I HAVE RETURNED!

I CAN FINALLY START UPDATING THIS THING AGAIN!

AND MAYBE I CAN GET TO THE INTERESTING BITS AT A REASONABLE PACE!

...MY CAPS LOCK IS STUCK!

Important (Serious) Note: I'll be skimming over the Journey of Regeneration, mostly because nothing really changes, and I don't think it's necessary to go over things that most of you probably know by heart. Later I will do equivalent scenes for the stuff I skip over (e.g. the ranches) so nothing important is actually getting the boot.

Chapter VI: The Letter

The written word is sacred,

For it can speak long after

Its maker has gone.

-The Scriptures of Martel

Lloyd was sitting by the window, looking out at the snowy forest. The branches were heavy with their burdens of snow, which shined in the sun. Noishe was sitting by his chair, his head on the boy's lap, waiting to be scratched. He was disappointed; Lloyd's attention was given only to the world outside the window. He had already been waiting a long time.

"Lloyd."

He turned and saw Dirk walk up to him. There was a plain white envelope in his hand.

"I'm not sure your old man is coming back this time, lad," Dirk said, a bit of pity seeping into his tone of voice.

Lloyd shook his head in denial; he didn't want to believe those words, and he didn't want the pity. That would mean accepting that Dad was… "But he always comes back!"

"You're fourteen now," Dirk said firmly. "You should know by now that sometimes, bad things happen."

He held out the envelope to Lloyd, his eyes sad.

"A long time ago, ya dad gave this to me to give to ya in case he didn't return when he said he would," Dirk explained gently. "I don't think there's any good news inside, but he wanted to ya have it."

Lloyd looked at the envelope, and then reached out and tentatively took it from his adoptive uncle, as if afraid that it would suddenly explode.

"I'm sorry," Dirk apologized, before turning to leave Lloyd. He went down into his workshop, leaving Lloyd alone with Noishe, and the envelope.

After a long, heavy silence, Lloyd, very gingerly, and very slowly, opened the envelope, as if afraid that he would damage whatever was inside. There was only a single sheet of paper inside, with a short message written in black ink, in what Lloyd recognized as his dad's handwriting.

Lloyd read the note. Then he read it again, thinking he misread it the first time. Then he read it again, as if in some wild, mad hope that his world wasn't falling apart.

He cried himself to sleep that night.

- ∞ -

"...I am here. What is it you wish of me?"

"Tell me, you have been watching the Chosen of Regeneration, correct?"

"Yes."

"Where is she now?"

"They are leaving the Triet Desert by a route called Ossa Trail. They have released the first seal, the fire seal, and are traveling to the second seal, the water seal, now."

"I see..."

"Is there something else you need?"

"Only to ask for your opinion; do you think the Chosen's journey should be stopped? That she and her companions should be saved from death?"

"I do not... care. It is unimportant."

"..."

"...Master?"

"That is all I needed. You may leave."

"As you wish."

- ∞ -

Izoold was a pleasant, small town, though the smell of salt and fish permeated everything. It had not been hard to find a boat and a captain that would take then to Palmacosta. The voyage itself, however, was long and trying.

The Professor spent the entire trip clinging to the mast, Colette nearly fell overboard more times than Yuan cared to recall, and Lloyd and Genis were just generally getting overexcited about everything. In the midst of it all, was Yuan and the ship's captain, a man named Max, shared a discontented silence that spoke, without words, "Why am I here with these people?"

Unbeknownst to the others onboard the ship, there were two stowaways hiding below deck.

"Sheena, can you move your arm? There isn't enough room for me here."

"Sorry Corrine." Sheena shifted her body so her small companion had more room. Hiding in the storage area had seemed like a good idea when they had sneaked onto the boat at least. She wasn't so sure about that now.

"...Why do we have to hide away like this?" Corrine asked, wrinkling his nose at the pungent smell of fish. "Why couldn't we take care of the Chosen last night?"

"What?" Sheena's jaw dropped in disbelief. "With Yuan sitting there? He would've killed us!"

Corrine sighed, causing the bell around his neck to jingle. "...Good point..."

There was a pause.

"...Corrine, do you think this is the right thing to do?" Sheena asked, old doubts welling up inside her. "The Chosen is only, fourteen or fifteen years old, right?"

Corrine thought about this. "I think Yuan said she was sixteen."

Sheena blinked as she turned this new piece of information in her mind. "Really? She doesn't look or act sixteen."

The little animal scratched the floor with a small paw. "I know..."

"That just makes it harder. You know, when she acts so innocent."

"Maybe there's another way," Corrine suggested quietly.

