Wow, an update just over a month from my last one? It must be summer!

Thank you for all the new reviews, and a special thanks to Batsutousai for providing me with a full script of the non-human side of the game. If I need to reference any of the events of the past/future, that'll make my life a hell of a lot easier.

And, of course, thanks for all of the reviews of the newest chapter. I apologize for all of the grammatical and or spelling errors. I promise to reread my drafts before I post them from now on.

Anyways, hope you enjoy the new chapter. As always, I don't own the game or the characters.

"And then I woke up back here," Jack finished, giving a sigh of relief. He hadn't been able to tell anyone the full story yet; about the dragons, that bizarre dungeon where time and space were warped, about the Ethereal Queen and that weirdo Gabriel Celeste. The chief had listened calmly, not questioning anything, but when he went to look back at her, she had a distant look in her eyes.

"Alright, Jack. Before we begin, I think I need to tell you a story myself. About a time when I was much younger, though not quite as young as you," she said, giving a weak smile. "The place you spoke of…I went there, with several of my comrades. Into the Dragon's Lair." Jack gawked at her.

"You knew that place existed? And you went there?" he asked, amazed. "Why didn't you tell anyone about it?"

"Jack, that place is a trial ground for only the strongest warriors. Even if I had told someone, to find it, you need to have proved yourself. We were like you…we were strong. But we overestimated our strength. Apparently, we only scratched the surface of that dark place…I never got the chance to fight this Queen, or Celeste. We made it to the Corridor of Distortion before we were forced to turn back."

Jack was surprised. He had always thought the chief was stronger than he was, even during the war. She had definitely handed him a beating on the bridge before going to find Parsec.

"What happened, chief?" He hesitated, not sure he wanted to ask the other question on his mind. "Does it have to do with that tomb you go to visit?" The chief turned her vision to him, eying him down, as If trying to gather how much he knew before nodding.

"We weren't as strong as you. We had casualties. Specifically, he was the leader of our group…and the man I loved," she said, starting to shake as she continued, though whether out of anger, fear, or sorrow, Jack couldn't tell. "We fought the dragons. We beat that freak, Radian…but when we got to the corridor…everything changed. People from our past started to come back, wanting to fight us, wanting to kill us. We were overwhelmed by the trail of dead we had left in our wake…and Alfred was slain." Taking a moment to collect herself, she eventually calmed, looking to Jack with a solid stare.

"Everyone else in that group put down their weapons, and has passed on. All except for me. I was left with the duty of leading Theater Vancoor, and carrying on his legacy through his sword, Avcoor. I thought that would be the end of my dealings with that place…but it seems that isn't going to be the case." Pausing for a moment, she asked the question that now plagued her mind. "Who did you see in the Corridor of Distortion?"

Jack was stunned by her tale. He knew that she had a bloody past, and that someone she cared about had died…but he couldn't even imagine the situation she had gone through. That dungeon had been a trial to him, a sign of strength. It was tough, but he knew there would be something to reward him at the end of it. He had never imagined it would be this, but he knew something was there. At her questioning, he reigned in his thoughts.

"I saw…my dad. Cairn Russell. It was…enjoyable. He was even more eccentric about fighting me than Gerald was," Jack said, smiling weakly. Elwen was stunned for only a moment before she realized why things had gone differently. Jack had indeed fought in a war, but he had only fought to protect. She, at one point, had fought to kill, to better herself through the blood of others. Jack was more innocent than that.

"Well then, Jack…where do you plan to go from here? I know you said you don't have a true plan, but I think you have a few things in mind, at least," she said, calmly.

"I'm going to go speak to Larks after I'm done here. I have a favor to ask of him…before I leave the knights. Think I can still get into Theater Vancoor?" he asked jokingly, only to be met by a calm, but calculating, stare. With a sigh, he opted to reveal more. "Fine, fine. I plan on hitting things from the start. The start of the whole chain of events leading to the war was the transpiritation ritual. The captain told me once that Cross was behind the whole thing, trying to set them loose on the City of Flowers. He was there at the end, too…a pawn of the silver dragon. If I can take him out, or at least that blood orc…Ridley won't get hurt. And that will possibly buy us a lot of time."

"Ridley…she was the one to become the vessel for the gold dragon, correct? And didn't you say the silver dragon is someone inside the castle? Wouldn't it be more convenient to take care of the dragon sooner rather than later?" The chief asked, already assessing how they could do such a feat.

"No. We have to leave him for last. Even if we destroyed him, there would still be a war. Believe me, that was my first thought too, Chief, but for now, we have to concentrate on stopping the entire process. One of the reasons I'm leaving the castle is because I don't want to risk being noticed by him. Parsec knew he was there…" He quieted, thinking of the dragon who had helped the elves before.

"You know more about the chain of events than I do. You were at the center of it. But speaking of Parsec…I believe we'll have much more to discuss this time around, when he comes into the city." Jack looked up, confused.

"What? I thought that he never showed up here," he questioned, to which he heard a rare laugh come from Elwen. She had heard the story of the 'old geezer' and his 'funny money'.

