(I was trying to remember the beginnings of the game in my own words. Enjoy!)

A crab side walked by and snapped his claw. Serge woke up on the sand. Snorted out wet sand and mostly saltwater from his sinuses and throat. He wasn't that careless on the beach. How did he end up on his back like a washed-up corpse. As he got up way from the shoreline, he slowly worked away some of the wet sand and damp seawater on his heavy clothing. He decided to get into the shade of the palm trees. He looked back at that sea. And the sea looked back at him. Serge knew it was gentle when it wanted to be, but it was mainly mysterious. Absolutely fine with you as long you stay well enough away. He respected it wishes but…why was he knocked out on the beach cold just now? Was he overcome with such an overwhelming wave? One that caught him off guard? Hmn, no footprints on the way here from the mainland. He had no shadow either. What was going on?

Oldman on the beach yelled. "Kid…! Now that was a comeback. That was the longest I ever seen a play dead face down one the sand like that! I thought someone forget to dig you up boy! I know how you all young'ins hate for adults to interrupt y'all and scare ya'll for having harmless fun…."

Serge looked at him perplexed. Was he out there longer than he thought? Just lying there? Hmph. That's kind of scary.

The Oldman's critter squawked at him. He snapped out of the thinking spiral he was getting himself sucked into. Just a mistake. Maybe a heat exhaustion thing. He was fine. He was alive. That's what his Aunt would have said.

"Hey kid." Serge looked back at the old man, with a light concerned look.

"….Ah…Just be careful ok. I don't want to see ya get hurt like that again. Don't get me wrong. You impressed me. You a strong thing aren't ya?"

Serge nodded and walked back out toward the mainland village. Home. Arni.

Funny. That was 'old man beach'. He knew every regular that spent time at Opassa Beach. People knew Serge. He lived here around here. Then why he acted like he didn't know me? I won't ask. That seems kind of arrogant. He was an old man after all.

Serge was getting a slight headache like akin to being hit in the same spot of the side of his head. The sun wasn't helping either. It was making him see unusual beasts in the beach's forest area between here and home. They weren't too much of problem defeating on his own, they were just so unfamiliar… these aren't the animals he was used to seeing. He and Leena played here every day. Everyday. Collecting Komodo Dragon scales. Oh yeah! Leena? Leena!

Serge forgot the one thing she told him to go fetch. She'll give him another chance like always. She was always so patient with forgetful dopes and children alike. That is just one of the things he liked about her. Despite how foggy his memory was seeming right now. Her smile, framed in red bangs, was clear in his mind. That should make him feel better!

He met a twisted :/ confused smile.

She tilted her head unpleasantly confused. "And you are?"

Serge replies, "Serge." …right? Unless that's changed too?

Leena replied, "Nah….and I don't know even know a Serge. You don't even know what you talking about….you really soaked ghastly looking boy. You looked like you just done died in these very waters. Just come mess with me, huh? I don't need this right now." Leena peered into him with her hands on her hips.

Serge rebutted, "bu-"

Leena snapped back, "I don't -!" She turned away from him and crouched toward the end of the peer. Covering her head then sighing. "…stay cool." She said to herself. "He was always cool. Nothing ever seem to be too much for him. If I can be that way...then I'll be alright…" She kept her eyes closed for a second. "Hey, ghost kid you still there?"

"Yeah. I guess." Serge replied.

She stood up. "I can't look you in the face no more. But bear with me. You remind me of someone. I mean, really remind me. Geez, I would have thought it was him right here. With that calm, blank expression on his face...barely saying anything but he was kind. None the less. I know you can't be him. Science will tell me it's the sun probably having me see things. But just know, …he was a good person. I'm still reeling for have had just buried him oh…when was it now? After 6 months after? Wow…now it's been 10 years…"

"….what…?" Serge asked. He was immediately perplexed.

"You heard me…don't make me say it again. But if you want the proof? Pudding? Go at the peak. We made a nice spot for him there. There, he can blankly stare at everything we'd thought he'd miss. I'm sure he would have liked the idea." She sniffed.

"Go on now. Ain't no place for someone looking like you, in a place like this. She held a palm to her heart almost turning back towards him with closed eyes. Looking down. "I can't make anymore room in here. And ain't gonna try again. It still hurts from the first time. I'm sawree'." Those were Leena last words to him.

"…" Serge looked hurt and walked on out of there. No one said anything to him…just like a ghost or even worse a stranger. A passerby.

On the way to the peak…

Seeing Leena like that…she was never that closed off and defensive…maybe this was starting to be true...maybe he was -gulp-…no…the peak would make it clear. Serge was not as hard pressed to get there in any hurry. He wanted to know if he was dead. He wanted to know if he was a ghost. Or if he was always a ghost…the way Leena described him alive… he might as have been. Then if that is what life was…why he was he back? Was this another chance or a flipping hell? It sure felt like a flipping hell. You know. From a 17-year old's point of view anyways.

