Wow. Chapter 4 already. Feels like I only started this thing yesterday. I guess it has something to do with the shortness of Chapter 3. Well, let's get to work.

One quick note: THIS CHAPTER RATED PG-13 FOR VIOLENCE AND GORY IMAGERY. I'm not having my story discontinued because some rules-sensitive prig decided he'd get his kicks by banning it.

Many thanks to the reviewers that stayed and the new ones that reviewed. I'll try to keep it together for you guys.

Ookami no Anubis: I'm glad you were able to get some fresh picture ideas together. As for what is she going to tell them...

MoonCannon: I'm glad you're enjoying it so far. I'll try to update soon... hey wait! I'm updating now! Oops...

Timmycheese: (edges away from sharpening stone) DD;; I apologize for the shortness. That chapter came to me in a fit of artistic splendor, during Chem class on Monday. It is an explainer/filler/plot advancer chapter, all rolled into one convenient package. As for length, I'll try to make this one longer to compensate.

Ilvinaeda: Yay! Long review! Action scenes ye be wantin, eh? Hmm... We shall see...

Tropicalia: First bit of advice: You may want to end the fic at this point. If you end it now, you open it up to sequels. Not much I can say about the tale itself; all in all it's a good story.

LAME LEGAL FORMALITIES (ie THE DISCLAIMER):

¿ObviousMan? does not own or control Namco, Tales of Symphonia, WotC, or the creators of anything else mentioned that is currently registered under a different creator. That which belongs to him has been listed in Chapter 3, and now includes the psion mentioned later in the chapter. All copyrights and trademarks belong to their respective owners and are, out of necessity, not documented here in legal form.

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Blahgah : normal
"Blahgah" : speech
Blahgah:flashback
'Blahgah' : thoughts
"Blahgah" : voices in head

"...So, are you ready to talk about it?" the healer asked me. Even in my current condition, it was blatantly obvious what she was referring to. Gripping Genis' hand for comfort, I took a deep breath to calm myself. Then I began the tale...

GENIS:

"For the past week or so, I have been experiencing the same nightmare over and over, every night without fail." Presea began, sinking back into her old stoic demeanor. "It is a... disturbing... experience."

"How so?" I inquired. "It seems pretty bad, considering how you've been acting for the past week."

"It is not a pleasant dream. For one, they all end the same way." Here a shred of emotion trickled into her voice. "You... die. Horribly."

'So that's what she meant, that night at the hotel!' I realized. '"I almost lost you..." She must have been referring to the dream.'

There was a short silence, broken eventually by Raine's inquiry: "...How does he die? An attack? A natural disaster? Disease?"

"He is ...attacked."

"How? By what?"

"I... I-I would rather not say." Hot tears filled her eyes; I squeezed her hand in support, shooting a glare at Raine. 'How could she be so insensitive?'

To her credit, Raine seemed to know when she had pressed too far. "I understand. Is there anything else you wish to tell us?"

"...No. The dream... is really not of much import. It is a dream, nothing more." Presea answered. She sounded more like she was trying to convince herself than us.

"N-No, it's not!" I blurted out. "If it's enough to affect you like this, it's clearly important! I mean—"

"—Genis!" Raine's voice cracked like a whip, stunning me into silence. "Can I speak to you for a moment? Outside?"

Confused and irritated, I followed her outside the room. Once she had closed the door, I burst out: "But it is important! Look at her! That dream was enough to make her faint!" 'Among other things...' I thought, recalling the events of the past week.

Raine raised a hand to stop further outbursts. "Be that as it may, Presea apparently doesn't wish to discuss it with us. We can't force her; neither you nor I have the authority. Besides, to force it out of her now would do more harm than good."

"But..."

"No buts." Raine commanded. "We're going to have to wait, until Presea is ready to tell us of her own free will." Her expression softened a little as she continued. "I'm going back in, to finish her treatment. Nightmare or not, she did just faint; she needs the rest of her healing. Maybe when I'm done I can convince her to tell me something. If not, we wait." She turned and re-entered the room, closing the door behind her firmly as if to say, "No trying anything."

Meanwhile...

PRESEA:

As Genis and Raine left, a voice piped up in the back of my head. "Why did you lie?"

