Hi guys, welcome! This takes place post-game in the world of RF4, and is a story of self-discovery for Frey due to my own unanswered questions. I'll be filling in gaps and introducing my own answers, so if they conflict with other RF titles, apologies—I haven't played 'em. Everyone is aged up to 18+, since time has passed (and in case of romance). Hope you enjoy chapter one!

Chapter 1: Vision from the Deep Well

All the elements have a voice. Fire is passion and life; water is healing and emotion. Wind is freedom and thought. What, then, would earth try to tell you, if you could only listen?

Midsummer was almost here, and there was much for a town's princess to do.

"Arthur?" Frey called. She sat cross-legged on his floor, though he'd playfully reminded her again that he did own chairs. She'd shrugged as usual and smiled, happy to sit surrounded by mountains of books and paperwork and a cup of tea that was definitely getting cold. Whoops.

"Yes, Frey?" came the muffled reply.

Frey peeked out from her wall of books to see Arthur's head poking out from the top of the stairwell. She grinned foolishly, and he shared the moment with a small smile.

"I need your signature as town royalty on the safety documents for the Midsummer festival," Frey explained. She poked said document, laid carefully on a make-shift surface of yet more books, with her feather-quill pen.

"Certainly," he agreed, heading down the stairs into his study with a pile of his own work. Setting it on his desk, he knelt down to Frey's kingdom of paper, looking impressed. "We really should look into expanding your room so you may have your own study. Not that I mind the company," he added hastily. "But sitting like this can't be easy on your back."

"Nonsense," Frey mumbled, chewing on the tip of her quill. "Ah, gross, ink! Ink on my tongue!"

Arthur smiled and produced a new quill from somewhere, singing his name with a graceful swoop. "As acting princess of Selphia, aren't you authorized to sign such things yourself?"

Frey's words were muffled by the hanker-chief she held against her tongue. "Yeah, but these are safety procedure papers."

"What did I just agree to?" Arthur asked wearily.

"In the event of a disaster where I'm indisposed, you're in charge," Frey said cheerfully. Truly, nothing got under this girl's skin.

But then, she wasn't a girl anymore, was she? With her twenty-first birthday having just passed in Spring, she supposed she should be called a woman now.

Weird.

"Ah," Arthur said. "Well, that I can understand."

Arthur's grandfather clock chimed for six p.m., and Frey blinked in surprise. She'd been working like this since noon. Rubbing her eyes and stretching, she became aware of her surroundings once more. Arthur's study was such a comfortable place, the scents of various teas and spices helping her relax, while the bustling sounds of the restaurant in the other room made her feel less isolated while she worked.

"Wow," Frey said sheepishly. "Okay, maybe I need a break. I am a bit sore."

"I can imagine," Arthur said kindly. "This is on top of your usual workload, after all, and a farm is no joke."

"It's just, I want everything to be perfect," Frey said, rolling up her parchments and permission forms. "This is my fourth year here, but I've never tried an event like this. The request was there, but I wasn't ready for something of this scale. There's gonna be food, music, entertainment, fireworks," she listed, counting off on her fingers, "dancing, magic, fireworks..."

"You said fireworks twice."

"Fireworks are important," Frey said. "Anyway, I guess I might be pushing it, but I've got this under control, I promise."

"I know you do," Arthur said honestly. "Now, let me help you get these books back to your room."

Frey beamed. "Thanks, Arthur. What would I do without you?"

"Make a mess of your own floor, I suppose," he said playfully, lifting a stack of books.

"Oh, never," she grinned. "There's always someone to pester."

Dylas and Margaret stepped out to help with the books, chatting with her about the plans, which Frey excitedly indulged. But the summer sun was hidden behind clouds, and a few drops of rain fell.

"Better hustle," Margaret said.

As they walked, Frey's focus drifted from her friends. Dressed in simple work trousers and a white blouse, she shouldn't be sweating so much. A tingling feeling swept up her back and into the base of her skull, making her shiver. A ringing filled her ears, and she blinked in confusion.

