Okay, Everyone wants to know who Jade is (insert evil laugh). I can tell you that it will come to a point where Nia's just as confused as you! I really enjoy writing the Jade parts.

Some of this chapter is based on a true school lesson.

I don't own Tales of Symphonia. I only own Nia and Stephen. I don't own Jade (or her baby dragon), Jana-Yggdrasil does. (Although Jade's history is a combination of idea's from both of us.)

Stephen's POV

I took Lloyd and Presea to my Design and Technology class (D+T), because this term I was doing metalwork. The classroom was on the bottom floor, near to the science labs.

Our teacher left the door open as he came into the class and was half-way through taking the register, when…

"How dare you be late for my class!" A shout came from down the corridor.

The voice belonged to Mr. Evans, the chemistry teacher. He was known for having a short temper and a loud voice.

Half the class winced sympathetically. I felt sorry for who ever was on the wrong side of his temper.

Our teacher, Mr. Williams, asked someone who was near the door to close it, in an attempt to drown out the shouting. It almost worked, now we could only hear murmurs.

Suddenly, I felt a really strong wave of fury wash over me. I also felt confused as to why I felt angry. Then…

'That…that…' Nia thought, too angry to even finish a sentence.

I'd only ever heard Nia that angry once before.

'Nia, what's happening?' I asked.

She ignored my question, but seemed to calm down enough to keep her emotions separate.

By this time, the teacher had finished taking the register. "I gave you instructions on what to do last time, so continue with your work."

I raised my hand. "Sir? Luke and Pearl weren't here last lesson. They've only just moved to Diflas Iawn."

(A/N I almost said the name of my own school!)

"Well, can you tell them what we're doing and get them started?"

"Yes, sir."

I turned to the two and explained that we were making a coat-hook. Lloyd stopped me halfway through the explanation and said he'd be fine, and a coat-hook was easy.

At the end of the lesson, Lloyd had made an ornate coat-hook which was – honestly – a piece of art. However, we'd just had a piece of metal, bent it and put it in liquid plastic. Lloyd's stood out by a mile.

"Very good…Luke, was it?" My teacher praised.

"One problem, where do you hang the coats?"

Nia's POV (one hour earlier)

I took Genis and Colette to my lesson – chemistry. To be honest, I didn't think it was the best subject for either of them, but where Genis would find it interesting, Colette would just show how blonde she really is.

(A/N No offense to blondes! I have a really intelligent blonde friend, so I wouldn't really make fun of them!)

Before going in, I pointed them in the right direction and went outside for a drink.

Why go outside for a drink? Well, as I explained to Genis, I was drinking petrol, (Do not try at home! I take absolutely no liability if someone does do this!) which smelled. Hopefully, outside, the breeze would carry the smell away.

When I'd finished, I found – to my horror – that my class had already gone in. I had Mr. Evans, a teacher who has managed to build up a terrifying reputation, without being a deputy head!

(A/N I bet someone's worked this out by now…)

Gathering my courage, I opened the door.

"Sorry I'm late, sir." I said breathlessly.

"You're late." He stated.

"Yes, sir."

"Why are you late?" He asked in a somewhat level voice.

"I went to the toilet." I lied. I didn't think the excuse 'I needed a drink' would have quite the same effect.

I was aware of the whole class' eyes in my general direction. He gets us to stand behind our desks before sitting down, so everyone was standing up, eyes staring.

"You do not go to the toilet during my time. You go during break times." His voice was slightly raised.

"Understood, sir." A slight waver crept into my voice.

I instantly regretted it.

"How dare you be late for my class!" He hollered, loud enough that I was convinced half the school heard.

How could he shout at me like this? For what? He believed I'd just gone to the toilet; what was wrong? It had been urgent that I'd had a drink, otherwise I would've collapsed in class, been rushed to hospital, possibly have drips put inside me…

I involuntarily shuddered.

'That…that…' I thought, so furious that not even the worst insults that came to mind were bad enough for him.

Just then, the door opened, and Mr. Evan's stopped shouting.

I heard something, but it was brushed aside in my blind fury. I'd been this angry before, and heck, there wasn't enough left of the guy afterwards to apologise.

Luckily – or unluckily, depending on how you look at it – a certain someone with red hair came into the room.

"I need to get some year eleven coursework. Do you mind?" Somehow, Zelos didn't seem right talking seriously. In a less serious situation I would've laughed.

Zelos ignored whatever Mr. Evans was saying, and got the desired coursework. He was about to leave, when he seemed to be struck by a sudden idea.

"I couldn't help hearing you shouting, and I wondered what she'd done."

Mr. Evans looked startled for a moment, as if he'd forgotten why exactly he'd yelled at me. I could tell that he wanted to tell Zelos to go away, but it seemed he was having difficulty finding words without being rude.

"Ask her."

"Well, what did you do?"

"I was late to class, because I needed to go to the toilet." I said, sticking to my story.

"And that's the only reason you're shouting at her?" Zelos rounded on Mr. Evans.

At this point, any fears for my own punishment were being rapidly shoved to the corner of my mind. What part of this was 'not looking suspicious?' Then a second thought hit my mind. I had a feeling Mr. Evans wouldn't forget this easily.

I sighed inwardly. I would have to work extra hard for a couple of months and not give Mr. Evans a chance to find fault with me, so at least my report wouldn't look too bad…

"Go to your place and sit down." Mr. Evans said roughly. "Everybody, sit down."

