Hey, everyone! Sorry for the wait, once again. Yes, I am unmotivated sometimes- I'll admit I kinda had a writer's block on this chapter. But I think it'll get rolling again pretty soon.

So, now I present to you, chapter nine!

Once again, I do not own Tales of Symphonia. If I did, you would be able to play Yuan and get hot costumes for him. Hehe.

CHAPTER NINE

Ena glared at the chess board. She was playing a game against Zenos, the resident champion of the house.

After a few more minutes, she finally made a move with a content smirk. Zenos countered immediately. With a smug smile, he proclaimed, "Checkmate."

Ena groaned. "Zenos, you're really quite irritating sometimes."

Zenos laughed as he set the pieces back up. "Wanna play again?"

"No, not particularly." Ena dryly said. She finished putting the pieces back in place and got up, stretching. "I think I'm going to find more enjoyable company."

Zenos placed a hand over his heart, a look of mock hurt planted on his face. "Did you hear that? I think my heart just broke! You and Yuna are so cruel to me!"

Ena laughed and patted him on the back before leaving the room.

Zenos was left to his own thoughts for a few moments before Zelos burst in. "I've decided, Lloyd! Lloyd? Zenos, where'd my bud go?"

Zenos shrugged.

"You lost him!" Zelos moaned, slapping a hand to his forehead. "Go find him! Now!" Zelos hauled Zenos up out of his chair and pushed him into the hall, straight into Yuna.

They fell to the floor with a large crash.

"No! The family Urn! It broke!" Zelos wailed, "First Aid! First Aid!"

Zenos got off of Yuna's stomach and offered a hand. "Sorry about that. Dang Zelos. Are you alright?"

Yuna accepted his hand and nodded, still dazed. "Um, yeah."

"What where you doing, anyways?" Zenos picked a piece of the urn out of her hair and gave it to Zelos, who was still trying to mend it with First Aid.

"Looking for Ena." Yuna answered, running a hand through her hair to make sure it didn't have anymore foreign objects in it.

"Try the courtyard." Zenos suggested. "I think that's where she headed to after our game."

"Zenos! Find Lloyd! Now!" Zelos barked, now holding a complete urn.

Zenos looked at the urn and asked, baffled, "How'd you fix it?"

"Me to know, you to find out. Now go find out where Lloyd is!" Zelos gingerly put the urn back.

"Lloyd's upstairs, talking to Lucas and trying to teach him a thing or two." Yuna supplied.

Zelos dashed off, bellowing, "Lloyd! Lloyd! I've got it!"

"It's official. Zelos has gone senile." Zenos placed a hand on his forehead.

Yuna laughed. "Well I'm gonna go find Ena."

"Okay. " Zenos nodded.

Yuna walked away from him.

Zenos frowned slightly. He couldn't shake the feeling that something had happened between them the night of the party. But what? He couldn't remember. And if Yuna did, she wasn't saying anything. ...Argh, damn hangovers!

"Yuuuuu-nnnnaaaa! Rooooo-eeeeeeelllllllllleeeee! Miiirr-aaaaalllllllllleee!" Zelos stomped by the living room again, Lloyd and Lucas in tow.

"Yuna just went to the courtyard!" Zenos yelled after Zelos.

He received a slammed door in response. Humph. Nice guy, that Zelos.

Zenos fell into his chair by the chess set with a frustrated groan. Zelos was up to something, but what? Zenos had a bad feeling. Whenever Zelos cooked up something, it didn't end well. Zenos had a vivid memory of Zelos' catastrophic attempt to arrange a date between Zenos and a blind date that literally ended in flames- the candlelit dinner had become an enranged inferno. He shuddered.

At that moment, Zach fell into the living room and the door was slammed behind him.

"Hey! What'd I do?" Zach yelled indignantly at the door.

Zenos glanced at his brother. "What happened?"

"I was talking with Yuna and Ena for five seconds, literally, before Zelos came out there, dragged me in here, and went back out there!" Zach picked himself up, scowling at the door.

"Zelos is up to something." Zenos grimly said.

