This fanfic is set 3 years after everything in TLA unfolded. I haven't played the game in ages, so bear with me if I'm just a little rusty. ;)

On with the show.

It was summertime in Champa. The air was humid and thick with the scent of the nearby sea. Champa's residents took the drastic temperature change in stride, hardly noticing the extra heat as they went about their daily lives.

Being a Fire Adept, Jenna usually had no aversion to heat of any kind; be it a fire, molten lava, hot air, anything that she could manipulate with her powers. But to be honest, she hated the hot weather. When there was cold weather, she could use her power to warm herself and her friends. She could use her powers, but in this heat, she felt useless. She hated how she was always sticky and uncomfortable, and she especially hated how it was unbearable to train in 103 degree heat for fear of a heat stroke or fainting…

The thought of fainting made her toes curl. She was never delicate or fragile like Sheba, never angelic and pure like Mia, never sturdy or simple like Felix or Isaac. She was really most like Garet—practically allergic to subtlety, quick-tempered, and brutally honest. She was the first to really master her firepower, despite it being the most unstable of all the elements. She had the most talent out of them all.

But despite this truth, for it wasn't self-centeredness, she still adored her comrades. Even though Sheba was the token girly-girl, she and Jenna formed a friendship based solely on boys and gossip. Jenna was raised a tomboy but the feminine qualities were becoming harder and harder to resist as she grew older.

With Felix, she developed a bond that didn't rely solely on talking. Instead they trusted each other in the way that only siblings can trust, and shaped a mutual, silent understanding through almost a year of (sometimes uncomfortably) close adventuring.

She didn't trust Piers quite so quickly or steadfastly at first. Piers joined their group with a bang, arriving in a swirl of confusion and mistrust. But over time and through an infinite amount of battling enormous creatures, Piers saved her skin life more than once. To him she owed a special confidence—one that comes with bringing someone back from the brink of death. She knew that it took some serious affection for someone to do that. No, she didn't know what it meant.

Garet and Isaac, her oldest friends from Vale, needed no explaining. Isaac was her first crush; Garet, her first best friend. They loved her and she loved them, no matter what. They knew that blood was thicker than water, and they understood. She owed them everything.

Mia was the black sheep in Jenna's universe; she entered quietly and left just as abruptly. She and Jenna never had an opportunity to bond, and to be honest, Jenna wasn't heartbroken over it. To her, she felt that Mia had the least amount of personality in the group. She wondered why Garet ever became interested in her, but then again, it wasn't any of her business.

At this point in thought Jenna was at the pier, hoping to find some sea mist to cool her down. Her hair was entirely up off her neck, her bangs held up in clips. She wore the loosest, lightest clothing she had and no shoes. It didn't help much.

She sat at the edge of the pier, dangling her feet in the water, and leaned back until she was lying on the dock. The sun beat down mercilessly and she shut her eyes, hoping to shut out the excessive sunlight as well. It didn't work, and so she flung her sticky arm over her eyes and sighed.

"Are you okay, miss?" a voice asked a few minutes later.

"I'll be fine once this damned weather goes away," she grumbled from under her arm.

"You don't like the heat?" the voice said.

"No, not at all," she replied. "I prefer it sunny and nice out, with a breeze. I like being able to let my hair down, to wear normal clothing, and in this, I can't do that without overheating myself."

"That's too bad; I think you'd look nice with your hair down."

At that point the voice began to seem familiar. Jenna moved her arm slightly and squinted up at the face peering down at her.

"Isaac!" she shrieked and jumped up. "I'd give you a hug, but I think I'd gross you out," she said, then laughed. "You need a haircut, don't you? You're looking like Felix now."

Isaac rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, pushing his new orange ponytail behind his shoulders. "Do you think I could stay at your place?" he asked. "I'm not staying long, and I've got only a little bit of equipment."

"Of course," Jenna said immediately and began walking. "So tell me, what's the equipment for, anyways?"

"You can't laugh."

"…I promise."

"Garet and Mia sort of opened a summer camp in Vale," he said awkwardly. "He made me be his second-in-command, sort of."

Jenna snickered. "What an idiot," she said fondly.

"Anyways, I got sidetracked. I remembered that you lived somewhere up here and so I asked Garet if I could take a few days to myself, considering it's my summer too, and then I walked along the coast looking for the town where you lived."

