Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia or any of the game's characters.
This is in Raine's POV...
...
I sighed, brushing my silver hair out of my face. I twirled my staff absently while watching Sheena chase Zelos around our campsite. Children these days...I sighed, and took out my journal. The thoughts on the dream I had last night came back to me...
"Professor, what are you writing?" Colette glided cheerfully towards me, wings extended. I sighed again.
"I'm writing in my journal," I snapped, irritated. Colette nodded and went to join Lloyd, who was toasting marshmallows. After making sure no one was around to look, I opened the leather-covered book I held in my hand and decided to get the memory of Genis and I being abandoned out on paper.
I was born in an elves' village. I had little friends, and the ones I did have abandoned me as soon as they knew that I wasn't pure elf. I was constantly shunned by the other elves in the village, since my father was human, and my mother elf. When Genis was born, the elves started to get angry.
Mother never told me why they were angry at the fact that Genis was here, but I figured out most of it. The other elves were angry because Mother and Father had 'brought another filthy-blood into the world'. That made my father angry, my mother sad.
One night, there was a knock at the door. I was about to get it, but Mother stopped me. I was confused, since Father had several small bags at his feet.
"We're going on a journey, Raine," he whispered softly. Turning to Mother, he asked very quietly, "Where's Genis?" Mother came out with a bundle of blankets, which was my brother.
"He's right here," Mother said softly, gently rocking my baby brother. "Let's go now."
"All right, Virginia. Come, Raine," he motioned to me ever so softly. What was going on? "Raine, be quiet."
We snuck out back. As Father walked out the door, I saw him grab his sword. I was scared, but the fact that Mother was fidgeting ever so slightly as she walked made me even more frightened.
"Father, what's going on?" I asked softly. Father instantly hushed me.
"Shh. I'm sorry Raine, let's talk later, okay?" Father looked tenderly at me, and I nodded, feeling braver.
We continued our walk through the village. I heard the elves' roars coming from our house. I was too young to know what was going on, but now, I think they were trying to break down the door. The flames from their torches sent a wave of shivers from fear down my back, but what scared me more was what the elves' were saying.
"Virginia, open this door and give us the filthy-bloods!"
"Give us the children or we'll burn your house down!"
"Human, leave this village!"
Everything that was happening was so...confusing. Everything that happened was like a blur, though I remember it quite clearly. We almost reached the village entrance when the elves spotted us.
"There they are! Get them!"
"Trying to sneak out, eh?!"
"You're not going anywhere with the children!"
The elves shouted random things at us. The only thing in my mind during that time, though, was my father's command.
"Run!" Father shouted as some elves began to load their bows. I broke into a splitting run with Mother at my side. I grabbed the bag Mother had dropped in her haste, and watched Father unsheathe his sword and swing it at the nearest elf before turning around and catching up with us.
"Come on, Raine, all we have to do is get our of the village and forest," Mother half-shouted as we ran through the marsh of the Ymir Forest. I nodded, and turned around to see Father swinging his sword at more elves.
"Virginia! I'll catch up with you! Just ru-augh..." I turned around and saw that an arrow had hit his left shoulder blade. Father swung his sword at the last elf near him, then ran alongside us.
We didn't stop running until we reached the edge of the northern continent. That was when Father collapsed. We had pulled the arrow out, but the wound was too deep, and Father had lost a lot of blood. Mother made him stay in the nearest village, where we would come back for him later.
Our 'ship' to cross the ocean to Mother's destination was...a washtub. Yes, a washtub. This was when I developed my fear of water.
The travel was harsh, of course, since we had no protection from the weather. The worst part was not the weather. It was the water seeping into the washtub every so often. I had to scoop it out the best I could, ranging from using a spoon from the bag I held or from dumping it out with my hands.
Well, now that I think about it, the worst part was not the seeping water. It was when Mother abandoned Genis and me. We had reached the small island of the Otherworldly Gate. Mother was crying, even though I didn't know what she was crying about. I was about to ask her when she thrust Genis and a sack of clothes in my arms.
"Goodbye, Raine, dear. Goodbye, Genis," my mother said, trying to contain her sobs. "It was not your fault you were born half-elves. But I cannot keep you here with me. Be strong, child."
"Mother, what-" I started, but my mother shook her head, and tipped me out of the washtub. I fell backwards and into the water. It was cold, and I thought I was drowning. Very luckily for me, the waves pushed me to the shore of the Otherworldly Gate.
I stayed in front of the gate, lingering there. All I could do was be a big sister and try to stifle Genis' cries. It was hard, as I myself was crying. We had no food in the sack of clothes, so Genis and I went without food for a day and a half. Genis was crying from hunger, and I was praying to the gods. 'Please, help us', I thought over and over again.
As I finished my prayers, a ray of light fell onto me, and I knew no more.
When I woke up, I saw a new world. A new hope for Genis, and a new hope for me. Standing in front of Iselia, I knew this could be a place I might finally call home.
As that last sentence came out of me, I felt slightly relieved. I was happy now, why dwell on the past? Genis didn't know what happened, of course; he was just a little baby. I will not tell him; he doesn't need to know what happened.
I slid my journal back into my bag, and went to join the others for dinner. As I sat next to all these smiling people, the thoughts of being abandoned slipped from my mind.