Yay for letting months pass before updating like always. Woo... By now, I'd like to think you all would be used to this by now. But I am unsure since I think a majority of my audience is on/off readers due to my awful updating. Gah, I will never shake the habit. Sorry. Like my previous closing author's note said, I will disappear and come back. It just pains me to keep doing this. I have an important message to my SSD readers by the end of this chapter. So to you hardcore fans of this story, I please ask you to take the time to see that.

Anyways, the first half or so of this chapter has been collecting dust on my PC for maybe four or so months now, and I just now pick it back up. Man. The self-disappointment is really hitting me now. So yeah, the first half will be probably oodles better than the last, since, at this point, I just want to get it done. So critique as you must. Just felt like getting that out there.

Kudos Corner: Many thanks to Crimsonkat, Smarty Natsan, I'm Sexy, Canada Cowboy, Moonlight M3lody, and tiger002 for reviewing the last chapter! Appreciate it you guys. :D

Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Symphonia or its characters.


Ch. 10: It's Time to Hit the Books & the Gym!


[Wednesday]

The following day, just as Colette declared, Lloyd and Genis' professional tutoring for the exams finally began. Both teens were unwilling to participate at first, but neither of them had a choice in the matter, because neither wanted to deny Colette or let her down. Seeing Colette's sad, crying face after hearing that they wouldn't do it, that would have been worse than where they found themselves now. Especially for Lloyd, since he had a morning class with Colette in Ancient Angelic as well as Composition and Public Speaking; he had to put on an enthusiastic face for her whenever she mentioned the tutoring sessions. And like always, Colette wore her cheerful smile and encouraged him further to do his utmost best. But by the time Composition and Public Speaking class ended and Lloyd and Colette had parted ways, Lloyd was already fed up with tutoring, even if it was only the thought of it. More specifically, the part where he had to be tutored by the 'Great' Zelos Wilder.

"Good afternoon, Bud!" the red-haired Chosen called after him, signaling Lloyd to come over with a wave of a hand. He was sitting cross-legged in his seat, sipping a bit of tea here and there. Zelos had also finished attending a class that morning and, as decided the day before, met up early at their tutoring location at the Symphonia Academy Park.

Their meeting place was a nice open spot near the center of the park. A simple metal circular table with four tall chairs surrounding it, sort of like a tea or coffee table set would look like in a shop. It sat on top of a charmingly perched hill, overlooking a majority of the lusciously green acres, with all of its careening cobblestone pathways, the cherry-blossom treetops, and one of the most famous attractions in the city of Symphonia, the marble fountain of the Goddess Martel. She was the woman who had made Symphonia City possible to begin with, for Martel had helped give life to the Giant Kharlan Tree. The hallowed statue of her standing atop the podium with her earthen, oak staff was considered the most sacred artifact on the academy's grounds, so, accordingly, many students take their time off to visit it on occasion, as a way of respect and to gather with fellow classmates. Some even call it the Student Social Spring because of its popularity.

Unfortunately, Lloyd didn't have the honors to admire the fountain of Martel, but instead, rallied himself up the hill and, when he got to the table, took the seat across from Zelos. In an unenthusiastic voice, Lloyd said, "Let's get this over with. It's bad enough that I got stuck with you, but add studying on top of that, and that's hell."

"Ouch," Zelos winced, hurt from the comment. But he easily shrugged it off, saying, "I'm not happy I got blackmailed to help a pathetic, practically failing freshmen either, but I'm stuck here, whether I like it or not." The elder took a sip of his tea cup one last time. "I'm impressed though. Getting stuck with me, then add learning in to equal hell. My, my, my! Someone's eager to jump into math."

Lloyd didn't budge at all at the joke, only blinking back disinterestedly.

"But bad news for you is that we won't be tackling math just yet, because today is science day!" Zelos revealed.

"Okay, so how are you going to teach me science?" Lloyd asked. The brunette crossed his arms. "You don't even have a book on you, or even a pen."

"If there's one thing you need to know about my teaching style, Lloyd, is that I don't teach the conventional way. With me as your tutor, you'll learn the Ways of Zelos and find your eyes open to a whole other world. And all you need to do is follow my league," Zelos said, wearing a smug grin and pompously flipping up the collar of his uniform. From within his uniform, concealed in a secret jacket pocket, Zelos pulled out two pairs of shades and offered one to Lloyd. "Take it."

Lloyd stared cluelessly at Zelos' outstretched hand, questioning, "Shades? But why?"

"The sun might get into your eyes," Zelos said, putting on his own pair of black shades.

"But we're underneath a tree," Lloyd clarified, pointing at the tree trunk beside them. "How can we get blinded when we're in the shade and—?"

"Oh, just put on the shades! Do you want to learn the Ways of Zelos and pass your exams, or not?" Zelos impatiently interrupted.

"Not really…" Lloyd inwardly thought. But, despite his record, Lloyd was smart enough to sigh, grudgingly shut up and dawn the shades his was given.

"Good," Zelos commended, as he looked over the vast Symphonia Academy Park. Spotting something, Zelos gestured to Lloyd with a slight tip up of the head, "There, you see that over there?"

Through his shades, Lloyd squinted his hazel eyes the best he could to pin-point what Zelos was referring to. But alas, Lloyd couldn't find it, continuing to scan the grassy fields left and right for anything out of the ordinary. "See what? All I see is a group of girls from the academy standing next to the fountain of Martel, and they're blocking my view. I can't see what's behind them." Lloyd was so concentrated to look past the academy girls that he began rocking in his seat, and his tongue protruded from his mouth.

Smacking Lloyd across the back of his head, Zelos quipped, "You idiot! I'm not talking about what's behind the girls. What I'm talking about is the girls! Man, are you dense." The upperclassman shook his head. "And would you stop moving around in your chair like that, and stop sticking your tongue out! You're attracting people's attention."

"Wait, what?" Lloyd spewed, almost falling out of his seat. "A-are you telling me, w-we're being… peeping toms?" The brunette's hazel eyes were wide in shock, one eye twitching.

"Shhhh! We are not peeping toms. We are… body biologists," Zelos slyly mentioned.

"Body biologists?" Lloyd repeated, still unable to comprehend.

"You see, what we're doing is not what you think. What we're doing is actually judging the genetic compatibility of ourselves with other women to get the best genetic outcome. And to get the best genetic outcome, you have to pick the most compatible partner. You know, science," Zelos stated sophisticatedly.

