A/N: Well, we're back once again! Sorry this chap took so long, it would have been up much earlier, but some serious editing had to be done to it, before it was good to go, so yeah. But I'll talk about that later. First of all, to those looking for a review reply…

Unclever Title: Heh, not sure what happened with that whole glitch thing. I'm trying to fix the problem. Glad you got that email I sent you. Anyhoo, thanx for the review!

… Problem is being fixed. Should all work now… I hope.

Trixie's Girl: Glad you liked it. That Sol Sanctum thing was just about forcing them to submit and stuff. Heh, well, thanx for the review.

Spirit Seer: Glad you liked it! Heh, I think I'm slowly witling down the number of typos I put in. Not sure about that whole jinxing thing, never been my area of expertise… well, thanx for reviewing as usual!

Kd7sov: Thank you! I thought that whole 'sensing the forests power' would be kind of appropriate. Not sure about the reborn heroes idea. We'll have to see. To be honest, I have not idea where I'm taking it. It's just something that occurred to me during writing, but I do like it. It seems kind of appropriate that they be reborn heroes, y'know? We'll see what happens, eh? There's more of that stuff in this chapter too. Hope you like it!

Spirit Icana: Thanx for the friendly advice. I'll try and keep it in mind. I must admit, after playing scenes in the game, my mind sort of leans its writing style towards that kind of dialogue, but I'm trying to steer away from it. I think I did an alright job in this one, but it could have been a touch better in some parts, mayhap. Anyway, I'll keep on trying to improve as I always am. Thank you for reviewing.

Corycian Muse: Heh, glad you liked it all. The chapter wasn't actually my favourite to write, but at least it turned out all right. Yeah, I put a touch more depth into it than the game did, mostly because I had some cool ideas for it. Not quite a travelling chap this one, but the next couple will be. As usual, appreciate your reviews!

Spastic Djinn: You flushed it down the toilet! Tsk tsk, such sinful blasphemy… repent thy sins, lest I strike thee down, hence where ye stand! Or something like that, lol. Wow, I sure do put a lot of words in, don't I? Not sure how I do it, I just write events down, filling them with as much wordy goodness as possible. Man, just imagine how long this will be when it's finished… my apologies about Isaac killing plants. No vegetation was harmed in the making of this story, except for the acres of rainforest slaughtered to make the pages upon which I write it all down before typing it up. Don't tell Greenpeace, please? And tell Ivan I look forward to seeing more of VoldyIvan. And yes, that is a hint.

Sorceress Sakura: Thank you! Here's your next chapter, hope you like it!

Lifeform 0: Thanx! I forgot something? Oh well. I'll fix it up if I ever get around to it.

GoldenSunGeek: Yeah, I liked that idea of Tret being around for ages too. It just seemed… appropriate. He seemed like that kind of being, that's been around since time began. At least, that's what I thought. As usual, thank you for reviewing!

Okie dokie, lets get this show on the road. Now, I must tell you, this is done a little bit differently to what the game did. That's really why this took so long to update, because I spent so much time re-editing and writing certain scenes. Maybe you'll like it, maybe you won't. But read and see what you think. Oh yeah, and that disclaimer thing… well, you all know by now, I'm sure, so let's just skip and get down to business, eh?

CHAPTER TWELVE

FUCHIN TEMPLE

As they left Kolima Forest, Isaac was aware of the increased life and vitality of the place, the aura of peace and contentment. Kolima Forest was itself again. They found no more monsters amidst the tall trees. It seemed that Tret's recovery had scared them off.

Despite their exhaustion, Isaac set a hard pace, determined to make up for lost time. They made camp at the edge of the forest, resting from the day's exhaustion. By the time they reached the town of Kolima the next day, they were back to their old selves.

The people of Kolima were indeed human again, and quietly grateful for it. It seemed they had all learned from their mistake, and were now refusing to cut down trees for Bilibin again. The woodcutters of Kolima had vowed never to so much as enter the sacred forest again. Peace was upon them. Some people made jokes about wanting to turn over a new leaf after the incident, while others said they wanted to make like a tree and leaf, but most considered such jokes to be in bad taste.