"The original plan was the other way!" Sheena shouted. She mentally kicked herself, and there was a tense silence, waiting with strained ears. The pair relaxed after five minutes, when it became clear no one had heard her outburst.

Sheena continued, but in a whisper. "The original plan was the other way. That was why Yuan brought me into the Renegades, remember? He needed a summoner. Now that he's decided that I'm not good enough..." Sheena trailed off, and remained quiet.

Corrine placed a comforting paw on the woman's shoulder. "You just need to believe in yourself Sheena!" he said with unwavering confidence and trust. "You can make the pacts, I know you can, you just have to learn you can!"

Sheena smiled to herself.

"...Thanks Corrine."

- ∞ -

The ship docked without any particular fuss, unless one includes Raine half jumping, half falling off the deck and onto the dock. After she was pried off the wooden planks, they proceeded into the city.

They paid for rooms at the inn in Palmacosta. It was a very nice inn, with more luxuries than they had when they were only camping. Luxuries like real beds and even hot water.

An hour before sunset, Yuan was outside, standing on the bridge only a few yards away from the inn's entrance. He leaned on the wall, his arms resting on the stones, his eyes fixed on his own reflection as if searching for something there.

Then he heard a small, nervous voice from behind him. "Um... Yuan?"

Yuan turned around and looked down in surprise at Genis, who was shuffling his feet anxiously. Yuan raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"Can you... use magic?" the young half-elf asked hesitantly. He was fiddling slightly with the bottom of his shirt.

"Some," Yuan replied curiously. "I specialize in Volt-type magic. Is there a reason you asked?"

Genis shuffled his feet, and mumbled shyly. "Um... can you... teach me?"

Yuan was surprised; of all the things he had expected to encounter on this journey, this was not one of them. "It seems to me you already have a grasp of the basics."

"B-but I just learned from books!" Genis blurted out, his words suddenly coming out in a torrent. "And I'm not always sure I'm doing it right, and it would be different having a chance to actually learn from someone who really knows how to use magic – "

The older half-elf looked down at nervous little Genis. He was so earnest; he honestly wanted to learn how to use magic. Yuan sighed. "All right, if you wish to train, then I'll train you. But if I hear one complaint, then it's over, understand?"

Genis was ecstatic. "Yes! I understand!"

"Right," Yuan said. "We should move to a better location."

As he said this, Yuan tried to dismiss a mental image of an entire forest burning to the ground.

Raine saw Genis approach Yuan through a window on the second floor of the inn. There was a brief exchange, though she did not know what either said. Her heart leaped into her throat when she saw Yuan leave with Genis following close behind. What was her brother thinking, leaving with a man they hardly knew and had no reason to trust?

Her feet flew under her as she raced down the inn's stairway, attracting stares but she ignored them. Her mind was on her brother's safety.

She ran outside and bolted down the road they had left down. She didn't slow down until she saw the two male half-elves.

"Genis!" Raine called out. "Where are you going?"

Genis looked over his shoulder and distantly saw his sister's worried expression. He stopped walking, Yuan following suit. He wasn't surprised Raine had followed them; she had struck him as being very protective of her brother. Deciding to humor her, he turned to face her as she approached.

"He asked if I could train him in magic use," Yuan said, crossing his arms. "We are merely going to a more appropriate place."

"I'm coming as well," Raine said protectively, coming to a stop in front of them. It was then she realized that she was still clutching the book she'd been reading earlier. "Just to observe."

Yuan made a gesture that could have indicated he didn't care much if she came or not. "Suit yourself."

Genis looked nervously from Raine to Yuan and back, almost expecting them to suddenly have a loud argument.

Instead, Raine took a few steps forward to silently say that she was coming and nothing Yuan said or did would stop her. Yuan shrugged, and began to walk away again. Genis mumbled something under his breath before following the older half-elf. Raine stared after them for a moment, her face blank, before following herself.

Genis and Raine followed Yuan who seemed to know where he was going. He took them to a sparsely forested area right outside Palmacosta. He quickly found a little clearing that seemed to satisfy whatever conditions he had.

Raine seated herself at the edge of the clearing, her book in her lap, though she had no intention of reading it. Her attention was for Genis and Yuan.

Yuan nodded at Genis. "Show me what you know so far."

Genis, nervous under Yuan's scrutiny, cast the simplest spell he knew. Five minutes later, after Yuan had stomped out the small fire, he sighed, exasperated already.

"Try that again," Yuan instructed. "This time, don't aim at anything flammable."

