Title: Memories
Pairing: Yuan/Raine
Fandom: Tales of Symphonia
Theme: #20 - the road home
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: Ending Spoilers.
Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia.

Memories

"You'll wake the baby!"

Raine froze. What?

"You'll wake the baby!"

No...no, that doll in your arms isn't Raine. I'm Raine!

"You'll wake the baby!"

Do you really...not remember me?

"You'll wake the baby!"

The baby...

The baby...

Noooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Raine woke with a start.

"Sis? You okay?" Genis mumbled, stirring slightly. The professor was sitting up in bed, rigid, clutching her arms and looking frightened.

"It's n...nothing, Genis," She answered in a hushed voice. "Go back to sleep." In a few seconds she heard snoring coming from one bed over and knew her brother had indeed fallen back asleep.

Slowly, the young half-even woman pulled back the covers and got out of bed, slipping on her slippers and robe as she did so. As Raine stepped outside, she clutched her arms more tightly, feeling the cool evening air hit her with a blast. It was cloudy and little light from the moon or stars shone through. The professor did not seem to notice, too preoccupied with her own thoughts.

Wandering through the trees, flashes of her dream and the memories it contained ran through her mind like am unending roll of film that Raine was powerless to stop. She was only able to watch Virginia over and over as she said those words...as she looked into Raine's eyes and did not show recognition. Raine was the rag doll in Virginia's arms, not the young woman who had stood in that room, fighting back tears. Raine's throat tightened painfully.

"You're certainly dressed warmly for such a cold night as this," someone said wryly. Raine whirled around to see Yuan step out of the shadows. She reddened slightly at his pointed look at her nightgown and robe.

"But don't let me question you," the cerulean-haired seraphim drawled. "I'm sure the wise professor knows exactly what she's doing."

Raine shot him a glare and stalked off in a random direction, not in the mood to listen to the other's banter. Yuan deliberately avoided taking the hint and continued to keep pace with her.

"I wonder what she's doing outside on a night like this?" he asked gesturing emphatically. "Probably research, as always..."

"Shut up..." Raine growled softly.

"Sorry, didn't quite catch that..." Yuan circled in front of her, leaning his ear in closer to hear, but with his ear came the rest of his face, and in that second, rage boiled up in Raine like an eruption.

"I said..." she began softly. "SHUT UP!"

She slapped him.

"You..." Yuan touched his cheek. "You're crying."

"I am not!" Raine screamed, whirling away, but he caught her arm deftly.

"Raine." Yuan looked straight at her. Raine went still, tears rolling down her unmoving features. "You want to tell me what is going on with you?"

"It's awfully bold of you to ask that," the silver-haired woman snapped. "After how many conversations we had...two? Three? And they weren't even conversations."

Yuan frowned. "They were debates."

"Arguments, more like," Raine replied tersely.

"You can't keep it inside forever, you know," he said in a softer tone.

"To what end?" Raine asked, then shook her head. "Oh, never mind. You'll never go away, will you? Well, I'm not really...from Iselia. I'm not even from Sylvarant."

"You're from Tethe'alla," Yuan supplied. Raine nodded.

"Heimdall, actually," she replied quietly. Yuan's eyes widened a margin. "Yes, there. My mother was an elf, you see. But the man she chose to love was human, and the children they bore - myself, and then Genis - were half-elves. Of course we could not stay, but I had not imagined...that there would be no other place for us to live. But we were always running. Genis was only a baby, he doesn't remember it at all...but I...do...

"Mother chose to send us through the Otherworldly Gate to the legendary land of Sylvarant. But the boat...I...we...Genis and I...were lost in the sea. We almost drowned. Somehow we made it, but I was only eleven, in a new world with a baby to care for and no one to turn to," she paused.

"...and no one to care for you." Yuan commented, but Raine continued as if he had not said anything.

"When we came to Tethe'alla for the first time...we saw many things. I did not know that Mother was still alive. She was living in Exire with the other half-elves who had no homes among the humans or the elves," the young professor looked at her hands, clenching them and unclenching them as if only to make sure she was still there. "She...she didn't know me. Her with that disgusting doll, pretending to be pregnant with a child that I'd spent half my life raising."

Yuan hesitantly wrapped his arms around Raine, pressing his lips to the top of her head, giving what comfort he could. Raine leaned against him slightly, closing her eyes and whispering into his chest:

"Sometimes I hate her so much."

She sobbed.

Yuan let out a small sigh, a put his hand to the side of Raine's face. "Look at me."

Raine's violet eyes flicked upwards. Yuan looked into them.

"I am looking at you," he said firmly, his voice barely above a whisper. A drop of rain splattered on the top of his head, and then hers, and then it was sprinkling. "I am seeing you. And I am telling you to stop holding back."

Raine looked confused. "I don't understand...holding back what?"

"I am telling you," Yuan continued. "to stop. You are blaming yourself for things that were out of your control. If you continue to hold back your anger, you will always resent your mother for what has happened. You will continue to live with your shame. It was not your fault, Raine."

Raine stepped away. "How...?"

Yuan gave her a half-smile. "I thought your rage was legendary."

Raine glared at him, but her eyes softened. She paused.

"Go on. Attack me if you want. Or the tree. It doesn't matter." He watched her calmly.

"No..." Raine murmured. "It does matter." She closed her eyes.

"It wasn't fair, I guess. Everything. Having to leave because I wasn't a full-blood elf. Always having to run. Being sent through the gate. Raising Genis on my own. Raising myself on my own..."

She was silent, and then Raine let out a piercing scream.

"IT WASN'T FAIR, DAMNIT!"

Yuan smirked. "That's better."

Raine regarded him silently, then walked over and kissed him on the lips. "Thank you."

Yuan looked mildly surprised, but his smile softened. "Go home. You're already wet, and you're only getting wetter."

"Okay..." Raine muttered, turning away and wrapping her robe tighter around her body.

"And Raine?" Yuan added.

"Yes?" Raine looked back.

"I know," he replied. "that it wasn't fair."

Raine smiled.

Fin.