Prayer to the Angels

by Himdall

"Great Seraphs, please... Protect Mummy and Daddy from the Desians... Please, protect them so they can come back from the Human Ranch..." What would have happened if Colette's journey had been different? Let imagine that some of the game's characters had never met and that some had. In that case, would the Age of Half-Elves become a reality? Slight AU with all characters.

1. What happens to the Heretics - Prologue

Hello!

Oh I'm so nervous! It's my very first Tales of Symphonia fanfiction and I hope I will be able to make it entertaining but moreover, it's also my first fanfiction written in English. As I am accepted in a London school for a month, I though it would be good for my English to be practiced (as a consequence, if there are grammar or spelling mistakes I would really appreciate to let me know!)

« A god is only a god if he is loved as much as he is feared.» That quote from my Law Philosophy teacher can be very interesting if it is applied to the Religion of Martel. Indeed, if the Goddess can be seen as the « soft» side of the cult, perhaps the Seraphs can be considered as vengeful Angels (and so its «holier-than-thou» side).

Note: I assume that Spiritua's journey had taken place 1000 years before Colette's one and that a Chosen one borns every 200 years. It's an arbitrary choice but I see Mana as a natural resource which can't disappear / reappear overnight. It takes time. Example: Spiritua ascends the Tower of Salvation as an Angel thereby saves Sylvarant. Mana goes back to this world. Crops take 25 years to become abundant. When agriculture is assured, business expands for 50 - 70 years. Then, comes a time (mostly 95 years) of economical, scientific development and societal changes. 15 years before the Chosen's birth, Mana starts becoming unstable. Its fluctuations grow and become intense when the Journey begins (as the other Chosen's Journey begins).

Note 2: 27/08/2016: I decided to rewrite the first chapter to make it a bit clearer. My English has improved a bit since I began this fanfiction (A BIT ^^ I said...)

See you soon! :D

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All the children were sitting at their place. They were all expecting their professor to come at any minute now.

"Where's your sister, Genis?" asked a brown haired little boy dressed with red clothes to another one with silver hair. The youngest shook his head. "I don't know, Lloyd. She was getting ready for the class..."

The boy named Lloyd shruged and started playing with his pencils. His eyes came to his other friend, a little girl with mesmerizing blue eyes who was reading a book. "What are you reading, Colette?"

The ten-year-old girl blinked several times. "It's about the fall of the Sylvarant Monarchy... As we are going to study it today, I thought it would be better if I read something about it... It's very important for me to know exactly how the Desians managed to make our last king abdicate. After all, his abdication is also the beginning of their oppression" she added with a faint smile.

Lloyd blinked as he wanted to say something else but the Genis'sister just arrived into the classroom. The young boy yawned deeply as he rolled his brown eyes.

History lessons really were the worst...

O.O.O.O

six hundred years ago

Another deafening noise could be heard throughout Sylvarant's capital. While he was walking straight to the King's castle, a young man dressed with a green cotton shirt and some black trousers stopped and looked up to the cathedral. He frowned. Stained-glass windows had exploded due to the shock of the magical attacks and now, black smoke was escaping from the damages. Those bastards! They dared! They dared attacking the religious place in which the Goddess was worshipped.

In rage he started running again but in direction of the church. When he finally arrived in front of the religious building, he felt something brushing his hair. He raised his head and the « thing» in question was a fire bomb which was exploding the walls. Those hybrid beings were using their powers to attack the Capital of the Sylvarant's Dynasty. The screams of the people blocked into the church made the young man react. He had to do something to help them. To do so, he made his way through the bits and pieces and through the dark smoke. He managed to clear the entry of the tiles which had fallen due to the raid. Immediately he could feel this thick smoke hampered his airways. While he was coughing, some children escaped due to the opening he had created. Those kids ran away in the devastate street, hoping to find a safe place to hide from this nightmare. Although he wanted to go back to the castle, he heard some screams which made him rushed into the cathedral. The more he was sinking into the building, drier the air was getting. He could feel his clothes sticking to his body. The temperature of the place was coming higher and higher due to a fire in the nave. The flames were devastating the luxurious tapestries representing the Hero and the Goddess, and the golden altar. The closer he was getting to the confessional, clearer the voice which was seeking for help became. Despise the smoke, he could see a familiar silhouette, laying on the floor, squeezed by a statue which had fallen during the attack. He ran to help the victim.