"Frey.."

Who was that? A male voice. One she knew. It sounded far away, like music through water.

Then more voices, these ones much closer.

"Are you alright?"

"Frey?"

Frey was standing at her own door with no idea how she'd gotten there.

"What?" she said hoarsely. "Oh. Sheesh, sorry, guys. Guess I zoned for a second there. Too much reading," she laughed weakly.

All three of them stared at her, eyebrows raised.

"Uh," Dylas said awkwardly. "No offense, Frey, but that's horseshit."

"You said 'horse'," she teased, delighted at his instant red face. "I'm fine, honestly. Just spaced." And she was fine. Now, at least.

Okay, she admitted silently. Maybe I need to get out of this heat and rest for a bit. That was kinda weird.

But she couldn't tell them that, because then they'd worry and she'd never get everything prepared in time. "Thanks for the help," she said brightly when they didn't reply. They watched her as they put her books back in her basement which, these days, seemed determined to become a library. When she didn't collapse and continued to seem chipper as ever, they seemed satisfied enough for now.

"If you get sick, go to Dr. Jones right away," Margaret said sternly, finger raised. "No use getting a summer fever, okay?"

"No fevers for me," Frey agreed. "Yuck."

"Yeah, those pretty much suck," Dylas said. "But if you get one, we'll watch out for you. Uh," he blushed, backtracking, "B-because, uh, you're the Princess, and—damn it, just be careful!"

She smiled. Even after she and Arthur, with Ventuswill's guidance, had revealed that Frey was not, in fact, true royalty but an earthmate with no past, the town didn't seem to change their view of her one bit. They insisted that as long as she wanted to lead, they were more than happy with their princess. Then, as such things go, she eventually was officially recognized as a town princess. Though her power was confined to Selphia's borders, within this territory, she was technically royalty. She had the paperwork to prove it.

Even now, Frey was always touched by their faith in her, from festivals to fights. "Of course, you guys," she grinned. "I'm always careful."

Margaret raised her eyebrows, and Dylas just snorted.

Arthur chuckled. "Rest up, Frey. Work will wait. We'll see you later."

"Take it easy," Dylas called on his way out.

"Until later!" Frey answered.

Frey did not take it easy.

Waking up feeling fine, she went about her morning chores cautiously but with growing optimism as she felt healthy as ever. The dizziness spell was in the back of her mind, but it faded from thought as morning turned to noon. She took her monsters out for a graze, then spent half the day sheering wool off for the summer heat and separating what she'd keep and what she'd sell. Some would be donated to Dolce and Blossom for their crafting. Maybe a little for Clorica, too. She'd mentioned wanting to try her hand at fabric work. Night came as she felt tired as usual, ready for bed but not sick.

Must have been a fluke, she thought dreamily against her pillow. The heat or somethin'...

A few days passed. Occasionally she felt worn out or dizzy, but she chalked it up to the heat. Humming to herself, she made pancakes for dinner just because she could and brought some to Ventuswill, whose delight was heard throughout the whole castle. Frey sat right down on the floor with her cart of pancakes, laughing and catching up with Venti as she made sure to several times a week. The Divine Will Ventuswill was readjusting well to her life in Selphia, even loosening up with the villagers. The sight made Frey's heart swell. Venti was, after her, her first friend. On her way out, the dragon called after her.

Frey paused. "What's up, Venti?"

"Hmmm," Venti rumbled, a breeze stirring around them both. Warmth filled Frey from the inside, and suddenly she felt as if she hadn't worked a minute all day.

"Woah, what'd you do?" Frey asked.

"Your runes were sagging a little," Venti said, cocking her head. "I restored your rune points. It's not something I do often—humans shouldn't rely on the strength of gods—but, well..."

"Yes..?" Frey coaxed.