Answering the voice in my head would be a sure sign of insanity; I ignored it for now. The little voice grew persistent.

"You would honestly hide things from him? He just risked his life to save you! You couldn't bring yourself to describe a dream?"

'...Telling Genis would only cause him undue stress. I will not have him suffer for my own insecurities.'

"Bit late for that, huh?" An image flashed through my thoughts: Genis, lying prone on the ground, covered in gashes and blood. The scene from the Salamander attack. I shook my head to clear away the imagery. '...Get out of my mind!'

"Alright... You're only hurting yourself by keeping this bottled up. I'll be back." The voice went silent, just as Raine came back into the room. She picked up her staff from its position, leaning against the wall near the door.

"I just need to finish up some healing before I let you sleep. It'll only take a second." I nodded my assent. Raine walked over, raising her staff as she did so. The staff emitted a green glow, immersing me in its warmth.

"Hmm... no subdermal damage; no signs of a concussion from the fall; ...Tell me; do you feel like you forgot any memories recently? Have any sense of lost time?"

"Lost time? You mean like the last 16 years?" The voice chimed in sardonically. I shook my head, as much in response to Raine as to clear out the mental freeloader. 'I said leave me alone!'

"...ziness? Drowsiness?" When I looked up blankly Raine sighed and repeated, "Have you had any headaches? Dizziness? Drowsiness?"

"Um, just a little tired, I suppose..." I responded, slightly embarrassed that I had missed her question.

"That's to be expected." She sat down on the edge of the bed. "...You're sure there's nothing else you want to tell us about your dream?" I shook my head; she sighed lightly. "...Alright. Before I go, is there anything you want me to get for you? A glass of water maybe?"

"No. ...But could you ask Genis to come in? There's something I need to ask him."

"I suppose I could. But don't stay up too late talking; you need your sleep."

'Sleep. As if I want to sleep.' But I didn't say anything as Raine opened the door to let Genis in. She looked at him for a moment, as if to say something in some sibling language only they understood. He sighed and shook his head, apparently getting the message. As Raine closed the door, Genis padded quickly over to my bedside.

"Genis. Thank you... for saving my life."

"D-Don't worry about it! It was nothing. Now what did you want to ask me?" He asked, concerned.

"I... I— It's nothing. Never mind."

"...Okay. If you're sure..." he replied, concern still evident in his voice.

"I am sure. Please, do not worry about me."

"...Alright. Good night, then." He turned and slowly padded from the room. The door closed, leaving me with a nagging sensation in the back of my mind.

"Thank you, Genis. I owe you so much..." I whispered into the darkened room. As I sank off to sleep, the voice could not resist a parting shot: "You should have told him..."

GENIS:

Early next morning we left Mizuho, after saying our goodbyes to Sheena and the ninjas. A few minutes after taking to the air, I looked back at the village to see a small black Rheiard lift off and head for Meltokio. Recognizing the purple-haired ninja riding it, I made a mental note to ask Raine what that letter from Zelos had said.

Turning my head slowly to watch the Rheiard go, my eyes soon locked with Presea's. Blushing lightly I turned forward again, embarrassed how close our faces had been. I was now acutely aware of everywhere our bodies touched: her arms around my waist, her knees pressed against the insides of my own. 'Less than a year ago, I was dreaming about being this close to Presea; now not only am I closer to her, she seems happy to be with me...' Presea's sharp cry of fear quickly drew my attention back to piloting the Rheiard. "Fly over the mountains, Genis, not into them," a voice chastised as I pulled us out of our dive. "I'm sure the mountain dwarves don't need a visitor, especially one that plows through their roof with a giant metal thing."

"What's the matter, Genis?" Presea asked loudly over the roar of the engine. "Are you alright?"

"I-I'm fine! I was just... distracted..." I mumbled. Gods, the embarrassment. 'She must think I'm an idiot. This thing isn't that hard to fly!'

"You were what?" Presea leaned closer, probably so she could hear better; I only registered the fact that her entire front was now pressing against me as her head rested on my shoulder. The telltale burning sensation told me my blush had just gone from light pink to a full-fledged crimson.

"N-Nothing! I w-was j-just distracted!" I shouted to her, somehow still managing to stutter despite getting louder.