"No, he showed up. I just didn't want to let you know. It was dangerous, letting you hang around with the fire dragon. I remembered him from our fight, and he…well, he remembered me as well. Besides, he didn't say much. We mostly spat veiled insults at each other. You didn't miss much." Jack sighed and nodded his agreement. After a few moments of silence, he stood up.

"Alright, chief. I'm gonna head out. Like I said, I want to talk to Larks today. I'm not exactly sure what I'll say, but I know I need to talk to him. Thanks for listening…I'm sure you'll come up with a better plan than I ever could," Jack said, waving and quickly making his way through the door. Elwen gave a sigh of defeat, not even trying to stop the boy. Placing her helmet back on, she shook her head.

"Jack, you're going to be the one to save us. I can help, but honestly, you've got more at stake here than I do. You're trying to protect everyone, and that'll drive you to do your absolute best. Just don't get killed in the process," she spoke to the empty room, words that she hoped would reach Jack somehow.

Having made his way back to the castle, Jack was working his way up the stairs to the fourth floor. "Jeez, Sometimes I really wish I had access to the elevator," he mumbled to himself, climbing up the final set of stairs. As he walked towards the hallway leading to Larks, the door opened to reveal someone he had hoped to avoid for as long as possible. Immediately he gritted his teeth.

"Cross…" he said quietly through clenched teeth, and the man seemed to hear him, giving him an underwhelmed look.

"Ah, what have we here? The newest recruit. Why is someone of your irk up here? You aren't even in uniform…surely you didn't expect to speak to anyone? They don't have time for you," Cross stated, closing the distance between the two. It took all of Jack's will to control his rage at seeing this man. He tried to tell himself not to give the man the satisfaction of seeing his anger, that he technically hadn't done any wrong yet, but his hands quickly closed to fists.

"Forgive me, Sir Cross. But I do intend to go and speak with Lord Larks, if he is willing," Jack said, trying to stay the anger in his voice. His voice hadn't waivered, but apparently Cross had other thoughts.

"Again, I'm telling you as your superior, Lord Larks is a very busy man. He does not have time to speak with you. Come back when you've raised your rank and proved yourself on the battlefield, and perhaps he will be willing to hear what you have to say." The knight was pompous in his words and actions. Again, Jack's anger was being tested, and he wouldn't be able to control himself much longer.

"With all due respect, sir, I would like to hear that from the Lord himself. Captain Ganz is my direct superior, if you have a problem, take it up with him," he stated a bit harshly, causing the captain of the Noire Mouton brigade to feel the need to reprimand this boy.

"Boy, apparently you do not understand the chain of command-"

"Sir Cross, if you would, I believe that Lord Larks is perfectly capable of speaking with Jack for a time, if he so chooses," a strong voice stated, stepping up the stairs to reveal the form of someone above Cross himself. Both men stood at attention as he approached.

"Thank you, General Dynas!" Jack said, his anger dissolving slightly. This was a man he had admired, one who held strong beliefs and would surely be on his side in whatever happened. At least, that was what Jack hoped for. Though he had stopped him from killing Cross once before, when he learned of his evils, he would hopefully aid him rather than stop him. Cross, however, was far from pleased with this.

"General Dynas, do you intend to hold this knight higher than any other recruits? Because of his father?" The man asked, his anger and arrogance starting to show to the general. "You know we don't let knights ride on the coat tails of their parents. Any normal knight would be declined an audience without an appointment, why should Jack get to go at his convenience?"

The General found himself snagged, at this point. Cross was right; he may have been stricter with someone if it wasn't Jack. He had seen the boy fight in the trials, and had read Ganz's report. The boy was more skilled than any recruit he had seen come through. He had a bright future, despite his problem with authority.

"Indeed, you bring up a good point, Cross. Jack, you must learn to respect the authority of those higher than you," the general stated, upholding his stature. "That being pointed out, I realized I am showing some favoritism towards you. Still, if you would like me to relay a message to Lord Larks, I would be happy to do so."

Jack looked between the two and shook his head. This wasn't something that he could pass along in a short message.

"If I may not speak with him at this time, then I will wait until the appropriate time arises. Thank you for your generosity, General Dynas," Jack stated, looking once more at Cross, doing his best not to glare, before returning to the stair case. It was time to blow some more steam. Time to do some more training. Time to do something, to go somewhere, anywhere but here. After Jack had taken his leave, the general turned his gaze to Cross.

"But by your logic, you are also in the wrong, Cross. I outrank you, and you directly questioned me as well. Next time, think about your actions before you take them. After all, you shouldn't be threatened by such a fledgling," the general said, the captain visibly flinching at the general's words. He stood still until the general had left him, before letting his full frustration show. "Curse that man…" Cross stated calmly, taking his leave as well. He couldn't let this stop him. His glory would be coming soon, once he had sieged the City of Flowers.