« Dorriant, is it you?» She whispered, closing her green eyes to protect them from the dust which was falling everywhere.

« Hold on Laureline! Don't worry! I'm here to rescue you!» He said pushing with all his strength the pieces of white marble on which she was trapped.

«My legs! I can't feel them anymore!»

He stopped for a while, trying to catch his breath. He stared at her. Knowing he was not strong enough to save his friend alone, he ran outside seeking for help. He could feel his heart pulsing strongly as he didn't have much time to save her, the fire was growing even more important. The young man crossed several streets before meeting a member of the Royal Guard. With his help, he could move the statue a little which enabled her to crawl on the floor. They had to hurry! The fire had now spread to the nave and was getting closer to them. Without delicacy, the guard grasped her in his arms, put her on his shoulders and started running outside. When they arrived in a safe place in a corner of a street, they laid her down on the cobblestones where she could regain consciousness. Dorriant stood on his feet, anxiously watching her injuries. As far as he could see, her legs seemed to be broken into thousands pieces. Her body was trembling.

« What happened? » She finally asked with an unusually deep voice, showing how much smoke she had inhaled.

The young man wanted to tell her the truth but he didn't have the time because at the same time, some new fire bombs had been thrown against others houses. He cursed, then went back on the road to the castle. All his way was full of pitfalls because of the destruction of the capital. While he was climbing the steps of the Palace's entry, he looked back and saw thick dark smoke raising upon the inhabitants' houses. He frowned. He could easily guess that the business and the working-class areas have been destroyed by the flames. He could only hope that the citizens had been able to run to the harbor where they could be safe from the blaze. Roughly he opened the castle's heavy doors and ran through several rooms, before stepping into a large one in which his father was sitting at a wood table, looking desperate.

«Father! Luin's and Izoold's emissaries were right!»

The old man didn't move. He stayed in his chair, seemingly under the shock of the situation. Worried, Dorriant came closer and saw some maps thrown on the table. His eyes gazed at one of them, examining each details of that particular paper. It depicted his father's whole country - well, what the country used to be before the conquest had begun - Five red pointers were drawn across all Sylvarant's grasslands, pointing at Palmacosta. In barely one month Triet and Asgard - the biggest towns of the realm - had been taken by their enemies. The only important city left was the capital: Palmacosta. For how long? The Desians' troupes were besieging the town. It would be over soon... The young man ran his hand over his face, terrified by the alarming situation... He stayed silent for a moment, deep in his thoughts, when another man came in. He was a blond minister, wearing a long white chasuble embroidered with golden wires. He was holding a heavy gold crozier in his left hand and a little red and green book in the other hand. Its cover was so luxurious cover that it reflected the small ray of light that shone in the room. Dorriant heard the clothes sliding softly on the parquet floor and looked up at the newcomer with a dubious expression. Indeed, the young man disliked him, the Archbishop of Palmacosta. He disliked how the withe of his chasuble made his skin even paler than usual, he disliked how this whiteness was highlighting his piercing reddish little eyes, moreover, he disliked how his skinny and long figure completed this haughty aura of his. This minister really bugged Dorriant out, but for some reasons, his father didn't mind and so, stood up straight and looked at him with anxiety.

« The cathedral is now a ruin, my dear Dorrist. How could it resist the Demons' attacks without the prayers, without the faith of its followers?» The cleric told the monarch while his son was staring at him with distrust. He didn't like seeing him hovering around his father like a bird of prey around a small animal, ready to dive on it at any time. Suddenly aware of Dorrian's distrusting eyes on him, the Archbishop walked over and faced him.

