True story: This chapter was really, really different than it turned out. Like, completely different plot twists. Like, my first draft ended with Yuan getting stabbed, that's how different this ended up.

I promise, though, eventually Yuan will get stabbed.

Happy reading!

If there was one thing that Yuan had learned from his time in the Kharlan War, it was that weapons didn't win wars. Power and strength, intelligence and tactical prowess, none of those could win a war.

No, there was only one tool that won wars.

Information.

It was why know thy enemy was such a common phrase in wartime. It was why armies sent scouts on reconnaissance missions. It was why the spy was the most dangerous member of the team.

That's why Yuan always listened to what people had to say. It only took one slip up, one statement, one comment, one moment, to get the information that could bring down a kingdom.

That was something that neither Kratos nor Yggdrasill had ever been able to understand.

Kratos was a soldier, a good one for sure, but a soldier at heart. He was excellent at thinking on his feet, finding clever ways to get himself out of danger. Yggdrasill was more of a scholar, hiding behind formulas and books, research and experiments. He was powerful and strong, yes; but his power came from his intellect.

But Yuan had always been the spy of their group; the one who could dig up the most damaging information he could find and wield it like a weapon against his enemies. Hell, he did it to Kratos on a regular basis, the poor bastard.

It's why Yuan put his Renegades into places where they could gather information. He had plenty of them in various human ranches, plus a pair or two in each town in Sylvarant. They had to be more careful in Tethe'alla: his Renegades were not the polite type, and he knew all too well what happened to impolite half-elves there.

So he'd positioned his Renegades strategically, in places where they could blend in and had a quick exit. Meltokio, where the chaos and commotion made for an easy departure. Flanior, near the base so they could escape to Sylvarant if needed. Altamira was pretty safe, considering all the brightly colored costumes and entertainers that resided there, hiding elven looks from human eyes.

He'd never dream of putting anyone in Ozette. Too many horror stories of half-elves strung up in trees for his liking.

But Sybak was an ideal place: he could easily insert an operative into the Imperial Research Academy under the guise of new scientists, and he could easily get them out of the city and into the maze-like forest nearby if they needed to run.

That was why Yuan stationed Reed there.

Reed was an older half-elf, though he didn't look it. Yuan gave it another decade or so before his lilac hair started showing some grey and his arrow-straight back started to hunch. He was from Sylvarant, a marine biologist from Palmacosta. He'd never been allowed to formally study at the school, but he used to sneak into the garden and listen to lectures through open windows.

As Yuan watched him now, he was mixing some concoction that appeared to be smoking profusely. There was a fish in a tank in the corner, baring its suspiciously sharp teeth. Yuan, never a fan of the sea and whatever weird creatures it held, cleared his throat. "Is it safe to speak with you? We won't be interrupted?"

"We have to be quick," Reed said bluntly, still pouring chemicals. "The other scientists are in the main lab, but they could come back any minute."

"Did they come through here?" Yuan asked, keeping his voice low. "Kratos and the others?"

"Yeah, but I didn't hear anything from them." Reed pursed his lips and added a bit more of some blue chemical. "I was called upstairs to help move a machine into a lecture hall."

Yuan frowned. "Damn it. I ordered you here to get info on them, how did you miss—?"

"I'm sorry," Reed interrupted. "Was I supposed to argue with people who, quite literally, held my life in their hands?" He shot Yuan a look. "It might not be as dangerous as a human ranch, but you know what happens to half elves who disobey around here."

Yuan exhaled slowly, remembering the researchers that he and Botta had freed from this very building. Broken fingers, burns across their faces, shattered kneecaps. The humans required talented scientists in their control, and they'd do almost anything to keep them that way.

Reed didn't bother waiting for an apology from his superior. "I can ask Kate, the head researcher. I'm pretty sure she's the one who talked to them while I was moving the molecular reconstructor."

"I'm sorry," Yuan said faintly, "did you say molecular reconstructor?"

"Huh? Oh, right, it's this machine that changes molecules." Reed swirled the beaker around in his hand, jotting down some notes. "You'd love it. It's got some complicated mechanics behind it, really incredible stuff. It's been broken since—"

"The Kharlan War," Yuan finished for him, arms folded. "I know. And I'll bet I know who fixed it."