I was aware of everyone watching me – without moving their heads – as I took my seat. I knew that I'd become something of 'the-girl-who-lived' from now on.

The lesson continued somewhat as normal – I didn't volunteer to answer as many questions as normal, and Mr. Evans didn't choose me to answer. Maybe it was best if I just let him forget the whole thing for now, and regain my normal enthusiasm in a lesson or two.

When the bell went, hardly anyone remembered that I'd got shouted at earlier, most people were giggling about Colette's answer to: 'A substance is found to be made of only one type of atom. How could it best be described?' to which Colette answered: 'Hard?'

Jade's POV (one hour earlier)

I hadn't bothered to put the Kratos doll that I'd made earlier away, so I was examining it while waiting for my Welsh teacher to arrive. It was slightly Chibi – I hadn't intended it to be, but it looked cute like that.

I was still looking at it when we were let into class. When I'd sat down in my normal place and took out my books and pencil case, I went back to looking at the doll, and wasn't really listening to the teacher.

It suddenly occurred to me that I recognised the teacher's voice, and my eyes shot up. I could not be mistaken – since I'd been staring at 'his' doll for the last quarter of an hour – that my Welsh class was being taken by non other than Kratos Aurion.

"No way." I said, perfectly loud enough for everyone to hear and turn around to look.

"Do you mind?" He asked sternly. "You're disrupting the class."

Rather than feel abashed, I felt giddy. I mean, the Kratos Aurion has spoken to me!

(A/N Jana-Yggdrasil's going to kill me for making Jade out to be such a fan girl!)

When his attention was focused once more on the class, I looked between the doll and the real Kratos. I did this a couple more times before Kratos noticed and demanded that I hand it over. When he asked, though, he hadn't seen it properly, so I handed it over and suppressed a smirk.

He stared at it for a couple of long, silent seconds, then looked at me.

"Did you make this yourself?" He asked.

"Yep." I said, more cheerful than I'd been for weeks.

"It's…well made. Put it away or I'll have to confiscate it." He handed it back to me.

I put the doll away in my bag, but this grin on my face remained the whole time. I could see a brilliant opportunity for mayhem here.

Speaking in a near-silent tone I said, "Nia thinks Kratos Aurion's really cute."

I could see Kratos freeze for three seconds. I wondered what else to say…

I have a suggestion. The voice in my head said.

Taking the voice in my head's suggestion, I said, "Personally, I think Mithos is much better looking, though."

I was left wondering if the voice in my head had any taste at all. Still, Kratos seemed to be seriously unnerved at this point.

"What's your name?" Kratos asked me.

"Jade, sir." I said in my innocent voice.

"Jade, give us an adjective in Welsh, please."

What was an adjective? Oh, right, a describing word… "Golygus – good-looking."

"Can you use it in a sentence?"

"Um…Rydw i'n meddwl bod Mithos wedi golygus, ond Nia wedi meddwl bod Kratos ydy golygus iawn."

(Translation: I think that Mithos is good-looking, but Nia thinks that Kratos is very good-looking!)

I was so busy trying not to laugh, I didn't catch the mistakes or corrections Kratos may have made.

Back to the whispering campaign…

"Mithos wedi angel o dan y coeden Nadolig." (Mithos is the angel on top of the Christmas tree!)

Kratos merely looked puzzled by this. Either my grammar was really bad, or they don't have Christmas in Symphonia. Or both.

"Jade?" He said, sounding bored.

"Yes?"

"Use 'he/she or it went' in a sentence."

Instantly I started thinking of ways to make the sentence Symphonia themed. "Aeth Colette i 'Tower of Salvation'."

(You shouldn't need a translation. Colette went to the Tower of Salvation. Obviously, you don't translate names or places.)

Kratos sighed and worked on the rest of the class.

"The weird thing in Welsh, is that angel is the same as in English and seraph is seraff." I continued under my breath.

Kratos shot me a glare, but I knew he couldn't do anything with the whole class watching him.

There should be annoying songs somewhere in my memory…Why is it you can have an annoying song in your head for hours, but when you need it…ah, got one!

"I know a song that'll get on your nerves,

Get on your nerves,

Get on your nerves,

I know a song that'll get on your nerves,

Get, get, get on your nerves."

"Jade?"

"Yes?"

Kratos looked sorely tempted to yell shut up, but the class, without his angelic hearing would probably think he's mad or picking on me for no reason.

"Do you know what seraphim are capable of when annoyed?"

Everyone looked incredibly confused – three quarters of the class didn't know what a seraph was and the other few didn't know how this was relevant to Welsh.

"Well, the Kvar thing shows what a seraph could do when angry, but no, I don't think I know what a seraph is capable of when annoyed."

"Pity," He snorted, "It might stop you from annoying them."

Despite Kratos' warning, I kept annoying Kratos under my breath for the rest of the lesson. Kratos seemed somewhat relieved – I'd been singing '999 bottles of beer on the wall' for the last five minutes!

I could not resist! Jana-Yggdrasil, could you point out any Welsh mistakes I've made? Thank you.

Wow, this turned out long. Yes, it's late, it's because I've been ill, so I've been sleeping or reading (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince – read in 9 hours straight, not skim reading, beat that!)

Please review (I loved writing this chapter! I haven't really had a chance to annoy Kratos!)