Meeting Marble
Genis hesitated. He clutched his basket tight and swallowed. The trees of Iselia Forest loomed tall above him. The path became dark ahead, and he could hear monsters howling in the distance. He realized now how foolish it was to come by himself. Even if Lloyd walked this path every day to come to school, Lloyd was brave. Genis wasn't brave. He knew that.
Genis shut his eyes and smelled the chocolate cookies he had baked this morning, now bundled up in his basket. They were delicious cookies. Everyone said so. The boy smiled smugly and walked forward. He really wanted to see Lloyd's face when he ate them. Chocolate was rare and expensive, imported all the way from Palmacosta. He had been anticipating this shipment for months, searching for the best recipes. Now the cookies were ready and warm, and he couldn't wait to share them with his best friend.
Even if it meant walking through Iselia Forest by himself.
Just stick to the path. And if you see any monsters, scare them away with your fireball spell, Genis mentally repeated Raine's parting advice. Monsters were afraid of fire. And don't go anywhere near the Human Ranch, blah blah blah, don't be a complete boneheaded nincompoop! Genis added the insult to his sister's words and smirked. As if he was dense enough to walk into that death trap. Quite frankly, it was a miracle that Lloyd had never walked into it. But Genis was different. He was the smart one. And Lloyd was going to be so impressed when he saw that Genis had made this trek all by himself…
A shadow darted across the path. Genis squealed and almost dropped the basket. The shadow stood on its hind legs and perked up its long ears. It was a rabbit.
Genis' knees buckled and he burst out laughing. Only a rabbit!
The rabbit snarled and bared its teeth. It had red eyes.
"Waah!" The young mage fumbled for his kendama and brandished the toy in front of him. "Fire ball!"
The rabbit monster dodged his spell and hopped away. Genis sighed and snickered at himself. He felt quite silly. Then his pointy ears perked up, edging out of his silver hair, and his pupils widened like a cat's—there was the howling again. This time, it was closer. Much closer.
The half-elf shrieked and broke into a run. His only coherent thought was to put as much distance as possible between himself and the source of the howling. Then his foot collided with a tree root and he tumbled forward, rolling and rolling until he crashed into a bush.
"Oww!" Genis whined and hugged his knees to his chest, not wanting to stand up. His ankle hurt from where he had tripped, and he had cut his shin while falling. He wiped the dirt off his legs and held his hand over the bleeding to stop it. It didn't look bad, but he still wished that Raine was here to make the pain go away. Genis had never been patient enough to master healing spells like his sister.
He breathed in and out and studied his surroundings. His basket had fallen ten feet away, and he counted eleven cookies on the ground. The boy grunted and got back on his feet. It wasn't until he picked up the basket that he heard a woman scream, and he realized where he was. Genis slowly turned his head around and saw a twenty-foot tall fence behind the bushes. He had stumbled outside of the Human Ranch.
Genis' mind froze. He couldn't run. He couldn't think. It was forbidden to come to the Human Ranch. He shouldn't be here. Genis wasn't the type to break serious rules, especially his sister's rules. If you break the rules, if you speak too loudly, if you fail to be a perfect model citizen—then humans will kill you. Humans will never accept a half-elf like you. Humans see half-elves as dangerous. Even a child like you.
Genis shouldn't be here. Standing here felt like a paradox. If the Desians spotted him—what would happen then? As soon as he asked himself that, something in his brain clicked and nightmare scenarios flooded his thoughts. He picked up all the fallen cookies, not wanting to leave a trace, and headed up the hill. Get out. Get out. Be quiet, don't make a noise, don't let them see you.
Genis heard the woman scream again, and a shiver ran down his spine, freezing him in place. He panicked and hid behind a tree. It was much easier to hide than to run…
The young prodigy counted the seconds as he worked up the courage to escape. Six minutes and thirty-two seconds later, he heard the woman moan. A quiet sound, but his elven ears picked it up easily. Curiosity roused his courage at last, and he peeked around the tree trunk.
There was an elderly woman sitting on the other side of the fence, hiding behind a pile of crates. She stopped moaning and met Genis' eyes. Her face was lined with wrinkles and her mouth was hanging open. Her eyes were old and sorrowful—and wide and curious. She seemed fascinated by the child outside the fence.
Genis couldn't look away. He was struck by their sudden, silent comradeship. Finally he ducked his head and crawled down the hill. He was small enough to wriggle through the bushes surrounding the fence. Then he sat up and met her eyes again. She pursed her lips and leaned forward, her forehead almost touching the metal bars.
Genis swallowed. "H…hi!" he said hoarsely.