"Huh?" Reed pushed his glasses up on his nose, staring at Yuan. "You know who fixed it?"

"..." Yuan headed back towards the bookcase and slid it over to leave. "Thank you, Reed."

Reed looked baffled. "But I didn't have any information to give you."

"Don't worry," Yuan assured him. "You gave me plenty."

The Gaoracchia Forest was dark, damp, and eerie. It had an almost...ethereal quality to it, as if it housed ghosts and memories in its lush green foliage. Quite frankly, Kratos could've gone the rest of his life without ever stepping foot in it again.

His younger companions, however...

"Wow, it's really dark!" Colette said cheerfully. She squinted as she looked around. "Really, really dark!"

"It's kind of creepy," Lloyd added. He didn't look upset about this at all. "Man, look at those vines!"

"Enough chit chat." Kratos folded his arms. "This forest is like a maze, so pay close attention to where we've been. To get through, we follow the light."

He gestured to the patchy rays of light that shone through along the path. There were bunches of flowers growing in the spotlights, lush and bright colored. Lloyd and Colette both leaned down to examine them.

"They're really pretty," Colette said. "Professor, is it alright if I pick some?"

"Hmm…" Raine squinted at the flowers. "I'm not familiar with the type of plants here. Do any of our Tethe'allan natives know if this flower is dangerous?"

Sheena shrugged, but Presea turned blankly towards it. "Asclepias tuberosa grows in direct sunlight and is native to the Gaoracchia area. If ingested, the flowers may cause gastrointestinal distress, but there is a low probability of causing severe illness."

"It's just a blood flower," Zelos said dismissively. "Don't eat it and you'll be fine."

"Blood flower?" Lloyd tilted his head curiously, while Colette excitedly gathered some of the flowers. "Why's it called that?"

Genis rolled his eyes as the group started to walk forward. "It's red, Lloyd."

"Ah, nice try," Zelos teased. "But the actual reason it's called the blood flower is because...ah, well, it's probably better that you don't know."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lloyd questioned.

"Just that the story's not for little kids," Zelos explained. "Don't want to freak you out or anything."

"Wait, you can't just leave us hanging like that!" Lloyd ran up to lock step with Zelos. "Come on, tell us!"

"Yeah! We can handle it!" Genis followed them, so that he was walking on Zelos' other side. "Come on, Zelos, tell us!"

Colette wandered next to Raine and Kratos, clutching the flowers to her chest. "Professor, when we get to town, can I borrow some of your books to press these flowers?"

And suddenly, just like that, they were back in the Regeneration Journey. Colette was cheerful and pleasant; Lloyd and Genis were bickering, although not with each other; Raine was looking around, fascinated by the new sights.

Kratos fell back a bit, so that he was next to Noishe. He scratched behind the protazoan's ears and noticed he was shivering. "Are you scared?" he asked quietly. Noishe whined. "Ah. You're thinking of her, aren't you?"

Noishe whined in affirmation. Kratos sighed heavily and glanced at Lloyd, who was now listening as Zelos told him some wild horror story. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I know you don't like places like this. But...we have to go through here. For Lloyd."

Noishe whined again and brushed his head against Kratos' hand. The man took it as a sign of affection and solidarity.

"We have to do it," he repeated, though he wasn't sure if he was saying it for Noishe or himself. "Do it for Lloyd."

Yuan was back in his office by the time Botta returned from lunch. He was sitting at his desk, waiting patiently, his eyes faraway. Botta frowned as he came in, the door closing behind him.

"Sir? I thought you were going to collect a report from Reed."

"Kratos is gathering the materials for the Ring of the Pact." Yuan leaned forward. "He's planning to release Origin himself."

"And you know this because…?" Botta watched as Yuan stood up from his desk and wandered over to the bookshelf. "Kratos told Reed this?"

"No. According to Reed, the group is headed to Ozette, just as Zelos told us." Yuan reached out and plucked a book from the shelf. "But Reed mentioned that someone fixed a molecular reconstructor that's been sitting in the Academy for ages."

"Molecular…?" Botta sat down at the desk and frowned. "What is that?"

"A machine that makes adamantite." Yuan flipped the book open and scanned through it. "The only thing capable of crafting tools sharp enough to cut through aionis."