Lloyd fell for the bait. "Ooohh, I get it."

Zelos, spotting a certain person out of the corner of his eye, immediately signaled Lloyd to look over, too. "Over there, you see that academy girl wearing the gold and red flats for shoes, knee-high checkered stockings, and a frilly amber colored scarf around her neck?"

Lloyd nodded.

"Well, she would be a terrible match for you."

"Why? How come?" Lloyd asked, genuinely curious.

"She just is. I mean, look at her. Her chin is too broad and face is too round, which would clash with your manly rectangular face and triangular chin. She also has those small, weirdly colored violet eyes, and that would look terrible on a kid with brown hair, like yourself!" Zelos countered brashly.

"Huh, I guess you're right! A kid with brown hair and purple eyes would look funky. And she does have pretty stubby legs," Lloyd admitted.

"Ha ha! There you go, you're getting it now," Zelos proudly complimented. "Now, how about that other girl beside her, the one with an umbrella covering her face."

"Hmm," Lloyd hummed to himself in thought.

"It's a harmless act," he started to believe. His eyes, hidden behind such dark shades, were no longer shy to scrutinize the young women. "If they don't find out, then it isn't bad. Just gotta think of it like if I was peeking at Genis' paper during a test back at school in Iselia. Yeah!"

Confident, Lloyd let his thoughts flow freely from his lips, while his eyes took in the sight of the unknown specimen, "She's petite, not entirely curvy. More on the ironing board side." His voice dropped to an unusual tender tone, and his lips curved upward happily. "Glowing golden-blonde hair flying in the wind… And that smile… Blindingly innocent and warm. The way she walks, she has that energetic spring in her step. Bubbly, but yet, somewhat off-balance. Klutzy, maybe? Like…" He drifted off, his mouth dropping.

The winds, unannounced, picked up speed. They vehemently whistled, wanting to take the mysterious blonde girl's umbrella. The blonde girl tripped in mid-step, as she tried as she could to beat the winds in tug-of-war for her umbrella. But she could not, and her arms let out. Her face planted straight onto the cobblestone pavement, as her hands fell before her to lessen the impact. Dazed and embarrassed, the girl soon picked herself off the ground and dusted her skirt off before apologetically bowing to the audience of students forming around her. At that point, Lloyd didn't need anymore to know who the umbrella girl was like.

"Colette!" he yelled and waved his arms excitedly, to get her attention, which it did and she glanced behind her to see the brunette beaming down at her. Colette, almost by instinct, smiled at the sight of him.

"Colette, huh? … What a terrible match," Zelos said flatly.

"What?" Lloyd uttered, whipping his head to face Zelos.

"You and Colette together. That's a bad match," Zelos reiterated.

"Whoa! W-we're just childhood friends. I-I can't think of us as… more than that," Lloyd quietly replied, head down and hiding the blush creeping onto his cheeks. "Then what's with me being embarrassed? This is something Genis would do, not me!" The brunette shook his head violently to rid himself of these foreign thoughts and feelings until they subsided.

"Good, because you really never stood a chance," he heard Zelos say.

Immediately stopping his head, Lloyd sprung up. Before he could even register what he was saying, Lloyd angrily retorted on impulse, "What, why?"

"Sorry, Bud, but that's a whole 'nother lesson for a whole 'nother day. We'll leave math for tomorrow, m'kay?" Zelos asked, his question more of a command. The red-haired got out of his seat and left Lloyd alone at the table, and Lloyd fueled with confusion and rage could only watch as Zelos strolled away and picked up an object that had just fallen back down to the earth. It was the umbrella.

Lloyd didn't know why he felt so angry. He thought he'd be relieved, joyous even that Zelos' tutoring session ended for today. But something about seeing Zelos give back the umbrella to Colette in the most gentlemanly manner, and she giving him her most sincere, grateful smile. That, that pissed him off.

~ S.S.D. ~

Nerves. Nerves riddled Genis Sage to the bone. And no matter what he tried to do, he couldn't shake the feeling of anxiety that had gladly made its new home in him. Even his mind was in such a disarray, that his pacing the P.E. field was like a hamster on coffee. Poor elf couldn't stay still for his life. Despite having just finished the Defensive and Offensive Artes class earlier in the day, Genis—still wearing his P.E. clothes—had bounds of energy locked up within him to zig-zag left and right, left and right, thinking over and over again in his mind how horrifying the experience of being tutored by Sheena and Presea will be. But he couldn't think for long, because a loud noise sounded off behind him.

BANG!

"AHHH!" Genis reactively jumped into the air. By the time he touched the ground again, he spun on his heel surprised to see his tutors' gift to him.

"Hope you haven't been 'weighting' long, Genis!" Sheena, dressed in a befitting track suit, energetically bellowed.

Before him on the dirt track was the most colossal looking metal barbell in his life.

"Ha-ha… Good one, Sheena-senpai," Genis lied, with a forced smile.

"Are the weights secured, Presea?" Sheena asked the pink haired bent over the weight, tinkering with the locking mechanism.

"Locked and ready," Presea, also clothed in exercising apparel, stood up and nodded.

"Great! You ready for the first workout then, Genis?" Sheena asked.

"Umm… S-sure," Genis hesitantly replied. "What else can I say? 'No, I'm just going to leave now?' Heh… I wish." The silverette then tried to gulp down his fears, as Sheena prepped him for the endeavor to come.

"Today, I wanted to start with something pretty elementary to get you going on the right path, and that's weight lifting training! As you can see, the weight before you is a loaded barbell, and it's outfitted with the standard weight of 100 pounds for males in the AAA. The lifts that you will be doing are called deadlifts, which will increase your strength overall, from gripping with your hands to the muscles in your legs. In doing so, it will give you upper body strength as well as teach you proper form and technique, a necessity when committing to using various artes, offensive and defensive," Sheena briefed Genis in an official manner. "Presea, the chalk please?"

"Yes," Presea answered. The pink-haired promptly retrieved out of the sports bag that was hanging around her shoulder a plastic box filled with a white powdery substance. She pried open the lid and presented the contents in front of Genis.

"The chalk will help you grip the bar better, so coat your hands well with it before we start," Sheena said.

After doing what he was told, Genis patted his hands together to remove the excess chalk, while Presea put away the box of chalk. "Finished," the silverette announced, fully prepped and standing before the barbell.

"Good, now the hard work really starts," Sheena said, anticipation tickling her throat. "What I want you to do is a single deadlift for me, to show me what I'm working with. So whenever you're ready…" The raven-haired cued Genis to take it away.