The woman smiled, moving the wrinkles around her eyes. "Hi," she replied.
"My name's Genis," he whispered.
"Hello Genis." Her eyes seemed to glitter, as though she was thinking of a fond memory. "That's a lovely name. Masculine form of 'Jean.' Meaning 'Gift from the Goddess."
"Really?" Genis blinked. It felt weird to think of himself as a 'gift,' knowing what a burden he had been on his sister.
"Yes. I knew a Jean once. She was my classmate at Palmacosta Academy. One of my dearest friends."
"You went to Palmacosta Academy?" Genis accidentally raised his voice, and then clamped his hand over his mouth. "That's so cool! I want to go there! But it's so far!"
"Yes, it is…" she trailed off.
"Wh-what's your name, Ma'am?" Genis asked.
"My name is Marble," she answered.
"What does that mean?"
"It means that my father worked in a marble quarry. That's all." She chuckled.
"Oh. Ah—it's nice to meet you, Marble." Genis fit his skinny arm through the bars in the fence. Marble grasped his hand tightly and caught her breath. Her grip was cold as ice.
"You're real…" she muttered, rubbing the boy's hand.
"Y-yeah."
"I thought you were a strange new vision. I've often imagined my granddaughter, Chocolat, here with me. But you're real!" She had tears in her eyes.
"Chocolat?" Genis didn't know how to react to Marble's overwhelming emotional response. He just repeated the granddaughter's funny name. Then something in his brain clicked again, and he imagined Raine scolding him: Where are your manners?! "Marble! Are you hungry?" he asked.
Marble raised her eyebrows and nodded. Genis felt foolish for asking. He slipped his hand out of her grasp and opened his basket.
"I have chocolate cookies here! I worked really hard on them. Please take them!" Genis offered her a cookie through the fence.
The elderly woman stared at the treat in disbelief. Then she snatched it with both hands and took a bite. "Mmmm…" She shut her eyes and smiled widely, chocolate chips sticking on her yellow teeth.
"Have more!" Genis slipped five more cookies through the fence. Marble eagerly accepted them, thanking him profusely. The boy blushed and his heart beat faster. "I-I want you to have them all." He grabbed a fistful of cookies—and froze—he heard the sound of men shouting.
Marble's smile faded. "Genis, you should run. You're not safe here."
The boy stammered, "B-but n-neither are you."
"I'm only an old woman. You should go home to your parents!"
"I don't…" Genis didn't bother to explain his family situation. He dropped the cookies through the fence. "I'll come back tomorrow, with real food. Healthy food."
"But—"
"I love cooking! I'll make you something delicious."
"It's too dangerous, sweetie."
"I'm coming. I promise. I pinky-promise." Genis adopted Lloyd's deeper, braver tone of voice and offered Marble his pinky.
"Sweetie…" Marble shivered at the sound of more men shouting. "Just go!"
"I'll come back!" He finally picked up his basket and ran back up the hill. The path was straight ahead. Genis didn't stop running until he was home.
…
Raine scolded Genis for losing the cookies. They had paid for the chocolate with her salary, after all. But she wasn't as harsh as Genis had feared.
"What happened?" she cooed as she waved her hand over his leg. Tiny tendrils of silver light swirled over his skin, and the cut vanished.
Genis squirmed. "I…got scared of a rabbit. Then I fell down a hill," he mumbled.
Raine raised her eyebrows.
"Don't tell Lloyd!"
"I won't." She chuckled and ran her hand through his messy hair. She plucked out two leaves. Her touch was still warm from the healing spell. "There's nothing to be ashamed of. They're mean rabbits!"
"Riiight." But Genis couldn't help but smile. He closed his eyes and leaned his face into Raine's hand. Her soul's mana smelled like sunflowers and safety.
She believed him, because he had told an embarrassing truth. Genis hated keeping secrets from his sister, but he couldn't bring himself to tell her about Marble. Raine would forbid him from seeing her again. And Genis wouldn't win in an argument.
…
When Genis came to the Human Ranch the next day, Marble wasn't there. Genis waited ten minutes in their spot behind the crates. Then fear started to creep in. He left a sandwich through the fence; then he ran away.
On his third day at the Human Ranch, Marble still wasn't there. But the sandwich was gone too. He took it as a hopeful sign, and he left her two cabbage rolls.
On the fourth day, Colette noticed that he wasn't finishing his lunch at school. She asked him if he was feeling sick. Genis pretended to cough.
On the fifth day, Marble still wasn't there. But clearly someone was taking the food he left for her. Genis had never worked so hard on improving his cooking. Raine had complimented his dinner last night, but asked him not to waste their money on expensive ingredients. Genis responded dramatically that life was torture without good food. Raine retorted that life was difficult with a spendthrift brother.