"Oh, you sly thing," Venti scolded, tail lashing. The evening light fell on her in golden chunks, thick as maple syrup, and Frey could hear cicadas and crickets waking up outside. "You've been working too hard. I may be a god, but I'm also your friend. Get some rest! I don't wanna see your runes so low again!"

"You got it," Frey said. "Thanks. I didn't realize it, but, well, I was a bit tired," she admitted.

"I thought so," Venti said. "Hmph. Go on. I know you're late."

"I'll see you later, Venti." Grinning, Frey hugged her before running out, leaving the native dragon grumbling to herself about stubborn mortals, her own runes glowing with joy.

Frey found Forte in the courtyard, standing tall as she waited. The golden light was growing softer, and the summer sun was finally easing up for the night. This was the perfect time of day to fit in some real exercise.

"Frey," Forte greeted fondly. Dressed in her usual impressive armor, she carried two practice swords of blunted metal. They'd long since graduated from wooden rods; you could only break so many before it was time to move on. "How was your day?"

"Productive," Frey said cheerfully. "I just had pancakes with Venti too, so fun."

Forte looked briefly surprised, then smiled. As a dragon knight it had been especially hard for her view of Venti to shift from god to friend, but she was getting there. "I'm glad. So," she continued smoothly, "do your best. We've got an audience tonight."

"Wha-" Frey looked behind Forte and spotted Leon leaning lazily against the castle wall, dressed simply in green trousers and thick brown sandals. These days he only wore his ancient attire when he was acting as a priest. "Wow, Forte, your senses are sharp."

"Aw, Forte, that's no fun," Leon mock-pouted. "I wanted to be an unseen observer tonight."

"Quit your spying," Forte said, slightly exasperated. She'd grown to like Leon, but his idea of fun still clashed with hers.

Frey caught the sword Forte tossed her, shaking out her arms and legs. "She's all mine tonight, lover boy," Frey teased with a wink.

Leon raised his eyebrows. "Well, now I'm glad I'm spying."

Forte's face turned red, and Leon grinned and raised his hands in surrender. "I'm sorry, Forte, you just make it so easy!"

Frey just shook her head, laughing. She and Forte sparred almost every other night, and sometimes people came to watch.

"You behave," Forte ordered, pointing her practice sword at Leon, who did his best to look innocent. "Ready, Frey?"

"Born ready," she answered with a grin. Usually she let Forte make the first move so, to surprise her, tonight Frey ran straight at her with a battle cry.

Forte blocked her firmly, then forced Frey a step back before feinting right with a swing of her sword. Frey ducked and jabbed but Forte deflected, the scrape of metal echoing in the empty courtyard.

They dodged back and forth for a few moments, warming up. Forte made steady progress forward, forcing Frey back one step at a time. Forte's heavyweight style was a healthy challenge for a nymph like Frey, physically and mentally. On top of that the dragon knight had beautiful form and movement, her blade an extension of herself.

Luckily these were practice swords, of equal weight and length. Forte couldn't bully her out of the ring as easily without her longsword.

Forte spun forward and caught Frey's blade with her own. "Are we dancing or fighting, Frey?"

"We can't do both?" Frey asked. They grinned at each other, then Frey darted around Forte and swung at her neck. Forte ducked and jabbed, and Frey leaped backward into a handspring, landing nimbly on her feet.

Leon whistled appreciatively.

"Impressive," Forte said. "Try that against this!"

"Woah!" Frey braced herself as Forte came at her in a flurry of movement, hitting hard and fast enough to force Frey back against the castle wall. Finally, Forte slid her sword under Frey's and twisted so Frey's fell out of her hands. A cool metal touched her neck, and Frey's hands went up in surrender.

"That's a match," Leon said. "And a good one, too. The two of you are never boring."

"I've got a lot of practicing to do if I wanna catch up with the dragon knight," Frey said earnestly, "but I sure have fun trying."

Forte blushed delicately, looking pleased. "Your sparring skills are developing steadily, Frey," she said. "On top of that, out in the field fighting monsters, you're a force of nature. It's a very different art to fight other people, is all."