"O-okay…" Genis muttered, staring nervously down at the massive weight by his feet. Sweat was accumulating on his forehead, and he watched as a single bead trickled down from the middle of his head to the tip of his nose, until the sweat-drop fell right on the metal barbell. He prayed silently to himself that wouldn't be the case for his hands anytime soon, getting sweaty that is. Gulping down hard and ignoring the sound of his beating heart, Genis psyched himself up, "Well, h-here it goes…"

Pathetically, Genis didn't get the opportunity to lift weight off the ground, because by the time he bent down and gripped the bar, Sheena instantly cried out in disapproval, "No, no! Not like that, Genis! You don't grip the bar underhanded; you're suppose to use the overhanded approach. Presea, could you please help him?"

"I'm on it," Presea said, walking over to the barbell and Genis and kneeling in front of them. With Genis still bent over, he intently watched Presea take his hands into her own and remove his hands off the bar, readjusting them to grasp the bar palm side down, the proper overhand technique. "There, and whatever you do, keep your hands tightly around the bar. Understood?" Her blank cobalt eyes drifted to stare into his.

"U-uh, y-y-yeah!" Genis said, embarrassed. He could feel a lukewarm heat fester in his now rosy cheeks. He knew without a doubt he was blushing, and so he whipped his head down to the bar, as if he was getting ready to lift. When he looked down though, he saw Presea's hands still holding his tightly, yet reassuringly. And he blushed further when she squeezed even tighter, believing it was an unspoken 'good luck' to him, before she let go and stepped to the side.

"Alright, time to try again, Genis!" Sheena instructed.

"R-right!" the silverette uttered, still crouched over the barbell. "Oh, man, oh man!" Genis gritted his teeth and closed his eyes. "If I wasn't prepared before, I'm definitely not ready now… My heart's beating so fast, a-and I can feel the chalk wearing off already. If my palms get sweaty, I'm gonna be so screwed!" He huffed one final sigh until he was fully committed and he opened his eyes. "It's either I embarrass myself trying or embarrass myself for not trying. So just do it, Sage!"

Gripping the bar as tightly as an alligator biting down on its prey, Genis clenched his teeth and heaved the bar up with as much might that he could possibly muster, roaring a strained, "HAAAHHH!"

"Good, good job, Genis!" Sheena praised from the sidelines. "You've managed to get the barbell up to your chest. But don't give up, you're almost there to lifting it above your head. What you need to do now is shift your feet into a stable stance that will help you achieve the right lift!"

"W-what?" Genis cried, struggling with maintaining the weight at his chest. The power from the initial rocket start that got him there left him winded and out of energy to continue pushing the weight up any higher, and his legs were starting to feel wobbly from holding the heavy weight for too long.

"Do the bear stance," Presea said, assuming a firm pose, with her feet shoulder-width apart and her knees bent. "All you need to do is shift your feet a little further apart from one another and bend your knees. Then, lift."

Unable to respond, Genis barely nodded back. "Okay… So first, I move my feet "

"Whoaaaaa!"

CRASH!

Having taken a wrong step, Genis ended up accidentally slipping and he fell backwards. The barbell and all its weight, still in his grasp, came crashing down upon him, pinning him brutally onto the dirt track. Wincing in pain, the uncoordinated elf groaned, "Ughhh…"

Without having to be told, Presea immediately rushed by his side to lift the barbell and tend to him.

"Oh boy… We've got a long way to go," Sheena shook her head and sighed to herself.

~ S.S.D. ~

[Thursday]

"Afternoon, Bud!" Zelos happily greeted the brunette patiently waiting at their usual meeting spot in the park. Sitting down, the red-head continued, "Someone's early today! You ready for math today?"

Lloyd didn't speak a word. The brunette stayed staring off into space, mesmerized by the fountain of Martel below at the foot of the hill. He couldn't stop thinking about yesterday's events, and more importantly what Zelos meant by him and Colette being a 'bad match.' "Hmmm," Lloyd hummed to himself while he pondered. His thoughtful stare stiffened into one of perplexity and ferocity.

"Hello, Lloyd? You there?" Zelos said, waving a hand in front of Lloyd's face. Receiving nothing but a blank stare, Zelos snapped his fingers. "Hey, you listening to me—?"

"Tell me!" Lloyd abruptly interrupted, slamming his hands onto the park table.

Flinching backwards in surprise, Zelos stammered, "T-tell you what?"

"Tell me what you meant by a 'bad match'!"

"Oh, that? Why would you care to know? Didn't you already say that you and Colette were childhood friends, nothing more?" Zelos said connivingly.

"Yeah, but… I…" Lloyd struggled with a tied tongue, his eyes falling down to the table. He then admitted stubbornly, "I-I don't know, I just want to know!"

Zelos realizing that Lloyd couldn't be swayed, sighed in defeat. "Fine, I'll tell you, but only because it actually fits with today's lesson. A prime division of the SECC in the math portion will be statistics, and the way I plan to teach you that is through spelling out your chances with all the girls we saw yesterday. And since you so stubbornly want to know about you and Colette first, I'll tell you the truth why it can't happen." Zelos took a slight pause, waiting to see if Lloyd would recant. Instead, he saw him even more attentive, and so he proceeded on with the lesson. "Sure you two are close childhood friends, but that doesn't mean much in the big world, where you're swimming with all these different types of fishes in the sea. Colette's a unique girl; she's innocent, kind, compassionate, and oh so adorable! She has this aura that bring others hope and makes people gravitate toward her. And it's only a matter of time until she is fully acknowledged by the academy, then her future becomes truly bright! By then, every male in the city will be vying for her affection, leaving you in the dust. I mean, look at you," Zelos pointed at Lloyd, examining him over, "you're not ambitious, dim-witted, and plain in comparison to everyone else at this academy. Heck, even the little Brat has more redeeming qualities than you, and that's saying something."

Lloyd was hushed, stunned at the revelation. "Am I really nothing compared to Colette and Genis…?" A shadow of melancholy shrouded across his face.

Seeing him so down, Zelos felt a pang of sadness for Lloyd. "Now, now," Zelos said, patting the young freshman on the back, "it's not the end of the world. There are other girls that you have a better chance with."

"Really," Lloyd perked up a little, feeling hopeful, "like who?"