"I see." Botta stared at him. "What are you reading?"

"An old fairytale," Yuan explained. "Or, rather, that's what they say it is. Here."

He handed the book to Botta, who looked over it curiously. "...This is the story of Mithos."

"No," Yuan corrected, "it's the story of his companions."

"So, you, then." Botta frowned. "It lists them as a renowned doctor, a captain of the knights, and a military deserter. Which one are you?"

"The deserter," Yuan said dryly. "Martel and Kratos got to be wise and brave, respectively. I got to be a filthy turncoat."

"Mmm, imagine." Botta raised an eyebrow. "Not that I don't love the story, but why am I reading it?"

"Because it's the only written record of the Eternal Sword."

Botta's eyes widened. "...What?"

"That book was written by a woman named Alma Strongholt." The name had an accent to it, one that Botta recognized as Elven. "It's a written account of an old oral tale, passed down generations."

"I see." Botta skimmed through the book. "One of the Storytellers."

"When he created the mythos around the Goddess Martel and the hero, Yggdrasill ordered every record of the true story destroyed. But he can't erase a memory."

Yuan took the book back from Botta and turned to a specific page. Botta watched his lips quirk up in amusement.

"'And so,'" Yuan recited, with the air of a man quoting scripture, "'the hero ascended into the heavens. Upon the Elven homeland, he mined for the Great Ore, Aionis. With this, he sealed the pact of Origin: he gifted his chosen knight with mana. With this mana, the knight would protect the hero's pact with Origin, at the cost of his life.'"

Botta frowned. "Kratos took the aionis so he could seal Origin?"

"He did," Yuan confirmed. "At the time, human soldiers had been taking it to use magic. Kratos took it so that he could absorb enough mana into his body to form the seal."

"Ah. So in order to break the seal, Kratos must release the same amount of mana."

"Precisely." Yuan shut the book with a thump. "Reading this got me thinking. Have you ever heard of Occam's razor?"

Botta blinked at him. "The belief that the simplest answer is usually correct." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I don't follow."

"If we're draining something, but want to keep it from emptying, what do we do?" Yuan gave him a tight-lipped smile. "We refill it."

"...Sir?"

"If we can give Kratos some mana," Yuan explained, "then he should have enough to break the seal and survive."

"And how do you propose we give him mana?" Botta asked. Yuan held a hand out, paths of electricity coursing along his palm. "You can't be serious. You want to give him some of your own?"

"If possible. Why not?" Yuan shrugged. "I said I'd rather Kratos didn't die. And he would be able to wield the Eternal Sword himself if he survived."

"Transfering mana from your own body is dangerous," Botta reminded him. "You could easily die yourself. Are you willing to do that for Kratos, of all people?"

Yuan ran his thumb along the spine of the old book. "...These stories...aren't just stories to me. To us." Botta didn't have to ask who he was referring to. "These were our lives. Every drop of blood and sweat and tears, these were ours."

He looked up from the book, eyes intense on Botta. "It's easy for me to rationalize killing Kratos in the here and now, when he stands against our goals. But when I read these stories, I remember…" His voice trailed off.

He stood in silence for a moment, his gaze falling to the old book. Finally, he went and settled the book back on the shelf. Botta broke the silence. "Remember what, sir?".

Yuan sighed heavily. "I remember that Kratos once dreamed of a peaceful world, too."

"...And they say that, to this day, his spirit still haunts these woods, urging his flowers to feed on unsuspecting travellers."

Zelos kept his voice purposefully low and hoarse as he spoke. Both Lloyd and Genis looked slightly unnerved. It didn't help that the group had reached the center of the forest, where it was darkest and creepiest.

"The plants drink b-blood?" Genis looked around quickly, eyes wide. "Ah, haha, you're just trying to scare us, right, Zelos?"

"Is that a real story?" Lloyd asked nervously. "Did it actually happen?"

"Oh, yeah," Zelos said breezily. "It's super famous. Ask Sheena, she'll back me up."

"Sh-Sheena!" Both boys took off across the path, calling for their other Tethe'allan friend. Zelos snickered.

"Ah, man," he said, flashing Kratos a grin. "So gullible. Not even toddlers fall for that stuff nowadays!"