The warriors who had first gone to challenge Tret were now in Kolima Inn, laughing, joking and swapping tales of their plight as trees with one another. Fortunately, none recognised them. In fact, none of the townspeople were aware that they were the kids with the strange powers, a fact that Isaac was grateful for. They could have gone to Bilibin to get Lord McCoy's reward, but aside from not wanting it anyway, they had to race after Saturos's group.

They left Kolima, not receiving any thanks or rewards or even having anyone aware of their exploits and acknowledging it.

The next three or four days following the path along the river chasing after Saturos and Menardi were for the most part, uneventful. They were within half days walk to the ocean on the east that they had always wanted to see and Kraden had wanted to show them at one point. Garet had suggested they detour to see it and Isaac was tempted to see this legendary, supposedly endless body of water, but he couldn't allow it. There was no time. Jenna, Kraden and the Elemental Stars came first.

Both Mia and Ivan assured them that the ocean was not all that spectacular and they could afford to miss out on it anyway. Isaac and Garet found that hard to believe, that something so seemingly impossible could be so ordinary.

But aside from that, the trip was fairly mundane. They came across a few lone monsters, but they were easily despatched with their powers. Since the battle with Tret, and indeed, every battle beforehand, they were feeling much stronger and more skilled. They were now so powerful, that anyone of them could crush these creatures with hardly an effort. Most of the monsters didn't even hang around long enough for that. Isaac did feel a bit bad about killing some of them now; knowing that some of them were just innocent creatures, but there was nothing for it.

This horror had been unleashed by Saturos and Menardi, but it was just another line on the long list of crimes they'd committed that they would need to be made to answer for. He intended to ensure they were made to pay, if he had to.

Some time during the fourth day, they came across a drawbridge that was the only way across the river. The bridge was currently pulled up, but a young Kolima man was on the other side waiting to lower it. As they reached the other side, Isaac and Ivan went to talk to the guard to see if Saturos's party had passed him, and if so, when.

As it turned out, he had seen them go past, three whole days before them! They were way behind! The man had still been a tree at the time, but he hadn't actually told them that. Only Ivan's Mind Read was able to reveal it for them. Only understandable, of course, any other traveller probably would have thought him mad if he had mentioned anything like that. Leaving the ignorant Koliman behind them, they pressed forward on their quest, hurrying even faster. By the days end, they had covered much space and were approximately only a day away from Mogall Prairie, as Isaac told his companions over their dinner campfire that night.

"Say, what exactly is a prairie, anyhow?" Garet asked around a mouthful of stew, causing both Mia and Isaac to sigh at his ignorance. Only Ivan seemed unbothered by it.

"A prairie is an extensive tract of grassy land that is generally lacking of trees." The small Wind Adept patiently explained.

"And, according to the map, it'll take us a good couple of days to cross it and reach the next town of Xian." Isaac noted, looking down at the unfurled roll of parchment in front of him. "Although we may encounter that evil forest that Tret told us about."

Why was it so far away between these two towns? Why were there so few towns along the west of Angara? Heck, why were there so few towns in Angara, full stop? On the entire continent, including the north coast of Gondowan, there were only fourteen towns, cities and villages all together. Civilisation seemed to be dying, the population dwindling. Things wouldn't get any better if Saturos and Menardi go what they wanted…

"Almost a whole week and a half of walking?" Mia groaned. "I don't like the idea of walking so far without a proper bed to rest in and a decent meal."

"Don't worry," Isaac reassured her, "According to the map, there's some place called 'Fuchin Temple' along the way, just north of the Mogall Prairie. That's just one days walk from here! I'm not sure what sort of place it'll be like, but hopefully they will give us beds to rest in for the night." Mia smiled at the news of this.

"I've heard of Fuchin Temple." Ivan informed them. "It's a spiritual hideaway built by monks deliberately in an out of the way part of the world. I'm not sure what it is they do there, something about inner peace and spiritual enlightenment, but they sound like a friendly lot. They should welcome travellers."

"Haven't you ever been there, Ivan?" Garet asked, "You seem to have visited most other places in Angara." Ivan shook his head.

"I've only ever visited place with Master Hammet on business trips. Monks apparently aren't much interested in purchasing trade goods from merchants."