"Huh, let's see here," Zelos pondered. His mind flipping through all the girls he knew. "Ah, I know! How about that first really weird looking girl with purple eyes and stubby legs we saw yesterday?"

"What, her?" Lloyd shouted in disagreement. "But you said she'd be a terrible biological partner for me!"

"True, true~ But I never said that you wouldn't have a chance with her, now did I?" Zelos teased coyly.

"Ugh, forget that I asked…" Lloyd groaned and smacked his own forehead in shame.

~ S.S.D. ~

"Run faster, Genis, faster! You won't be able to make the ten minute mile time if you keep running at that pace. Pick up those legs and stop dragging those feet. Move, move, move!" Sheena instructed from the center of the P.E. field.

Upon failing miserably with the barbell weight yesterday, Sheena introduced him to a different training routine, the mile run obviously. She said it would help him boost his cardio, which would heighten his endurance, allowing him to perform artes for longer periods at a time. Yet, that didn't seem to be happening anytime soon, because like yesterday, Genis was having an abysmal start. He would need to have to run around the track at least four times until he ran a full mile straight. On top of that, he would need to run it in ten minutes flat. Although having already ran two laps around the track, he was half way done, but his whole body was tired. His arms and thighs were throbbing from weight lifting the other day, and his head was starting to feel real heavy from dehydration and overexertion in the noon sunlight. Eight minutes and a half minutes into his third lap, Genis collapsed into the dirt track, exhausted.

Defeated, Genis didn't move from his spot, even when Coach Sheena viciously yelled from across the field. But he didn't care, nor did he care that he was resting in his own P.E. uniform drenched in sweat. As long as he didn't have to move a muscle, Genis could care less. "I-I'm so bushed…" he thought, feeling the ache in his muscles every time blood pulsed through. "Augh… How embarrassing. First the weight training flop, now this! Faced down in the dirt, unable to move… M-maybe I should just quit while I'm ahead?"

"Don't give up," he heard a familiar voice say.

"Huh?" Genis whispered to himself. He was barely able to lift his head to see the person standing before him. Conveniently, she stood in front of the blinding sun, giving him much appreciated shade. He blinked noticing who it was. "P-Presea?"

"Don't give up," she repeated, then considerately she handed out to him a chilled bottle filled with water. "Drink this. You need to be well hydrated while running."

"Mm," Genis nodded. He gingerly picked himself off the ground and gratefully took the bottle of water. Uncapping it, Genis greedily chugged every droplet of water inside the bottle. When he emptied it, he gasped out relieved, "Ahhh! T-thanks, Presea! I really needed that." He rubbed the back of his head shyly, as she took back the bottle.

"Are you feeling better to run again?" Presea asked.

"Y-yeah!" Genis eagerly replied, beaming a confident smile now. "I-if it wasn't for you, Presea, I'd still be faced down on the ground right now. M-m-my body feels rejuvenated even, l-like there's this strange power boiling up inside me!"

Presea cocked her head to the side. "Are you sure? Because your face is unnaturally pale."

"D-don't worry, I'm fi–BLAGGGGGGGH!"

The strange power boiling up inside Genis? Well, that was his lunch he had earlier, and it was coming out from the depths of his stomach to say hello to both him and Presea… A strange power, indeed.

~ S.S.D. ~

[Friday]

"Okay, Bud! We're halfway through the Ways of Zelos. You feeling confident?" Zelos asked, sitting in his usual seat.

Lloyd, who sat across from him, shook his head and honestly spoke, "Nope, not really."

"Well, not to worry, because Friday will be a fun day! We'll be learning about Reading today."

"Let me guess… With no books, huh?" Lloyd inferred.

"Exactly, Bud! In order to build your comprehension skills, you'll be joining me on analyzing an array of girls, and the more diverse they are, the better. What we're gonna do is try to reach each individual girl's emotions, try to know their intentions, be able to infer what their thoughts are–that kind of jazz," Zelos explained.

"Alright, I think I get it. So who or which girl are we going to read first?"

Before Zelos could select a girl by the fountain, a blood curling howl echoed into the sky, "ZELOSSSSSS!" Storming up from the bottom of the hill was a second year student, evident by the crest on the collar of her uniform. Her hair was the same crimson hue as Zelos', and her eyes were the same ocean blue as his. Atop her head was a distinguished orange colored beret, garnished with a fancy golden brooch clipped onto it.

"Ah, there's our first specimen," Zelos decreed nonchalantly, not taken back in the slightest by the girl. Swiftly, Zelos got to work. "You see, Lloyd, what we've got here is a girl who's extremely mad, which you can tell from her narrowed eyebrows, clenched teeth, and flushed cheeks. Her posture, with those raised shoulders, screams 'I'm going to kill you,' and her thoughts are lingering on about the object that she's holding in her hands."

"You know all that from just looking at her?" Lloyd wondered aloud, impressed with the precision that Zelos articulated.

"Of course. If you don't believe me just watch…" Zelos insisted. He raised his fingers in countdown. "In three… two… one—"

"ZELOS! I AM SO MAD!" The red-haired girl made it up the hill and scurried over to their table. Fuming, she flailed her arms by her side. "Look what you did to my precious bow string of my violin! It's broken! That bow was a special antique from mother, and those strings are from the hairs of a unicorn! You know how rare those are! How could you do this to me? ZELOS!"

"We'll be taking a short break for now, Lloyd. If you will excuse me…" Zelos trailed off, getting up from his seat. He then acknowledged the complaining girl. "Now, now, Seles. There's no need to be angry."

"Oh, yes there is! You borrowed this without my permission, and to do what? Pull pranks on the underclassmen?" Seles gave a wild guess.

"Uh… Yeah?" Zelos answered hesitantly, but, surprising to Lloyd, honestly. Lloyd gave him credit there for his chivalry in the face of death.

"Ugh… ZELOS, I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" was the last thing Seles screamed before she chased after her older brother down the hill and around the Symphonia Park.

Alone, Lloyd thought over the events that transpired, "Wow… Turns out, Zelos was right about everything! Huh, who would have thought?"

~ S.S.D. ~

"So lifting weights and the mile run weren't your strong suit. That's okay, because today will be the reaction training test! We'll be testing how fast you are to act and how well you can defend yourself, which is why I've chosen the perfect sport, tennis!" Sheena announced from across the court. Spinning the racket in her hands like a pro, she grabbed a yellow tennis ball from her pockets and effortlessly bounced the ball atop the racket's weaving. "Now, these tennis balls are official regulation, so don't be surprised if it stings when you get hit."

