Tales of Symphonia © Namco


It's wrong of me to complain, but I really hate walking.

We've been walking for days now and while Sheena says we're only about a day's walk from Meltokio at this point, it doesn't help with the fact that my legs feel like jelly. I haven't walked this much in years—the most exercise I've done is biking, and biking a two miles daily is a lot different than walking for hours on end.

Sheena is unfazed, as expected. Me, on the other hand … well, like I said; the most exercise I've really done is bike to and from school. Anywhere else, I was in a car.

The heat has gradually began to creep up, not helping at all with my fatigue; I'm almost tempted to take off my sweatshirt because of it—and if not for the fact that the shirt I'm wearing underneath has Aeropostal written across the chest, I would. But that would cause too many questions that I'm not ready, or capable, of answering … forcing me to deal with the weather.

Thankfully, there are no monsters. Then again, this is the flourishing world—Sylvarant is the one infested with monsters.

Although we've made small conversation to fill the silence, Sheena and I don't talk much. I'm too busy trying to figure out a way to get to Sylvarant that doesn't involve sneaking through a Renegade base to hold a real conversation. The other option is to storm the castle, but … I probably won't make it out of there alive if I do this.

The heat is sweltering, though, making it even harder to think. Fall was just beginning to set in back on Earth; I guess Tethe'alla doesn't follow the same calendar as Earth.

Earth … it's only been a day and yet I'm already feeling homesick. I've firmly avoiding thinking about Earth, because it only leads to me wondering how I ended up in Tethe'alla—which unsettles me.

"So, um …" I pick up my pace so that I'm only a step behind Sheena. "Why are you going to Meltokio? I-If it's alright for me to ask."

Sheena tilts her head slightly, turning to look at me, before she shakes her head. "Sorry; top secret."

I frown. That didn't work in the least. "Is it really so im-important?" I ask, grimacing when my stutter forces its way back into my voice. Sheena just nods, and I sigh.

We fall into light conversation after that; Sheena's a lot easier to talk to than I thought she would be when I met her. She doesn't seem annoyed when I stumble or blurt out the wrong word, nor does she care when I trail off in the middle of my sentence, unsure how to finish it.

It's … nice. Generally, my anxiety makes it difficult to talk to others—I speak too fast and end up stuttering and stumbling over my words, which only makes me more anxious, leading me to all around avoid talking much in general.

"When I reach Meltokio, I-I'm going to buy new clothes," I tell Sheena. "I need … something better than this."

Sheena hums, before nodding. "Yeah—I imagine those aren't the most comfortable things to be walking around in."

I sigh. "Not really …"

"You've never been to Meltokio, right?" She asks, and I nod. "I can show you where the shops are—there are quite a bit of them in Meltokio."

I blink. "Really?" Then I grin. "Thanks—I appreciate it." I pause for a moment, looking over her form, before asking, "Maybe I'll find something—something cool like your clothes."

"L-Like me?" She mutters, her cheeks flushing a bit, before she raises her voice. "You think my clothes are cool?"

"Yeah; I bet when you do flips a-and stuff, it goes 'fwosh' and flies every-everywhere, and—and it's cool." I trail off at the end, looking away in embarrassment. "It just … seems cool looking."

Sheena laughs and my stomach churns—is she laughing at me? Did I say something wrong?

"Well, if you like them that much you'll have to unfortunately go to Mizuho; but I'm sure you'll find something you like in Meltokio. Speaking of which …" she looks at me curiously. "If you want, I can help you pick something out before I meet the King."

'Bingo.'

Sheena doesn't seem to notice her slip up and I don't bring it up, instead focusing on what she asked me. I'm tempted to say yes—but before I can do so I stop myself. While the help would be appreciated, there are plenty of things that could go wrong if I accept. If I take too long, and she's late for her meeting with the King and Renegades, the whole plot could be screwed up before it even started.

Plus, if I end up having to invade the castle, having Sheena around will make that difficult.

"T-That's OK," I say quietly. "Thank you, though."

"If you're sure."

The time starts dragging by after that. As I stare out into the horizon, I feel a twinge of dismay; there isn't any change in the scenery. We still have a long way to go before we hit civilization.


We set up camp many hours later and as soon as it's set up I practically collapse to the ground, my legs feeling like jelly. Walking this much is wearing me out—I feel like I could fall asleep right now, and the sun has just set.

