Linkmaster27: Hey everyone! Sorry for the long update, I'm sure you guys can relate… school is a lot of work, along with life itself. But, here's a new chapter! Hope you enjoy, and thanks for reviewing, make sure to review this one!

Chapter 4: An Unexpected Visitor

Where we last left our heroes…"Alright, everyone. Well, I think we need to figure out what's going on with these dragons- we defeated Mithos, where are they coming from?" Sheena questioned as she brought up the subject.

"I don't know," Lloyd shook his head in wonder.

Suddenly, a Mizuho villager burst in the tent.

"Honourable Chief! There is someone who wishes to speak with you!"

Everyone looked as a figure came into the door.

"Oh My God – It's-"

"KUCHINAWA?" yelled Sheena in disbelief.

Kuchinawa sighed.

"Yes, Sheena, it's me. Can we talk? Alone?" he asked.

Sheena nodded, and the rest of the team took the hint; they went out of the makeshift shelter and eventually dispersed among the remains of the village.

Lloyd began to walk around the village somewhat mindlessly, trying to take in the destruction that had fallen upon the village. He felt somewhat a sting of guilt; he felt that it was his responsibility to protect the village, especially since it meant so much to Sheena…

He sighed and continued walking, until he bumped into armour:

"OOF!" Lloyd exhumed: part of the wind was knocked out of him.

"Are you all right?" asked the all-too familiar voice of his father, Kratos, who had turned around and walked over to his son.

Lloyd sat up, but remained on the ground. He took a look at his father. Kratos still had the same red hair, the same strong body, and most noticeably, the same fatherly look that Lloyd always noticed in his eyes.

"Yeah, I'm alright," he reassured, "thanks… Dad." Lloyd finished after contemplating the last of words.

Kratos, through his tough exterior, seemed to melt somewhat, taken aback. However, he regained his composure and helped his son up.

Both father and son walked to a hill overlooking the lake, in an awkward silence, one that suppressed hidden emotion and feeling.

After a while, Lloyd broke the silence.

"When… did you come back?"

Kratos gazed at the ground, searching for some sort of push to force him to speak.

"I… came back recently." He managed to say.

Though Lloyd was happy to see his father, he also knew that he could not help himself from asking the question that remained prevalent in his mind: Why? Why did his father come back? Didn't he have to fulfill his "responsibilities" as a member of Cruxis?

"You're probably wondering why I'm here." Kratos stated, trying to remain nonchalant.

Kratos, always the mind reader, Lloyd remarked consciously.

Kratos didn't wait for a reply. Instead, he continued:

"Well…" he began.

Lloyd listened carefully.

"…"

The young swordsman began to sweat in anticipation.

"…I'll tell you that later, I suppose." Kratos mumbled.

Lloyd felt like yelling at that moment, but he remained silent, and was about to start talking again until Kratos changed the subject.

"You've grown into a fine swordsman." Kratos remarked.

Lloyd didn't exactly know how to react. The same Kratos, who used to criticize, teach and guide him, who, is actually his father, has completely, unexpectedly returned, and gives him a compliment on something the two have been bickering about for the longest time.

"...thanks." Lloyd blurted out. He felt like jumping for joy but wanted to understand the mystery behind his father's return at the same time; both emotions seemed to cancel each other out, leaving Lloyd's face practically blank.

"How did you know that, though?" he asked curiously, "You haven't seen me fight… in, well…" he struggled to use the words since you came back. "…Since a long time."

"Experience." Kratos stated matter-of-factly. "You can just tell."

Lloyd acknowledged this with a nod, replying "well… thanks again."

"How are things?" asked Kratos.

"Well… things have been alright…"

Meanwhile, Sheena and Kuchinawa were having their own talk…

"You're serious?"

"Yes."

"Goddamnit! I don't believe this."

"You have to, and do something about it. Otherwise, we're all doomed."

"You don't mean to say…"

"Yes. I mean to say."

"Oh God."

Meanwhile…

Genis and Presea were walking along some of the unburned areas, where the grass remained green, the blades flapping greatly in the wind, almost encouraging and providing hope for the rest of the charred land. There remained one tree in the area that stood its ground, its branches producing beautiful leaves, swaying along with the grass.