"When I g-get hit?" Genis stammered on the other side of the net, holding his racket awkwardly and unsurely like a novice. He couldn't decide whether it was best to choke up on the racket's neck or hold it precariously at then end of the handle. The former provided him more control and power but with little reach, while the latter gave him the opposite, reach but no power. Genis ending up settling one hand at each point.

"Yes, of course! We will be tossing these balls at you and we will be trying to score points, whether it be from you being unable to rally the ball back to us or you getting hit with a ball," Sheena explained.

"W-w-we?" Genis croaked nervous, a sapphire eye-twitching.

"Yeah, both me and Presea will be going against you today, to keep you on your toes! Are you ready, Presea?"

"Ready," Presea nodded. She too conjured a tennis ball and readied herself to serve.

"Okay! Then let the match… BEGIN!" Sheena declared, giving Genis no time to devise a plan and the yellow balls of fury began to fly.

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! sounded off across the court every time Sheena or Presea served a ball over the net. Each one whizzed like a bolt of lighting, cutting through the air in the blink of an eye. Genis, unprepared for the bombardment, shamelessly was sprinting back and forth on his side of the court, doing his best to avoid getting hit by the flying yellow bullets. He had long forgotten about proper racket holding etiquette, favoring being spared of a brutal ball beating. If it wasn't for the fact that the racket was actually deflecting some of the balls aimed at him—albeit, blocking accidentally—Genis would've already chucked the racket on the court so he could dash about more freely without the extra weight in his hands.

"Not," Sheena tossed a ball up into the air and swiped at it with her racket face, "bad, Genis! You've got the dodging part down, but how about you stop us from getting so many points on you?"

"Aahhh!" yelped Genis, narrowly avoiding the ball Sheena served his way. He laughed nervously at the suggestion. "N-no! I'm good with dodging, thanks!"

"Is that so? Well, then…" Sheena ceased pelting balls Genis way, and the sophomore shared a furtive glance with Presea. For a split second, Genis sighed a sigh of relief, believing that his two tutors were finally giving a well-earned break. However, as they returned their sights toward him. He could sense something else was hinted when the two girl's locked eyes, and he felt a warning shiver pass through his spine, like the silence before a storm. Synchronized, the two threw up tennis balls and their rackets made contact at the same time. "How about you dodge something coming straight for you?" Sheena exclaimed, as the balls flew across the court.

"Waaahhh!" Genis screamed, frozen at the spot by the sudden unison attack from the two girls. He held out his racket before him, his hands shaking and brain uncertain where to defend himself. "Where are they going to hit? My leg, my arm, my chest? Where? Where are they aiming for?"

As if he had super powers, both yellow balls slowed down the closer they got to him. And watching with keen eyes, Genis judged from their trajectory where the tennis balls were going to make impact. "That one's going straight for my left shoulder, and the other one is headed for my right leg. I've got to act fast!" Genis instinctively shifted his body to dash backwards and to the right, but as he set his plan into motion, he noticed something wrong with the way the balls kept soaring. "What? The balls! They put a spin to them? Crap!" It was too late, however. And Genis, cursing, saw the ball that he thought was aimed for his shoulder curve drastically onto the path straight to his forehead.

SMACK!

"AAH!" Genis cried, as the ball made contact with his cranium. Taken off guard, he couldn't avoid the ball following the first either. The second ball ricocheted off the court and flew right into the knockout zone… his crotch.

SMACK!

"GAH!" was the final sound that escaped Genis as he fell over in a fetal position on the court floor. His racket finally had left his grasp and clanged noisily on the pavement of the court, having failed in protecting its master. And his pride as a man had been hurt in more ways than one.

Over at the other end of the court, Sheena winced, "Ouch… I guess we accidentally overdid it, didn't we, Presea?"

Presea quietly nodded before setting off. "I'll get an ice pack from the cooler."

~ S.S.D. ~

[Saturday]

With the week of classes over and the weekend ahead of the Symphonia gang, you'd think that they'd be taking a break before exam week starting on Monday of next week. But rest would only come to Lloyd and Genis if and only if they passed their pre-tests of approval. The two teens had promised themselves if they ever got through the hell of this tutoring term, that they would never ask for academic help from any of their friends again, or at least not let blabbermouth Mithos know about their trivial troubles. Already assimilated into their respective tutoring regimes, Lloyd and Genis, after a hearty breakfast, bid their farewells at the usual cafeteria roundtable and departed to their final tutoring locals. For Lloyd, it was back to the fountain of Martel.

Upon arrival, Zelos was completely upfront with the lesson, never fluffing it up but going straight to business. "Now, Bud, today is the day where you have to give it your all. The final test focuses on Writing. It requires you to be spontaneous and react efficiently to whatever the test prompts you to write about. In the real world, girls are just the same. Although you write with a pen during the SECC, in a real situation your pen is the thoughts that you tell the girl, the one you must conquer and make fall to your charms. For this last lesson, I won't intervene or give you tips. Just remember everything that I've told you. You got that?"

Lloyd nodded in response. Even though the brunette hadn't trusted Zelos at the very beginning, Lloyd had eventually picked up on the Ways of Zelos and the moral lesson behind each one. This final pre-test, Lloyd thought, would be a synch. "Got it! Now bring on the final test. I'm ready to get it over with."

The elder student smirked, and he patted his pupil on the back. Turning Lloyd around to the masses of people surrounding them by the fountain, Zelos said, "Your final test is to sweet talk as many girls as you can. Woo them off their feet! If you can do that, then I'd say you're ready for the SECC, Bud."

"Alright... Here it goes!" Lloyd rallied his own morale as he strut off to the first random chick he laid his eyes on.

"Make me proud, Lloyd!" Zelos encouraged from afar, watching his prodigy blossom before his eyes. The red-head chuckled to himself as he examined Lloyd's progress. "And good luck... You're gonna need it." A devious smile tickling the edges of his lips.

~ S.S.D. ~

Elsewhere, on the other side of Symphonia Academy's campus, was the P.E. field. There Genis, Presea, and Sheena had finally suited themselves up for one final pre-test, all of them back into their sweaty gym shorts and tank tops. But today's lesson made their apparel slightly different. Placed snug on both Presea and Genis' heads were padded helmets; on their knees, shins, and elbows were guards; and on their hands pleather gloves. Just the sight of them and Genis knew something was going down. Or rather, he thought he himself was going down. "Today, the final lesson, will have Presea and I sparring against one another," Genis thought while readjusting his gear to be more comfortable and less restricting. His wish wouldn't come true, however. Being under the sun's rays kept him sweating and his gear forever unsettled.

