Disclaimer: It's obvious enough that I don't own Tales of Xillia. All rights and properties belong to none other than Namco Bandai.

Hello guys! It's been a long long time since I actually updated... well, anything! To be honest, this wasn't the best time to post any update as well, but well, since there is no harm done then I'll just let it roll out. Oh, anyway, if you want to please review (I guess it's been awhile since I last use this line, lol) and wish me luck on final exam!

The days slowly passed by, without a single interesting event going on for the twins during their stay in Talim. Of course; they didn't work alone and even Alicia and Ian helped out, but none of it had any real lead for them. Their attempt on conducting a search resulted in complete utter failure.

The album that their father gave them pose as the strongest lead they have, but none of the people in the album was their parents. They also checked the family of people in Laforte Research Center, since Elize said that the first time their parents met was in the facility. Which was also in their father's album, but it was futile. They didn't even match them in term of appearance. That kind of dead end remained for two years and now they had reached their 3rd year in Talim, halfway through their school time.

Altair, Alicia, Ian, and Stella would normally spend some time working on their assignments, but they also spent their time together in the library. It was some sort of habit that grew on them since they were always together. It was then Stella complained about how the search was going nowhere saying, "Haah… I wonder why there's not one single empirical evidence lately…"

Altair looked up from his book hearing Stella complain before saying, "It can't be helped. After all we only knew that they met in Laforte, not to mention the time that had passed since the very day we were born. It was by no means easy to find them at this point."

"But, we worked so hard to look for those people who worked in Laforte. We even went to the extent of tracking their addresses, yet none of them were your parents." Alicia furrowed her eyebrows in confusion "It was weird… if they actually worked in Laforte then there must be a lead," She said with a look of disappointment. She shared the frustration of her dear friends, while baring some kind of guilt for not being of any use.

Ian remained quiet, with his expression hinting that he was in deep thought. Stella saw that Ian was actually thinking through the possibilities present and said, "Ian do you have any ideas?"

"Well, kind of, but it was more like… instinct rather than idea," Ian slowly replied with hesitation thick in his voice.

The relationship between Stella and Ian has certainly grown to a better turn. In fact it was much more "better" than when they first met. Ian used to calmly insult Stella with the end result being somewhat horrifying since Stella would end up getting angry over Ian's behavior. They weren't the best of friends like how Alicia and Stella are, but it could be said that they the two of them are in good terms.

Meanwhile, Altair was interested since he normally believe in Ian's idea from time to time. Altair and Ian could be called a good combination in times of critical thinking. Not only that, but they would often work together as partners.

Acting to his interest he asked, "And what is this so-called 'idea' that lit the light bulb?"

Ian smirked at him and calmly said, "Oh, come on Al, you know what I was thinking of. I know that you had your suspicions long before I said it myself."

Altair raised one of his eyebrows actually noticing what Ian is hinting at. He then racked his memory for one of his few suspicions and remembered one certain nagging feeling inside his mind. He puts his index finger on the side of his forehead before saying, "Oh… that." and snapped his fingers.

Alicia and Stella only looked at the two young researchers-to-be with question marks over their head. Stella was the first to ask what they were actually talking about by saying, "Al, I would certainly be grateful that you two explain what you two were talking about for the past 5 minutes. After all both Alice and I have no idea." She awkwardly laughed with a hint of embarrassment written on her cheeks and said, "As usual."

Altair and Ian quickly looked at the two girls in their groups with their questioning expression. Ian gladly took the liberty of explanation and said, "Well, we suspect that we're looking at this in wrong view. The clue is valid and by no doubt is true, but we remained in the dark so maybe we might have been looking at this in wrong way."

"What… do you mean?" Alicia quickly asked, slightly raising her voice in frustrastion. After she listened on Ian's explanation that became gibberish inside her head. Stella nodded as she seconded Alicia's question.

Altair then decided to explain it instead and took the lead. "It's just our suspicion, but isn't it weird that we haven't acquired anything new for the our mind cracking 'search' even after looking for two years? Father said that our parent pictures are in the album. Not only that, but aunt Elize claimed that they met in that very research center.