After camp is set up Sheena goes about cooking a simple meal. My appetite is near nonexistent so I request for her not to cook me anything. Despite my request, though, she does still make some for me. I pick at it a little, taking a few small bites to be polite, before leaving it alone.

"Don't like it?" Sheena asks, petting Corrine who's stretched out across her lap.

I blink. "Oh … no, no; it is good." I run my fingers across the case of the dagger, feeling the smooth leather against my skin. "I'm just … I'm not really hungry," I admit.

Sheena frowns. "You haven't eaten anything today, though. You're already pretty tiny, so you need to be eating if you're going to walk these long distances."

The thought of eating is almost sickening; with the anxiety and unease that's been lingering since last night, I've been more focused on keeping my emotions under control than anything else. But, despite my efforts, I'm still to wrapped up in my thoughts to be able to stomach much of anything.

Sheena continues to pet Corrine and I can't help but wonder if he purrs like a cat. His tail is curled around his body, though it flickers back and forth every so often. Even though we don't really get along that well, he's pretty cute to look at.

"Corrine is a weird pet," I say, placing the dagger on my lap and crossing my legs underneath me. "He just pops—no, um … appears and disappears out of nowhere."

Sheena runs her hand over his head, scratching behind his ears while she speaks. "Ah, yeah; Corrine is actually a Summon Spirit—man made, I mean."

I fake a shocked expression. "That's possible?"

"Yeah."

It's weird to have to feign surprise; even when I played the game my first time around, it wasn't all that surprising to find out Corrine was created in a lab. Man made creatures may be a bit out of Earth's reach, but there are still AI's that have been created. I guess in Tethe'alla, though, such a thing would be unheard of.

I look back down at the dagger, frowning. It's my only defence right now; I mean, of course I have basic martial art skills, but those won't do me any good if I'm attacked. There's a big difference between learning something in a classroom and actually using it in real life.

I look up at Sheena as surreptitiously as I can. She's a ninja, so she probably knows martial arts to some extent … I doubt she only uses her cards to attack. I know she carries a small knife with her, hooked to her waist, but hidden by her top.

I'm tempted to ask—ask if she can teach me, if she can help me, but I stop myself before I can. There's no reason to learn how to fight in Tethe'alla; there are no monsters, and as far as I know bandits aren't that common. I might be wrong about that last part but, at least so far, I've seen no other people besides the two of us.

No … asking now would be stupid. Suspicious, even. I have to bide my time and wait; if I'm lucky, then I'll find myself in Sylvarant within the next week or so. If I'm not, well …

I'm screwed if that happens.

Leaning back, I let my eyes slip shut, a sigh escaping my lips. I listen to the quiet conversation between Sheena and Corrine, only able to understand a few words, but the noise helps with my nerves.

Now is not the time to panic—not the time to freak out. Yesterday was bad enough; I barely managed to stop it from evolving into a full blown panic attack, and I do not want a repeat of that experience.

Eventually, the quiet talking lulls me to sleep.


"Eden! Slow down!"

I laugh to myself, ignoring my brother's yell. If my younger brother was close enough, he probably would say the exact same thing.

We're nearly home and, like usual, the three of us declared a race to see who would get home first. I've been winning these races lately, though my older brother is almost always just a second or two behind me while my younger brother is a good bit behind us. Despite the light teasing I give my older brother after winning, we're always laughing about how slow our youngest sibling is.

"Slowpoke!" I call back, looking over my shoulder briefly. My black hair whips against my face and almost immediately after I turn my gaze back to the road in front of me. It's only a few more blocks before the intersection, and then one street left to cross.

He yells something else but the wind drowns it out. I speed up my peddling, determined to keep my lead.

My brothers are much more cautious than I am; if I make it through here fast enough, they'll be stuck waiting for the light that I should've waited for.

It'll guarantee my win. Sure, it's dangerous, but the roads are always deserted this time of day anyways.

When the front tire hits the street I lift my body off the seat, standing on the pedals and exhaling. It's always exhilarating to feel the wind through my hair.

There's a loud screech and I turn my head to look, slowing down a bit. A black van is flipped onto its side on the opposite side of the light, with another, blue car just a foot away. A crash? At this time of day? Unusual—

Loud honking catches my attention and I completely stop then, curling my fingers around the handle bars and pulling the brakes. It leaves me in the middle of the street and before I can register what's happening I'm thrown off my bike; I don't even have time to look up and see what hit me before what feels like a ton is crushing down on my chest.