"Tell me about it." Zach shuddered as well. He recalled when Zelos had tried to throw a surprise birthday party for him and the cake turned out to be uncooked, with a mystery as to the ingredients. Zach had been sick for a week since he had sampled the first slice of cake. "This cannot end well."

Zenos nodded his agreement, then ventured, "How about a game until Zelos breaks the news?"

"Sure, but I wanna pick." Zach went to their collection of cards and board games. The video games had been ruled as off-limits for the brothers ever since a certain incident that involved yelling and accidentally shoving Zelos into a nearby burning candle.

"Poker!" Zach proclaimed.

Zenos groaned. "Might as well."

Fifteen minutes later, the other descendants, Ena, Lloyd, and Zelos entered the living room. There was a sudden crowding in the door as the first four people- Yuna, Lucas, Miralle, and Roelle- stopped in their tracks.

Zenos and Zach were red in their faces, yelling obscenities at each other over the table that held their poker game. Somehow both of them had gotten royal flushes with different suits and were disputing who had won.

Zelos, being a tall man, saw this and easily resolved the matter. He hurled two pillows at their heads, complete with painful, sharp buttons. "What did I tell you two about playing poker?"

"It was Zach's fault!" Zenos glared at his brother, who glared back.

Yuna burst into laughter, as well as the twins, Robyn, and Nari. "This is all so familiar." they chorused.

The brothers, still somewhat red, put the cards away. The large group settled into the room, everyone taking their usual seats.

"Well, now that everyone's here, I have some sad news." Zelos chirped cheerfully.

"If it's so sad, why are you so chipper?" Andrew grumbled.

"We have four friends who are, unfortunately, leaving us. They have been specially selected to go with Lloyd to check up on the Yggdrasill Tree." Zelos explained. "Say bye bye to Miralle, Roelle, Lucas, and Yuna. They're leaving, but they'll be back in about a week."

"What, they're leaving now?" Zach questioned.

"We've got to. Yggdrasill is suddenly losing a large amount of mana." Lloyd frowned. "We're hoping they'll be able to give us some clue as to why."

"Wow, Lloyd, you sounded intelligent." Zelos drawled.

As Lloyd slugged Zelos, the group said their farewells.

"Zenos, Zach, Nari, Drew, Antony. I hope you guys come up with a name and some new music by the time I get back.." Yuna teased her band mates.

"I'll make sure of it!" Nari grinned, giving her a hug. "Be careful."

"Stay on guard." Andrew nodded, resigned to being called Drew.

"Stay safe." Antony grunted.

Zach grinned. "Kick the monster's butt!"

Zenos clapped her on the back. "Come back to us in one piece."

Yuna grinned at them and turned to Gale and Ena.

"Please, be careful." Ena hugged her friend tightly.

"Of course, Ena-lee." Yuna assured her.

Gale embraced her as well. "Everyone else has already said everything. So, see ya in a week! Don't go running off with Lucas or Lloyd!"

Gale suddenly found his upper arm aching. He rubbed it ruefully. "You didn't have to hit me that hard."

Yuna also bid goodbye to Robyn, Rory, and Caleb. Naleen and Hallo were nowhere to be found, so the five venturers asked that the people remaining tell the two goodbye for them. Then, the fivesome trooped upstairs, pausing long enough to get their weapons and some supplies. The rest of the guests and the Wylders joined them when they went to the roof and took a rheaird apiece. With a final wave goodbye, the four descendants and the Eternal Swordsman headed east.

The guests and the Wylders watched the five until they could see them no longer. After a few moments of silence, Zelos announced, "Well, I'm going to be in my office. Don't disturb me unless it's extremely important."

Several days after the departure of Lloyd, Lucas, Miralle, Roelle, and Yuna, Zelos was wandering around the house in the dead of the night, unable to enter his sleep-like trance that substituted for actual rest. He decided to go to his office and read some more reports- they were certainly boring enough to put anyone to sleep. With a resigned breath, he left the kitchen and went upstairs, light silk robe flowing behind him and his sweatpants rustling loudly in the stilled silence.

As soon as he stepped into the darkened room, he registered that the window was open and a figure stood in a corner, hidden by darkness. His muscles rippled on his chest, obvious in the moonlight that fell on him, as he tensed, prepared to defend himself. "Who's there?" he demanded.