"What would you do if someone used battle magic on you in a duel?" Leon asked curiously.

"My armor is enchanted against most known spells," Forte explained. "The metal is an heirloom of the dragon knight, reforged to fit each new one to hold the rank."

"That's amazing," Frey said, wiping sweat off her forehead. "As for me, well, I like to fight with magic just fine, but Forte and I don't use it in these spars 'cause the point is to work on our basics and reflexes."

"Makes sense," Leon said, stroking his chin. "And I suppose you know field healing magic, Forte."

"Yes," she agreed, "as well as some weaponry spells, but that's about as far as my magic ability goes. Never had much of an aptitude for it, not for lack of effort."

Leon nodded with interest. "Well, thanks for entertaining me, ladies."

Forte huffed, looking up at the sky, which barely hung onto daylight. The courtyard lanterns, an alchemic invention, began glowing dimly. "Alright, Leon. Let's do this."

Leon's face went blank, but his tail flicked playfully. "I'm sure I don't know what you mean."

Forte snorted. "Come on, I know you're dying to try your hand at a spar. You're practically bouncing."

"I am not," Leon retorted, but then smiled, a light in his eyes. "But, well, is it alright with you two?"

"Scared?" Frey taunted, dusting off her trousers and stretching her arms.

Leon's ears flicked. "Some women were dedicated to the warrior life in my day, but it was surprising to see others practicing fighting for the joy of it in this time," he admitted. "At first."

He seemed a bit embarrassed, so Frey patted his shoulder. "It's alright, Leon. You'll feel better when you get your butt kicked by a modern girl. Then you'll understand it."

Forte choked on a laugh, covering her mouth, and Leon's eyes narrowed.

"We'll see about that," he said. Lifting his hand, a golden light flashed and his halberd, a two-handed spear, manifested from nothing. Silver and dark in the lantern light, the thing was taller than Frey. "Sorry, I don't have a practice weapon. How's this?"

"Well, which one of us do you want to fight?" Forte asked. "You can just borrow one of ours."

"You can both come at me," Leon said flippantly. "Just keep it interesting."

"You wanna fight us both?" Frey asked skeptically.

Forte shrugged, trying to hide her eagerness at this new challenge. "Alright, but if you're so keen to be interesting, let's kick it up a notch." She drew her longsword, the metal ringing. "Frey?"

Frey was grinning. She summoned her dual blades, her weapon of choice when she couldn't use magic staffs. Forte touched all the weapons with her fingertips, closing her eyes.

"There," she said. "I dulled them with magic."

"This is an antique," Leon disapproved.

"Don't worry, the spell is easily removed," she assured. "This way the risk of injury is much lower, though they're still heavy weapons capable of breaking bones, so watch yourselves."

"Alright," Frey said. "Let's do this."

They spread out into a circle, Leon pacing, every inch the wild fox. Frey had seen him fight monsters in self-defense-he wasn't weak, but she had no idea what he'd be like to spar. Forte was right; fighting people was very different from monsters. Frey had gotten too comfortable against Forte. She needed a new opponent.

But that comfort gave them an advantage. With a glance, Forte told Frey to cover her back as she leaped forward with a cry, longsword glinting against yellow lantern light. Leon swung his halberd in an arc, sliding it under the sword so he could twist around Forte, but Frey was there, twirling at him with her blades, fast like the wind aspect she'd used to forge them. Her twin ponytails swept around and stuck to her sweaty neck.

Leon was more than competent-he was amazing, able to hold his own against them both for entire minutes in a display of wit and strength. Frey's speed and size made her hard for him to catch, especially with Forte's strength and skill to back her up, but still he kept on. He'd look one way then strike the next, making foresight and trickery his personal weapons.

The halberd passed over Frey's chin as she bent backward to dodge it. Time slowed; the halberd 's silver flashed bright, and her vision swam. Again she felt briefly like the world had flooded, like everything was far away.

"Frey, you'll have to work harder," her opponent taunted.