"Smooth." the voice rang out sarcastically.

"Oh, okay." Presea didn't remove her head. About a minute later her rhythmic breathing informed me she was dozing lightly on my shoulder. I spared a glance at her face, now peacefully content as her head snuggled itself into my shirt's shoulder-folds. I felt another blush coming on.

'She looks exhausted.' I realized, noticing the bags under her eyes. 'I'll bet she didn't sleep at all last night.'

"That nightmare of hers is definitely more than she's making it out to be."

'Yeah. At least she can rest when she's with me, for some reason. It's as if she feels safer having me near.'

"Maybe she—"

'—No.' I cut the taunting voice off before it could continue. 'No more distractions.' I shook my head once to clear it; I immediately stopped once Presea shifted, moaning. She tightened her grip on my waist before falling still. I turned back to flying, increasingly distracted by the warmth of my Presea pressed up against me.

We continued heading northeast for a while, flying over the Ossa Trail before landing a mile south of Asgard, our next stop. After waking Presea (who promptly blushed at falling asleep while snuggling me again), I lit a cooking fire while Raine grabbed her book. Presea opted to chat with me as I made soup. We continued our chat once lunch was served, as Raine opted to eat on the other side of camp while reading her book.

'Oh, how do I put this without arousing her suspicions? "You know, I don't really mind it when you fall asleep on me, since I'm the only thing that keeps your nightmare away"? "Feel free to take a nap whenever you want; the Genis comfort plushie is available 24/7"? Dammit... I wish Raine would just let me confront her about that dream. It'd make this a whole lot easier. I could just tell her then." I thought nervously between mouthfuls of soup.

"...gard?" Presea was saying as she set her bowl aside.

"Huh? Wha?" I mumbled, before quickly swallowing the mouthful of noodles. Blushing slightly, I turned back to Presea.

"I was asking about Asgard, but it appears you were thinking. Forgive my intrusion."

"N-No! No! It's fine! Don't apologize; I should be apologizing for ignoring you like that." I quickly responded. "Asgard? It's alright if you're into ruins. Raine loves it there. The entire town was built on the ruins of a city that existed back around the time of the Great Kharlan War. The records they kept illustrate several of the battles in the war, as well as the origins of the myths of Goddess Martel. Raine can't get enough of the city; every time she follows a path, she finds something new to study. Since we've been there so often, and Raine was so helpful to the people, I'm hoping it'll be an easy job to change their minds about half-elves."

"How was Raine helpful to these people?" Presea asked, cocking her head curiously to one side.

'Gods, I love it when she does that...' I was surprised to find the thought cross my mind. Out loud I said, "Oh, that's right! You weren't there when Raine saved Asgard from the Wind Demon."

"Wind Demon?"

"Well, there was this Wind Elemental that had been sealed inside a giant stone altar at the top of the mountain Asgard is built on..." I told her the whole story; how the demon had tricked the Asgaards into thinking it was the Summon Spirit of Wind, how it had demanded sacrifices, how Raine volunteered to go in the sacrifice's place, how she had fought and defeated it ("...With our help, of course!"), and how the village had thanked her profusely. "...I think she still has a standing invitation at the hotel, not to mention a permanent pass to the ruins." I added.

Before I had the chance to continue, Raine directed us to strike camp so we could head for Asgard. "...See? She's already anxious to get at the ruins." I whispered to Presea. She chuckled a little, and together we began cleaning the cooking utensils.

.•°•.•°•.•°Several minutes later°•.•°•.•°•.

PRESEA:

As we were walking along the trail, Genis stuck close by my side. He looked like he was trying to say something, but couldn't work up the nerve to do so. Finally he managed a stuttered "...P-Presea..."

"Yes, Genis?"

"Um... I-If you ever need an-anything, like someone to t-talk to, or just s-someone to be with, anything at all, I-I'm here for you! Just ask me." He stammered rapidly.

"Aww... how sweet." The annoying voice was back again. I ignored it for now.

"...Thank you, Genis. I will keep that in mind." I responded. Genis smiled, blushing slightly, and suddenly found something very interesting to study that seemed to be traveling right between his feet. I went back to my watch for enemies as we continued along the trail.