"Jeez, Zelos, calm down." A familiar female voice scoffed. "It's just me." She stepped out of the shadows.

Zelos knew those curves and that sultry voice. "Sheena? What in the name of Kharlan are you doing here?"

"I think I have some information about Yggdrasill. My sources told me that Lloyd left here a few days ago, along with Lucas, Miralle, Roelle, and Yuna. However, they don't know where to. So that's why I'm here in the middle of the night." Sheena explained, sitting on his desk.

Zelos folded his arms across his chest. "In that case, Lloyd went to the Tree."

Sheena nodded, hopping off of the desk nimbly. "I thought so." She turned back to the window and made as if to leave.

In a fluid movement, Zelos had crossed the room and gently grasped her hand. "Sheena, do you really have to go right now?"

Sheena didn't answer for a moment, then softly replied, "I should. Lloyd needs to know, now."

Zelos noticed the way the moonlight made her look even more haggard. "Sheena, you need to sleep. Have you gotten any sleep at all?"

Sheena gave a huff, not answering his question.

Zelos lightly held her chin and turned ti to him. "Sheena, even after all this time... Are you still afraid? Of what could be? Of us?"

Sheena defiantly met his eyes and retorted, "I suppose you could say that. But, I know where my feeling stand. I know who I thought about constantly these past 1500 years. I know who I wondered was still alive as I kept breathing. I know who I forgave for doing what he had to do in order to help us reunite the worlds. Tell me, Zelos, can you say the same? Can you say that there was only one person on your mind, even as you did your duty to pass on your blood?"

Zelos gazed at her, entrancing in the moonlight's silvery beams. "Then what is there to be afraid of?"

"Rejection. Not being the only one. Uncertainty of the future." Sheena dropped her gaze.

"Sheena." Zelos whispered, brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes.

She didn't respond.

"Sheena... look at me. Please."

She turned her tawny brown eyes into his sky blue gaze, their eyes glowing from the moonbeams. He drowned in her gaze for a few moments, then leaned in to her and lightly brushed her lips with his. She kissed back, wrapping her arms around his neck. He pulled her to him, tightly, and deepened the kiss, putting all of his passion and love into it.

When he finally pulled back, she kept her eyes closed, trembling slightly as she licked her lips. He whispered into her ear, "Does that tell you anything about my past 1500 years? Does it tell you not to be afraid?"

Sheena laid her head on his bare chest. "Yes. To both of them."

"Then spend the night. Rest. You need it." Zelos grasped her hand and led her out of the office.

"Zelos."

He stopped and looked at her, puzzled.

"I don't know that I want to rest. Not tonight." Sheena smiled up at him as she squeezed his hand.

Zelos stared at her, stunned. Sheena had definitely come a long way from the shy, hot-headed girl he had fallen for all those years ago. She was now a strong, confident woman who knew her strenths and herself. She also knew how to use what she had to get what she wanted. Zelos turned to her, holding both of her small hands in his. "Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Then, in that case, I've got a place for you to stay in my bedroom." Zelos gently smiled. He walked beside her as he led her to his room, which was on the other end of the mansion, away from all the slumbering descendants.

The next morning, Andrew blinked as he ate a piece of bacon. Sheena had just stumbled into the kitchen, wearing a borrowed pair of Zelos' breeches and a shirt. "Sheena! What the hell are you doing here?"

Sheena yawned as Zelos came up behind her. "I came to see where Lloyd went and ended up staying the night. Zelos convinced me to get some sleep."

Andrew eyed her suspiciously. "You don't look like you got much."

"That's because she only got to sleep a couple of hours ago." Zelos waved it off. "That's what she gets for showing up in the wee hours of the morning."

"And what were you doing up?" Andrew turned the interrogation onto Zelos, viciously biting his bacon.

"Couldn't sleep. Had a lot on my mind." Zelos replied, pouring some coffee for him and Sheena.

Andrew opened his mouth, but Nari quickly shoved some toast into it. "Shut up, Drew."

A collective chuckle went around the table as breakfast was devoured.

A little while later, there was a flash of sky blue outside the window, in the courtyard. Zelso stood up with a start and commanded, "Stay here!" With that, he ran outside to the courtyard.