"I don't have to work to beat you, dummy!" A voice teased-her own voice.

The wind stirred, dry leaves crinkling across the dirt. Somewhere nearby a campfire blew embers upward, the smell of salted meat in the air. The soil was soft under her bare feet, cool between her toes, distracting her.

"Suit yourself," her opponent shrugged, then swept his staff under her legs.

Frey landed on her back, the air leaving her lungs, and found Leon's halberd pointed down at her.

"You alright?" Leon asked, offering her a hand.

She took it, feeling dazed. The vision blew apart like smoke. "Yeah, yeah, I-I'm fine. Is that a match?"

Leon shrugged. "You seemed a bit out of it, so if you're not finished, I wouldn't mind giving you another chance."

"How gracious," Forte joked. "Sure you're okay, Frey? It's not like you to space out."

"Oh?" Leon asked. "Doesn't she just seem the type to daydream? It must be those big green eyes. I imagine they give you trouble with men."

"I wouldn't know," Frey said, "since I'm always surrounded by boys."

"Yeah, she's fine," Leon laughed, then swung his Halberd back up.

The fight continued, but the momentum changed. Frey and Forte closed in, but Leon blocked both their blades at once with either side of his halberd, using his size to shove Frey off balance before throwing a jab of the spear's blunt end at Forte, who twisted up the length of the weapon and put the tip of her sword to Leon's forehead.

"Well," Leon said. "I yield."

Forte sheathed her sword. "Leon, I had no idea you had such skill with your halberd," she said admiringly.

"Are you saying you assumed I carried a weapon I couldn't use?"

Forte turned pink. "I—It's-that's not what I-"

"Kidding," Leon said, just as Frey was about to scold him. These spars had Forte in her zone, confident and fun, and Frey didn't want that to get ruined.

Frey chimed in, "Most people think you mostly fight with magic."

"Well, a mage's spar is an entirely different story," Leon said, a dangerous smile on his face, "but sometimes people don't walk away from those. Maybe Kiel would like to try? I hear he's-"

"Absolutely not!" Forte yelled.

Well, Frey thought, can't ask him to completely ditch his nature.

"He's kidding," Frey said soothingly. "Or he's in trouble with me."

"Terrifying," Leon said. "We wouldn't want that."

Forte took a deep breath. "Okay. Well. Anyway, I wanted to say, Leon, you...should join us again sometime. I—think we all have much to teach each other."

Frey actually witnessed Leon's expression shift as he decided against teasing her when she was finally starting to warm up to him. "If you'll have me, I'd like that, thank you."

"Good, 'cause I just learned I could use some new opponents," Frey said.

"It's good to switch it up when you can," Forte agreed.

"Definitely. Well, I'm tired," Frey said with a yawn. "Should probably hit the hay."

Forte disenchanted their weapons, then the three said goodnight as Frey went inside the castle, sore but happy. She didn't see the worried look they exchanged in her wake.

"Odd," Leon said. "I'm not sure I've ever seen that girl tired."

"Margaret did mention something about her seeming strange the other day," Forte mused. "Maybe she's getting sick?"

Leon tsked. "Not surprising, with all the work she does."

Then the two realized they were having a real conversation one on one, and Forte paused awkwardly as Leon's smile grew sly.

"I guess we'll just keep an eye on her," Forte said, and that was that.

Is she sleeping?

Yes. She's been working very hard.

She's dreaming.

She's happy.

She's content.

But she's forgotten.

She's empty.

Hollow.

Four years of memory.

Practically a child.

Completed her quest.

But abandoned everything else.

Frey, you've forgotten!

Frey woke with a start, clutching her heaving chest. The clock on her wall said 3:04 a.m. Everything was utterly still and silent.

Breathing deeply, Frey flopped back against her pillow. Her heart rate gradually slowed. What had been so scary? She'd heard voices in her dream but couldn't remember what they'd said. It'd seemed important, but she was so tired...

She closed her eyes.