"Well, we'll see what happens when we get there tomorrow morning." Isaac suggested.

X

After hours of uneventful walking the next day, they finally reached Fuchin Temple. Fuchin was not, in fact, a single temple, but a small group of tightly clustered together buildings, up against a gentle slope of a large hill, with a small waterfall next to it, trailing off into a large stream flowing peacefully away from it.

The buildings were not of an architecture or design that any of them had seen before, save Ivan, who described them as "Far Eastern" in construct. They were rather simple looking, with elaborate paintings on the walls and finely detailed, intricate roofs that went up in layers to a final, uppermost point. There were no roads or paths in between them, simply feet trodden dirt paths worn in over time. A few people were casually milling about the place, some walking about in bare feet, others standing, gazing blissfully at the serene water, while others were sitting cross-legged on the grass, eyes closed in deep meditation.

They all wore simple robes; most had shaven heads, while almost none of them wore any form of footwear. The atmosphere of the Temple was indeed one of idyllic peace, calm, beautiful solitude, as though the troubles of the outside world were not enough to bother any of them. Nobody seemed surprised or even interested in the arrival of travellers and few seemed to give them more than a passing glance.

Isaac asked a few of the locals, whom he took to be monks, where they might go to find out about receiving accommodation for the night. They all directed him to see Master Nyunpa, in the uppermost, largest monastery. But a few of them were curious enough to ask them some questions once they were talking.

"Is the bridge north open, now?" asked one man who turned out not to be a monk at all. When Isaac told him that it was, that was where the came from, the man then asked, "So does that mean that the curse is gone from Kolima?" Isaac told him that it was, and the man then left, announcing that he was heading home.

"You should not dwell in this place long." Another monk warned them in an odd accent. "We have seen omens of disaster. Blue lights in the north, gems falling from the sky and a forest growing in the south. These omens are described in our oldest scrolls."

"What disaster?" Isaac asked. "What disaster do the omens predict?"

"The end of the world." The monk replied gravely, and then left them.

The last monk they asked told them precisely where to find this "Master Nyunpa", but then also told them more. "Master Nyunpa is fasting for us." He explained. "By freeing oneself of worldly concerns, one can focus one's mind on intense spiritual mattes. He prays for our salvation. The omens that we have seen lately have all spoken of imminent doom. Blue lights flashing north, strange, powerful gems falling from the sky and a dark forest growing to the south… all omens…"

When they at last reached Nyunpa's monastery, Isaac's heart was feeling gloomy. Those omens the monks spoke off… the Mercury Lighthouse beacon, Psynergy Stones from the Mount Aleph eruption and that evil forest that Tret and Laurel had warned them about. They all seemed assured that this truly meant the end of the world was approaching. Obviously, they were referring to the possible release of Alchemy by Saturos' party. But if these omens were all truly prophecies of what would be coming to pass, was it all really in vain? Were Saturos and Menardi really destined to succeed? Maybe he should talk to Master Nyunpa about more than just a night's accommodation, Isaac thought.

There was no one guarding the red enamelled double doors, so Isaac and the others just stepped right in. Inside, the room was lit by several candles placed about evenly, and the air smelled of incense. At the back of the room was a table, covered in various scrolls, vases, parchments, jewels, artefacts and herbs.

In the centre of the room, on the floor, was emblazoned a symbol of a circle divided by a sinuous line, one half midnight black, the other half pearly white. Just on the far side of this sat an elderly man cross legged, on a red velvet cushion with his hands folded at his waist and eyes close in deep meditation.

Nyunpa was a very old man, even older than Kraden, or the Great Elder of Vale. Unlike the other monks, his scalp was not shaven, but his hair was bound atop his head in wispy white strands, and a thin white beard grew around his mouth. He wore an elaborate robe.

As they entered, he gave no indication that he was aware of their presence. In fact, he made no movement at all, he was still enough to have been a statue. Only the ever so slight rising of his chest as he breathed gave any indication that he was even alive.

"Excuse me, Master Nyunpa May we have a word with you?" Isaac asked the old monk. Nyunpa gave no reply, no movement, not a flicker of awareness.