All thoughts I had before are gone, replaced by fear—I scream as an unbearable pain courses through my body, struggling to figure out what happened, what happened what's going on—!

I hear bones snapping, blood and saliva bubbling in my throat as I continue to scream and scream, unable to think of anything except for the immense scream. It overloads my senses; eventually, there's too much liquid in my throat for me to scream and I choke.

The movement stops and I try to calm myself, struggling to breath through the blood; it feels like I'm suffocating.

I give into the pain, hearing my brothers screaming but not quite recognizing it—and my eyes roll into the back of my head as I desperately try to keep awake.

In the end, it's useless.


A scream is lodged in my throat when I awake. I'm drenched in sweat and I barely manage to keep it contained, taking deep breaths to calm the sudden terror I feel. The sky is still dark, and there's a deep sense of dread for some reason.

I stare up at the sky, desperately trying to get my shaking and breathing under control while also trying to figure out what happened. I just fell asleep a few seconds ago … why am I so scared?

A deep pain rips from my chest and I gasp in surprise, pressing my palms against the area in an attempt to ease the pain. The moon shines above me and I keep my eyes on it as I calm myself down, tucking my anxiety and nerves in the back of my head for another time.

If I start panicking now, I won't be able to stop, and the last thing I want is for Sheena to wake up because I'm having a panic attack. Deep breaths, in … out …

Eventually I get it under control, but by then at least half an hour has passed. I'm restless; my body has too much energy for this time of day, and there's probably a good hour or two until Sheena will wake up.

I roll onto my side, sighing. It's too early to be dealing with this … and on top of it, it feels like I barely slept at all. My eyes are burning. I miss home—I miss my bed, I miss my family; I miss everything.

By the time Sheena wakes up I'm more exhausted than I was when I woke up, and it takes far too much energy to get to my feet and pull my bag onto my shoulders. Sheena frowns when she sees me.

"Didn't sleep well?" She guesses, and I nod.

"Mm … yeah. I just … woke up and felt like I didn't sleep," I mumble. "But it's fine; we-we're gonna be at Meltokio by today, right?"

"Right."


We reach Meltokio by sunset that same day and although I should be glad to see civilization, instead all I feel is dread.

Sheena hasn't said much, if anything about her mission. The only things she's let slip are so vague that they're of no use to me. As far as she knows, I know nothing.

Still, seeing the city up close is able to distract me from my thoughts because wow is it impressive. I'm in awe as we pass through the gates; I'm briefly reminded of when I went to Disneyland last summer. The thought immediately sends a wave of homesickness through my gut and I push both of them away.

The two guards at the gate make no movement to stop us, but I can feel their eyes on us as we pass. I'm really not looking forward to having to deal with these guys. That is, if I even have to.

The game didn't do the city justice, that's for sure. Though I'm only on the lowest level, even that is tremendously larger than shown in the game. Despite the fact that it's nearly dark various groups of people are bustling around, children running freely and couples walking arm in arm. Further down I can see the square for the first level of the city; vendors are set up, continuing even as you diverge from the square.

With all the noise and crowds, it almost feels like I'm back home, and my previous excitement diminishes slightly at that.

"Is it always this busy?" I ask Sheena curiously. I have to keep close to her to avoid being swept away by the crowds we're walking through.

"Well, sort of," is her response to me. "Meltokio is holding its annual festival to celebrate the Princess' birthday." Although her voice stays the same pitch, there's a hint of irritation. "A lot of people flock here from all across Tethe'alla to partake in all the celebrations … and all of the noble women use it as an excuse to dress up in gaudy outfits."

"Huh. How long does the festival go on for usually?" I ask, looking at the stands as we pass. Considering there's still a good hour of sunlight left, I'm tempted to ask Sheena if we can look around for a bit.

Sheena hums in thought. "Let's see … today is the twenty third, so it's been going on for three days now. I believe the 28th is the last day."

"So a week?"

Sheena nods. I swing my arms as we walk, staying close to Sheena to avoid getting lost, but even then I'm bumping shoulders with people as we walk. "Hey," I start, "Can we look around at the festival stuff tonight?"

"Huh?" Sheena blinks. "You're interested?"