"What damage does he expect to do without his sword?" commented Nari.

"Don't forget, he's an angel. And he ingested aionis back when we all traveled together," Sheena pointed out, "so he can use magic."

"What about you?" Rory asked. "Aren't you an angel? I mean, you've lived all this time, as well, without aging or losing your body's strength.

Sheena shook her head. "Exspheres are tricky things. There's no telling what side effects they'll give you. As far as I know, I'm not an angel."

Something crashed in the hall and the group heard Zelos snap, "Lloyd, can't you do something about your damn wings!"

The door clattered open and Zelos carried Lloyd into the kitchen. Lloyd was bloodied and completely beat, his clothes in tatters. His large wings were missing several feathers and dragged on the ground, leaking an excessive amount of magical dust from the various wounds in them. Everyone helped to clear the table off and Zelos gently placed Lloyd on it. Sheena sat by Lloyd, holding his hand as Zelos healed him.

"Lloyd, can you hear me? What happened?" Sheena softly asked, brushing his hair out of his eyes.

Lloyd cracked one rusty brown eye open as he winced. "We got to... Yggdrasill... stayed for a couple of days... Started to pack up... yesterday. Got ambushed... by a troop of... angels and undead... They took the... kids northwest and left me. Didn't know who I was... Can you believe that?" Lloyd gave a weak chuckle.

"No, really?" Sheena gave him a dry smile. "Do you know where they took the kids?"

"No. I thought maybe you could... follow them by sensing their summon spirits." Lloyd was now able to open both eyes all the way but winced when he sat up. "Or use Mizuho's information network."

"I don't know that I can sense their summon spirits." Sheena shook her head. "And northwest isn't necessarily a big help."

"We'll talk more after you've rested." Zelos firmly said. "And put yourfrickin' wings away, they're wrecking everything."

Lloyd blinked, glancing over his shoulder. His wings gave a feeble flap. "Oh. Whoops. Sorry." He put them away and Zelos picked him up, draping one arm across his shoulder. "Zenos, Zach, go find that old guestroom on the second floor by my room and get it ready- it's Naleen's day off."

Zenos and Zach readily got up and went to go prepare the room. Sheena followed Zelos and Lloyd and supported Lloyd's other arm.

Gale frowned. "Yuna's been kidnapped. And Miralle, Lucas, and Roelle, too. But why?"

"That's what we'd all like to know." Ena's voice was uncommonly serious.

A few hours later, Lloyd was ravenously eating, Sheena was preparing to leave, and the descendants and Ena were trying to figure out the connection between the four kidnapped people in the dining room.

Zenos had a piece of paper out with the four names on it. The names were boxed in, with by an arrow pointing to their summon spirit, followed by Yuna's ancestor and Lucas' two ancestors. Zenos and Caleb were looking at it intently as the other young adults squabbled or observed.

"Well, we know that Yuna's Spirit is Plants, Lucas' is the King, and the twins' is Light. Yuna's ancestor is Yuan and Lucas is descendant to Lloyd and Kratos." Zenos mumbled. "See anything?"

"It would really help if we knew who the twins' ancestor is." Caleb frowned. "Because I see nothing."

Zenos groaned, ruffling his hair in frustration.

Zelos and Lloyd reappeared, Lloyd still sampling a sandwich.

"Shena's gone back to Mizuho." Zelos informed the group.

"We're gonna go to Yggdrasill and see if we can get any clues." Lloyd added, finishing his sandwich.

"Then I'm gonna go with you." declared Gale.

"No." Lloyd and Zelos replied firmly.

"What? Why?" Gale exclaimed, upset.

"This is a dangerous situation. We cannot let wet-behind-the-ears kids jepoardize the safety of our missing people." Zelos stated seriously.

After a few moments of silence, Caleb mentioned, "Wasn't it you guys who were saying that your time was up and that it was our turn to guard the world?"

"Um..." Lloyd turned to Zelos, who blinked in response.

"In that case, wouldn't it make sense to have us come along to observe and provide backup in order to gain experience?" Caleb added.

"Errr..." the two angels stammered.

"Pretty valid reasoning, wouldn't you say?" Antony grunted.