"Master Nyunpa, we are travellers from far away, and we seek rest." Ivan said to the silent man. Again, Nyunpa didn't respond.

"Master Nyunpa, we know about the omens of disaster, but we believe that the world can still be saved." Mia offered. Again, Nyunpa was a still and silent as a statue.

"Hey! Nyunpa!" Gare called out loudly. "Weyard to Nyunpa! We're talking to you! Lights on, anyone home? Can you hear us?" He waved his hand up and down in front of the meditating man's face. No response. They may as well have not even been there for all the reaction he showed.

"Oh, I give up!" Garet sighed, exasperated. "Let's leave and see if there's some other place we can stay!" Isaac sighed. It didn't seem they would get any response from Master Nyunpa. But Ivan had an idea, such a simple idea, that Isaac wondered why he didn't think of it first. He used Mind Read.

As Ivan focused his mind, and began to glow light blue to the Adepts eyes as he summoned up the power of his Jupiter Psynergy from within himself, Isaac placed his hand on the younger boy's shoulder, somehow linking their Psynergy so that Isaac would hear Nyunpa's thoughts inside his head along with Ivan.

Ivan's power reached out and touched Nyunpa's head, and the sound of the monk's thoughts burst into Isaac's head.

Who is this that enters my mind?

Both Isaac and Ivan stepped back in shock, and Ivan broke off his Mind Read, lost all the concentration necessary for Psynergy.

Nyunpa opened his eyes and calmly got to his feet, then looked to Ivan with a knowing look in his eye.

"Hey, you finally got through to him!" Garet said.

"Young master…" he asked the small Wind Adept. "Was that not you I felt within my mind?"

"Yes, that was me." Ivan said softly, looking down to his feet as though ashamed. Nyunpa looked to Isaac.

"You follow them, do you not?" the monk asked the Earth Adept calmly. "The ones who made the gems fall from the sky and blue lights dance in the north?"

"Saturos and Menardi, you mean?" Isaac asked. Nyunpa looked at him as though to say, 'Of course, who else?' "Yes, we do."

"Ah, but of course." Nyunpa calmly said in an old voice with a thin smile, which then faded as he gazed past them to the south. "But, as I am sure you are already aware, you must go through Mogall Forest, the endless woods." Mogall Forest? Was that the one Tret had referred to? Was it growing where the Mogall Prairie should be?

"What exactly is Mogall Forest?" Mia asked curiously.

"The forest itself is a mystery," the old monk explained, "and its paths even more so… no ordinary man can pass from one side to the other. But perhaps I could, young master." He looked to Isaac, looking straight into his eyes, and sighed, his aged body heaving. "I will teach you how to pass this forest." He gestured to the floor in front of him. "Please, have a seat, and let us speak." There was no actual 'seat' to speak of, so Isaac and the others sat on the smooth floor before Nyunpa, like pupils before their master. Nyunpa sat down on his purple velvet pillow, and regarded them with wise, old eyes.

"I am glad that you have finally come, young Isaac."

I never told him my name…

He looked to Nyunpa with shock, who in turn looked at Ivan with a knowing smile.

"Just remember," the old monk told the group mind reader, "you are not the only one who can read minds."

"Are you an Adept, then?" Ivan asked curiously. "Another Wind Adept?"

Nyunpa shook his head. "No, my young friend. Although, there is another monk, far off…" he paused, seeming to consider what he was about to say, then thought better of it. "No, that is not a matter of discussion for now. We must speak of other matters."

"Like our quest." Isaac offered. "Am I right?" Nyunpa nodded.

"Wait a second!" Garet raised a hand to motion them to stop. "If you're not an Adept, then how can you read minds? And how did you know we were coming? I thought only Jupiter Adepts could learn to foresee the future. At least, that's what Kraden taught me."

Nyunpa's smile became cryptic. "There are other powers than Psynergy. You focus your minds to summon your power. We seek enlightenment to find and harness our own spirit energy… our Ki."

"What's Ki?" Isaac asked out of curiosity.

"That is not important." Nyunpa said dismissively. "It is the power of the spirit, not a magical power as such, just a dormant power that takes many years of meditation and enlightenment to control. But for now, we must speak of your quest."