I nod. "I've-I've never been to something like this," I admit. "I just wanted to look at the stands."

"I suppose you can go out—" I frown, and when she notices it she asks, "did you want me to come with you?"

Immediately regret curls in my stomach, making me feel sick. I shouldn't have asked in the first place; it's incredibly rude.

"I-I mean—" I wring my hands out, squeezing them together as we walk, and I try to explain myself without sounding selfish, "I just … I-I don't know my way around Melto-Meltokio. I don't want to get lost."

"But-but if it's a bother then it's fine; you don't have to c-come with me, I'm sorry-"

Sheena cuts me off. "Relax; you don't need to apologize." I wince at her expression. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to look around. It's still light out after all."

"Are you sure?" I ask. "If you don't want to i-it's really fine—a-and it won't be light for much longer also."

Sheena nods. "I'll come."

I frown, but nod anyways. Is she doing it out of obligation? Pity?

I swallow thickly, clenching my hands tighter. I shouldn't have asked in the first place; she'll resent me for it. Resent me for asking, for being rude, for being selfish—

I squeeze my eyes shut and begin to even out my breathing.

Sheena props the door of the inn open, letting it slam shut behind us. We approach the counter and immediately, upon noticing us, the receptionist's face twists into something unpleasant. Sheena us unfazed by it, but I can't help but feel a bit uncomfortable.

"I—um … I have money," I start, moving to take my bag out and retrieve the money pouch, only for Sheena to wave her hand dismissively in respond.

"It's alright; don't worry about it. I'll pay."

I bite the inside of my cheek, wanting to argue against her, but in the end decide it's not worth the effort. I don't want extra attention to be drawn to me; plus, I've already messed up once by asking Sheena to come with me to look around Meltokio. I can't overstep my boundaries any further than I have.

Once the room is paid for Sheena is handed two keys, one of which she drops into my palm as we ascend the stairs.

"15C is our room." she tells me. "It's on the third floor. Tomorrow I'll pay a few days ahead for a single room so you have somewhere to stay while you figure out what to do."

I look away, guilt churning in my gut. "… Thanks."

Not only am I taking her money today, but also for however many days she puts down; if I'm lucky, I won't even be here after tomorrow.

But that means I'm completely wasting it, and the thought of it doesn't settle very well with me.

The hallways are deserted other than a maid, but she simply turns her gaze to the floor and continues sweeping when she notices us. Sheena unlocks the door and once we're inside I immediately make my way over to the bed and fall face first into it.

"I've missed beds," I say with a sigh. "So nice. So comfortable."

Sheena drops her bag onto the table and I pull my face out of the bed after a few seconds, sighing again. Although it's only been a few days for me, Sheena has to have been traveling for at least a week. I can't imagine going so long without a bed.

'If I get on the mission, though, that's going to happen a lot.'

"We can head out whenever you're ready," Sheena tells me, sitting down on her own bed. She removes her shoes, laying back against the headboard, and I see her form relax. "Just let me know, alright?"

I hum. "Alright. B-But really, you—you don't have to come if you don't want to; I didn't mean t-to seem rude or anything."

Sheena turns to look at me and I hold her gaze for a second before looking away. "Eden," she starts, "I said I'd go; when I say I don't mind, it means exactly that. Besides," she continues, "it'll be nice to experience the festival."

"I … I guess," I agree. "Sorry."

Sheena sighs, but just shakes her head.

I take an actual look around the room and am surprised by the quality of it. There's a small stand next to each bed, alongside a small table and some plants. The curtains are tied open so that, alongside the electric lights in the room, there's also some natural lighting and there's a mirror set up in the far corner.

It's fairly small, but it serves its purpose.

I lay back on the bed, my feet still dangling off the edge of the bed, allowing me to directly look at the mirror. After a few seconds of silence I ask, "Did you ever get told the story about why you shouldn't sleep with a mirror facing you?"

"Mirror? I don't think so … how did it go?" Sheena questions.

"If you sleep with a mirror facing you, then you might get your soul stolen," I tell her. "And then you'll be trapped in it for eternity."

Sheena says nothing for a second. Then, "I guess the closest thing I've heard is to never sleep with your head facing north."

I tilt my head. "Why?"

"You bury the dead facing north," she replies. "It's the direction spirits come from."

I nod. "Bad luck or death, then."

"Exactly."