Raine watched the rest of the training session with a mix of emotions. Yuan was surprisingly patient with Genis. The older half-elf didn't coddle her brother, but neither was he cruel. He didn't raise his voice, but didn't sugarcoat his criticisms. Genis was frustrated and angry with Yuan, and by the end he was on the verge of tears. Yuan noticed this, and sighed.

"I know it isn't easy," he said, in what he hoped was a reassuring tone. "It will take time. Be patient."

Genis nodded wordlessly, only half-listening.

Realizing that he wasn't helping, Yuan added, "It's time to go back to the city."

Genis didn't move.

Yuan gave up. He never was any good at this sort of thing. He repeated that it was time they returned to Palmacosta, before leaving without checking to see if the Sage siblings were coming as well.

Genis didn't move for a moment, instead he tried to compose himself. Raine plainly saw how upset he was, and glanced in the direction Yuan had left in. Then she stood up and knelt by her brother, and placed a comforting hand on the younger half-elf's shoulder.

"You don't have to train with him if you don't want to," said Raine gently.

"No! I want to train!" Genis said suddenly. "I think I really did learn a lot from Yuan! I think I can get better if I train more!"

Raine said nothing.

- ∞ -

That night was uneventful. Nothing important happened. At least, nothing that anyone else would have thought was important.

Colette had prayed before bed, every night, for as long as she could remember. It was a habit. It was expected of her. She was the Chosen after all, the savior of the world.

...But she wasn't anymore, was she? The things she had believed in all her life, the things she had lived for were all lies. Even the angel transformation was a lie. She still prayed, even though Yuan had told her the Goddess was only a fabrication. She didn't know what to think, what to believe anymore.

Her faith had felt so real before. She had really thought she felt the Goddess Martel with her whenever she prayed, felt Her presence in Her churches and temples. Was it really all a lie, just a dream, only a thought inside her head?

The world suddenly seemed very big, and very empty.

- ∞ -

Day came, and with it Lloyd and his companions left Palmacosta and traveled north along the shoreline.

"The next seal is at Thoda geyser." Yuan had explained. "North of Palmacosta just off the east coast."

After again reassuring them he was certain his knowledge was accurate, Lloyd and the others followed Yuan, who seemed to know where he was going.

Yuan and Genis began to train together more consistently as their journey continued. Yuan's expertise lay with lightning magic, so it was this Genis mostly learned from the older-half elf. Yuan also tried to explain what he knew about other kinds of magic, though this was less successful. As a result, Genis also began to favor Volt-type magic. As his skills improved so did his confidence. Raine watched wordlessly as her little brother's abilities grew under Yuan's tutelage.

Raine had tried before to teach Genis magic, but her expertise lay with the healing arts, which Genis just didn't seem to have the knack for. She always watched Yuan teach Genis, sitting silently on the sidelines. She felt strangely helpless, watching them. Perhaps these were selfish emotions; Raine was the only other half-elf Genis had ever known until now. Perhaps...

Three days after leaving Palmacosta, Colette and Lloyd had asked Genis is it was all right for them to watch one of these training sessions. Genis had agreed, so he could show off his knew skills. Yuan seemed to sense this, because he challenged Genis more as his friends watched. Soon it became routine for Colette and Lloyd to join Raine in watching the two males train in magic together.

After a particularly difficult session Lloyd and Colette applauded Genis, who seemed a little frustrated. This cheered him up immensely.

"You're getting really good!" said Colette encouragingly, earning a small smile from the boy.

"I'm actually surprised he agreed to teach you!" Lloyd admitted. "But wow, that thunder blade spell is really cool! You just summon that sword and it crashes down and BAM!"

"I think it's sweet of Yuan to teach you!" Colette chirped.

Genis blushed. He was grateful that Yuan was now too far away to hear them.

Lloyd paused; a strange thought had just struck him. "Do you think..." Lloyd hesitated, knowing what he was about to say sounded absurd. "Do you think…Yuan ever had kids?"

Genis was surprised. This was a weird thought. "What makes you think that?"

Lloyd shrugged, "You know, he's been kinda almost nice to you since you started training with him," Lloyd pointed out. "You know, he doesn't act like you're a complete waste of time. It just got me thinking. Maybe you remind him of somebody."

Genis hadn't considered this possibility. Yuan didn't seem like the type to have kids. At least, he couldn't imagine the man changing diapers.

- ∞ -

Arriving at the Thoda dock, they discovered the only way to reach Thoda Geyser, and thus the next seal, was by crossing the channel in the boats provided. After paying for the boats, the group headed out onto the dock, and was met with a strange sight.

The small group stared at the four... vessels floating in the water by the dock.