"Knock it off," Kratos chastised him. "We have enough to deal with without you telling ghost stories."

"Hehe...What's the matter, Papa Bear? Getting a bit overprotective of your little cubs?" Zelos teased. Kratos glared at him, but didn't respond. "Oh, calm down, it's just a harmless story. It's not even scary!"

Before the older man could say anything, Lloyd and Genis came running back over. They skidded to a halt in front of Zelos.

"Zelos, you liar," Lloyd accused. "Sheena said that story's a load of crap. You're just trying to scare us."

"Alright, alright," Zelos admitted. "So that one isn't true. But the actual story of this forest is way too creepy for little kids like you."

"We're not little kids!" Genis complained, stamping his foot in frustration.

"Come on, Zelos. Let's hear it!" Lloyd folded his arms and waited.

Zelos pretended to think about it. "Alright," he finally conceded. "I'll tell you. But don't complain when you have nightmares."

He opened his mouth to start spinning another story, but Kratos suddenly cut him off. "Shh!"

Though Zelos gave him an indignant look, he did keep his mouth closed. Everyone stood still, watching Kratos as his eyes went upwards.

He had heard something above them, in the trees. Branches creaking as something leaned heavily over them. His hand slid to the hilt of his sword.

What was more, he was certain that Colette heard it, too. He could see her eyes, bright and blue and focused, as she searched the trees herself. A branch cracked and both of them flinched.

"Did...did you hear that?" Colette asked faintly.

"Hear what?" Lloyd asked. He was mirroring Kratos' posture, with his hands on his swords; Raine slowly withdrew her staff, readying it for battle.

"There's someone else in this forest." Kratos scanned the trees. If it was Yggdrasill or Yuan, he thought, they were either losing their touch or they wanted to be heard. "Get ready."

For a moment, the forest was still.

Then, suddenly, from above them, something dropped to the ground. Or, rather, someone.

The man who fell was surprisingly graceful, considering his size. He landed on his feet, not even swaying off balance in the slightest. The group moved into formation, ready for a battle. Genis inhaled sharply.

"It's the guy from the Meltokio sewers!"

Zelos groaned. "Man, can't the Pope just leave me alone?"

"I do not wish to fight you," the man said quietly. "Please. I just want to speak to that girl."

Genis glared at him. "If you want to talk to Presea, you'll have to go through me."

"And if that doesn't scare you," Lloyd said, "the rest of us are here, too—"

"Shh!" This time, Colette was the one who shushed them. "Listen!"

The group fell silent, waiting. Finally, she pointed down a path and said, "Footsteps."

"Marching soldiers," Kratos confirmed. "And there's a lot of them. We need to go."

"But that's the direction of Ozette," Lloyd protested. "Where are we going to go?"

"...Mizuho." Sheena seemed reluctant, but she said it anyway. "I don't have much of a choice. I'll take you guys to Mizhuo. We can hide there for now."

"But you said that the village of Mizuho is supposed to be a secret," Lloyd said. "I thought they didn't like outsiders."

"They don't," Sheena admitted. "But we don't have any other options. We're trapped from both sides."

Lloyd frowned. "Well...okay, then. Show us the way, Sheena."

"Whoa, wait." Zelos gestured wildly to the man who'd dropped practically on top of them. "What are we supposed to do with this guy?"

"You have my word," the man said, "that I mean you no harm. I only want to talk to...her name is Presea, correct?"

"Not to be rude," Raine began, "but your word is worthless to us. How do we know you aren't just going to attack when our guard is down?"

"Professor, they're getting closer," Colette said anxiously. "I can hear their armor clinking!"

"Papal Knights, for certain," Kratos added. "I can make out at least fifty. We'd have no chance attacking them head on."

Raine pursed her lips. "Fine. If you're adamant about tracking Presea down, then you'll have to come with us to Mizuho. We have no time to fight you."

"Should you try to harm us," Kratos warned, "we will not hold back. I suggest you cooperate."

"Yeah," Genis added, "I'll burn you to a crisp if you even think about any funny business!"

The man nodded in understanding. Lloyd nodded back, satisfied. "Okay. Let's go, everybody. Sheena, lead the way to Mizuho!"