I look back at the mirror; it isn't facing either of our beds, but it still makes me uneasy. "Do you mind if I face it away tonight?"

Sheena shakes her head.

We leave after another minute or so, heading out into Meltokio, and I make sure to remove a few gald from the money pouch before we go. Despite the being nearly set by it's still busy; I can only imagine how it looks during the middle of the day.

There are plenty of food stands set up and I pause in front of a meat-skewer stand, debating whether or not I should buy one. Sheena's at some other vendor nearby getting something to eat.

She arrives while I'm still deciding. "What did you get?" I ask.

"I don't know the name, but it's a flatbread with meat and cheese*," she replies. "Are you planning on just standing here, or are you going to buy something?"

I shrug. "I dunno. I might find something else I want a-as soon as I buy this," I point out, only half joking. It's happened far too many times for my liking; I've bought things, only to find something better minutes later. It always leads to disappointment.

Leading to my motto of: don't spend money if you don't absolutely have to.

"Well, this is going to be dinner, so you should find something to eat." After another few seconds pass we leave the stand, continuing on our way; Sheena eats whatever it is she has while I continue to browse the occasional stand.

Eventually I settle for what's apparently a fried chickpea fritter*. "What's going on at the second part of the city?" I ask Sheena as we approach the staircase leading there. Meltokio is massive; we've been walking around the first level for at least twenty minutes and we've only really explored the path to the inn and the square leading up to the second level. It would be incredibly easy to get lost here. Above the square are multiple walkways, connecting different buildings and areas in the upper floors, and it only gets worse as you get closer to the stairs.

"I'm not sure," Sheena replies. "Probably some form of entertainment or an event."

We pass a booth with various charms and lockets adorning the table and I pause. In one of the display boxes are several hand-sized cat head shaped plush toys.

They're stupidly cute.

The price tag reads 550.

A minute later I'm holding a white one; the collar around the bottom is a light blue and there's a bow between the ears*.

I look at it for a few seconds before placing it into the pocket of my sweater. "Found something?" Sheena asks, when I return. I nod.

"I'll show you at the inn—I don't wanna lose it," I reply.

Eventually we make it to the stairs, just as darkness is setting in. The paths are much less open, due to the houses crammed above and around the stairs. Walkways loom overhead, and there are string lights strung above from buildings and walkways.

The stairs lead us into a mid-floor, completely covered from above. Sheena tells me that the vendors and stalls set up here are year round, rather than holiday specific. I end up buying roasted chestnuts from one of them.

There's another small set of stairs that leads us to the second level of Meltokio as well as another crowd. The first thing I notice is the fountain; there's a statue of who, I assume, is Martel in the center of it, one hand held out while the other grips a staff. The level of detail in the clothes and face is astonishing and although I can't see the base due to the huge crowds gathered around us, it's large enough that I can see most of it. It's lit up by some kind of light, illuminating the statue.

I'm not religious; I know for a fact that the religion of this world, based around the Church of Martel, is a hoax created for the sole purpose of the giant seed holding the real Martel. But the statue still is awe inspiring.

Sheena leads me to the east side of the square, where it's far less crowded, and we both take a seat on one of the benches there. Extravagant flower bunches are placed around the perimeter of the square, and the square itself looks down upon the first level; from this side, I can see a park and houses.

"Thanks for coming with me," I say, my eyes locked on the statue as I eat one of the chestnuts. From what I can tell, and hear, there's some kind of act show going on, but we're too far away to be able to tell what's going on. "I, um … I-I appreciate it."

Sheena nods. "No problem. It was nice to experience some of the festivities," she admits, "even if it was just for a little bit."

I fiddle with my hands, wringing them out and kicking my feet. "I …" I hesitate, before asking, "w-what time is your thing tomorrow?"

Sheena takes moment to think and I chew my bottom lip nervously. I'm taking a huge leap asking this—there's a chance that she'll refuse to tell me due to secrecy. But at the same time, she might see it as too mundane to be of any use.

"One," she finally says. "So I'll have plenty of time to show you where the shops are."

I nod, but say nothing else. At least now I know what time to storm the castle; it's the only option I have at this point. It's not like I can just wait until Sheena returns to Tethe'alla. They'll be a whole lot stronger than I am; there'd be no point in bringing someone like me along.

