Lost and Found

Genre: Hurt/Comfort/Romance

Rating: PG-13

Setting: Post-game

Spoiler warning: This takes place during and after the new ending of the DS version and also mentions the new ultimate weapons. If you have NOT finished the new ending yet, turn back now!

NOTE: Chapter 2's been updated as well. If you read the earlier version of chapter 2, go back and reread it. It has no real influence on this chapter, but I think it's been improved since I posted it first.

Part 3

"Well, 'ere we are, mate! Welcome ta Termina!"

The man looked up slowly from where he had been leaning against the cabin, before he stood and lightly dusted himself off. "I thank you. How much do I owe you for the fare?"

"Ah, are ya crazy?" the sailor laughed. "I was plannin' ta get 'ere anyway. I can't take yer money fer tha!"

"But…"

"Nuh-uh. No buts. Now get-a goin' aready, mate!"

"…As you wish. Thank you."

After bowing politely to the sailor whom had just risked his life by coming to El Nido, he walked down the plank to solid ground once again. It was his first time in the city of Termina, but he was sure he would find his mark here.

Many would say he was foolish to follow anything this far, risking your hide to get there, but he had his own reasons for coming there, and he wasn't afraid to risk a limb or two. It was at least better than having no goal at all.

As he walked around the city, he couldn't help but feel like something was definitely amiss. The people seemed to live in a constant fear, even though no one openly showed it. There was a deep fear underlining their everyday activities. Only a select few had no fear at all.

It was… almost familiar.

Shaking the matter off, he continued along the bridge, and stopped briefly to watch the river.

There were times he often felt his memory was like water; he couldn't hold onto it long enough to examine it. Most of the memories of his past were lost, and he didn't even know how old he was, but if he had to make an estimate, he'd say about 26.

Give or take a decade…

Rather than continue to fuss over his unknown past, he had finally just decided to drop his past altogether and make brand new memories that would not be so easily forgotten.

Which had worked up until the day he had been asked to get something from a different village, only to come back and find his only home burned to the ground, all the people inside it gone. The bodies he had found had been too heavily burnt to be recognizable, and with each body he found, he had felt as if a part of himself had died.

However, upon completing the body count, he had determined that not everyone had died… some of them had escaped, but he just didn't know who.

After asking around, he had determined who had started the fire;

A man from El Nido with the face of a powerful feline; Lynx.

A sigh escaped his lips as he looked down into the water, facing his own reflection in the quiet waters.

Solemn green eyes stared back at him from behind a golden mask, long purple hair had been tied back in a braid, with only a few locks hanging down over his face. He was dressed in a white tuxedo, one that seemed to fit him quite well and give off the impression of a magician.

Though, of course, he did a little more than just give an impression.

He had his own little magic show to ensure he would not go hungry in any way. He didn't like to ask for money for his shows, and much rather had some food or a place to spend the night in thanks, but that would only make people suspicious of him. Needless to say, he had built up a good reputation back in Zenan, and, from what the sailor had said, his rep had reached El Nido as well.

That should make it easy to live here, at least for a bit.

His true name had been forgotten, and now he went only by the name of "Guile".

Well, he was right about one thing; the people in town were truly afraid of something. He just hadn't found out what it was yet. Not that he had that much time to think about it; apparently, there was some kind of festival coming up that almost turned the entire city upside-down.

Things had already started out great when he had struck a bet with the old fortune teller about how he could quite easily get inside Viper Manor and obtain a Dragoon's Honor within a week. What had possessed him to make that bet?

He didn't know, but he was stuck with it now, so he might as well go for it.

This predicament found him in the tavern, nursing a glass of wine in the corner as he debated on the best bet to get into the manor. From the front would be suicide, so he'd have to get in through the back. Sadly, the manor was built along a cliff, so that was equally dangerous, though perhaps less so than going through the front door.

That would require a boat though… not a big one, but a small one, at best.

Just then, the door opened and in walked a very peculiar trio. One of them was a girl with dark red hair and a light brown dress. The second was a girl with blonde hair and sharp blue eyes. She reminded him of a certain girl from his past.

However, just as he made to sip from his glass, a shiver ran down his spine as his bangs swayed slightly as if the wind was blowing, which was impossible within the restaurant.

"…the Black Wind…" he whispered softly under his breath, turning his gaze to the third of the group. A boy of about 17, with dark black hair that had a sheen of dark blue to it, and deep blue eyes, a red bandana hiding most of his hair from view.