If anything else; that's the truth and the truth on it's own and if that's the case the only plausible answer is that we may have been doing something wrong. Think about it, what if their own words meant something else? What if we misunderstood it? It could only mean that our parents may have met differently. Stel, Alicia, did you get it by now?"

Stella clapped her hands, understanding what Altair wanted to say although his explanation was as complicated as Ian's explanation, Stella still happily said snapping her hands, "Oh, I get it now now! You two meant to say that we were missing the key points this whole time and idly walking by without even knowing if what were doing was right! Right?."

Alicia only gaped as to how Stella quickly generalized the gibberish words that the two "investigators" used. She then looked at the two boys as they nodded in agreement Stella.

Meanwhile Alicia thought about something, something about Elize's explanation and softly said, "If I used your explanation… now; I may be able to understand it…" She crossed her arms and continued. "Lady Lutus mentioned that they met in Laforte Research Center and not only that, but Dr. Mathis himself said that they are in fact in this very album right here…" She closed her eyes in deep thought and said, "But if I'm not mistaken… I remember that both Dr. Mathis and Lady Lutus never worked in Laforte despite their claim to have known them very well… Right?"

Altair, Ian, and Stella then quickly averted their attention to Alicia who blinked innocently. Suddenly little miss Stella shouted saying, "Yeah, that's it!" Quite loudly that the attention from the other people in library had their eyes on her, including the glare of the librarian who was walking near them.

Stella quickly shrunk to her seat nervously as Altair and Ian sighed. Ian who now had his suspicion confirmed then said, "That's the thing that was off… Dr. Mathis, often treating people from the Research Center never worked in Laforte himself. Lady Elize undergoes her study in Sharilton and then to Elympios before becoming the principal of Talim Medical School and besides that; she isn't a researcher herself. So what Lady Elize might have meant by the two of them meeting in Laforte is that; they might have only met there literally, not actually working there."

Altair added Ian's deduction by saying, "Then we must simplify our area of search to know when father and aunt Elize were actually together… Stella, did you bring the album?"

Stella quickly nodded before pulling the album from her bag and placed it on the table. Altair and Ian quickly took the album, flipped through it swiftly taking the pictures out of the album. Oddly yet logically enough the pictures contains both of the younger versions of Jude and Elize. After all, Jude and Elize appeared a lot of times in the album, so they basically ended up with a lot of pictures on their desk.

Ian looked at the mess they made before saying, "For now, let's organize the picture… Altair and I will look at the picture taken in Elympios and you two organize the one in Rieze Maxia."

"Okay." Everyone agreed as they were organizing the pictures.

It took them half an hour to completely organize the picture and now there are two stacks of picture in front of them, one with Jude and Elize in their Rieze Maxian clothes and the one with their Elympian attire.

"Dad and Auntie looked so young…" Stella commented as she looked through the pictures of her father with Elize as well as Tipo which all of them thought as a stuffed doll.

"Well, they were in their teen years after all, thank you for pointing out the obvious… Anyway, you two recognized these people?" Ian replied while casually insulting Stella while showing Altair the others a group photo that took place several years ago.

Normally Stella would explode after being insulted, but after seeing the picture Ian gave her; she decided to scold the younger teen later. "You mean these people?" She asked, pointing at the women with golden hair and the other woman with green hair floating idly by and a peculiar man white hair and black bangs.

Ian nodded and said, "Yes, they're the people I asked names for."

Stella examined the picture a little bit before pulling out another picture from the stack of photos, including Jude and Elize with the odd golden haired woman. "She appeared frequently here too… But we didn't know her. Father and aunt Elize looked like they were in very good terms with her though..." Stella concluded.

Alicia then glanced at the pictures Stella has shown and them commenting, "I didn't see her in the Laforte researchers list around the time you were born as well… And she isn't in the Talim student records either. Could she be an outsider?"