Genis, now 14, began to develop features that were unlike his old self. He had grown taller, shoulders broader, and more muscular. In fact, Lloyd was teaching how to use swords, since Genis had become quite tired of his Kendama and its melee effectiveness. He also began to have the signs of facial hair poking out from his skin, and seemed to have a bit more of an attraction to girls. (Note though, that Raine made sure to keep him from turning into Zelos.)

Presea, now 14 as well, (disregarding the actual years) in body and personality, was undergoing the changes of adolescence: her hips had became broader, she had become taller, and generally started to "fill out" as defined by Zelos. Overall, she had become more feminine, but she had still maintained the unbelievable strength that she had in her younger days.

Over the two years, the two had grown to be strong friends, often spending time with each other, talking, contemplating life, and anything else.

Axe slung over her back, Presea walked with Genis, and was talking with him:

"God, when was the last time I used THIS?" she chuckled, wondering at her axe, the Gaia Cleaver, given to her by a friend of her father. She brandished it gently, her mouth forming into a soft smile, feeling her father's spirit in the mighty axe.

Genis laughed.

"Truth be told, I haven't seen you use THAT baby since we defeated Mithos, though, it came in handy when we had to make a campfire."

Both teenagers howled in laughter. Genis was swinging around his kendama, the One World, while they were talking, but now, it swung around with every "ha" that he laughed out. In fact, it swung around so much that it hit his shirt, now a different colour than the one he wore before, and smacked himself in the head.

"Ow!" he cried out.

This only caused Presea to laugh MORE.

"Oh, some compassion!" Genis mocked jokingly.

Meanwhile…

"GO!" Regal yelled, in training Colette, who had now become a student of his, learning martial arts.

Colette, still after two years, had retained much of her clumsiness; though, she progressed quite well, succeeding in many aspects of her training.

"Come on… roundhouse kick!" she yelled, as she snapped her leg to the side, in a round motion.

Colette had changed as well. She became a much stronger woman, both internally and externally. She still retained her feminine figure, in fact, her body had changed more to fit her femininity.

Regal remained somewhat the same, his muscles still strong and large, his stature still strong and confident, but he, for one, had a better haircut (courtesy of the women of the group), and, as the most notable difference, his hands were free of handcuffs. After defeating Mithos, he kept his promise to Alicia and freed his hands. In doing so, as well, he reaped the full benefits of training in both punches and kicks, cooking more efficiently, continuing on into an endless list of renewed possibility.

"Not bad," Regal encouraged, "you just need to work on your power and form, like this." Regal then demonstrated his kick with a considerable amount of power.

"Regal… am I ever going to get this?" asked a somewhat frustrated and exhausted Colette.

"Of course," he smiled encouragingly, "you're doing better than me when I was your age."

Colette's eye twinkled. With newfound strength, she continued to practice her kick.

Colette's life remained very enjoyable, spending time with her friends, taking lessons with Regal, keeping up in Raine's class, talking with her father, along with the many other things she was able to appreciate in life. She remained very close friends with Lloyd, and she also had a great relationship with everyone in the group.

Meanwhile…

Zelos Wilder walked around aimlessly, surveying the damage and thinking of a plan to get the structural aspect of the village back on its feet.

"Hmm… with a few men here… we could erect this pillar back in no time…" his mumbling continued on like this for quite some time.

Zelos, over the course of two years, had also changed. His personality was different; he became less woman-hungry over time, and mainly, his days consisted of spending time with the group, having good laughs, and living the life. Of course, he hadn't completely changed his ways. At least, though, the amount of red hand-imprints on his face had reduced somewhat.

He then saw Sheena coming out of the tent, somewhat stunned.

"Sheena?" he asked, approaching the female chief. "Everything ok?"

Sheena's face was a cross between annoyance and frustration.

"We need to get everyone together. There's new trouble to face."

Zelos nodded, and started to run to quickly approach the others.

Kuchinawa then came out of the tent.

"Kuchinawa…" Sheena started, "thanks."

"No problem…" he drifted. "I told you I would come back… but I don't intend on duelling you."

"Thanks." Said Sheena, taking it as a compliment, "besides, I've got bigger problems to deal with… and he's one of them…"

What's going on?!?! To be continued Chapter 4! Hope you liked it, and thanks for reading! Please Review!

-Linkmaster27