Were it anyone else, it would sound like a confession of love. But Jenna brushed it off and said, "How long were you looking?"

"Only a week and a half. I didn't stop that far away from here, and I took my time looking around. Before this heat wave, it was actually kinda nice out. But now it's almost like suicide."

"Tell me about it," Jenna growled. "I thought I was used to heat; damn, I thought I liked heat. This is not the heat that I like or am used to."

Isaac smiled as they took the steps two at a time. "How big is your house?"

"God, it's monstrous!" Jenna laughed and unlocked the front door.

It wasn't a mansion, but it definitely was a nice house—three floors, five bedrooms, a bathroom on each floor, a kitchen, a living room, basement, attic, and so on: she had it all. It was a little lonely, though, and she had rented it out in the past, but there weren't many people who would want to live under the patronage of a 20-year-old.

Isaac set himself up in a bedroom on the second floor and, when he was done, he came down to join Jenna in the living room.

"When are you going to ask me how everyone is?" he asked quietly.

"I was waiting for you to tell me," she said stiffly. "It's hypocritical of me to ask, anyways, since I was the one who left."

He shrugged. "They would want to know how you were, even though you left," he said baldly.

"And so? How are they?"

"Sheba and Ivan have opened an academy in Kalay; they're doing pretty well. I see that look in your eye, Jenna; they're more like siblings than anything, so don't go getting all gooey on me. Garet and Mia are together, yeah, and they have their silly summer camp; I'm with them most of the time anyways. I haven't found anyone, before you ask," he said quickly, blushing.

Jenna grinned. "You know me so well," she said, teasing.

"Piers is back in Lemuria, and we haven't really heard much from him, aside that he's now one of the King's advisors," Isaac continued on. "Oh, and he's planning on coming back within the year. We don't know when or where, but we're hoping it's in time for the reunion—"

"What reunion?" Jenna asked sharply.

Now Isaac looked really uncomfortable. "It was Mia and Garet's idea," he confessed. "They thought it would be good for all of us to regroup, sort of, and wander around Weyard. Like old times, you know? I'm sure there are more Djinn, summons, creatures to find…" he trailed off.

Jenna ignored what Isaac just said and instead asked, "When did they come up with this idea?" she interrogated. "Where are we supposed to meet? Do they just expect me to drop everything and run to them like a dog? I have my own life going on, and they want me to take a break and just put on some armor and go save the world again?"

Isaac raised his eyebrows. "No one expects you to do anything, Jenna," he pointed out. "After all, you're the one who left first. They expect you to not come, actually."

"Then they won't be disappointed," Jenna snapped. "I have no interest in seeing them, not after what went down. Not after what we all did to my—" She stopped abruptly and was silent.

"No one knew the Dragon would end up being your parents," Isaac said gently. "That was no one's fault."

Jenna's fists balled up in her lap. "Shut up, Isaac," she said through gritted teeth. "I know."

Isaac sat back in his seat and continued on, "Don't you want to see Felix? Or Garet? Don't you miss your family?"

Jenna said nothing as her knuckles went white.

"I know there's no lost love between you and Mia, but she does miss you. She always respected you, you know. Sheba, too. You were a role-model, Jenna, you still are. We know it wasn't easy to leave us, and we forgive you."

This was progressing into uncharted territory, and it was making Jenna uneasy.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Jenna said stubbornly. "There was nothing to it. I had to choose between staying safe with you guys and putting myself out there, and you know me," she said bitterly, "I was never particularly interested in staying safe."

"Our own little wild child," Isaac said, smiling.

"Right," she replied tightly. "Right."

There was a silence, long and awkward.

Jenna then decided to ask Isaac something that had been troubling her for some time.

"Did Piers mention anything other than becoming an advisor to the king?" she asked carefully.

Isaac replied slowly, "I have the letter with me if you want to read it."

Jenna nodded, also slowly. For some reason her pulse was quickening, her hands becoming clammy.

But then she came to her senses. The heat was unbearable, making her heart race and her skin to become sticky—why should her hands be any exception?

Isaac pulled the letter out of his backpack and handed it to her, "We got this in Vale about a month ago. It's really short, but it is from him."