The descendants grinned widely as the two Heroes went into a whispered debate.

"Okay. You can come. Be back down here in five minutes." Zelos commanded. "And you'd better-"

The room was empty.

Zelos snorted. "Kids."

Lloyd laughed and stole Robyn's bag of chips.

"...-e quiet. I think she's coming to."

Yuna groggily opened an eye. "Ugh... my head... What's going on?" She sat up, holding her head in her hand. "Where am I?"

"Yuna, don't you remember?" Miralle asked across the darkened room.

Yuna blinked, concentrating momentarily. The memories came back in a rush. "Oh! We were attacked and I was knocked out by an angel with black wings." She glanced around. "Wait, then, where's Lloyd?"

Lucas shook his head. "Not here."

"Speaking of which, where is 'here?'" Roelle looked around.

The four teens were in a small cell made of stone. It was darkened, with the only source of light coming from the door, where there was a small window with bars blocking it. There was no water, windows, or even straw for a bed.

"I'd guess a cell, obviously. But we just don't know why." Lucas stood. He went to the door and glanced out the window the best he could. "Well, we're definitely in a dungeon, at any rate."

"Well, is there any way to escape?" Miralle questioned.

"Well, our weapons are gone." Roelle pointed out.

"And we've got a couple of guards." Lucas added. "Looks like some more of those angels from earlier."

Following a few moments of silence, Lucas chuckled. "We're not helpless, guys."

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Miralle looked at her increduously.

Yuna gave a broad grin. "We've always got our Summon Spirits."

Lucas nodded, grinning back at her. "So, there's our mode of escape. But does anyone else think that we should wait and find out what exactly we've been dragged into?"

"I suppose so." Roelle agreed.

"Then we can tell Lloyd and Zelos what's going on." Miralle gave a small smile.

"Until then, I wonder if Wreathe can bring us fruits and veggies so we won't starve?" Yuna wondered.

"Why don't you go ahead and try? I'll stand guard." Lucas peered out of the barred window again.

"Okay, I'll give it a shot." Yuna stood and closed her eyes. She placed her hands in front of her, her left palm planted on the back of her right hand. A jade green magic circle appeared around her, the magic's flow causing her hair and dress to jek around. After a few moments of concentration, her tattoo began to glow and she intoned, "I call upon the Herald of Eternal Sping. I summon thee! Come, Wreathe!" Yuna drew her arms out horizontally, the raised her right hand up and dropped her left hand to her side.

With a flash of jade, Wreathe appeared. "How may I help you, daughter of three?"

"Why do you keep calling me that?" Yuna frowned, then shook her head. "Never mind. Anyways, we were wondering if maybe you could give us some fruits and vegetables to eat while we're trapped here."

"Certainly." Wreathe disappeared, leaving a small pile of apples, grapes, mushrooms, tomatoes, lettuce, and carrots sitting on top of some straw.

"Well, it's food and it's clean." Miralle grinned, selecting an apple. "Thanks, Wreathe, Yuna."

Yuna grinned at her in response before picking out some grapes. "Thanks for watching, Lucas."

"Sure." Lucas sat down. "Tomatoes? Yech."

"You don't like tomatoes?" Miralle teased.

"Not at all." Lucas shuddered, then bit into an apple.

Roelle sighed, then picked up a tomato. "I'll try and eat them. I don't think we should leave any idea to our captors that we have a way to get food."

"Good point." Yuna nodded.

Miralle plopped back against the wall, still eating her apple, and it made a hollow sound.

The four of them glanced at it. Miralle tapped it again as Lucas made his way over. Swiftly, they were able to pry a loose tile out of the wall, revealing a fake stone that had been colored the same as the ones around it. There was a large empty space behind it.

"Problem solved." Roelle grinned triumphantly.

"I hear footsteps." Yuna stood to peer out the barred window. "Hurry, put it up! There's someone coming!"

The three hastily put the food into their newfound hiding space and slid the fake back into place. The straw was swiftly swept under the cape that Yuna had been wearing.

They all took up places against the back wall just in time to hear the lock disengage.

"Stand up and come with me." commanded a haughty voice. "Lord Pryor will see you now."