Sheena approached the two of them on the field and placed her hands on both of their shoulders. "I guess I don't need to say anything now, do I? You two seem packed for action as it is!" Sheena joked. The raven-haired turned to Genis, giving him one last minute lecture. "Don't be nervous," Coach Sheena told him upon sensing his body shaking underneath her grasp. "You two are just two friends in a friendly competitive brawl. Plus, there's nobody else that's watching, so loosen up a bit, Genis." Sheena nudged the young half-elf in the arm.

"Y-y-yeah..." Genis barely yelped out through his nervousness. His sapphire eyes, which were filled with anxiety, were pinned down to the battleground below at his now trembling feet. Any second and his knees would buckle. "T-two friends just d-d-dueling each other... No biggie," he tried to convince himself. But, no matter how he wanted to sway himself, his thoughts kept returning to one thing: her, Presea. "I-I'm versing her! She's my friend and a girl! … I-if I hurt her, I'll be known as the jerk who burned down the academy P.E. field AND beat up a girl... What am I suppose to do?" Frustration began to boil into Genis' blood, so he clenched his first by his sides in an attempt to curb it.

Seeing his internal meltdown, Presea reached out to him. "Genis..."

He flinched instantly at her touch. If he hadn't restrained himself, he probably would have accidentally smacked her. "Wah! Oh... Presea. S-sorry about that." Genis fought the embarrassment creeping on his cheeks by glancing away.

"Give it your all, okay?" Presea simply said.

Though, still combating his nerves, Genis mustered up a nod.

"Don't hold back," Presea added as she turned to go to her starting point on the battlefield. "Promise me that, please." Her last words stuck to Genis, even as she departed. It was in the way she said it and the choice of her words that Genis began to realize what Presea's intentions were.

"She wants me to do my best... or else she'll be disappointed. In me." He softly smiled at the thought and finally unclenched his shaky hands. "I can't let her efforts of trying to tutor me go to waste. I've gotta try!"

"Are you both ready?" Sheena, using a megaphone, called from mid-field, which Presea nodded to and Genis sent an "okay" her way.

"Yeah, I am ready..." Genis firmly whispered to himself, no hesitation left within him. Before Sheena announced the beginning of round one, Genis yelled out to his sparring partner, "Good luck, Presea!"

And even though, she didn't say anything, Genis swore he noticed the faint curl her lips took upon hearing his words.

"Let the match... BEGIN!"

~ S.S.D. ~

Back near the fountain of Martel, to say Lloyd Irving was 'amazed' at the results of his flirting with girls would be an understatement. He was astounded, flabbergasted, and won over to the Ways of Zelos completely by. Throughout the many sea of girls he had waded himself in, he had not only gotten the attention of them, but he got them attracted and in a trance with his charisma. Something about the way he carried himself and the way he spoke got the women to speak on the same wavelength as him, and he commanded each conversation with every word and gesture. By the end of his umpteenth chat with an unknown girl from the academy, Lloyd's pockets were filled to the brim with numbers and even some presents to his pleasant surprise.

"Over twenty girls' phone numbers, candy, gald, and other random goodies? Why didn't Zelos teach me the Ways of Zelos earlier? I can live the good life surviving off of just this," Lloyd smugly thought, as he chowed down on a hot dog that one of the girls had bought for him at one of the park vendors. Once he finished his meal, Lloyd surveyed his area, trying to spot any girl he had missed.

A majority of the female crowd had left by now; it being past noon, students usually would be hitting up the mall on a Saturday or go eat lunch to retreat from the outdoor heat. But apparently, a single girl had stayed. There, kneeling by the fountain of Martel, was a girl with long hair that was the same color as Lloyd's. And from there, Lloyd went through the motions.

"Brown hair like me. Not too tall. Compatibility? Check! No on else around, just me and her. Do I have a chance? Check! She's kneeling in a meditative state in daylight. What's she thinking about? Her hopes and wishes to Martel. Check!" And with that, Lloyd pranced off with a spring in his step, snatching up a spare umbrella from one of the park vendors as he passed by. Just as he opened the umbrella, Lloyd hovered it above the kneeling girl, shading her from the harsh sunlight. "I know you weren't praying to Martel for company, but it isn't good for a girl like you to be burning up under the hot sun," Lloyd suavely said, a charming smile on his face for her to see. When she stood up and turned around, however, that smile disappeared faster than Lloyd on fried chicken day at the cafeteria. "Chocolat?"

"YOU? You're trying to flirt with me?" the brown-haired girl shouted with an explosive fury. "After what you did to me, you still have the nerve to toy with my feelings?" Chocolat, without blinking, snatched up Lloyd's umbrella and collapsed it. "How DARE you, Idiot Irving!" she cried, swinging at Lloyd with the umbrella as if it were a sword.

"OW! I'm—OW! Sorry!" Lloyd pleaded behind his arms that shielded his face. But it was no good, and the girl kept pounding him with his own umbrella. So, unable to do anything else, Lloyd sucked up his pride and bolted in a random direction, content on going anywhere away from her. "Why me?"

"Come back here, Idiot Irving! This time you'll pay!" Chocolat menacingly threatened on his heels.

From the sidelines, sitting at the usual table on the hill and sipping tea was Zelos Wilder. He lowered his spy shades as Lloyd and Chocolat faded off into the distance, and the red-haired shook his head, amused by the sight. "I could have told him that Chocolat comes here regularly every Saturday... But that wouldn't be a fun lesson!" Zelos laughed aloud, returning to his tea and relaxing at the hilltop.

~ S.S.D. ~

"Give it your all..." rang in the mind of Genis Sage. His body still holding up from whatever Presea threw at him.

A punch flies by to his chin, and Genis dodges to the side. A sweeping kick to throw him off his feet comes next, but he evades that too by hopping over it. Another wild fist follows, and again, he sidesteps away. Nothing Presea sends his way makes contact with Genis, and he can sense that frustration building within her as her strikes become more and more desperate. She wants to make one shot land. But Genis never breaks concentration; he's focused on not getting hit. And that bothers Presea further.

In-between her attacks, Presea asks, "Why aren't you fighting, Genis?"

"I'm," he dodges her kick and her question, "avoiding your attacks, aren't I?"

