this cold Christmas night? Shouldn't you be spending it with that long haired girl of yours?" They could see piercing green eyes glaring at Devur as she spoke.

Great, even she thinks I shouldn't be out alone. What is up with these people? "Well, she's having an emotional moment, so we thought we'd let her calm down until she recovered."

Uncovering her hood, Majainae nodded. They could now see that she had a pointed nose and a pair of luscious green eyes. They also could tell she was quite petite, from the way the cloak was baggy around her body. "Well, I wonder if it was from those . . . memories . . . that Innkeeper Roman told me about the other day." Her pale hand went to her face, holding her pointy chin in thought. "Could that be the case?"

"Umm . . . " Jerin was hiding behind Aguro, clearly scared of the witch. "Well, perhaps?"

Majainae laughed heartedly as she heard Jerin's shaky voice. "Calm, child. I'm not scary. I don't turn people into toads, or cast hexes on them. And I certainly won't do that to you." She glanced to Devur as she watched the young half-elf come from behind her husband's back. "If that is the case, then I have something for you. Please, come with me."

"Are you sure it's alright to do?" Jerin asked, still a bit frightened.

Another laugh from the young woman. "Of course it is. I have no reason to hex you."

"That word gives me the creeps," Jerin muttered, holding onto her husband's arm.

Aguro laughed, patting her hand. "It's alright. I'll be here, so will Devur, sweetie."

...please, don't call her that. Just watching them makes me feel more lonely then I already am. Being the good friend he was, though, he could not tell her that. But he did nod to Majainae. "Alright, we'll go."

Jerin glanced to Devur. "Ahh . . . I thought . . . "

"Perhaps she can help us get Lufia to tell us what's been going on," Devur told her. "Besides, it's better then being alone, anyway. Stop being a scaredy-cat and come along. She makes good cookies."

Her ears twitched. "Cookies!"

Devur laughed. "Yes. Cookies. Come on."

The half-elf smiled as she met up with the other woman. "Sorry about that. I guess I should learn to not take rumors so seriously." Bowing, she then said, "I'm Jeriavea, known as Jerin. Pleased to meet you."

"At how fast she'll change for some chocolate in her system," Aguro muttered.

"Hush, you!" Jerin muttered as they all started walking again. "I'm not doing it for the cookies!"

And throughout the entire argument that he heard after that, Devur chuckled softly. This was how Christmas was supposed to be, except with Lufia and her arguing. But perhaps we can still get everything to normal.

"What's funny, Sir Devur?"

He was thrown out of his thoughts by the quiet voice of Majainae. "Oh, just thinking about how everything is slowly returning to normal," he whispered softly. "They always argue. They're married too."

"Makes me wonder how they get along," she muttered, pushing her hair under the hood.

Devur smiled. "You wouldn't understand if I told you." Glancing to her, he then said, "Now, how can you help Lufia?"

The witch smiled. "Well, you'll see, Devur. Be patient. Christmas is not over yet."

"Well, I better be able to propose to her by the time Christmas is over."

"What happened to Elin--"

"That didn't work out," he told her before Majainae could finish the sentence. "I love Lufia. I always have."

This time she smirked. "I'm glad you see it that way. Come, we're almost there." She walked a bit faster, leaving him behind with the other two.

They had seemed to quiet down as she left. "So, is it alright to go in her place?" Jerin asked.

Devur nodded. "Yes. Please, don't be scared. Majainae is not a bad person." Turning to Aguro, he saw that he was holding Jerin's hand. "Must you do that?" he asked. "It just ---"

"What?" Both of them asked at the same time, not understanding what it was he was saying.

Devur shook his head. "Just forget it," he replied, leaving the two being to follow the witch woman to her house. He mentally scolded himself for even thinking of asking to stop showing small signs of affection the rest of the time he walked to her house.