Author's Note: Hey there! Welcome to my story! This is my first fic, so constructive criticism is very, very, welcome! While it has a bit of a slow start, this is only the first chapter! I can promise lots of Yggdrasill, Kratos, and Yuan by chapter 2! *cough* AlongWithOtherFavoritesLater *cough*

Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Symphonia!

Ancient Egyptians believed that upon death
they would be asked two questions
and their answers would determine
whether they could continue their journey in the afterlife.
The first question was, "Did you bring joy?"
The second was, "Did you find joy?"
-Leo Buscaglia

-0-0-0-

Ozette was never a terribly bright place, having seemed to practically sprout up from the roots of the trees themselves. It was nestled in the forests east of Sybak and the Gaoracchia region. It never had many visitors, and was really only known for its rather strong contempt for half-elves, compared to the rest of Tethe'alla where half-elves weren't well-liked (to put it mildly) in the first place, and for being the only place where Sacred Wood could be harvested. However, on that day, it was brighter than ever. The fires raging all over the small village consumed everything. My memory of the events that took place that day is fuzzy, and I can't remember how the fires started, but I remember pain. I remember being on the ground staring up through the trees as they burned, thinking that through the flames, the stars were even more beautiful. I remember feeling hopeless, and I remember the screaming. Everyone, human and half-elf alike, were screaming. Looking for family members unaccounted for, children being carried while mothers looked for their husbands. Everyone was panicking, running around looking for safe ways out of the village, any path that wasn't burning, any opening not blocked by fallen debris…

There weren't any.

-0-0-0-

Earlier That Evening

"What's eating you?"

I look up after hearing a soft voice behind me. I hadn't even realized that he'd come out of the house, but sure enough my brother is standing behind me on the porch, two cups of tea in hand. His pale gray eyes concerned.

"…Nothing," I reply. He looks at me doubtfully and hands me a cup. He sits down on the edge of the porch next to me so we are side by side, legs dangling off the ledge. When he's home, sometimes we like to sit outside and watch the sunset, it's just something we've always done. When our mother was alive, she'd be out here, too. She'd tell us stories or just ask us about our day. Today, there's a gentle wind, sending its fingers through the leaves. He sighs and runs a hand through his short silver hair.

"Come on, Skye. I know that look."

I take a sip of the tea, deliberating over whether or not to say what I'm really thinking. After a moment, I make up my mind. "I suppose there's no fooling you, huh?"

"Of course not, what kind of brother would I be if I couldn't even tell when my little sister is lying to me?" He says with a small smile.

"The kind that knows how to mind his own business," I say, poking him in the side. He gives a small chuckle.

"Well that just wouldn't be my style, would it?" He asks, giving me a small shove.

"No, I suppose not."

We sit in silence for a few moments, just enjoying the fresh air and familiar company. The tea is just the way I like it, lightly sweetened and with a hint of jasmine. It's fresh and warm, comforting. He must have already known something was off about my mood before he came outside, otherwise there wouldn't be tea.

"Ready to tell me what's wrong, now?" he asks.

"Mistral," I warn him.

"I'm not taking no for an answer, Skye."

"Nothing's wrong," I reply. He gives me a doubtful look. "Really," I say. "Something just feels a little off this afternoon. Maybe it's just my imagination. I'm being stupid."

He frowns and looks at me for a moment.

I wave my hand through the air, as if dismissing the topic. "Anyway, what do you have planned for the rest of today?"

"Well, we haven't really been able to see each other much lately," he says. I have to admit, that is true. Between my job at the inn and him being away fairly often because of his job as a craftsman we don't always get to spend much time together. He is always traveling to Sybak and Meltokio to sell his wares. "I thought I'd just take it easy today. I don't have to leave again until tomorrow morning. We could head into the village and have some fun, and there are also some supplies I need to pick up for tomorrow."

"Fun? In Ozette? Are you joking?" I say, with a raised eyebrow. He laughs.

"Point taken," he says. "Maybe it's time to get out of Ozette for awhile… For both of us."

I widen my eyes in shock. "Did I hear you correctly? I think you just suggested that you'll take me with you when you leave tomorrow."

He grins at me and replies, "You heard right, then."

"What happened to you always telling me that it's a 'dangerous journey' to get all the way to Meltokio?" I say, rolling my eyes. "As if just because I'm a girl I wouldn't be able to handle it."

"Well, maybe I just decided it's time to give you a chance. Besides, are you really arguing? Can you honestly admit you'd be happy if you had to stay here the rest of your life?" he asks.

-0-0-0-

"Are you happy here?" says a voice coming from the doorway behind me. I turn around from my place at the stove. I'm making breakfast for the guests of the inn. We don't have many guests at the moment, but even so, I don't recognize this boy. He couldn't be more than fourteen, with eyes like the ocean that Mother had taken Mistral and I to see in Altamira once when I was very young and hair that looks like gold spun into silk. His clothes are white with a turquoise trim, and matching turquoise pants. He has two matching turquoise bracelets on his right arm, and one on his left.

"Pardon?" I say.

"Are you happy? Do you like it here, in this village?" he repeats.

