June 29, 2010

Disclaimer: Well I'm sure you all know who owns what by now but just for formality's sake, I don't own anything to do with Tales of Symhonia, it belongs to Namco, and Midna belongs to Nintendo. I have lost track of all the original characters at this point, but I own em all. Yes I do. So...just a little update. My ideas for this story have changed quite a bit from what they were when I started, and I'm quite confident that my writing style has improved so I've gone back and updated and tweaked several chapters, eliminating rambles and changing parts I didn't like. So this is just a bit of a reminder to go back and re-read all those chapters if you haven't already, because upcoming parts may not make as much sense if you don't. I haven't changed things so drastically that the entire story changes, but I've cleared a few things up and such so...yeah, you know what I'm getting at.

Also I just want to thank those of you who are actually following this actively and who are actually enjoying reading this, I know it's probably not some of my best work, and as much as I do like it my writing just seems...I dunno, sub-par to me but meh. Enough of that. On with the story! *is enjoying herself way too much*

Chapter XXV

Jealousy AKA Boring Filler Chapter

Several days passed in much the same way as the first, and everyone slowly got used to the strange new atmosphere of Tethe'alla. Sheena had explained that it was because the mana was thicker in the air here, and they were feeling its effects. Genis and Raine seemed to be thriving in this world already, their elvish heritage obviously making their bodies more sensitive to the mana. Genis' wounds were already healing at a remarkable rate and Sora's guilt was lessening with them.

It was strange, being back home, Sheena decided. She'd been in Sylvarant so long that she'd grown almost used to it, not that it was really such a bad thing. She'd been led to believe that the people of Sylvarant were barbarians, living in a stone-aged world, but the people she'd met there had been kinder and far more accepting than most people she'd ever met here...

The knowledge that she would soon have to leave them all behind weighed heavily on her heart but she kept her emotions carefully clear of her face, never once letting on that something was wrong. She talked and smiled with everyone as usual, as though nothing was bothering her and she was simply happy to be safe and back home. There were moments where she saw Eccah's shy eyes studying her from under golden hair, and those eyes said that they knew what she was hiding, but Sheena decided it must be her imagination. Sure, the girl had always been good at sensing what others were feeling, but she couldn't be that good, right? Of course not.

She knew that she should probably tell them, give them a bit of forewarning, but what could she really say?

"Hey sorry, but I was given orders to not come back unless I killed Colette and I failed horribly, so now I can't come with you." Yeah, that would be just great. Smooth, Sheena. Real smooth. So, she kept her mouth shut, going over what she would tell them when the time came in her head over and over, but not ever really making any progress and as Meltokio loomed in the distance, growing ever closer, she was still as much at a loss for an explanation as she had been when they first started.

He had finally gone insane, he was sure of it. The voice in his head, telling him what to do was only proof of that fact. He only heard it clearly when his mind was groggy, just before sleep claimed him, but he could never really make sense of it. Something about protecting someone? It almost seemed like he'd been given these orders before, but...when was that again?

You must protect them at all costs. Protect your friends, even from Heaven itself. You must not allow any harm to befall them. Do you understand?

No, he didn't understand, really. He knew he wanted to protect his friends, but what the hell did the voice mean, "protect them from Heaven itself"? And why did the voice in his head sound like Kratos? It was all so confusing. He growled quietly at nothing in particular, rising from his comfortable position by the warm fire and beginning to pace along the borders of their camp. Tomorrow would be the day they reached Meltokio, Sheena had said. That was good, right? So why did he feel so nervous about it? He felt as though he were walking straight into a trap laid just for him, but how was that even possible? Who would even know him here? He'd hardly been in Tethe'alla for a week yet...

Paranoia. Another sign of insanity. This was all just too confusing.

"Relax, Scruffy." Midna's voice rang in his mind. "You're getting yourself all worked up over nothing. Down boy! Sleep!" Sora growled, shooting his shadow a dirty look.