Ah, hell. There it was. It had to be. It was a well-placed, nautically adorned stone at the cliffs edge. It faced the sky and ocean. With a beautiful sunset of an evening, you could barely tell the two apart. Leena was right. It was a nice touch. He did like it. He shook his head. I can't think like that. Maybe. Maybe, it wasn't him! They could spell Serge wrong right? Damn it. S-E-R-G-E. He put his hand of over his eyes. Not really sure of anything but damn sure about the one thing he came here was just to see for himself. He should have expected better. That's what set you up for disappointments like this, but just once could he be surprised… in a good way?

"Such a life for a ghost. I can see it all over your face, kid."

Serge didn't look around. It didn't matter. Right now, he was just so tired. But in a different way. And he wasn't sure how to fix it or if he wanted to, for that matter. He just waited in the silence.

"You heard me right, kid. You finally see how much of a ghost you truly are. We've been searching like mad dogs all over for you. And there you are hanging around your own grave. Finally, some part of this search would be easy. Just like the General said: you just wait and wait your life on through, til its too long to do anything. Figures. People never change." Karsh finish his speech with his signature condescending smile.

"Sir Karsh, that's rather harsh. Don't you think?" Salt pleaded.

"Even I couldn't shake that off." Peppor added flatly.

Serge looked down. So immobilized by those words, so much that nothing else was registered with him. Get upset? And for what? It was true, right? What should he do? Serge smiled. Nothing. His go-to move in life.

That's what he was good at. Nothing got him a nice tombstone though. Nothing made him invisible. He knew he could do something different. New even. But he was a rock. Meaning well but does nothing. Looks strong but can't move forward. He gently hit his head on his gravestone. Sigh. Stuck between a rock and a hard place. Irony sucks and it hurts.

"Alright. Alright! Enough sad sappin'! Y'all are drainin' me good vibes. Argh!" Said a voice from somewhere nearby. The small feminine like figure dashed and landed in front of Serge.

"A kid?", asked Salt.

"No, that's shaking wrong. Now there's two kids.", corrected Peppor.

"No… it's just that brat, named Kidd…" Karsh said in irritation.

"Ah! You be right buckos…so why doncha' scoot before I be scrapin' you off this here cliff? Aye mates?" threatened Kidd.

"Really good pirate twang aside. I'm not going anywhere when what we came for is laying right there." Karsh said pointing to Serge. "He might as well roll right into our bag here. And we on our very damn ways. Most of have place to get people to see... You know, a life to live?" Karsh concluded with a snide remark.

Serge squinted an eye and for the first time being numb would not work. He felt that bad sarcastic sting of animosity focused on him. He didn't even know why. Even if he got an inkling of anger bubble up inside, it went away just as quickly as it came up. But now…now? It just sat there as if it were a monstrous core -always been there- festering for months. He had a bad feeling that it wasn't going away quick either.

"I know that look. Caught between should you do something or shouldn't you, right?"

Kid asked with her back to Serge still. "Don't let 'em talk to about you like that. Like you ain't anything. Like you're not even there. You aint no ghost. I can see you. Right there. A little overwhelmed, maybe a little dead inside. So what? No one should speak ill of the dead anyway. It don't help them any. Especially if you still alive. I'll fight with you, but I can't fight for you. Come on. Stand up and fight. That's the only way that disrespectful beasts like them back off.

Serge and Kidd fight Karsh, Salt and Peppor. The little lads win.

"…Kidd. Ghost kid. I'll be back."

Karsh and his goons ran off, swearing they'd be back to leave with a sack full of ghost kid next time.

"Hmph! Finally, those boogers are gone." Kidd said exasperated and stretching out her back.

"Buggers, right?" Serge corrected her.

"Neahhh. I know what I said. Either pirate metaphors are fitting for 'em. You don't want either in you or on ya for too long. You can't relax." She laughed and slapped her knee.

"…" Serge watched her laugh out loud. That was the last time he ever corrects her again.

"Say what your name be, anyways? Ghost kid ain't fitting at all." Kidd inquired.

Serge thumbed to the tombstone.

Kidd read it and smiled silently. "Well now. They had some good things to say all in all. Ain't too bad, the life you'll leave behind."

"Leave behind?"

"Yeah. I mean, what you think you'll do now? You can't go back there. Arni? Is it? That small town. They know they done well buried you here. And you know the goons know you must live close by. You got to go."

Serge thought. Really hard. But he already knew it was a stretch to go back home. When he woke up from the beach, the two people he knew would wonder where was, who should have been worried the most… weren't. Going back would be haunting them. Look at the tombstone. They didn't deserve that. Not Auntie, not Leena.