"Maybe they met her the way father met aunt Elize. If I'm not taking this wrongly, aunt Elize and father met by coincidence right? It could have been like that. Anyway, see this one… the woman floating with the wavy green hair is a Greater Spirit." Altair explained, pulling out a picture of an oddly elf eared woman with the younger version of Elize during the events in Elympios.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. We don't know the monochrome haired man for now, but from what I see; he only had a picture taken with your father and the group that appeared frequently when your father was around… what, eighteen?" Ian commented, placing the group picture on the center of their attention.

"I don't think so. From what I can see, Ian. Dr. Mathis looked like he was still sixteen rather than eighteen… Oh yeah, it does seem like he was quite close with the blonde haired woman. I have to wonder though... Were they close?" Alicia commented, as she pointed at Jude on the group picture and then at the woman with golden hair.

Everyone except the speaker herself was surprised hearing Alicia's comment. Stella knew that judgment is one of Alicia's best ability, but she didn't know that it was until to that extent.

Altair, who now remained silent then quickly said, "Maybe they are, but we have to consider the fact that we never saw her before. Anyway, back to the man with the double colored hair. He appeared frequently but it was only in one time line and that's during father's travel to Elympios… He never had any other pictures taken after that. Same goes for the other winged woman as well. Maybe we could conclude that right now, their whereabouts are currently unknown. How about it?"

Ian leaned his head over both of his clasped hands and went on ahead with his infamous "thinking mode". He approved Altair's deduction and then looked at the two girls across him

"Well, I put my vote on Altair's deduction. Saying their whereabouts were unknown is the most logical possibilty there is, but I guess it was quite late for me to ask this. But could you two mention who are these people? I recognized some of them and you also mentioned most of them before, but I didn't actually quite get their names…" Ian said, showing them the picture.

Stella nodded repeatedly before pointing to the right side of the picture and said, "I didn't know it yet but this one is aunt Vel, she used to be the assistant of Clanspia Incorperated's boss, who is of course uncle Alvin." She pointed at the woman with the black hair put on a simple ponytail. She then pointed at a short haired woman with the gray highlights. "This is aunt Nova, a receptionist of some bank in Elympios." She then points out at an odd looking man. Named "Erston" she claims that she didn't know much and he would often travel around Elympios and also concluding that he is a Rieze Maxian.

Stella continued and pointed at an aged man and said, "This is of course grandpa Rowen and as you know, he's none other than the Prime Minister of Rieze Maxia."

She then points at a little girl with lime green hair saying,"See the little girl with the weird flying stuffed animal? That is obviously none the less, but aunt Elize herself. Oh and Aunt Elle is the shortest" Stella chuckled, as she tried to continue with slight hesitation. "...and the youngest one here. As you know we still do not know who the man with the monochrome hair is."

Stella then points out the other people with full detail that is including Jude, the "Golden Haired Woman", Alvin, Leia and the "Green Haired Woman" saying, "Dad is… well, Dad and then there is that woman with the beautiful golden hair and then aunt Leia, the owner of a big news company in Elympios. Uncle Alvin is aunt Leia's husband and the owner of Clanspia Inc. right now and lastly the floating spirit's identity is still unknown… Wait, I think I saw her before though…"

"Really, when?" Altair quickly asked as he tilted his head slightly, obviously didn't remember about seeing a Greater Spirit.

Stella was just saying, "It's…" but when she heard the sound of sudden steps approaching her, she quickly averted her attention. She looked to the side and saw Miss Candice, one of her teachers looking at her sternly. Stella was about to ask what's wrong when Miss Candice opened her mouth to speak.

"Miss Stella Mathis, the principal is asking for you in her office this instant. I don't know what her reasons are, but she asked me to come and call you two." Miss Candice said, as she eyed the other students with her thought just slightly.

The two couldn't hide their surprise, well more specifically Stella couldn't hide her surprise. Altair actually just sat there and watched his sister's widened eyes. Stella mumbled, "Aunt Elize did?"