"That's not the point." She charges forward, and before he can get away, Presea has him right in her grasp and she drives him into the ground with a mighty shove. As Genis is writhing on the ground from the blow, Presea gets up and dusts herself off. "You may not be hesitating to dodge my attacks, but that doesn't mean you aren't hesitating to attack me..." Presea sighs, turns, and readies herself to walk away. "I cannot fight anyone who isn't willing to fight me as an equal, Genis."

Genis can only stare defeated at the ground, lost in thought, "Don't hold back... Promise me that."

Hearing no response, Presea takes one step forward, then abruptly stops mid-step... And ducks.

Swoosh! was the hollow sound of a fist flying through the air, right over Presea's head. Retaliating, her instincts kick in and she swings her legs into a sweeper, knocking her assailant on his back again.

"Augh..."

Presea faces him, offers her hand, and gently smiles. "Nice try."

~ S.S.D. ~

[Sunday]

Saturday comes to a close, and Lloyd and Genis find themselves relaxing as best as they can in dorm room 72. They have returned to their old routine: Genis on his bed with his study materials and Lloyd playing his RPG shooter at full blast. The two, having gotten through the hell week of tutor time with Zelos and Sheena, gave themselves this needed break, avoiding their other friends ever since the end of the tutoring. The last thing they needed before exam week was to be constantly reminded of their failures simply by seeing a familiar face. But the reality still stood. How were both teens going to pass the exams? Neither thought their tutoring sessions did anything other than give themselves pain.

Just as Lloyd's cell phone chimed, the meditative silence was broken between the two friends.

"Who's that?" Genis, looking up from his notes, asked.

Clicking through the text message, Lloyd sighed. "It's Colette... She's worried why we're not having fun with everybody else the day before exam week starts."

"Oh..."

Lloyd pauses his game and, dropping his controller, groans, "What are we going to do? We're so screwed! I don't feel like anything Zelos taught me will help me during the SECC."

"You said it... I'm so sore that despite hearing all the cues and tips from Sheena and Presea, I doubt that I'll be able to run through the paces again for the AAA," Genis admitted, rubbing his sore muscles.

"If only there was something, anything we could do..."

"Yeah, like I could borrow your body for my AAA tests and you could borrow my brain for the SECC. Hah, if only!" Genis laughs at his own crazy idea.

"Wait..." Lloyd jumps out of his gamer chair. "That's IT! That's what we'll do!"

Genis goes wide-eyed at the revelation. "Woah, nonononono! You better not be thinking what I think you're thinking, Lloyd!"

The brunette leapt over to Genis and grabbed him by the collar. "Oh, yes I AM! Now help me find those wigs from Halloween! They'll be our saving grace!" Lloyd sings as he dives under Genis' bed and starts throwing Genis' clothes left and right in full-out search mode.

Still sitting on his bed, Genis shakes his head with a hand covering his forehead. Grumbling to himself, he says, "... What have I done?"

~ S.S.D. ~

[5 Days Later... Friday]

The two teens left their final exams and had met up with each other at one of the courtyards, ready to celebrate their plan's success. To outsiders, they appeared to be normal academy students, but they both knew how truthful that was. After enacting their Operation: Halloween In Summer Switch, which Lloyd fondly nicknamed, Lloyd and Genis dawned respective wigs, a silver one for Lloyd and a brown wig for Genis. Since Symphonia Academy students had to wear uniforms, clothing was effortlessly dealt with. The true testament to their disguises came when the exams began. Both of them had different exam times for the AAA and SECC, so they planned accordingly as to when and how'd they switch out and take each others exams. And I know what you may be thinking? How come their professors didn't recognize that there were different people taking someone else's test? Well, professors aren't allowed to proctor trimester exams. Instead, the academy has designated testing administrators proctor the tests. So fooling the nameless folks turned out to be less than a challenge. They repeated this plan throughout the entire exam week, and now they found themselves soaking in the fruits of their labor, as they strolled over to the nearest bathroom to remove their wigs.

"My Martel... Five days later, the exams are done, and it worked?" Genis questioned aloud. "It's hard to believe we didn't get caught."

"See, what did I tell you!" Lloyd said, smacking Genis reassuringly on the back. "My ideas are foolproof!" As if to jinx them, Lloyd's claim summoned a certain blonde-haired girl to come barreling around the corner. "Oh, crap! Colette! Turn around, turn around!" Lloyd commanded Genis, and the silverette obeyed.

"What is she doing here?" Genis asked while ducking his head.

"I don't know, but remove your wig!" Lloyd said, and they both got to taking out the pins keeping their wigs on.

Once Genis removed his spiky brown-hair, he glanced over to the corridor Colette came out of. "Phew, she's gone..."

"Really? Oh good, because for some reason this wig is stuck!" Lloyd complained, tugging on the fake silver hair. "Seriously, how do you deal with unruly hair like this everyday!"

"Oh, shut up, and let me help you!" Genis retorted, doing his best to ignore the comment.

"Owowowow! Watch it, Genis!"

"Sorry, but it's your brunette hair that's stuck to the wig! … See!"

"See, what?" Lloyd said, stopping his assault on the wig.

"'See'? I didn't say that..." Genis gravely spoke. They both glanced at each other before turning back down the corridor.

There Colette was skipping down the sidewalk, but this time, she was tugging Raine along with her.

"See! I told you Lloyd and Genis would be around here. Now we can all celebrate like how we used to in Iselia!" Colette sang happily.

"OH SHIT!" the two troubled teens cursed underneath their breath. This time, they pulled at Lloyd's wig with all their strength, regardless if they looked like idiots. Despite their desperate efforts, it was too late, and Raine spotted them from the other side of the courtyard.

"Lloyd? Genis? What are you two doing?" Raine threw out her query and a dissecting gaze.

The two freshmen flinched at her voice and slowly turned to face their Professor. "H-hi, Professor!" "H-h-hey, s-sis!"

Her brow raised higher as she stepped closer towards them, noticing the odd color of Lloyd's 'hair' and the wig behind Genis' back. "What are you two doing with your old Halloween wigs?"

"You know!" Lloyd nonchalantly responded. "The usual! Just seeing how it feels to be in the other's shoes and how rewarding it is to get to know each—RUN GENIS!" And Lloyd broke out into a mad sprint in the other direction.

Genis, who had a significantly slower reaction time, panicked. "W-what? Wait up, Lloyd!" And the silverette too put himself into gear, running to catch up to his fleeing friend.