He chewed on his bottom lip a little. Solemnly, he said yes.

"Well, hey. No worries. Just means you're done here. But you know what? That means you ain't done elsewhere. You know what'll be nice? …In Termina, there's a huge city. Full of people! Always working. Always trying to be happy. I like it there. I'm sure you will too." Kidd answered encouragingly.

Serge swayed his head as if he was trying to say, no it's too soon. Or it wouldn't work out. All he knew was "That seaside village… it was small. Everyone knows everyone one. It was why everyone was so nice. No one new really came in except for him…and maybe the newborns but that was it. Was it okay to turn his back on all that?" He accidentally asked aloud.

"Turning your back? Who said anything like that? Naw. Cities are made by people like you like us. People who have a whole past we'd like to move up with but are not to be tied down by. Just tying survive and be happy but the way that looks in every city is different. It's quite beautiful. Besides…you know you need to do something else. I don't think standing around your own grave is something you wanna do from here on out, is it?" Kidd sounded very convincing this time.

Serge shook his head.

"Will it make ya feel better if I asked you to come with me to city as a personal favor? Like owning me back?"

"…!" Yes, he did owe her back. She didn't have to help him like this. "Yes." Serge agreed.

"Cool! After we make it to the city we even. Deal?" Kidd put her hand out for acceptance to the vocal agreement.

Serge looked down and pushed his hand out to meet hers. The weirdest and most hopeful deal he would ever make.

Kidd took his hand and wiggled it comically. "Sheey-oot! You're gonna be delighted to have crossed path with me." She turned off and marched back toward the beach's main area. "I got a good feeling about you." She smiled with her eyes closed and hands folded behind her head.

Serge shook off a sudden dark feeling. Not to dwell on it he smiled back and followed her back toward the forest.

Glenn was watching over the visitation as usual. They did this everyday, but such is the life of a soldier. Being able to do the same thing repeatedly without complaining. It takes years to instill…install?...no instill, that level of respect in a person. It was what he was best at. That and noticing things. His ear perked up a little, the one on the right. He slowly followed the sounds, with a slow tilt of his head. Those footsteps were new. Against that old handmade stone of the city street, he's heard them all. He saw the tops of two people run on by to the higher floors of the city. They seem like they were in a hurry. Both bandana wearers as well. Hm….

Remembering his place, he swung his steely attention back to the proceedings. The praying girl wasn't stupid, she saw him staring into the distance like a curious little mouse. Would she mess with him now because of it? She smiled covering her mouth as she stood up tall. What kind of sister like friend would she be?

"Say, you can just go and follow the wind to your heart's content. I'll be just fine, Glenn." Riddel postulated.

Glenn got startled by her perceptiveness and end up losing a fight to the blush taking over his otherwise serious face. "Many pardons. I will not happen again. Please continue to venerate."

"Why? We do this everyday. He wouldn't mind. She looked down at the grave site and spread out the flowers there a little more, smiling. "Would you, Dario"?

This kind friend knew the importance of being responsible and supportive. "I could not just venture on my own. This is not what they ordered for me to do. Beside things are fine as they are, aren't they? Nothing to change." Glenn replied, trying to look in charge of his emotions again.

"Dario, you mean? Dario ordered you to do this? And forever too?" She smiled with a hand holding her chin as she was still crouched down. Riddel looked up at Glenn. She let the silence of down there be interrupted by boisterous sounds of up there. Glenn looked down at her barely smiling. He could win a staring contest without even trying. But that wasn't her objective here. At some point… his eyes broke contact to catch those bandanas winded past yet another balcony. They were getting farther away into Termina. At this rate…Glenn pulled the corner of his frown down reflexively in front of her.

"See!" Riddel exclaimed.

"..." Glenn eyed her again.

"This is bothering you isn't it, grim and proper? You want to do something else! Go! Ok!? You know, nothing really happens here anymore. Go. You're getting bored. It's even hurting me." Riddel explained.

"But I-" Glenn purported.

"Okay, as your impromptu older sister -I mean- queen princess sister, I order you to go!"

Riddel stood up and pointed to the winding staircase.

Glenn was a little hurt and leaned back some.

"Go. and don't come back until you had enough adventure." She was adamant.

He started to walk away from her no-more-room-for-discussion discussion, marked by her don't-you-dare-defy-me crossed arm on her chest pose. He looked back a little to find a cracked a smile, a wink and a peace sign.

He walked up those stairs. Feeling weird at first. He was always felt like himself only because someone need him. Odd to be doing things on his own behalf. Very weird. He even forgot how crowded the plaza could get. If anything I can do right now, it's to focus. Now where are they? There.