"You know about our quest?" Isaac asked in disbelief.

"Of course. It has been foretold to us for many years by our oldest omens and scriptures, from our founding father, Master Fuchin."

Ivan seemed interested by this. "What sort of omens and prophecies are these?"

Nyunpa sighed deeply, and gazed through them wistfully, thinking back to times long gone. "A thousand years ago, when men waged great wars across the land with the power of Alchemy, destroying civilization itself with their Psynergy, there existed a small group of Adepts who wished to end the war. I am sure you know of this story."

"They were the ones who sealed away Alchemy, right?" Mia guessed. "My Clan teacher told us about them."

"Indeed, they are the ones. But not all of them could fight that battle. When the war was over, a wise man who, it's said, could foresee all that was and will be, founded this temple, and passed his teachings onto his disciples."

"Master Fuchin." A voice next to Isaac said.

"That's right, Ivan." Nyunpa resumed his lost gaze. "His way of peace, and power through enlightenment in a time when Psynergy was fading allowed many to find Ki. Not a power one uses to fight or do magical things with. An understanding with oneself and their place in the world allows one to attain inner contentment and achieve the things they desire in life.

"He foresaw that a time would come again when the world may once again fight a desperate battle between good and evil, and Alchemy would be at the centre of it all. He knew that certain omens of doom would signal the dawn of this new era."

The monk cleared his throat, and began reciting. " 'When the kingdoms and nations of men are falling, when it seems the world itself is dying, there shall be a great eruption of fire in the sacred mountain. Magic gems shall rain from the sky, and unnatural things shall walk the earth. Evil forests shall grow, while blue lights dance in the north. The time of reckoning shall be at hand, as the two quests set forward, both working to save and destroy the world.' There is more, but I am sure that you understand."

"Wow, he actually predicted all of that?" Garet gave an impressed whistle. "That's pretty accurate."

"He said that both quests would work to save and destroy the world?" Isaac sounded flabbergasted. "How can that be? That doesn't make sense! We're trying to save the world, and they're trying to destroy it!"

Nyunpa gave him a sympathetic look, like a teacher that sees a student unable to grasp a simple concept. "Things are not always as we would see them, or wish to perceive them. Sometimes what is good and what is evil is unclear. And sometimes, what we think may happen may instead happen another way. Do not be so quick to know how certain things shall happen, instead, try to understand and think on how things might be."

Isaac looked at the floor, thinking on that comment. "I don't understand."

"We do not always." The master said consolingly.

There was a moment's silence, which Ivan finally broke. "So, did Saturos' party stop here?"

"Yes, they did."

"Did you try and stop them?" Garet asked. Nyunpa shook his head.

"No, for it is not needed. Victory is not always achieved through fighting."

"I don't think anyone here would be a match for them anyway, Garet." Ivan pointed out. "Saturos and Menardi are pretty powerful."

"Yeah, that's a good point."

"Deciding the fate of the world is for you." Nyunpa looked Isaac in the eye. "But you shall not do so yet. In time, when you have discovered the true power within yourself, and have proven your worth, then shall you face your true foe, though he is not who you think he is. You honour your quest that is given to you, but the time shall come when you must betray what you think is sacred, and be prepared to change your goals. I pray that you keep an open mind when this time comes, for else all shall be lost." The old monk took a deep breath as he finished reciting. "This is a message passed down from Master Fuchin; that I might one day give it to you, Isaac."

"He predicted all this a thousand years ago?" Isaac asked in disbelief. "He even had a message for me!"

Nyunpa nodded. "Foresight and prophecy are given, so that we may know what must be done when the time comes."

"Hmm… interesting." Isaac stroked his chin thoughtfully, as he considered this. "But… I don't understand most of it. I mean, that message that he gave me… I don't understand what he meant for me."

"You shall some day." Nyunpa told him in full certainty. "But the time of understanding is not now. When the time comes, you shall understand, and fulfil what has been prophesised… but not now."

Master Nyunpa then turned to Garet. "He is not the only one whom I have a message for. You also, Garet of Vale, need listen to what Fuchin has to tell you."

"Uh… okay then."