'Possible danger. Alert the others.' I thought as I noticed a man walking down the path towards us. I nudged Genis, still enraptured with whatever-it-was by his feet, to warn him of the approaching man. Raine slowed to be nearby us as the man drew closer. As he stopped, so did we, giving me a chance to analyze him. He was dressed in a pair of black trousers, with a matching black shirt. A dark blue cape hung over his shoulders, trailing behind him in the wind. The only thing on him that was out of the ordinary was the large gold chain hanging about his neck; on it hung a large gem whose colors shifted randomly in a chaotic swirl. He seemed almost frail, with little or no musculature. He had no weapons of any sort, the closest thing being a piece of straw held between his teeth.

"Can we help you?" Raine asked, shifting her staff slightly.

"Well, you can start by giving me your valuables." The man said in an almost jovial manner.

"And why would we wish to do that?"

"Because it'd save me the trouble of taking them from your dead bodies."

Genis almost broke out laughing as he responded: "You and what army? You don't even have any weapons!"

"...And why would I need them?" The man said.

"Because I could just do this! Fireball!" Three orbs of fire launched themselves at the newcomer. Rather than dodge or block, the man simply raised his hand; the three fireballs changed course, orbiting around the man while he chuckled softly.

"Weapons are the tools of one's skill, little dude. As a Psion, my skill is mental; I have all the weapons I need right here," he responded, tapping his head as he did so. He gestured again; the fireballs rocketed back at Genis. The first two he was able to dodge, yet the third left him sprawled across the ground.

I charged the psion, axe flashing in the sunlight. "Ooh, physical fighter. Can't have that," he commented. He reached out his hand; I felt an overwhelming sense of intrusion, of violation, inside my own head. Suddenly I couldn't move. "Oh yeah, forgot to warn you. Mana energy isn't the only energy I can manipulate. I can work with mental energy too—"

A surge of magical water cut him short as Genis cast his Spread spell. The psion simply twisted the mana-enriched water around himself, streaming it at Raine like a water cannon. "Y'know little dude, you're really starting to tick me off." He sniped at Genis, who looked ready to rip his head off with his bare hands. A wicked smile crossed his face as an idea came to him: "Let's have your little girlfriend here get rid of you for me!"

To my horror, my body turned and began walking towards Genis, hefting my axe into a ready position. I struggled against his grip on my mind, to no avail. 'No... not again...'

Genis, upon seeing the blank look in my eyes, began backing away slowly. "P-Presea? A-are you okay?"

'Not again... this is just... just like...Why can't I stop myself?' I thought, desperately straining against his hold over me; nothing I did could wrench me free for even a moment...

...One step, two step— no amount of begging, pleading, or desperate struggling would stop my body...

My body swung the axe; Genis was barely able to dodge it. "P-Presea, please!" he shouted, terrified. "You can't let him do this!"

'I can't stop it! Save yourself! Genis, RUN!' I tried frantically to scream, to stop, to do anything. Helpless, I floated inside my mind as my body took it upon itself to destroy my last reason to live.

The axe swung again; this time Genis was too slow. His face contorted in pain as the axe grazed his side. Some of his blood sprayed from the speed of my slice, landing on me...

...His body toppled, severed cleanly in half at the waist...

...the warmth of his blood on my body and hands...

I couldn't stand this anymore; my consciousness began to slip from the sickening horror. The last thing my eyes saw was the blood... 'Genis' blood... on my hands...' The blackness overtook me and I knew no more.

Meanwhile...

GENIS:

I stood there holding my kendama at the ready as what had once been my closest companion trudged towards me mindlessly. "P-Presea, please! You can't let him do this!" I shouted desperately. "Snap out of it!"

She swung her axe again, and this time I was unable to twist out of the way. The axe sliced into my side, just above my hip, in a long shallow cut. The force of the swing sent my blood spraying back at her; she stopped moving, staring at the fresh blood on her hands. She began trembling violently.

"Wait, what's going on? You can't resist my commands! I control your mind!" the psion suddenly yelled. He seemed surprised as he commanded: "Finish him!"

Her blank stare was replaced with one of mindless rage as she turned to face the psion. With a cry of primal fury she hurled herself at the psion, axe flashing like the Executioner himself. Not even bothering to name her technique she slammed her axe into his right shoulder, tearing it through his body before ripping it out through his left hip. He didn't even have time for a last scream as his lifeless corpse fell like so many pounds of raw meat.