On the sixth day, Lloyd poked Genis' arm and informed him that his stomach was growling. Genis rolled his eyes—as if he didn't know! Colette asked in a worried tone of voice if he and Raine were getting enough food. Lloyd mumbled a threat to any of the local grocers who would discriminate against the magic-using Sages. He was furious at the idea that humans would treat his elf friends as though they were half-elves. Genis' annoyance faded and he felt a rush of affection for his friends—accompanied by the everyday worry that they would hate him if they knew the truth. But they didn't. He assured them that nobody was cheating him on the price of food, and that he and Raine were doing just fine. After school, he left his lunch by the crates again.
On the seventh day, Marble was there. Genis gasped when he saw her and slid down the hill.
"Marble!" he whispered excitedly. He pulled out two slices of Quiche Lorraine from his basket and handed them to her. He had woken up two hours early to bake a quiche for her.
"Genis…" She grasped his hands tightly and rubbed her thumbs over the back of his palms. "You wonderful, brave boy."
Genis hung his head. He didn't feel brave at all. Real heroes didn't keep secrets. A real hero could help the elderly woman escape. And Genis had fled the Ranch in terror every day, without even waiting to see her.
"Thank you." She squeezed his hands and accepted the warm meal. They sat together silently as Marble slowly ate the slices, savoring each bite. Then she wiped her mouth with her sleeve. "That was delicious. I used to cook a quiche like this. I loved cooking… I owned an inn, and I cooked meals for my guests every day. It was a joy."
"Wow, thanks," Genis said. "Mine was good then?"
"Of course. I had forgotten what it tasted like. Now I remember, because of you… Everyone in Palmacosta loved my pies. They would all come visit my inn for dinner. The fishermen, the scholars, the street vendors—even the Governor-General himself would visit me." Marble shut her eyes and ran her fingers through her hair, pulling it back into an imaginary bun and letting it fall. "He used to love me when I was young, and my hair was brown. I had many suitors back then."
"I think that gray hair is pretty," the boy quipped.
Marble opened her eyes and laughed. "Genis! I'm so sorry. Forgive my ramblings." She reached through the metal bars and caressed his silver hair. "You're handsomer than any of them. You're my favorite suitor."
"Ah—ahaha!" Genis covered his mouth to stifle his laughter, and his face turned scarlet.
"Shh, I'm only teasing you, sweetie. You're younger than my granddaughter."
"Mphmmhhphh!" Genis' laugh was muffled. Then he stopped, and his red face turned white. Marble was resting her hands over his pointy ears. "Um…" He started to sweat.
"Oh Genis…" There was a sadness in her voice that broke his heart. He had to speak quickly.
"I'm a—" Genis hesitated. He lied to his friends and neighbors, but he couldn't lie to this woman. "I'm a half-elf." Tears welled up in his eyes. He had never told anyone before. "Just like the Desians. D-do you want me to leave now?"
Marble shook her head. "I don't hate half-elves."
"What?" Genis was bewildered. Out of everyone he had ever met, Marble was the person with the most reason to hate half-elves! "But we're vile. We deserve to be hated."
"No you don't," she stated calmly. "Half-elves have been oppressed by humans for thousands of years. The vast majority of half-elves do not become Desians. And Desians only become powerful and violent when the end of the world is near. Otherwise, humans would easily overpower them."
The half-elf boy blinked rapidly. "How can you be so calm?"
"I'm an old woman. I've seen everything. Including many innocent, kind-hearted half-elves, just like you."
"That's…" Genis sniffled, and Marble wiped his tears with her thumb.
"You are the kindest person I've met, half-elf or not," she continued.
Genis lacked the words to respond. He just tried to keep his sobs quiet. He leaned his face into her cold hands. Her soul's mana smelled like cinnamon and a well-read book.
…
Marble told the boy many more stories about Palmacosta on his visits. Genis was eager to learn. What was it like, living in a big city? What types of food did they cook? What was the Academy like? How many teachers did you have? What subjects did you learn? Were the educated folks in the city more open-minded and tolerant than the small-minded hyper-religious Iselians?
Marble loved to tell him about the beach views, the crowded streets, the crab cakes, and her favorite art teacher. Her expression turned somber when he asked about tolerance. Apparently, even Palmacostans believed the Church's teachings that the union between worldly humans and otherworldly elves produced monstrous, soulless creatures who only wished for Sylvarant's destruction. As Marble grew older, the elected Governor-Generals took longer terms and enforced crueler laws in the name of security. Half-elves were forbidden from teaching, and then from learning at the Academy. They were forbidden from the Church, and from taking most jobs. Half-elves were given strict curfews. If a half-elf was caught trying to hide their identity, then they would be arrested. Genis felt sick.