« Demons are attracted by sins...» He hissed at the Prince. The young man's face muscles tensed up. In his eyes, the priest was absolutely not afflicted by the attacks. He always thought that this man was only seeking for power and wealth, without care of his people's souls. A monarchy by divine rights governed the realm of Sylvarant and as a consequence, the only not hereditary influent position was the Archbishop of the capital. When this man had been appointed at the apex of the Church of Martel, Religion had already begun to lose all its influence. The realm was becoming more and more secular. His predecessors had tried to maintain the faith within the people's heart by praising some values like sharing, brotherhood... The new Archbishop had another way to make sure that Religion would continue to rule the kingdom and would keep its influence on its inhabitants's minds: in each of his preaches, he swore that the people who were not good believers would be imprisoned and burnt at the stake for heresy.

«Demons with four faces, I suppose». The young man said mockingly.

The Archbishop raised an eyebrow. He was getting irritated by this spoiled little noble. His fingers were patting on the book he had in his hand. «The Seraphs have a deeply kindness. Their hearts are full of goodness. They have tried to protect your and your heretic people! But you went too far, finally you were out of lines, and so, they had to punish you, to punish for your sins...»

The old ruler nodded and watched at the cleric with desperate eyes. He begged for forgiveness, he begged the Seraphs to spare his people's life. He was the only one to blame for the secularization of the country. The minister looked at him and then, hit the table with an energetic fist, he craned his head to be so close of the monarch's old face that only a few millimeters were separating them. His reddish apples were staring at hers.

«You deserve your punishment! Cruxis let those monsters destroy everything because of you, because you and your people became heretic! The Seraphs' strength is diminished if Humans stop believing in Religion of Martel!»

The monarch whined like a scared little animal. If only he hadn't had listened to his first councilor Niss! He shouldn't had passed all those laws allowing freedom of cult, of expression... They had encouraged people's sins. If he hadn't, the people would have continue to go to church and to obey to Religion's rules, and so the Seraphs wouldn't be so upset.

«Cruxis is your friend. Its kindness is limitless. But, a friendship implies two parties and reciprocity. If your friend feels attacked, despised, ignored, he would not help you when you are attacked. Do you understand my little metaphor? Cruxis wanted to help you and your people but the secularization of society - highlighted by all you laws - is upsetting it. If you replace Religion in society's heart, I'm sure the Angeles would be pleased and so would help you fighting those monsters.»

The old king nodded again, meekly. He would do what the cleric said. He would bring his people back into the straight line, he would bring faith back into his people's heart. At any cost!

«If your people become again true believers and follow Cruxis's dogmas then, I'm sure the Angels would bless them and protect them!»

Dorriant was watching this discussion, doubtfully. He had supported those laws recognizing individual freedoms, he had helped Niss convincing his father when he was reluctant to pass bills into laws. The young man never really believed in this sleepy Goddess, or in this scarified Hero or in those Angeles. Indeed, there was no need to believe in such Religion: the country had had an abundance of mana, no wars, no starvation... From what Humans needed to be protected? He always thought Mithos's story to be a myth and Cruxis's threats about the Desians to be superstitions. «Eat your diner otherwise, the Grand Cardinal will come to catch you!» His nanny used to tell him when he was a little boy. How could he take seriously this cult when each part of it seemed so crazy? For instance, the Tower of Salvation! It was supposed to be the highest tower ever! So high that it linked Earth to the Heavens! And so, according to the Church, this tower just disappeared in one night, two centuries after Spiritua had succeeded her journey... Seriously?! It was so absurd! Dorriant could not believe that, and he was not the only one to be skeptical about that fairy tale! That was exactly why the people didn't follow Cruxis's instructions anymore... Of course there was a lack of mana but the young man would have never thought that was connected to the Religion of Martel. He would have supposed that mana was a natural resources and so was not inexhaustible. Gosh!

«The issue is no longer to know who was right or wrong, Archbishop! We need to focus on finding a way to repel our enemies! They are already in the town!»

O.O.O.O

«And so, around six hundred years ago, the Kingdom's capital was attacked by the Desians and therefore, the monarch abducted. His abdication ended the Monarchy of Sylvarant. Last week, we saw that the Palmacosta Dynasty was almost the longest of our history - except the Asgard Dynasty which lasted as long as a thousand years, Cleo III is even mentioned into the records of the Ancient War - Lloyd! Stop eating Genis's cakes! I'm talking about a very important subject right now! Listen! Have you understood why the downfall of the Sylvarant Monarchy is so important in our history?»