"Dear Felix and Ivan," it began,

"I write to you from Lemuria, which suffice to say hasn't changed at all since we ventured there. I read your letter and, yes, I am very interested in a reunion. In fact, I was thinking of taking a break from my duties as a king's advisor—yes, you read that correctly—and taking a vacation. I am curious to see how everyone is.

"Please, tell me of Jenna. Her departure was so abrupt and so sudden I scarcely had time to think before she was gone. Is she safe and content where she is—and where, indeed, is she?

"There is not much more to say, Felix and Isaac. I treasure you as friends, with which I have had little experience, and I hope you understand my lack of interesting things to write about. Perhaps when we have our reunion there will be more to speak of.

"Sincerely, Piers"

Jenna returned the letter to Isaac, who tucked it back into his pocket. He was looking at her strangely, and Jenna flushed despite herself.

She didn't like it.

"What are you looking at?" she growled at Isaac, studying her intently.

"Piers expressed some serious interest in your whereabouts," he said simply. "I can't believe I had forgotten to mention."

"Me neither," Jenna said dryly. "It's exactly the kind of thing you just, poof!—forget."

"What do you think?" Isaac asked, brushing her snide comment aside.

"I think you're looking too much into it," Jenna replied acerbically. "What about you? Any lady love for you?" she sneered, now in a bad mood.

"No," he said and was quiet.

"That's it?" she reiterated.

"Yeah."

"How boring."

"Look, I came here to know how you were doing, not for you to interrogate me. Tell me what you're doing."

"I'm helping a woman by the name of Mrs. Poccoui around the inn. She has me clean and stuff, and sometimes I make food. She's teaching me to cook," Jenna said, with a tiny ray of pride in her voice.

Isaac was puzzled—the thought of Jenna in an apron, cradling a bowl in one arm and holding a large spoon in the other, did not compute.

He nodded as if interested and asked, "What else? Make any friends?"

"Not really," Jenna said; the ray of pride was then gone. "They can tell that I'm—different. They still don't really trust me."

"Haven't you lived here for a few years?"

"No, only one and a half. I kinda wandered around for a bit before settling down here. Believe it or not it was actually beautiful the second time I visited."

"Does Mrs. Poke-oo-wee trust you? Does she like you?"

"She likes me when I fix her oven. She trusts me when I teach her kids some basic defense. Other than that, I like to think she respects me."

Isaac nodded and seemed to be at a loss for words. "Are you going to show me around town now?"

---v---v---v---v---v---

Jenna brought Isaac down to the docks two weeks later. His ship had arrived and was in port, waiting to be boarded by the famous Isaac of Vale. She helped him set his luggage down on deck and together they walked back to the pier.

"It's been a nice visit," Isaac said politely. "You were always my favorite friend, Jenna, no matter that you think." He offered her a boyish smile as he waited for her reply.

She smacked him on the arm. "You know I'm not one for sentiments," she began, "so I'll just give you a hug and say bye."

She leaned over and hugged him, patting him on the back. Moments later she let go and held him at arm's length. "You really have grown," she remarked. "You're not a little boy anymore."

"And you're definitely not a little girl," Isaac said and laughed in her face.

Jenna pushed him onto the boat and removed the plank. She laughed right back at him as he frantically gestured for his hat, which was dangling from her finger in mockery. She tossed the hat toward him and laughed harder when it hit the water and sunk below the surface.

Not ten minutes later, Isaac's boat was gone and Jenna felt hollow, false—as if their time together was forced and fake.

It kinda was.

She turned and walked back to dry land, but before her feet touched the hard-packed ground, she heard a squelch behind her.

She turned, only just able to see the tendril of water sink back to the undulating surface. There was a puddle at the edge of the dock, and in that puddle was Isaac's hat.

Jenna stared at the puddle, not quite sure what to think. Was it some water sprite, returning the unwanted hat? Was it a practical joke from the local urchins, using some newfound Adept tricks?

She turned back, resolving to ignore it. It wasn't as if that kind of thing was unheard of in Weyard. And she certainly didn't want Isaac's soggy hat.

---v---v---v---v---v---

That was the first chapter. Yes, I know, not a whole lot about Piers or Alex in any of it, but rest assured it will come. I have plans for this fic, oh yes I do, and just you wait. ;)

~:Helena Heartbeat

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