"You fight your quest, and hate your enemies, and will not stop till you have succeeded. But the one who betrayed you will one day be your ally, and you must be prepared to forgive him, so that you might stand together in time for that last battle. Though you fight to prevent what he does, you must come to know that sometimes, in order to succeed, you must fail at what has been set down before you."

Garet looked at him in complete confusion. "What in the world does that mean!"

Nyunpa shrugged. "Understanding is for you to discover when the time comes." He then looked at Ivan.

"Young reader of minds, Fuchin wished for you to know this. 'Those you care about must be sacrificed in time if you are to defeat your enemies. Though you think you are all alone, you shall in time come to find that you have family, but you must be prepared to put sentimentality aside if you are to achieve victory.'"

"Does this have to do with Master Hammet?" the Wind Adept asked him, and urgent need to know in his voice.

"This has to do with more than one, and understanding shall only be granted when the time is right." Ivan nodded glumly in acceptance.

"And you, healer of the north, the last message is for you." Mia looked at him eagerly. "Though you are loyal and honourable to your clan, and hold bitterness in your heart to the one who betrayed it, you must in time be willing to do the same, and cast aside that which you held to be true if you are to save all. Forgive your traitor, for you shall one day be like him, and make the same choice he did. Forgive him, for what he did is not truly evil; but beware of him, for his treachery runs deeper than you know."

"You talking about Alex aren't you?" her blue eyes were filled with interest.

"The one who was with the group you follow? Yes."

"What else can you tell me?" she begged. "Please, I must know!"

"I can say no more, for I know no else." Mia sighed in disappointment, and looked to the floor despondently. What he had told them was confusing, and seemed darkly foreboding.

"Do not worry, young Isaac." Nyunpa said in a soft, grandfatherly voice. "Your path before you now is clear. Do not walk of it, and work to fulfil the quest you were given."

"But… what about that stuff you said?"

"What the time comes, you shall know it, and understand then. Until then, do not question your destiny." Isaac nodded in false understanding.

"Okay, I can do that."

"Your journey shall take you through the evil forest to the south, and though your enemies shall pass unaided, you shall surely fail if the item that has long waited for you is not within your hands." Isaac looked up at him curiously.

"That's right; you said you would show us how to pass. How?"

"Wait but a moment." Master Nyunpa stood up from his pillow, his old body surprisingly not at all stiff, and gracefully strode to the desk at the back of the room. There, he picked up a small, artistically carved wooden box and brought it back, holding it out to Isaac as he sat down again. Isaac carefully took the box he was offered. It was not heavy, but he could feel the power of the object inside. Its aura reminded him slightly of his mother's Catch Beads, which hung about his neck, under his yellow scarf.

"What is it?" he asked without opening the box.

"Come on, Isaac, just open it!" Garet urged, and Ivan and Mia both shushed him.

"It is yours." Nyunpa answered simply. "Your key through the forest. Take it, and I shall teach you how to use it." Isaac slowly opened the box. Inside, resting on a soft cloth that looked quite new, was a smooth, perfectly spherical orb; a red so dark as to be almost black.

"It is what you would call a 'Psynergy Item'." Nyunpa explained. "Channel your Psynergy through it, and it shall release a great force."

Isaac looked up at the old monk. "You mean I use it in the same way as the Catch Beads?"

Nyunpa nodded. "Try it."

"Yeah, come on Isaac, I want to see how it works!" Garet said, sounding just like a small boy.

"Okay." The Earth Adept stood up, and looked to the door that they'd come through. Holding the mysterious orb before him, he focused his Psynergy, passing it through the orb. It began to glow, then and invisible force leapt out of it, and flew through the air with great speed, slamming the doors open with such great force, that they seemed to nearly tear of their hinges.

"Wow! That's going to be fun to use!" Garet said in a tone of deep admiration. "Let me try next!"

"Maybe later." Isaac answered, not looking at the Fire Adept. Outside, the monk who had been sitting before the entrance got up with no evidence of shock or surprise, and calmly shut the doors again as though this was nothing unusual. Maybe for him it wasn't.