The class stayed silent for a while, staring at its teacher who continued to walk across the room. All the pupils were captivated by her lesson, waiting her to pursue her explanations. Well, not all of them were captivated, indeed, a little brown boy, dressed in a red shirt and a black trousers, was still enjoying his meal, eating all the cakes of his friend. Raine sighed loudly. Her steel-blue eyes glared at the blond ten-year-old girl seated next to the glutton.

«Really? No-one has an idea? You do remember that you have a test in two days - Well I hope you do! - The Desians' domination started at this moment. After King Dorrist's abduction there was no opposition left and therefore, the Desians could easily take control of our world. Do you remember the name of the Desian Grand Cardinals?»

No noise could be heard in the classroom. The silence was heavy. The teacher could feel the eyes of her twenty pupils staring at her with anxiety. Evoking those Desian leaders was enough to scare the children to death. They were monsters... The kids thought that avoiding to speak about them would save them and their families from their cruelty, from the Ranches. They didn't really know what they did to Human in those places but they were aware of their dangerousness. Being imprisoned there meant dying. A blond little boy, seated next to a window, rose up his green eyes and glared at the dark smoke full of ashes that escaped from one of the Ranch's big chimneys. His mother had told him that people imprisoned there were joining the Angels after so time left. A shiny soft voice woke him up, leaving his thoughts.

«Ma-Magn...Maggot? At Palmacosta?» Said a seven-year-old boy.

Giggles in the class. The very young pupil didn't exactly understand why his classmates were laughing so loudly. He seemed confused. His mistake, at least, had relaxed the atmosphere and so, others names were given by the pupils.

«No, Magnius, Forcystus, Kvar and Rodyle. They are called the Desian Grand Cardinals with reference to the four corners of the earth. This shows that they control every land of our country...» She stopped her explanation when she saw the little hand of a young boy.

«Ma'am, do you know what they do to their prisoners in the Ranches?»

The teacher coughed for a while. She didn't know what to answer - she didn't even know if she had to answer that question - She passed one of her hands into her short silver hair, sighing.

«It's really difficult for me to answer your question, Paul, but I personally think that you deserve to know what the Ranches are about. Hum...» She stopped for a moment, searching her words. «Actually, we do not know exactly what their aim is, we just know they use a lot of mana and that, heir prisoners are killed... A very few of them escaped. Remember that they are damned creatures because they kill Humans who are the Goddess's sons. They sacrifice life to their own profit and that is why they have to be sealed away...»

Nobody dared make a noise. Raine felt ill-at-ease. Maybe she had told too much about the truth, maybe they should not know the Desians' aim... They were kids, they were young... She could see how much they were afraid. Suddenly, a small ginger spoke with a strong voice, looking at another blond ten-year-old girl. «Colette will remove the Desians from Sylvarant! She will free us from those damned Half-Elves! Colette will become an Angel!»

Colette smiled, accepting her duty. She knew perfectly well that she was unique, special. She was the Chosen one, the only one who could sooth the pain and the suffering of the people of Sylvarant. The villagers would always make amazing festivities to celebrate each of her birthdays. She grinned, feeling bitter. They were not celebrating her birth but the time left before she had to begin her journey. They were waiting for her to transform into an Angel. One week ago, she even heard one of her friend's mother saying to another «six more years to wait before the Day of Prophecy!» Yes, she knew her role very well... She could feel a knot in her throat, her eyes getting moister and moister. When she felt some eyes looking at her, she raised her head and had an open smile drawn on her lips. Lloyd always could cheer her up!

Because all the children were staring at Colette, nobody saw the teacher getting more and more nervous. Although she usually was confident, always standing up proudly; at this right moment she was almost bent over her desk. Suddenly, she raised up.

«When Colette becomes an Angel, the Desians will be sealed away... And Half-Elves... You do know that Genis and I are different from them, do you.» She gasped.