Elize was working on the piling paperwork that had become her daily job when a the knocking was heard on her office door. She looked up from her desk and watched as the door slightly opened, revealing a figure of a girl with an appearance that resembled certain friends that she once knew.

It was obvious that she was nervous albeit she was usually cheerful in her presence. Of course, Elize knew the reason perfectly and it was because now she faces her under the pretext of being the principal. If she was being her aunt, or teacher like she was in the past, Stella would certainly react differently, polite maybe, but more relaxed nevertheless.

"I'm sorry to call you out of the blue. Please sit over there and make yourselves comfortable," Elize calmly spoke, as she removed the stack of papers blocking her view of the Mathis twins.

"Um.. Okay..." Stella replied, before sitting on the chair in front of Elize's desk. She was half-curious about the reason why she got called in the first place.

Elize smiled seeing how Stella is being curt, unlike her usual self and then she said, "Do you know why I called you here?"

Stella looked up before shaking her head slightly while saying, "Miss Candice didn't explain me any sort of details ot the reason why I was called."

Elize stifled a laugh while she pulled a box from her table and placed it on the table. Stella remained quiet and examined how Elize opened the lid of the box in front of her, revealing a red colored gem.

Stella quickly noticed that it wasn't just a gem it was so much more than that, "A Spirit Fossil..? No, this one is red. If it's alright to ask, what is this?"

Elize smiled and said, "This was the reason why I called you here. Simply speaking, I want you to deliver this to the Queen of Rieze Maxia, Lady Ambrose in Kanbalar though you will get escorted from Nia Khera. King Gaius asked me to do this job, but he said that it's an undercover mission so I couldn't get out myself."

Stella couldn't hide her shock hearing Elize's brief description left her oddly speechless. Elize closed the box and hid it saying, "You may bring an ally along with you… and I would love to ask you to bring Altair and Alicia along with you. I arranged the journey at the beginning of summer holiday next week… I hope you seriously didn't miss any mark Stel, oh yeah; you can casually talk now."

Stella laughed nervously and tilted her head and said, "Oh… okay... But in the first place though... why me? And did Dad know this already?"

Elize smiled hearing Stella's question and then as she took out her GHS out saying, "You and Altair scored the best in the self-defense lesson, as expected. I heard you beat the instructor rather badly at the same time. Although… you aren't quite skilled with the use of offensive Spirit Artes, but you are getting the hang of it when you started wielding your sword that I'm getting sorry for the instructor a little bit. Oh, I told Jude about it as well and he said that he is okay with it and you can take your time doing this job. You know Stel, the one who had Mathis as their family name is definitely born under a unique star. Basically what I'm saying is; there will be a lot of strange happenings that will occur in you and brother's life and those involved in it."

Stella giggled hearing how Elize predicted that her small trip would become a journey later on. She was then reminded about her discussion about the picture in the album and said, "Err, Aunt Elize… before I agree on this, can I ask you something not related to this?"

Elize tilted her head, somehow feeling that this kind of time will come sooner or later so she said, "If it is in my limitation then go ahead and ask."

Stella then pulled out a group picture of the closest friends of her Dad and said, "Could you please tell me about these people…? I mean, do you know where we could find them?" While she pointed at the woman with green hair, another with golden hair, and the man with the white and black hair.

Elize looked at the picture and her eyes widened for a moment, but her gaze softened in a split second. She took the picture from Stella's hands and closed her eyes, contemplating on how to answer. She then placed the picture back on the desk and then pushed it to Stella's direction while saying, "If you go on this journey, you might as well meet most of them sooner or later."

Stella blinked in confusion, hearing such an ambiguous answer left her lost ad slightly mixed up. She was about to open her mouth, but then Elize said, "This era is relatively safe for travel, but I only wish for you and Altair, to be careful on your way. This is an important mission so I hope you won't leak any unnecessary information to the others. Even if it was Alicia. Ian will be assigned with another matter as well, but he didn't know it yet and I have no plan on telling you as well so don't tell him anything. That's all I got to say you are dismissed."