Unlike the two teens, Raine was prepared for anything. She calmly raised an open fist, and she aimed it at the eldest freshman. A bright aura surrounded her and elven glyphs began to materialize at her feet. Her eyes shone the same illuminating gold, and her voice just as heavenly as she spoke, "Photon!"

Before Lloyd could take another step, a blinding white orb blurred his vision and exploded in front of him. The spell knocking him back several feet, flying backwards even past Genis. "Ahhhhh!" Lloyd cried before hitting the ground.

Seeing his friend fall, Genis doubled back, scared, and hovered over the lifeless body. "Lloyd! You gotta get up or else she'll catch us!"

"It's too late, Genis," Raine's voice reverberated into his ears and a shiver ascended up his spine. His fate was sealed and he knew it was no use running anymore.

Genis stood up and earnestly pleaded, "I-I know... J-j-just make the p-punishment quick." He closed his eyes and put his hands up in surrender. And then...

BAM!

The younger elf was down for the count. Raine's punishment kick was almost the deadliest thing in her arsenal, next to her own cooking of course. Colette, who had witnessed the shocking scene play out, ran up to her fallen friends.

"What happened, Professor Raine?" Colette asked while bending over to each of the boys and checking their pusles.

Raine sighed and simply said, "They'll be okay, Colette. This is just what happens when students cheat on their exams. Consider this as part of their punishment, along with them re-taking their exams and doing community service, to amend for their actions."

And even though they were knocked out, the two teenage boys heard ever word their Professor had said, and they groaned in unison.


Author's Note

I don't know why, but I haven't felt this unsatisfied with a chapter in a long time. Maybe because I didn't have fun writing the rest of this chapter like I did when I first started it? Or maybe it would have been better if I had wrote it beginning to end, without the big break? Either way, I'd like to apologize for the quality. I highly was proud of the concept, it's just that executing chapters has become harder for me the longer I let something sit on the back of my mind. So I understand if you guys didn't find it as enjoyable as the other chapters.

Fun Facts of this Chapter:
*Genis' tutoring sessions day 2 & 3: The unlucky events he experienced are based off of my own life, believe it or not. I was running one day immediately after breakfast one morning, and, just like Genis, I hurled bad. Such a nasty experience. Yuck. As for the tennis scene, we were practicing serving in my tennis class and my partner served it and it, again like Genis, flew in my crotch zone. Safe to say, thank God I'm a girl or else it would've hurt like the dickens, I bet.
*Mithos never appears in this chapter: This is because I had to cut off Chapter 9 at the part it was or else it would've gotten too long. So that's why Chapter 10 has no Mithos. Doesn't play a part in this exam arc after that point.
*Chocolat's appearance: She was originally not suppose to appear in any of Lloyd's tutoring sessions. The tutoring sessions were never planned out until a few months ago. So she's a spur-of-the-moment cameo. Hope it was an unexpected, but enjoyable one.
* Raine's punishment: Seem familiar? This is a parallel scene to the original punishment in-game, where Raine kicks Lloyd and spanks Genis for skipping school.

[LONG IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT AHEAD (feel free to skip this)]

Moving on, I'm slowly getting back into the swing of things. Fanfic-wise and real world. I've finally gotten the files I need to continue my fanfics, so hooray for me for doing so! I'll finally be able to write again, but not as fast as some would like I'm afraid. By July 18th, I'll be heading over to my college orientation, and I fear that from then on out, I'll be head deep in trying to get myself wrapped around this college business. So fanfic writing will be nothing but a super down-time hobby. Which leaves the big reveal...

Should S.S.D. continue?

I know you readers with a good memory will say, "Hey, Christa! You said before that you wanted to see this story to the end! What happened to that promise?" I know, I know. It pains me to part with my first ever fanfic. So trust me how hard it is for me to decide to ask such a question. It's just that it's become this stagnant, the rate I update this story that is. And I'm afraid that this story will never reach an end at all.

S.S.D. originally had planned over 40 chapters, which are broken up into 3 "trimesters". We haven't even reached the end of the first trimester, so you can see how worried I am with this story.

So what I'm trying to say is how would you guys react if I ended S.S.D.? Would you rather want it to end at the first trimester, abruptly like here, or do you really want this to continue until I lose steam with this? (The final choice does not mean I promise to finish the story, only that I will go as far as I can with it.) I want your honest opinion here. So fire away.

Before some point out how this is detrimental to the story arcs I have placed, I am aware of that. I had so much planned out, to have each character go through a growth of some sort and the plot to unfold into its true potential. So yes, I realize cutting the story short will kill whatever important elements I had going for me.

The choice of ending S.S.D. does not affect any current on-going fanfic of mine. I will still continue The Hourglass Effect since I'm more invested into my original plot-line than this school-life re-imagining and because T.H.E. is significantly shorter. Just personal preference, sorry.

In all, depending on if I end S.S.D. sooner than let it die off later, it will help me dive into other more original stories I've had in my reserves, so please take that into account too. At the very end of S.S.D., I planned on revealing how I was working on a Project Resonating Hearts. "Resonating Hearts" coming from the name of one of the mystic artes I would unveil in this story. This would be my version of a sequel to Tales of Symphonia, me trying to delve deeper into their lore of the origin of mana and the creation of the world of Aselia as well as explain what happened to the gang after the worlds were united. I love fan sequels of ToS, which is the main reason I became addicted to FFnet. Seeing all the original sequels made me wish to make one of my own, and, after the disappointing experience I had with DtNW, that only deepened my desire to write a sequel.

I'm not saying that my version of a ToS sequel will be coming any time soon if I do end S.S.D. at this moment. I still have to write out a full outline of it if I ever did seriously consider it, and I still want to finish T.H.E. And there are other ToS stories other than this possible sequel, too.

There you have it! There! I am done rambling. I promise. I typed out my heart and mind all out here for you. And I ask you kindly to let me know your thoughts on all this S.S.D. dilemma of mine. I sincerely thank those who have stayed with me ever since the beginning, and I commend those further who have reviewed S.S.D. every step of the way. You people have truly shaped my FFnet experience to an over-the-top enjoyable one and have helped me grow as a writer.

Seriously, thank you to each one of you, the lurker (which I used to be on this site, so don't feel bad if you're one!), the casual reader, the devoted reader, and the reliable reviewer. Thank you for the most rewarding time I've ever had on FFnet. The Tales of Symphonia section will always be my favorite. :)