«Yes, you are different from them because you are not from the same race, you are Elves... Your blood is pure.» Said another child with a soft voice, gazing at her.

The teacher could do nothing but nod silently. She waited until the pupils could concentrate again before continuing the lesson. She clapped into her hands to make them focus.

«This event is also very interesting because it shows the real nature of Cruxis. It's a holy organization which can be seen as the armed wing of the Goddess Martel. Its role is to ensure that the people follow the dogmas of the Church of Martel. As we saw, during King Dorrian's reign, the process of secularization could have upset the Angels and especially the Seraphs, therefore they didn't protect us from the Desians. That's why we always have to obey the Church of Martel, because if we don't, they would abandon us to the Desians' fury... Lloyd! Please, listen carefully!»

O.O.O.O

The bells rang out from the bell tower around 3 P.M, ending the day of class. All the kids ran out, yelling at each other, eating their little snacks. Some of them stayed in front of the small wood building, playing joyfully. Lloyd wanted to join his friends when he would have finished his - well Genis's- snack. But, unfortunately, he could hear his teacher's voice asking him to stay for a moment. He sighed. He didn't like that because he already had been scolded for not paying enough attention in class, or for disrupting the lesson... It was not his fault: class was so boring!

«Lloyd, how much are 7 x 6?"

"A certain number, Miss!»

Lloyd was a franc little boy, always answering quickly without hesitations. She rolled her clear eyes as a sign of despair.

«You don't know your multiplication tables even though you're eleven! All your classmates do! And...»

The child looked down while he was still playing with his brownish straps. They were so pretty! The prettiest straps ever! He could easily see his father making them for him, working all night to finish them in time. He was the greatest father ever! Even if he «was not his real father» as some of his classmates had told him, Lloyd loved him so much! He loved him as much as apple pies! At this right moment, he was surely making a cake for him! Yummy! He could have stayed lost in his thoughts if a younger boy had not come in a hurry into the class.

«Raine, please! Don't punish Lloyd! He sucks but I'll help him!"

"Yes! Please, Miss! Please!» Added the sweet Colette, arriving behind the little boy.

Lloyd smiled.

O.O.O.O

The little boy sighed when he heard another deafening noise. Since he came back home, he was often disturbed by such noises. « Raine is a huge disaster!» He thought. He left the bedroom he shared with his older sister and went to the kitchen with a blasé expression on his cute face.

«Everything is dirty now, Raine!»

He started laughing when the young woman turned back to him. She had left the cauldron on the fire for too long, the soup had boiled and had escaped, splashing the walls and even her cheeks. She really seemed unamused! She felt so much frustration! Why did this happen? She had followed the recipe! Gosh!

Letting his sister to her anger, Genis rode up the dark wood working plan, opened a cupboard and, full of excitement, tried his best to catch up a glass jar full of - delicious - cookies. Feeling his sibling glaring at him, the little boy stopped his action.

«Please... Raine... Cookies...» He whispered pitifully, being as adorable as he could.

Raine looked at him, doubtfully. She frowned. Her steel-bleu eyes were scrutinizing the little boy. After a moment of silence, she finally sighed again and let it go. «Go wash your hands first!»

He smiled from hear to hear and jumped on the floor. He won over her! He finally could escape to this horrible «healthy eating» for once! Thanks Martel! He wouldn't eat those disgusting vegetables but those delicious cookies! So delicious! «Maybe the Holy Ground of Kharlan is full of sweets and cookies!» He thought «if that so, the Seraphs are so lucky! Cookies for breakfast, cookies for lunch, cookies for diner!» He salivated jealously.

«Thank you Raine! You're the best!» He smiled to her.

Raine rolled her eyes. Despite being a genius, her brother was still a little six-year-old boy and therefore, he had the needs and the desires of every boy of his age. She sometimes had to let it go. She couldn't punish him all the time, right? She hesitated. If only someone was here to help her, was here to give her advice about how raising him... Right now a chill went through her body. Loneliness...

Her only move was to return the only mirror of the house. It was a small rustic one, hanged at one of the beams in the kitchen. «I hate mirrors...» She murmured in a sad voice. She stayed there, close to it for a while, enjoying the silence of the room.