The next afternoon, just as Frey had finished her morning chores, Vishnal appeared at her door.

"Guests for you, Princess," he said formally. It didn't bother her like it used to—she knew this was the butler's way of life, and asking him not to call her Princess hurt his feelings. Plus, now that she was acting as the town's real princess, it felt less like a lie.

"Great, send 'em on in—wait, I wasn't expecting anyone. Who is it?" Frey asked absently as she finished her lunch smoothie.

"It's-ah, hey, wait," Vishnal protested as Dylas and Margaret came in,

"You," Dylas pointed at Frey. "Get changed into your swimsuit." The two of them were dressed to swim, and Dylas carried a fishing rod and a basket.

Margaret sighed. "Manners, Dylas! Frey, sorry to just show up like this, but you've been working so hard for the town and it's so hot today...Arthur suggested you might need a break, so he and Porcoline have got things covered for a few hours. We even got a picnic on the house," she winked.

"Arthur's got me in trouble for over-working, so he takes an extra shift?" Frey asked skeptically.

Dylas snorted. "Just change and come on. You know you want to."

Frey considered it. It couldn't really hurt; she was ahead of schedule.

"Alright," she conceded. "Wanna come, Vishnal?"

He hesitated. "Well...I have work to be doing, unfortunately. Perhaps next time?"

"Aw, too bad," Margaret said.

"It makes me proud that you're so diligent, Vishnal!" Mr. Volkanon said.

Everyone jumped.

"Say something sooner next time," Dylas muttered, frazzled.

"Thank you, Mr. Volkanon," Vishnal said humbly. "I've got much to learn, and I intend to do my best."

"Yes, yes, good, and yet," Volkanon said, "you young people didn't get to celebrate Beach Day because of the late typhoon. Why not spend some time outdoors?"

"That's true," Frey said. "We didn't get around to it after that."

"If it's really alright," Vishnal said, smiling. "It could be fun. Shall we get Clorica?"

Inviting people on their way to the beach caused a flurry of running feet and laughter. People put their work down as their princess fluttered by with an ever-growing group, sensing the chance for fun. Before long, almost everyone in town was crowding the beach, turning their little swim party into an impromptu Beach Day. Even Arthur showed up after a while, looking a bit shy as everyone cheered for him from the water.

The sun was beating down, and Jones and Nancy handed out a cream to protect them from its rays. Frey laughed as Amber coaxed Dolce, who looked a bit self-conscious without her usual layers, into the water, even as Pico pretended to swim. Xiao Pai brought a beach ball, and they played games for a while until Leon and Kiel arrived.

"How'd it take so long for us to hear about this?" Kiel asked, feigning hurt.

"It's a mystery," Illuminata called. She was sprawled out in the grass, enjoying the sun. "Maybe because you were holed up in your room?"

Kiel laughed.

Leon considered this, a flick of his tail promising mischief. "That may be true," he said. "Perhaps you should get a fresh perspective."

"Watch out, Kiel!" Frey yelled, but too late. Leon picked Kiel up and tossed him in the water.

"Leon!" Forte chastised. But Kiel was laughing even harder than the culprit, so she let it go.

Frey, who'd gotten out of the water to greet them, laughed too. Leon flashed her a wicked grin.

"You need a hand in too, Princess?" he asked.

"You couldn't catch me if your life depended on it," she said casually.

"I've got longer legs than you. I'll bet I'm faster," Leon said, tapping his fan against his chin.

"We'll see about that!" Frey said, then leaped into the water. Leon laughed and followed.

After a bit of foolish splashing around, Doug suggested they play chicken.

"How's that played?" Dylas asked cautiously. "We didn't have that in my time."

"Easy, two people get someone on their shoulders and the one on top tries to push the other off," Doug explained. Clorica woke up on her towel in the grass around then, and she ended up on his shoulders while Amber got on Leon's. Dolce laughed into her hand as Amber managed to shove both Clorica and Doug backwards in the water.

