Rating: T for now, rating will change to M in later chapters.

Genre: Game, Action/Adventure, major A/U.

Status: Work In Progress.

Chapter: Act 3.

Author's Note: since the summary is rather large, from this chapter, I'm now leaving it out of the rest of the story. But since this is fanfiction, the disclaimer is necessary and will still remain for however long the story is and trust me... it is a huge one! I do have one question though, was Raine Sage just a Light Elemental and Healer? I just wondered if there was any mention of her wielding more than one magical element. This chapter is proving to be quite long and I'll be splitting it into a few parts. All I ask is you let me know how I'm doing.

Disclaimer: I don't claim ownership of any of the characters of Tales of Symphonia. The game and requisite characters are the property of Namco. I am just using them for a fiction of my own creation. Any original characters, Summon Spirits, plot devices, the Elyrian Seraphim, the Elyrian language, spells, Seraphic Crystals and Seraphic Key Crests are my own creations. This fiction was inspired by the imaginative and excellent Tales of Symphonia Trilogy of Alaia Skyhawk.

Tales of Symphonia

Second Restoration - Act 3.1: two Healers

~:oOo:~

'Raine?'

The sound of her name being uttered quietly by the individual next to her penetrated the haze of pain flooding through her head. Gripping the rough, wooden staff ever tighter, she peered through half open eyes at the other healer. Even the muted daylight seemed to be too bright for her. Raine fully closed her eyes against the remnant radiance of the sun that lingered.

'Are you alright?' A soft, earthen fragrance filtered into her nose. A few of the herbal scents she recognized; basil, sage, rosemary and willow bark. Dimly the village school teacher recalled willow bark tea as a sovereign cure for any type of pain. A cool hand touched her forehead. 'Obviously you aren't. Lean on me, I'll take you back to my cottage. I'll help you when we get there. You might even find some of the contents rather interesting.'

Raine silently uttered a prayer to the Goddess for the timely arrival of the other healer. She felt Alethia support her tall frame. The two slowly made their way through the faded light of day. Their boot soles scraped against the loose gravel of the path which led to the dwelling of Alethia Amberglow. The sound of a gate pushed open, then kicked shut rang out. Raine couldn't suppress the involuntary flinch as even that normally slight noise seemed magnified tenfold.

'We're here Raine.' The elven scholar felt her body being settled briefly against a stone wall. The click of a lock registered. Alethia again provided support for Raine. 'We're now, just watch your step.'

Alethia led Raine through the cottage, steering her down a short passageway and into a large, dimly lit room. The staff disappeared from Raine's hold. Raine didn't reach for it. She knew, somehow, the other woman wouldn't cause her harm. It was a feeling she couldn't readily explain, it was just there, present within her mind.

This headache must be worse than I thought. I'm imagining things that can't possibly be true or real. She felt herself being gently pushed down onto a bed. It felt wonderful to just lay there, in the gloom where the daylight couldn't affect her. The noises from outside seemed muted.

'I'll be back shortly with a pain remedy soon Raine.' Alethia pitched her voice low, the tone barely above a whisper. 'From your reaction, you've obviously got a headache. A rather nasty one I think.'

Quick and rapid footsteps receded as Alethia left the chamber. Raine lay there in the still, serene dark. Faint sounds from somewhere within the cottage reached her, no doubt Alethia concocting the pain relief medication. Raine wasn't sure how much time had passed as she heard Alethia enter the room.

'This will taste somewhat horrible, yet the effects of this are more potent the fresher it is.' A warm, metallic cup was pressed to her lips. 'Drink this fast Raine. I have more if you require it.' Raine drank the hot, liquid contents, almost gagging at the stringent taste of the herbal potion. She also detected a faint aftertaste as she swallowed the willow bark tea. Something else besides the treatment for pain had been mixed in. Raine didn't even have the energy to protest as the potion carried her off into unconsciousness.

~:oOo:~

'She'll hate me for this when she wakes up.' Alethia muttered. The tenacity and cynicism of the elven professor was well known to all who resided in Iselia. As well as her sharp tongue and fierce temper, plus her reverence for knowledge. 'I'll just have to deal with it then.'

With her patient now in the grips of a drug induced slumber, it wouldn't matter if Alethia dropped anything near her. No sound, no matter how loud, would cause her to awaken. Alethia sighed. She couldn't leave the other woman in her day clothes. With a snap of her fingers, a candle beside the bed lit with vibrant flame. Alethia examined the face of her sleeping patient. Other signs besides those of exhaustion were present. Stress, a deep sense of worry and concern were etched onto the pale features of the elven woman.

'You certainly are a troubled soul, aren't you Raine Sage?' Alethia tucked a few errant strands of silver hair away from the face of the resting woman. 'If only you knew of the events of the Prophecy and your own role in the future events. Your headache is part of this.'

On the sturdy wooden cabinet beside the bed lay a basin filled to the brim with steaming water. A pile of soft cloths and a small wooden bowl of dried herbs were next to it. Alethia scattered a handful of dried lavender on the hot water. A delicate scent filled the room. Alethia dipped a cloth into the water and summarily began to wash away traces of sweat and grime. She removed Raine's clothing and redressed her in a long, white sleeping shift. She gathered up the soiled wash cloths and the dirty clothes. Alethia dropped the bundle into the now empty basin. As she made to leave the chamber, the human healer made the splay fingered sign of the World Tree.

'As my own mentor did this for me, I now do this for you.'

Alethia extinguished the candle. The room fell into shadow. The only radiance came from stray shafts of moonlight that slipped through minute cracks in the shuttered windows.

Author's note: more to come in a few days. I'm editing the next part!