Lloyd blinked, breaking the silence first. "They're... washtubs?"

Genis peered down into the nearest craft, which bobbed quietly in the slightly choppy water. "Yup, it's a washtub."

Yuan stared blankly at the nearest washtub, unsure of what kind of mind would think it a good idea to cross the channel between the mainland and Thoda in something as precarious as a washtub.

"Wow, this looks like it'll be fun!" chirped Colette.

"Uh..."

Everyone turned to look at Raine, who was giving the washtubs a look of panic. "I think I'll just stay here."

"What's wrong, Professor Sage?" Lloyd asked, surprised at Raine's behavior.

"It's nothing," denied Raine. "I'm just not getting in those things!"

"C'mon Raine," Genis coaxed, gently taking his sister's arm and tugging.

"AHHH!"

There was a stunned silence, as everyone stared in amazement at Raine.

Lloyd blinked. "'Ahhh'?"

Raine quickly recovered something resembling dignity.

"Professor..." Lloyd started hesitantly, "Are you, afraid of water or something?"

"No," denied the teacher flatly. "I was just about to say 'Ahhh, this should be fun'!"

With an apparent lack of any fear, or perhaps any desire to be thought a coward in front of her students, she marched up to the nearest washtub, and, slowly, lowered herself inside. She stood there, resolute, ready to sail at any time, all the while suppressing a terrible urge to flee.

"Uh..." Lloyd stared. "...Okay..."

Yuan just smirked.

- ∞ -

The water temple was inside the rocky cliff overlooking the Thoda geyser. After discovering and activating the oracle stone, a bridge of blue light formed, allowing them to enter a cave, leading into the temple proper.

When they found the warp pad leading into the inner chamber of the temple, Yuan turned to Colette. "Remove the Key Crest."

The Chosen blinked. "Huh?"

"You aren't supposed to have one," Yuan reminded her. "We don't want Remiel to realize something is wrong. Give it to me, you'll get it back after we leave the inner chamber." He held out his hand expectantly.

After a pause, Colette slowly removed the Key Crest from around her crystal, and handed it to Yuan, who snatched it.

In the inner chamber the air was humid and cold, making its occupants feel clammy and uncomfortable.

Raine, Genis, and Yuan all felt great mana welling up from the altar. Water erupted from the altar in a great spray, and then dissipated suddenly, revealing the water guardian hovering over the altar. It was a cross between a human and a fish, with shark mouths instead of hands.

Lloyd leaped at it, swords ready. The guardian's arm slammed into him, knocking all the breath from his lungs, before throwing him halfway across the chamber, skidding painfully on the stone floor. He heard Colette shout his name, before the guardian attacked her, too. Groaning in pain, Lloyd sat up as quickly as he could, to find the guardian was ignoring him, and was now attacking his friends again, hurling water spells and trying to bite them with its shark-hands. Lloyd staggered to his feet, charged the guardian again, only to be again flung away like a limp doll.

But this time the guardian did not simply ignore him. It rushed at him, shark-mouths wide. Colette ran to her friend, hurling her chakrams at the guardian, roaring at the weapons scratched at its hide. Soon Colette was standing at Lloyd's side, guarding him as he got to his feet.

"Thanks," whispered Lloyd, before the pair began attacking the guardian again.

Genis threw all of his effort into his magic. He knew from his studies that water-monsters were weak to Volt-type magic, and considered himself lucky that now his electricity spells had grown so powerful.

Calling forth his mana, a magic circle formed at his feet, pulsating violet.

"THUNDER BLADE!"

A sword made of purple lightning crashed down, stabbing the guardian. The guardian, now badly wounded, started to thrash wildly, lashing out at anything that came near.

Yuan made the killing blow, planting his sword in the guardian's back. As he jumped away, the water guardian fell with a screech. It writhed for a moment, like a fish caught on dry land; then it slowly grew still.

Then it's body dissolved, just like the fire guardian: its body was bathed in bright blue light, which broke into many smaller lights, which soon winked out. Yuan's sword clattered to the ground as the guardian vanished.

Colette approached the altar, and spoke her prayer, but with a hesitancy that had not been present at the fire seal. Then she unfolded her wings and floated a few feet into the air. Then, on cue, Remiel appeared above her, white wings flapping slowly.

"You have done well, Chosen," Remiel said. His normal warmth was gone; he seemed displeased now. "We of Cruxis bless this event and grant you the power of the angels."

"Thank you..." she said. When Remiel's mood did not seem to improve, she asked, "Have I done something wrong... Father?"

Remiel ignored her question. "The next seal lies in the north. Offer your prayers in that distant land."

And then he vanished.