"Because of those laws, more young half-elf men joined the Desians. They didn't think they had another choice. They had no way of protecting their families, and they were so angry…" Marble looked guilty. "I tried to keep my inn open as a safe haven for half-elves. My son-in-law disagreed with me. He said that it wasn't good for business. I told him that I was the owner, not him. One day, he hit a half-elf woman who couldn't pay the fee to stay the night. He threw her into the streets." Marble stared at the ground. "Desians raided my inn the next day. They killed my son-in-law, and they kidnapped me."
"I-I'm so sorry!" Genis wept.
"I am too," Marble said softly, though Genis couldn't understand what she could possibly be sorry for.
"You didn't do anything wrong! You were the only good human!" he insisted.
"I didn't do enough good," she replied. "I was silent too often. I was too permissive of the humans around me. I…should not have let Cacao marry that man," she said bitterly. "Too often, I forgot Martel's message to be kind and merciful to the most vulnerable. This is my punishment."
"I don't believe that!" Genis snorted. "I'm friends with the Chosen One, and I know she would say you're a good person, because you obviously are, and you don't deserve any of this!"
Marble finally looked up. "You're friends with the Chosen One?"
"Yes. Her name is Colette Brunel."
The old woman finally smiled. "Incredible. Is she as beautiful as the legends say?"
"I mean, yeah, I guess so. She has pretty waist-length yellow hair and big blue eyes. She always has to wear pretty white dresses made from expensive Trietan fabric. She has the prettiest voice in the choir. But more importantly, she's also the nicest person you'll ever meet. She only makes friends with oddballs, like Lloyd and me. She tells us that we matter, even though we're both orphan freaks who don't fit in with humans. Sh-she would tell you too. I know she would. And Colette is the only part of the Church of Martel that I like, so that's the only thing that matters!" Genis took a deep breath. He felt shocked at himself for rambling all of that.
"Thank you, you sweet boy… That means so much to me. I wish I could visit Iselia with you. I hear it's beautiful in the fall."
"Um—you can see the trees from here!" Genis gestured behind him to the red and yellow leaves. "We're such a small village. Only one school room. It's not that impressive, I promise."
"But I would love to see Colette. And your friend Lloyd. And your sister, Raine. I admire her. She raised you right."
Genis' heart swelled with pride. "I wish I could tell her that."
…
"Raine?"
"Yes?" Raine crouched over her desk, grading papers by candlelight.
It was getting dark, but Raine always let Genis stay up late to read his books. He sat straight in his bed and tried to maintain a calm tone of voice. "Would the Desians actually hurt us?"
Raine viciously scratched out a student's sentence. She looked up sharply. "Of course they would. I have told you this a million times."
"But…" Even Genis wasn't sure why he broached the dangerous subject. Perhaps he had always rationalized to himself, in the back of his mind, that there was a chance that the Desians wouldn't hurt him if they caught him. "But they wouldn't hurt their own kind."
"Yes they would. They're horrible, horrible, monsters. They murder children all the time, even their own."
"You sound just like the Church of Martel."
Raine shut her mouth and rubbed her temples. "…I'm sorry, Genis. You know I didn't mean it that way. The Desians aren't monsters—they're people. But they do take half-elf children and send them to their deaths. Or else they brainwash half-elf children and make them forget everything their big sisters taught them. To turn them into obedient soldiers. Do you understand?"
Genis quickly nodded. "Yes."
"Good."
"When Colette regenerates the world, then Desians will lose their power…And humans will like us again?"
"It doesn't matter whether humans like or dislike us. It matters that they refuse to give us autonomy either way," she snapped. Genis sniffled, and Raine realized that she had been too cold. She took deep breaths, and got up and sat next to him on his bed. "I'm sorry."
Genis didn't look at her, and Raine's heart sunk. It was so hard, playing Mom for him. She wrapped her arm around his shoulders and kissed the top of his head. "People have hope because of Colette. Including me. Of course Colette is different from the rest of the Church. Sylvarant will be a safe place for everyone when she regenerates the world, including half-elves. That's what she wants."
Genis wiped his face and met his sister's eyes. She squeezed his shoulder. His soul's familiar mana smelled like cookies and a little lost faun. She smiled at him.
"Then should we tell her the truth?" Genis asked.
Raine hesitated. "Not yet."
Thank you so much for reading. This is my first fanfic for Tales of Symphonia. If you enjoyed it, then please let me know!