Not to mention, if I don't take this risk, my only choice is to stay in Meltokio and try to get by and I'm not sure if I could feasibly do that. I'd be essentially homeless.

My chest tightens and I feel the stress bubbling and trying to take over. Tomorrow is the deciding factor; I can't mess up. There's too much on the line for me to mess up.

My only chance of getting home is if I get this right.

I stuff another chestnut into my mouth, and after swallowing it I exhale shakily, clenching my hands together tightly in an attempt to hide how they're shaking.

This is a public place, and Sheena is right next to me; it isn't safe to feel. It isn't safe to show emotions on anything but a shallow level.

'When will it be?' I frown at that thought, shifting my gaze to the stairway we came from. 'When will it be safe?'

I can't even answer my own damn question.

"He~y, is that you Sheena?" A voice calls out, and a chill goes down my spine. It comes from my right.

'Don't look.'

Sheena stiffens and she goes from relaxed to tense in less than a second flat. Turning her head to look around me—because the voice is from my side of the bench—I see her flex one of her hands.

"It is!" He's closer now and I shudder. I won't look up—I cannot look up. My throat is tight and suddenly I want nothing more than to haul myself over the ledge behind us and get away. A pair of shoes enters my field of vision. "What are the chances?"

Don't look. Don't look. Eat more chestnuts instead.

"Zelos," Sheena acknowledges, her voice even. "Without your usual company I see … not that it's a problem," she mumbles the last part under her breath. "What do you want?"

"Hm? Why, I just wanted to say hello; you are one of my hunnies after all." I can hear the grin in his voice.

I press my toes into the bottom of my shoes, attempting to shrink back into the bench and make myself as small as possible. It doesn't work.

"How many times do I have to say it?" Sheena snaps. "I'm not your hunny!"

"Hey, hey, no need to yell." I can practically hear his smirk. There's a pause, before he asks, "Who's the kid?"

"She's just someone I met," Sheena replies thinly before repeating her earlier question, "what do you want?"

Zelos sighs. "You're so cold, Sheena … hey, kid," he bumps my shoe with his own and I barely stop myself from flinching, "what's your name?" When I don't respond he tries again. "There's no need to look down like that; I bet you're just adorable~."

"Leave her alone, Zelos," Sheena orders. She seems to have given up on getting an answer out of him for now. "Shouldn't you be with the Princess right now?"

"Hm? She's busy, so I thought I'd come down and see who I could find," he replies offhandedly, before turning his attention back to me. "C'mon, just a look? A word? There's no need to be shy around the Great Zelos~."

'Maybe I should just put him out of his misery.' I contemplate that thought for a moment, torn between keeping silent or not. There's a chance he'll give up, but there's also the chance he'll try harder … and use different methods.

Reluctantly I raise my head, focusing on anything but his face. "W-What do you want?"

"Just saying hello," he tells me. "After all, it isn't everyday I see Sheena, much less someone with her. What brings you two to Meltokio?"

Sheena leans back, crossing her arms over her chest. "You know I can't tell you that."

Suddenly there's a hand in front of my face and I blink, instinctively reeling away from it and looking up. A grin stretches across Zelos' face and I curse myself internally.

"Aha! You finally look at me." He looks between the two of us before asking, "So … what's the relationship between you two?"

Sheena sighs in frustration. "Nothing, Zelos. I told you; she's someone I met."

"Looks like she's from Mizuho," he notes. I wince. "What's your name, cutie?"

I hesitate, debating whether or not I should answer him, before reluctantly saying, "Eden."

I regret it immediately, but by then it's too late to take it back. My stomach is knotted up so tightly that I feel nauseous and I can feel myself beginning to shake—panic is creeping forward, ever so slowly, but at a steady pace.

'No.' I grit my teeth, counting my breaths in an attempt to keep them from getting uneven. 'Don't panic, do not panic.'

"Hellooo?" Zelos' voice snaps me out of my thoughts, and I reluctantly look up at him and—yup, he's still there. "Y'know, it's considered rude to ignore someone."

Zelos looks every bit like his fictional—can I still consider him fictional?—counterpart, and while I knew exactly what I was going to see, it doesn't make it any easier to swallow.

Sheena snaps. "Zelos! Leave her alone already—can't you see you're freaking her out?"

I wince.

Way to call me out.

"I'm—I-I'm not," I stammer in protest, but my voice is weak. "S-Sorry, um … Zelos? I—I'm just … I've got a lot o-on my mind."