Isaac looked back to Master Nyunpa, who had now stood up and was smiling in deep satisfaction. "Excellent, Isaac! I am glad to see you master the secrets of Fuchin Temple! This is the power that we monks called Ki, although it can be summoned with Psynergy as well, in this case."

Ki? The power of Ki? An orb of… Ki?

"You seem confused, Isaac." Nyunpa noted.

"Well… yes, I am." Isaac turned the orb over in his hands, inspecting it carefully.

"You possess great wisdom for one so young, but I feel I must explain this." Nyunpa told him kindly. "This is called 'force' by the western world, but it is really a spiritual power. I have taught you, as I promised. Use this power to go through the forest."

"Go through the forest?" Isaac asked quizzically, looking up from the ball. He passed it on to Garet, who wanted to have a look at it. "How?"

"What would happen if you would let loose this energy in the forest?" the monk asked, then laughed. "You are curious, are you not?"

"Of course we are!" Garet called out from his inspection of the orb. "Hurry up and tell us."

"Garet! Show some respect!" Mia scolded. Nyunpa seemed to ignore this, however and went on.

"Monsters that wait in hiding would show themselves. They hide in the trees, and can be flushed out with this power. And what would you do when they revealed themselves? Would you not try to defeat them?"

"Of course we would!" Garet exclaimed, provoking a sigh from the old man.

"Sometimes, you must let go of your belief that fighting solves problems…"

"I don't really want to fight anything unless I have to." Isaac told him. Warrior he may have become on this quest, it wasn't something that he had desired in life.

"That is very wise of you." Nyunpa said in a pleased tone. "There is no good in wanton destruction. The monsters in this forest are cowardly. When they are forced to reveal themselves, they will run once away, seeking escape. As they are creatures of the woods… so they do not get lost there."

"Oh, I get it!" Ivan realized. "We just follow these monsters to get through the forest quickly without getting lost!"

Nyunpa nodded. "Use this energy to find the monsters, then follow them. They will unintentionally show you the way out. That is the way of your path that has been laid out before you by fate."

"Thank you for giving us this gift." Mia told him politely.

"Now that I have passed my knowledge of Ki along… I am without worries." Nyunpa replied, sitting down once more to meditate. "Farewell, Isaac. Take care of yourself…"

"What are you going to do, now?" Isaac asked.

"I shall meditate, and fast. As I seek enlightenment, I shall pray for your journey, and also that of another. Go now, continue your quest and fulfil your destiny. Remember what I have told you."

"Thank you." Isaac replied. "We will." They said their farewells, and parted.

X

The next day, after leaving Fuchin Temple, Isaac and the others were walking south, towards the forest. Isaac found himself deep in thought, contemplating what Nyunpa had told him, the message from Master Fuchin given a thousand years ago for him to hear. He tried to puzzle it out, to understand it and grasp its meaning.

But he couldn't. No matter how he looked at it, he just didn't understand how it could make sense. How did he know? Was this whole quest really predestined? But what did this thousand year old message mean for him?

He recalled how the Wise One once said that he may yet be a reincarnation of a previous hero, and Tret had mused that he seemed like one. Was he really a hero reborn? Reincarnated to save the world once more from Alchemy? It was certainly a matter for some deep thought, and he was not normally one to think on such things.

"Hey, Isaac, why are you so quiet?" Garet asked from beside him, shattering his thoughts. Garet, it seemed, was not at all concerned about what he had been told. At least, not for now, Isaac thought.

"Oh, nothing." He replied casually, kicking at a stone that had the misfortune to be lying in his path. "Just thinking."

A/N: So there we have it. All done. Did'ja like it? Yay? Nay? If I may take a moment to speak, I would just like to say WHY I changed things as I did. You see, writing all that waterfall grotto stuff just didn't come out as very interesting. When I read it, I thought BORING! So I deleted, edited and rewrote to bring you this. Mayhap, you'll like that change, and think it appropriate. Mayhap, you'll think it would have been better the games way. Or maybe, like me, you'll just think that it was something different, and appreciate it for that. 'course, I won't know if you don't tell me, and one way you can tell me, the same way you can direct all questions, critiques suggestions and praise, is… well, you all know, don't ya? Little button's down there, I look forward to hearing form each and every one of you.