Guile said nothing as they walked into the room, with the two girls arguing with each other about something or another, but he did keep a close eye on them. And when he heard the blonde girl mention getting into Viper Manor, his interest in them peaked.

'I wonder…'

As they passed him by, the boy said: "Hey, girls, you can argue all you want, but that doesn't change the fact we have to find a way in, somehow…"

"Take a boat," Guile quipped in response, making all three of them halt in their tracks. "That's what I intend to do, in any case," he added before he took a sip of his wine.

Of course, that made them turn to him in surprise. The blonde was the first to respond. "Eh! Why you wanna get into the Manor, anyway?"

"I would suggest you keep your voice down, kid," Guile said with a small smirk. "After all, this tavern is known for spreading the strangest rumors."

That comment made the girl fume, naturally. Luckily, the boy was there to calm her down. "C'mon, Kid, try to keep your cool, okay? He's got a point."

The moment he spoke, though, Guile blinked in surprise, and while his face didn't show anything, he found himself dumbstruck. 'Kid…? Her name is "Kid"? No way… it couldn't be… could it?'

The blonde huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, as the boy turned to him. "I'm sorry about that, sir… she's just-"

"Guile."

"…huh?"

Guile allowed a small smile. "My name is Guile. They say 'Never ask another's name before stating your own,' after all."

"Oh…" The boy seemed to hesitate for a moment, before he said: "I am Serge. And these are Leena and Kid," while gesturing to the girls in turn upon introducing them. "Pleased to meet you, Guile."

"Likewise, Serge," Guile said politely.

He didn't know why this kid had the Black Wind circling around him like a pack of starving vultures, but he was sure that this trip would prove itself to be quite the interesting experience.

Finding a boat had been easier than they had all imagined. Still, they decided to wait with heading to Viper Manor until they'd had some time to prepare. The girls had separated to do some 'girl-stuff' as Leena called it, leaving Serge and Guile in charge of getting the required Elements.

That didn't take long for them, so now they were waiting just outside the graveyard for the girls to return.

Guile figured that this was a good as any place to drop the question.

"On a side note, Serge," he said casually, making the boy look up. "Just out of curiosity, have you ever gone through a life-threatening experience before?"

At that question, Serge went pale and tensed. After a long moment of silence, Guile shrugged his shoulders.

"You do not need to answer if you do not want to. I'm just curious."

"…twice."

Guile almost didn't catch that and turned to Serge in confusion. "Excuse me?"

"…I… I nearly died twice. Once, I was bitten by a demon panther… and a few years later, I… I almost drowned."

'That might explain the Black Wind…' Guile thought to himself. 'He's escaped the clutches of death twice already… so they're anxious to drag him down to his grave.'

"I see… I apologize for bringing up those memories."

"No, it's okay… It's just… I haven't really… never mind."

Guile kept a close eye on Serge's face, and noticed that the boy didn't feel too comfortable with the subject regarding how he almost died. So, to make up for that…

"…Well, you are not the only one."

"…eh?"

"I escaped death twice, as well." That got the boy's attention. "One time was when the forest I was spending the night in burned to the ground in a storm. The next… was when someone torched my house." Allowing a small smile, he said: "I guess fire is not a big fan of mine."

At that, Serge actually chuckled. "I suppose not… But… aren't you…?"

"Afraid? No. That would do me little good. Are you afraid of cats?"

At that, Serge actually tensed. "Um… n-no… of course not."

Guile allowed a smile at that. "See? Why should we be afraid just because we had a near-death experience? It doesn't change what's already happened, after all. Living in fear will only put a limit on what we can do."

Serge blinked a few times, before he nodded slowly. "…Yeah. Yeah, you're right."

Guile merely nodded back.

However, what he had just told Serge, wasn't the whole truth. It was true, he wasn't afraid of fire, but at times, during his sleep, he was faced with the sight of something so horrifying that it always jolted him awake. And though he wasn't sure about what he had seen in that instant, he knew it had to do with his forgotten past…

Something happened in his past that had scarred him, mentally… quite badly…

But to that, he had no solution; he could only keep moving forward and attempt to forget it entirely. Sadly, that last part was the one thing that was proving itself to be a pain in the neck; how was he supposed to forget about Lucca? About Kid? Hell, about all the other kids that he lost that day?

Despite not showing his emotions on his face, he was itching to learn the truth about what happened that day; the day he lost everything a second time.

The pain it left behind threatened to engulf him, but he had to know. Had to know what had become of them, and if the few who he hadn't found had managed to survive. He could only pray that he could keep the pain in his heart confined until then, before it ripped him apart from the inside…