Quiet you. he replied. Stop treating me like a dog. And enough with the degrading nicknames, alright? He heard Midna sigh loudly, and her smoky form rose from his shadow.

"Awww, what happened to you, Fido?" she said in her mocking, sing-song voice. "You used to be so much fun. Now you're so...uptight and moody." Sora narrowed his eyes, lowering his ears slightly.

Yeah, well...shit happens. he snapped, looking away. Shouldn't you be hiding? It's kind of hard to explain you at the moment, and Eccah doesn't really know the details so she wouldn't really be much help.

"Oh, and of course we wouldn't want to burden poor, sweet Eccah." Midna said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She rolled her eyes and pouted. "Martel forbid you ever ask her to do anything that might be too hard." Sora turned to look at her, and incredulous expression on his face.

What does that even mean? he asked her, cocking his head. What the hell is your problem? Midna avoided his gaze, crossing her arms and legs in the air.

"You always treat her like such a fragile little princess." she scoffed. "What makes her so special?" Sora stared at her in amazement for a moment, his mouth hanging open, then he began to laugh for the first time in what seemed like ages. It was a loud, barking laugh and he knew he was likely waking everyone up, but this new realisation amused him so much that he hardly cared. Midna glared at him indignantly, her little hands balled into fists.

Midna! he said incredulously. Are you jealous? Midna looked abashed, then quickly regained her composure and snapped her head away, looking offended.

"Of course not! Why would I ever be jealous?" she scoffed. What do I have to be jealous of, hm? I know you love her, it's so obvious! And it's not like I have feelings for you or anything..." Sora laughed again, but quickly stifled the sound when he saw that she was genuinely offended.

I'm sorry, he said, still trying not to laugh. It just seemed like you were actually jealous of her. Midna sniffed, examining her fingers.

"Well, if that's what you thought, you must be stupider than I originally figured." she said, once again in her mocking sing-song voice. Sora sighed, smiling inwardly.

Women... he thought. I swear, I'll never understand 'em. With one final chuckle at Midna's expense, he lay back down beside the fire, resting his head on his paws. His mood significantly lightened from what it had been, he closed his eyes and with one last sigh drifted off into slumber.

Morning came quickly, and with it, the excitement of seeing Tethe'alla's capital city. From what Sheena had told them, the king of all Tethe'alla resided there, and to be in a city where royalty was present was not something any of the Sylvaranti had previously experienced.

"Tethe'alla's Chosen also lives there," Sheena had said. "But trust me when I say he is nothing like what you'd be expecting." When asked what she meant she merely stated that they should hope for the women's sake that they didn't run into him.

This piqued Eccah's curiousity. What could that possibly mean? Lloyd had some theories, but Raine deemed them inappropriate for the ears of ladies and children, so Genis, Sheena and Eccah never learned what they were, and Lloyd gained a lump on his head. They never had much time to wonder about it however, for soon the gates of Meltokio loomed before them.

"Well guys..." Sheena said quietly. "This is where I leave you." Eccah turned to her friend, surprise on her face.

"What do you mean?" she asked softly, brushing some of her hair from her eyes. As she did so she fleetingly wondered why she always let it fall in her face like that...

"I have to report back to my village," Sheena explained, looking away awkwardly. "You're forgetting, I had a mission...and I have to let them know I failed." There was a bit of an awkward silence, but Lloyd quickly broke it.

"Just come back, okay?" he said, giving her a reassuring smile. Eccah tried to hide her grin as a faint blush crept across Sheena's face, and the beginnings of a plan began to form in her head...

"Y-yeah, I'll try." Sheena stammered in response. After a few heartfelt goodbyes and a very tight hug from Eccah, Sheena set off in the opposite direction alone.

"Hm..." Eccah sighed. "I'm gonna miss her." Sora grunted in agreement, shaking out his fur. After a moment of watching their friend depart, the group turned and nervously passed through the gates of Tethe'alla's capital city.

End Chapter XXV

Jealousy AKA Bad Filler Chapter