The axe dropped from Presea's limp hands as she stood over his dead body. I rushed towards her just in time to catch her as she fell backwards into my arms. I lowered her to the ground and, grabbing a rag, began washing both my blood and the psion's off of her.

It was at about this time that Raine woke up. Shivering uncontrollably from the water the psion had redirected at her, she slowly stood up. "...W-Water... hate... water... cold... wet... water..." She shook herself lightly and made her way over to find me cradling a limp Presea in my arms. "...What happened to her?"

"I-I'm not sure.' I answered. "The psion did something to her mind and made her attack me. When she managed to hit me, she suddenly just stopped and stared at her bloody hands. The guy said something about her resisting his commands and she completely lost it. She screamed like some kind of animal, charged him and slashed him in half. Then she just lost consciousness."

RAINE:

'I wonder if she was even conscious then...' "Tell me, Genis, when she managed to break free of his control, did her eyes still have a blank stare or were they back to normal?"

"I wouldn't call them normal! They looked like the eyes of someone who died angry— blank and enraged all at once." He replied, holding Presea even closer.

"Hmm... then that means she wasn't even conscious when she broke free."

"What? Then how'd she manage to chop him in half?" He asked, gesturing at the remains of the psion.

"She had a mental blackout — her mind passed out but her body continued running on adrenaline and instinct. Once she killed the psion, the threat ended. Her instincts had no further instructions so she fainted. When she wakes up she shouldn't remember killing the psion." I explained.

'Presea... why won't you let us help you? There's only so much we can do by ourselves! You have to let us help you! Just tell us what's going on so we can help!' I glanced over at Genis; he looked pained as he gazed mournfully into Presea's closed eyes. 'Do it for Genis' sake, if not your own. You're killing him like this...' I thought. Remembering the body of the psion, I walked over and glanced down at it. The only thing left intact and uncoated by blood was the strange pendant around his neck. I slid it off his ruined corpse, noticing the blood simply slip off its golden chain. Mystified and attracted by its swirls of shifting colors, I pocketed the pendant for later study, returning to Genis' side.

GENIS:

'...How dare that bastard do this to Presea?' I thought, furious. 'It's his fault she's like this!' I turned to Raine. "Did you get everything you wanted off him?" I asked, anger still smoldering in my voice as I gestured at the psion.

"...Yes... but why—"

She jumped back as a meteor of white-hot flame slammed into his body, incinerating him instantly. Not even ashes were left for the evening breeze to carry away. She stood stock-still for a moment, one hand over her heart as she tried to catch her breath; with her breath returned her temper. She slapped me once over the head.

"You almost hit me! Don't be so rash! I don't care if you're still angry at him; there's no need to take it out on his body, and certainly not on me," she snapped. Looking around, she realized that it was evening and the sun was setting. "...We'd best make camp for the night. We won't reach Asgard before sunset, and I'm not traveling at night. Genis, if you'll light a fire and get dinner started, I'll set up the tent." I quickly lit a fire using the available wood, and was halfway done with the meal when Raine came over and sat on the log next to Presea and me.

"What are you making?" Raine asked tentatively.

"Spaghetti. Presea always liked it; I figured it'd be something nice for her to wake up to."

"I see."

"..."

As the pasta came to a boil, I noticed that Presea still wasn't awake. "Should I wake her up?"

"...No. Let her sleep. Today was pretty traumatic for her for some reason; let her body repair itself. She'll wake up when she's ready."

"...Alright." I served out two servings of pasta, putting a third aside for Presea when she awoke. Raine and I ate in silence.

After dinner, cleanup, and an hour of gazing at the stars, Presea still wasn't awake. Raine and I retired to bed, I myself tucking Presea into her bag before falling asleep next to her. 'I hope she's alright...'

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Well, the end of another chapter. I must warn you that the next update will be long in coming. The next two weeks of school are going to be hell for me, since Easter break starts in two weeks. My last day of HellMonth is March 18; the next chapter will be uploaded shortly thereafter. Sorry for the wait.

R&R or baaaad things may happen...

¿ObviousMan?