To the love of my life, Rime.

I never would have thought this letter would have had its use. But here it is, likely before you.

Yes, I thought of this moment. I hoped it never would have been like this, but it seems the worst has come to pass.

I know your first instinct is to perhaps put this letter down. Perhaps you'll find it hard to continue, but I beg you: please keep going.

And don't mind the contractions.

I have a theory to share, Rime. I know how you've always felt about me and my theories, but this one is the most important one I will ever give.

I like to call it the theory of no regrets.

Everything we've ever done has led to this point. Every breath, every thought, every action. The tiniest things we have done, coming up to this moment in time, have brought us here.

And I don't regret it. I don't regret anything.

Because everything bad in our lives has also lead to what is good.

I hated working in that clinic for two years, Rime. I dealt with some of the worst dragons the Kingdom had to offer. The arrogance, pompousness, boring politics.

I can't begin to tell you the number of times some second to third circle noble would come in. Their attitudes are something else, you know. I could've left on some days, let my assistant do most of the work. But I didn't. I could have closed early, but I didn't.

And it led to you. It all led to you, and at first, it seemed like any other day.

And to think I had been so close to never meeting you. Five minutes of more work ended up changing my life.

And for you, the pain you felt in your throat that day. If it was a day later, or earlier, if you chose not to go at all- it's remarkable how easily things could have changed for either of us.

Maybe it was bad for you. Maybe I disliked my work, too. But it led up to a great thing.

Everything bad has led to everything good.

That's why I don't regret.

If the experience was not there, something else would be. And things would be different.

We would be different.

So maybe it was like any other day, too, when I walked in to see the Major. And maybe I never would have expected what happened next, before I left.

But then Polar came into our lives.

You know, a day never went by where I hadn't thought of home. Thought of you. Thought of Polar.

I've done a lot of thinking in my life, Rime. That you can tell. But I have not always been transparent about what I've thought about, even before I made the choice to join the war.

But now you must know. Now I must be transparent, even if it hurts to write this.

My death will give me a posthumous honorary raising in the rankings. To the Fourth Circle. It would've been temporary; if I didn't have you.

So. We've made it.

Yes, love. I thought of this, too.

I know how you must be feeling, right now. I never wanted this to happen. Our future, falling apart, like shattering ice. But just like ice- just like your heart- I know it will reform once more. I know you will be stronger for it.

And I know Polar's going to be a great dragon.

These words won't be the last you ever hear or see of me.

After all, I'll be waiting for you when it's your time to join me in the skies beyond the blue.

I love you so much. And tell Polar that Graupel loves her very much, too.

Goodbye.

Specialist Graupel.

A/N:

And so I return from a long hiatus from WoF fanfiction! Let me say right now: This hurt more than the first one to write. Thanks to Blackberry Avar who helped out with the editing process and even with some linework. He's awesome and I thank him for getting me back into the swing of things.

I will leave you guys with this quote:

A light is most missed when it stops shining, not if it never shone.