"No need to worry; I know it can be a bit of a shock to see the one and only Zelos Wilder in person," he says with a laugh.

I look away.

"We should get back to the inn," Sheena starts. It's clear that she's not in the mood to deal with him right now. "It's getting late, and I have things to do tomorrow."

"Aw, already? But we haven't even spent any real time together yet hunny," he draws the last word out into a whine. "It isn't everyday that I get to see you after all."

"Thank Martel."

He brings a hand to his chest, frowning. "You wound me, Sheena."

Sheena gets to her feet and I quickly follow suit; Zelos takes a few steps back to accommodate us. "You sure you don't wanna stay? I'm always willing to give some one on one affection—ow!" He cries out in pain when Sheena smacks his arm. From the sound of it, she hits him rather hard.

"We're leaving now," she announces, shooting a glare at the redhead before heading back the way we came. I follow her without question and make the mistake of glancing over my shoulder as we go—Zelos winks at me.

My stomach twists.

"Sorry about him," Sheena apologizes, once we're out of earshot. "I thought Zelos would be with the Princess."

I shake my head. "It's fine. He's just …" I hesitate, before asking, "is he really the Chosen?"

"Unfortunately," she responds. "It's kinda a shock, isn't it?"

"Mm," I agree. "I hope I don't see him much while here."

If things go my way, I won't be seeing him for quite awhile.

Sheena shrugs. "It really depends … but if you see him with a flock of women around him, get away; they're pretty nasty."

"Nasty as in gross?"

"Mean," she corrects. "Noble women … the worst kind on top of it."

I clench the bag of roasted chestnuts a bit tighter. "I-I'll remember that."

The crowds have thinned out a bit, and I take a glance at the clock on the wall when we enter the room—8:55, it reads.

"They'll likely shoot fireworks off soon," Sheena remarks once we've reached our room. "It might be a bit startling to hear, but don't be too afraid."

I frown. Fireworks are made from gunpowder, but there are no guns in Tethe'alla … or Sylvarant, for that matter; what are they making fireworks out of?

Magic, maybe? But then again, only elves and half-elves can use that and half-elves are hated while elves never leave Heimdall.

Then again … gunpowder wasn't used in guns until around a thousand years after its development. Maybe Tethe'alla has discovered gunpowder, but not guns? It's just a matter of chemistry at that point, but I'm not too sure how far chemistry has come in this world.

"Thanks for the warning," I finally say. "I … I think I'm going to head to bed early, though. I'm really tired."

It isn't a lie; although walking around Meltokio was fun, it doesn't change the fact that I've spent the last three days walking and sleeping on the ground. The moment I entered our room, I crashed.

Sheena nods. "Alright. Do you want me to turn my lamp off?"

I shake my head. "It's fine …" I hesitate as I remove my shoes. It feels gross to sleep in the clothes I've been wearing for the last three days, but it's not like I have anything else to wear—unless I take off my sweatshirt and shorts, but that's … not the best idea.

I can probably get away without the shorts, but if Sheena sees my shirt I'm in trouble.

In the end, I decide to just do it anyways; I make sure to keep my back to the ninja when I pull my sweatshirt off, and climb under the covers before removing my shorts. I throw them both onto the floor beside me, rolling onto my side so that my back is facing her, and then I exhale shakily.

When my anxiety comes back around I can't help but be filled with self-loathing. I push the anxiety to the back of my mind, placing it into a box to deal with later; because right now, I can't afford to panic or let my anxiety take over.

I can't fail tomorrow; I have to make it work. Letting my emotions take over will only screw me over in the end—I need to stay positive and do whatever it takes to get to Sylvarant. Even if it means selling my loyalty to the Renegades … or even to Cruxis.

If it'll get me home, then I'll take the opportunity.


A/N: Sheena was eating Crescia sfogliata and Eden was eating Panelle. I've never been to any kind of festival that offered foods other than your stereotypical hot dog, hamburger, fries, churro, and so forth, so I ended up looking up videos of street foods in different countries and scouring the internet to find something that would work.

Also, the thing that Eden buys is actually from the OVA; in the seventh episode, you can see them set up on a stall when Sheena buys Corrine's bell. I changed the price, though, because I'm going to just use the general idea that 100 gald is approximately 1 USD.