I think about the question for a moment. Things aren't exactly perfect here, especially not when you're a half-elf. However, it's not as if I've been to many other places. Mother died when I was eight, and after that, visits to other towns stopped, as the only one left to take care of me was Mistral who was twelve at the time. I was too young to remember very many of the places we'd traveled to before her death. I remember having been to Altamira and Meltokio once. Even so, as long as Mistral was with me, I was… content. Not happy per se, but content.

"It's not exactly a place I want to spend my whole life in. Someday, I'd like to travel the world. I want to see everything with my own eyes, experience things through my own wanderings, not through others' stories." I reply, after realizing I had been lost in thought for a moment too long.

"I see," he says softly before turning and walking out of the room, leaving me alone once again. After smelling something strange, I realize that the eggs are burning, and rush to save the ones that are salvageable.

-0-0-0-

"Skye?"

A hand appears in my vision, waving in front of me, soon followed by Mistral's face. I look up, startled. "Sorry, what were you saying?"

He frowns at me, but decides not to pick at it. "Nothing... Here, you're done with your tea, right? Give me your cup. I'll go wash these and then we can head into the village," he says. Mistral stands up and I hand him my cup. He heads inside the house, and I stand up too, brushing my pants off. He walks back out after a moment, and ruffles my slightly longer than shoulder-blade length silver hair, and I push his hand away. "Stop it!" I say, with a laugh. Although we have the same shade of hair, our eyes are different colors. While his are a pale gray that change slightly from day to day, whether it be with tints of blue or green, mine are a sky blue color. It's why Mother named me Skye. Other than that, we don't really bear much of a resemblance, probably because we're only half-siblings. I've never met my father, but I can't really complain, because neither has Mistral. I guess Mother didn't really go for the dependable type.

"You ready to go?" he asks with a smile.

"Yeah," I reply.

As we make our way into the village, I can't help remembering that strange boy from this morning. I had forgotten about our encounter until talking to Mistral. Why would he ask me a question like that? We've never even met before… I suppose there's no real point in dwelling over it. He's probably just some traveler's son. It's not likely that I'll see him again.

I shake myself out of my thoughts to realize that we've arrived in the village and I've lost Mistral somewhere because I wasn't paying attention. Oh well, it's not like the village is large. I'm sure he'll find me again all, he was only going to pick up some supplies at the shop. I decide to have a walk around. There are some children playing over in front of a group of houses, a few girls skipping rope, and a mix of boys and girls who seem to be playing a game of tag. There's another, younger, child sitting with a woman who looks like his mother. She seems to be reading him a story. It makes me miss the days when Mother would read stories to Mistral and me.

I continue walking and turn a corner to the area where the shop is. I see a flash of blond hair and white clothes… The boy from this morning? I decide to follow him. I want to ask him about that strange conversation. I turn a corner in between a couple of buildings, but he's not there. Suddenly, there's an explosion from what sounds like the middle of town, and I hear screams. I run back where I came from, and hear another explosion, this one from the direction of the shop. Mistral went to the shop! Intense fear for my brother has me running towards the shop, which is now a raging inferno…

"No… No. NO!" I scream, abandoning all sense of reason and running towards the building looking for a way in. This can't be happening… "Mistral! Where are you!? Can you hear me!? Please, please, please…" I yell. Thick, hot tears are blurring my vision, and I can't hear anything except for my rapid heartbeat and the crackling of the flames. There's yelling from the village center, but it's not really registering right now. All I want is to find my brother.

I finally decide that I'm just going to run through the doorway and search the building when something very large hits me in the back of the neck and I fall, landing face down on the ground. I'm stunned for a moment, the pain not even registering. I roll over onto my back. I don't have the strength to do anything more than that. I look around, and all I can see is flames and burning buildings. Distantly, I can hear screaming. Is this it? This is the end? I don't want to die here. I don't want to be alone. I don't want my brother to be… No, I can't even think it. I try to get up again, but I fail.

Just when I've begun to resign myself to my fate, I see the boy again. He's standing a little ways off to my right. Just standing, and looking at me. After a moment, he starts to walk towards me. There's a flash of light, and then in his place stands a man. The man… he looks just like an older version of the boy. He has the same color hair and eyes, but he looks to be in his twenties, rather than a young teen. He's wearing white as well, but this time with gold trim… For a moment, I think I must be hallucinating; surely those can't be wings on his back? He continues walking towards me, but that's not even registering now. All I can think is how beautiful this man is. Is he an angel? Am I dying? His wings are large, extending nearly to the ground, and are a translucent pink color, seemingly made of light.

"I can help you," he says, voice smooth as silk. "But you must do something for me in return… I am an angel of Cruxis, the organization that rules over this world. What exactly I need from you is of no importance right now, however. You need merely say the words, and I will take you from this place."

I'm not entirely sure what's going on, but I know that I don't want to die. "Please… H-help me..."

He smiles. "Then, it is done."

I lose consciousness.

-0-0-0-

Author's End Note: What do you think? Click that review button down there! Got some constructive criticism? Wanna tell me how much I suck? That's what the button is down there for! Go do it! Thank you. :)