"She's air aligned," Forte laughed. "You think you're safe since she's so light, but it seems like the wind's on her side."

"Our turn," Leon announced. "Come on, Frey."

"I wasn't aware we were a team," Frey said.

"Suit yourself, but I doubt you're getting anyone on your shoulders," he shrugged.

"Fair," she laughed. Frey got on Leon's shoulders and faced their opponents, Dylas and Forte.

"Wuh-oh, that's gonna be tough," Frey said.

"Bring it on," Leon grinned.

Forte and Frey linked hands, trying to throw each other off balance.

"You're getting stronger, Frey!" Forte praised. "This would've been easy last summer!"

"All thanks to you!" Frey said. Forte finally threw her off Leon, but they demanded a rematch, and then best two out of three when Forte won again.

On Leon's shoulders for round three, laughing and surrounded by friends on all side, Frey felt excited and full of joy. The runes around them were dancing, twirling around in the crowd's energy.

Wait, Frey thought, those aren't runeys, they're just...runes. Since when could I see-

Then Dylas and Forte rushed forward and her vision swam, making a blur of them both. Frey blinked, her mind filled with fog.

"If you do this, there's no turning back."

"I know. I know that."

"Have you tied up loose ends?"
A pause. Then, "We've done what we can."

"I see. We'll be waiting for you on the other side."

Water. Water everywhere, filled with runes.

Kiel's voice, distant. "Hey, look at Frey. Does she seem okay? I heard she's been feeling weird..."

Leon's voice, closer. "Here we come!"

Forte's eyes widened as she realized too late that Frey wasn't fighting back.

"Frey?"

Frey fell backward off Leon's shoulders and landed in the sea.

What?

What was happening?

The water was dark and far, far deeper than it should've been. Colder, too. She sank down without fighting, staring in confusion at the fading sunlight from the surface. Runes floated all around her-primal, ancient symbols that blurred when she got near.

Then she saw a group of people speaking with a boy and a girl.

"So you're earthmates," one said. "That's powerful magic, but it doesn't make you invincible."

The voice echoed in her head.

"This spell you two invented," another said. "It's not to be taken lightly."

"We know," said the boy. "But we have to do this."

That voice. Frey knew that voice.

Then the girl spoke, and it was even more familiar. It was her own voice."We've thought this through, guys. It's gotta be done."

Frey realized the girl was herself, backwards—this must be how others saw her, rather than her own reflection in a mirror.

"And what is this spell?" another voice asked. "What is it called?"

And then in the water, the boy took his hood off and looked directly through Frey.

It was her face. But not. He had her face, with shorter blonde hair and light eyes-

"Etherlink," he said softly.

Frey gasped for air. The world went back to how it should be—the beach was not a deep sea, and it was summer, and warm, but still Frey fought.

"Jones!" Leon barked. He had pulled her out of the water, carrying her to shore. Frey realized this but couldn't stop her body from fighting against his hold. "Frey, Frey-calm down. It's me. We've got you."

"Let go! I have to go back!" she cried.

Jones strode forward. "Leon, lower her to the ground carefully," he said. "If this is a seizure she could fall and hurt herself."

Leon did so, but then he and Jones both had to brace her so she didn't run back for the water.

"What's wrong with Frey?" Dylas demanded, sloshing through the water to shore.

"What's going on?" Amber whimpered.

"It's alright, Amber, Jones and Nancy will treat her," Dolce said, pulling the girl back a few steps. Her play at calm was forced.

With everyone gathering around her, Frey felt her breath grow short. She twisted, trying to break away.

"What can I do to help?" Arthur asked.

"Space, please, everyone," Nancy said.

Jones hands passed over her. "Her runes are dramatically low."

"Let me go!" Frey growled. "He's still in there!"

"Woah, who's still in there?" Doug asked.

Suddenly, Frey was filled with weakness. She held the image of the blonde boy in her mind, heard the word Etherlink over and over and over.

"My brother," Frey said. "My twin Lest!"

And everything went black.