And from behind the doorway, a familiar dark haired man smiled. Things were falling into place, as far as he was concerned. He could use Cross' arrogance…though the general would need to go. Indeed, he even felt a small sign of a threat from the young man as well. That was much easier to take care of, however. He merely had to keep the man from advancing. Having no reason to delay, Lucian moved to return to the side of Lord Jasne.

Jack had gotten out of the castle as quickly as he could. Though it was getting late, he needed to go somewhere and fume. He took to walking the streets of Radiata as he would do in the past. Or perhaps the future.

Gah, all of this time travel crap is frying my brain! He thought, kicking the nearest stone into a trashcan. He heard a cat hiss and run off, but he didn't care. This wasn't the time for protecting a stray, it was a time for him to blow some steam.

"You've got a lot of nerve," Jack heard a voice say, making him jump. Fully taking in his surroundings again, he realized he'd walked straight into the Void Community, and the voice had come from behind him. Jack's fighting instincts rushed back to him, and he jumped back, drawing his sword. The girl in white merely smirked lightly, watching him with slight interest. "That's a bit better. You should be more prepared if you're going to walk around the Void Community at night. I should know, after all."

Jack took a moment to examine who was actually taunting him. She was a girl around his age, or at least his physical age, dressed in a way that meant she was one of the stealthier members. Maybe she was a thief? He resisted the urge to check his pockets to make sure he had everything. But as he looked at her eyes, any impressions he had gotten about her physical features vanished. Though she was grinning, there was some overwhelming sorrow hidden behind those eyes…er…eye. Since her bangs hung over one side of her face, he could only see one eye watching him, though he supposed that was enough. Giving a sigh, he let his quick conclusion rest. It wasn't his place to say anything.

"Yeah, I didn't intend to come here…I just needed to get away for a while. Just got distracted with my thoughts, I guess. Thanks for bringing me back, girlie," Jack said, lowering his smile and giving a light grin. "Might I know the name of my savior?"

Lily stared back at the boy a bit less amused. She had thought she would be able to toy with him some, but it appeared that he regained his composure pretty quickly. Was he underestimating her as a threat? She wasn't sure, but if he was, he was going to regret it.

"Actually, I wasn't helping you. I just like my prey to know there's someone after them before I strike," she said, drawing her twin blades. "Besides, I'm way out of your league. You look like you grew up on a farm or something," she added, smirking as she saw his frustrated reaction. "I'm going to have to teach you a lesson for stepping where you don't belong, farm boy."

Jack gritted his teeth and brought his sword back to the ready. "I am not going to be known as farm boy!" he said, disliking the nickname enough when Ridley said it. "You want to fight? Fine. How about we make a bargain? If I win, you never call me that again. If you win…well, I think you'll have enough satisfaction, but what are your terms?" After thinking for a moment, Lily grinned lightly.

"I think I've come with something…if I win, you join void. When you're paying attention, you seem to be quick on your feet. You could probably be useful, if for nothing else than a meat shield," she said. Jack merely smirked at this, which caused her to frown. "You're underestimating me…aren't you?" she said, closing the distance between the two quickly, bring her sword down towards his head. Jack's blade caught hers, only having to use one arm.

"No, not really. I was expecting a little more out of you, to tell the truth," Jack said, twisting his blade before sending the first of hers flying out of the small alleyway. He'd have to be reasonable with this fight. There wasn't much room to swing from the side, so it would have to come from above, below, or the middle.

Lily jumped back, stunned. She didn't expect a maneuver like that from this guy, let alone being disarmed. She thought about going out for her sword, but that would take away her advantage of having a narrow area to fight in.

"What's wrong? Thinking too much on the battlefield can get you in trouble, you know," Jack said, running towards her. When she went to block the attack, Jack jumped up and kicked off the wall, landing behind her. Before he could move to strike, he had to block an incoming attack. Whistling, Jack grinned. "Wow, you do have quick reflexes," he said, pushing the girl back into the alleyway. Her eyes were livid, and he could tell she was getting frustrated. All he needed was for her to let her guard down and…

"Hey, what's going on?"

"Lily, you alright?"

"Damn!" Both Jack and Lily swore as footsteps were heard coming from behind Lily.

"Well, I'm not looking forward to fighting half of Void, so goodbye for now, Lily," he emphasized, laughing lightly as he took his leave, flicking his feather earing and running quickly towards Void's exit. "Let's do this again sometime!" he called back just before running out of sight.

Lily thought about going after him, but realized now wasn't the time. She was slipping if a random stranger was beating him. She's use Void's resources to find out who he was, and take him out from the shadows. It'd only be a matter of time. As the members of Void showed up to ask what was wrong, she shook her head and retrieved her lost sword, mumbling to herself that she'd get him next time.

By the time Jack got back to the castle, he was out of breath. He had run all the way, and was now laughing at the entire situation. Resting against his hands and knees, he grinned into the night.

"Lily, the girl in white…man, she's a looker," he told himself, laughing a little as he made his way to the castle gates. It was time to get some sleep. He'd be going on his next mission the day after tomorrow; it was time to rest up.