Stella wanted to say something about how odd it was and why she must keep this a secret even to her best friend, but in the end she decided to keep quiet. Elize took Stella's reaction that she could do that. Elize knew that it was hard for her to keep quiet about this specially from Alicia.

Stella then stood from her chair and softly muttered, "I understand… please excuse me." Turning her back on Elize and walked outside the principal office, looking gloomy on the way and of course remaining beautiful at the same time.

Elize let out a sigh after Stella was out from her office. She noticed that Stella forgot to take the picture back and looked at it. She smiled inwardly seeing the picture and softly murmured, "It's been 23 years huh… please rest assured Ludger, we are doing well here. We won't lose…"

Stella's POV

I walked back to the library so I could join back in the conversation. The Red Spirit Fossil did pick my interest as the daughter of Spyrite Researcher, but for me to keep this to myself obviously won't be that easy. Alicia is my precious friend, there is no way I could keep this away from her considering that Aunt Elize told me to bring her along as well.

I stopped walking in the middle of the hallway to think of a solution. I couldn't ask Ian for advice because I'm forbidden to tell him about this too. I know that Dad approved of this as well, but somehow after I was told to keep this a secret until who knows how long; I just don't know what to do.

I let out a deep breath when I felt my ears ringing. I instantly looked around, but there was no one in sight. Oddly enough the ringing wouldn't stopp, it just kept going and going with no end! It was so clear like water… No, it was more like ripples rather than ringing.

"W-who?" I shouted, while I looked around and tried to spot anything that sent this ripples inside my head.

The ripples stopped after awhile and it made me feel that something is missing... Normally, I would be cautious about this, but somehow… it was nostalgic. It was as if I've heard this kind of sounds before. I closed my eyes trying to grab the image of what I felt when I heard the soft sounds.

It was blurry, but I could see the blue sky being filled with glittering stars, they were like jewels floating and shining down on my. My body felt warm and it felt so nice. I wanted to stay like this forever, but sooner or later I knew I had to wake up and then through my ears, I could hear someone voice saying, 'Stella… your name is Stella… the morning star…'

I instantly opened my eyes and by one way or another I realized that whom ever that voice belongs to, it was beautiful. I quickly pulled out my necklace that was glowing rather vividly pink as I murmured, "Mom..?"

My body felt light and it was as if I was being lifted up into the air. When I realized what had happened to me, the world around me turned black. It was as if the darkness embraced me and kept me in it. Although I didn't know who said it, I heard a lot of voices inside my head. That warm voice sung me a lullaby that Dad used to sing to me when I was a little girl. He would stroke my hair gently and stay by my side until I fell asleep.

I opened my eyes sleepily as I realized that something warm was under my head. I tried to move but my body was heavy so I quickly gave up. My eyes were blurry, maybe it was because I'm still sleepy. I closed my eyes, but then I could still somehow hear that same lullaby being sung by someone as my minds drifted into the darkness.

I sighed as I made myself comfortable when I felt a hand stroking my hair tenderly. The touch was light and loving at the same time, it was like Dad's touch. I forced my eyes to open despite its wishes to remain closed.

I saw a woman with beautiful magenta eyes who kept singing to me the lullaby while she strokes my hair tenderly. She seems to realize that I was looking as her mouth opened, creating some kind of words that I couldn't hear. But by the time I thought I couldn't hear, a voice echoed inside my mind saying, 'Sweet dreams, Stella…'

She said, I felt my consciousness slowly fading away. It was as if my body was being controlled and it was forced to go into deep slumber. But before I lost my consciousness completely, I realized who it is and said, "Mo… ther…"

'Stella! Stella! Hang in there!'

Well, the party is a simpleton you know~ so they refer people with color. The White-black hair guy is obviously Ludger, Green-haired woman is Muzet, and Golden-haired woman is obviously Milla. I used the photo from the last part of the credit in Xillia 2 ending. That picture hit the right nail in my head so... I couldn't help it lol.