Colette began to feel sick as soon as they left the seal chamber. It was worse than after the fire seal, and she wondered what was going to happen to her now. Nothing special, it turned out. As they left the temple, Yuan held out her old Key Crest, and instructed her to put it back on. Knowing that she could not refuse, she did so, and instantly felt well again. She smiled just a little too brightly, hoping that her friends were at least still having fun.

"The next seal is at the Balacruf mausoleum," Yuan said, as they emerged from the cave and stepped into the sunlight. "That is where the wind seal is located."

Raine's eyes immediately lit up. "The Balacruf mausoleum?!" she demanded, making Yuan take a step back. A few more steps couldn't hurt…"You mean the Balacruf mausoleum?"

"...I don't think there are many others," Yuan said, a little alarmed by Raine's behavior. Then he recalled this was what the children referred to as 'Ruin-Mode'. Immediately, he hoped that he would never see the emergence of this…crazed side of the normally logical woman ever again.

"Oh, this is so exciting!" the Professor said, her eyes glittered with a terrible glee. Then she rounded on her nearest student with a positively evil look on her face. Yuan found himself pitying her students. "Lloyd! State the historical significance of the Balacruf Mausoleum!"

Lloyd, looking like a small furry woodland animal suddenly confronted with a big drooling wolf, desperately tried to remember any part of Raine's history lectures. He came up blank, opting to simply go with an, "Uh..."

Raine, recognizing the look on her student's face, slapped him. This sudden show of violence seemed to surprise the onlooking Yuan, though he had seen such displays of violence before. Raine started to lecture about the significance of the Balacruf Mausoleum, how, five thousand years ago; it had housed the bodies of ancient sacrifices. How archeologists discovered some of the more gruesome details she described was beyond Lloyd's imagining.

- ∞ -

Night came and camp was set. Lloyd sat a little further away from his companions than he had other nights. There was something he wanted to do briefly, and he wanted to keep this to himself.

Lloyd reached inside a pocket, and after checking again that no one was looking in his direction, pulled out the little folded piece of paper he had taken with him before leaving Iselia. He gently unfolded it, as if afraid that if he weren't careful, it would crumble to dust.

It was a short letter, only a few sentences long, written in a very neat, elegant hand with black ink. Reading it brought back memories, good and bad.

There was no 'Dear Lloyd' at the top. There didn't need to be, and it probably would have sounded false if there had been.

Lloyd read the letter:

If you are reading this letter, then I am dead or will soon die.

I have enemies, and they have been searching for me for a long time. If I have not returned then I have been found, and when they find me, they will kill me.

I would never place you in any danger. I shall tell them nothing about you, so you can live your own peaceful life, free from fear.

I have not been a very good father. I was not always there for you when you needed me. My only hope is that you can one day forgive me for all I have failed to do.

Farewell.

It was sighed simply, 'Dad'.

Even though reading the letter reminded Lloyd of his loss, he couldn't bring himself to part with it; it was one of the last things his father had given him. He gently traced the cursive 'Dad' at the bottom of the letter with his index finger.

"Who's the letter from?"

Lloyd jerked in surprise, whipping around to see Yuan. Lloyd noticed that Yuan's usual smirk wasn't present.

"I was only curious," Yuan said seriously. He seemed to sense Lloyd wasn't entirely comfortable talking about the letter. He knew enough not to push it if the boy didn't want to talk.

"It's... from Dad," Lloyd mumbled, looking at his knees. "He gave it to Uncle Dirk, and told him to give it to me only if he doesn't come back when he said he would. But he always came back, every time. It didn't matter how long he was gone, if he said he was going to come back two weeks later, then two weeks later, he would be there, back home. When I was fourteen, which was when he didn't come back. I waited for a month, but I never heard from him, or saw him.

"Uncle Dirk gave me this, and told me that Dad gave it to him, years ago, to give to me, if he didn't come back," Lloyd continued. "In it he said that if I was reading this, then he was dead, because if he didn't come back, then that meant he had been found by people who wanted to kill him.

"I think, I always kept hoping that maybe he was still alive," Lloyd looked down at the letter. "Maybe the letter was wrong, he was just held up. When he didn't come home after a year, I started to wonder if maybe I could find him, find out what happened to him." His grip tightened on the letter, threatening to crush it. "But now I know that he is dead." Anger sneaked into his voice as he spoke. "He was murdered! I'm gonna find the guy that killed him, and I'll avenge my Dad!"

Yuan said nothing.

A/N: Too bad I couldn't think of a cliffhanger to put here.

I promise I'll update sooner than six months. Honestly.

Please review.