«Raine?» Asked her little brother in a soft whisper. He had waited for her and then, had decided to bring her back to their bedroom. Kindly, he took her hand into his and kissed it. Since he was a toddler, he had seen her returning mirrors when she was angry or upset. Once, when they were still in Palmacosta, he had heard her crying in her bed, murmuring through her tears that she «didn't want to see her again». He had hugged her and had asked her who this person was, «nothing more than a memory...» she had said.

«Do you want some milk with your cookies?» He asked her softly.

While watching at him, she smiled and nodded. «Go put your pyjama on, little boy! I'll bring the cups!»

When they were sitting on Raine's bed, wrapped up in some blankets, cuddling each other. They talked about everything, sharing their impressions about some events, sharing their hopes and their fears. Gently, motherly, Raine kissed Genis's forehead.

«Genis, do you want to talk about Lloyd? When I was about to punish him, you immediately, proposed to help him with his homework. Since when do you try to be nice with your classmates?»

The little boy rolled his big blue eyes, playing with a strand of hair nervously. He knew what she had in mind.

«You would never have done that at Palmacosta.» She added.

Genis coughed, ill-at-ease. Raine took him in her arms, cuddling him. She knew she had touched a sensitive issue. When she was studied at Palmacosta Academy, waiting to obtain some certificates and so to become a teacher, Genis was schooled into the elementary school of the Academy. If his teachers were amazed by his cleverness - which they related to his race due to an old adage boasting Elves' wisdom and intelligence - the others pupils focused on his difference and decided to exclude him from their games... As a consequence, when one of them needed some help, Genis would ignore him without any regret.

«It's not the same situation, Raine» He explained, searching his words. «Lloyd always eats my snacks, copies my answers, falls asleep on my shoulder during your class... But, Lloyd is great! And Colette too! They are different too..."

"Genis, it's not because someone is «different» that they'll be kind to you or will understand the way your feel.» She rectified, patting his little nose. «Someone will understand you because this person is your friend. Try to play with a Grand Cardinal and you'll see that I'm right!

"The Desians... They are Half-Elves too... Does it mean that our blood is cursed? That Colette will seal us aways when she becomes an Angel?»

She stared at him, silently, without knowing what to answer. She searched her words carefully. «Genis, we are different from Humans because of our blood. But we are also different from the Desians by our actions.»

O.O.O.O

«Colette? Where are you, Colette?»

It was dark by the time a blond man was looking for his daughter into their own house. The place was lightened by some candles. He had already checked every where! She was not in her bedroom, she was not in the bathroom, she was not in the living room... She seemed to have vanished. Her father sighed, staying immobile for a while. Suddenly, he remembered where she used to go when she was sad. In a rush, he went outside, in the garden which was behind the house. He looked up at the very large tree and so, saw her sitting on one of its branches. With much patience, he could join her and site next to her, cuddling her carefully.

«My sweet Colette, why are you here?»

She didn't move, gazing at the green leaves. When she finally raised her head to look at him, he could see how sad she was, her big blue eyes being full of tears. «Daddy, is it wrong to not want to die?» She asked in a soft voice.

Franck looked at her. He didn't know what to answer. The only thing he could do was to hug her into his arms. He could feel her heart pounding.

«I don't want to become an Angel, Daddy... Does it mean that I'm selfish? Is it wrong?» She murmured against his torso.

The man couldn't do anything but to caress her hair. He could feel a knot in his throat. He felt so powerless... Someone had decided to sacrifice his own daughter and he could do nothing but accept it and make it easier for her. If only he could do something... He couldn't even protect his little girl from her fate.

«Will I forget everything about you, about grandma, about Lloyd when I'm dead? Will I just disappear?»

Franck stayed silent, searching for his words but also trying to contain his anger and his despair. «When you're dead, your soul will continue to live in the new world. Every single tree, every little flower will be linked to you. I will see you in the garden's roses, Grandma will hear your soft voice into the wind and Lloyd... I guess he will remember you and your beautiful hair each time he sees some plantations of wheat...»