Tales of Symphonia © Namco

Beta: Synodic


Slowly, everyone else begins to come to their senses. First is Raine, followed shortly by Genis. After they both get redressed — though, for the Professor, she doesn't have much to put on; she's the least injured of us all if you exclude Colette—, they both have their go at making Colette respond.

It fails, obviously.

"What's going on?" Raine asks sharply, after taking a glance out of the single window in the room. "Why are we in the Triet Desian base?"

Sheena raises an eyebrow. "Desians? These guys aren't Desians, Raine."

"Really?" The woman crosses her arms over her chest. "Then please, tell me what they are."

"They're the Renegades." Both women turn to look at me. I fidget, my knees still barricading my chest and hiding it from view, and continue, "They look like Desians, but they aren't."

Raine goes to ask something, but Sheena stops her with, "We'll explain when Lloyd wakes up, alright? It'll be easier that way."

Despite her obvious dislike of that option, Raine simply huffs and shakes her head, returning to Colette's side. I sigh to myself and drop my head to my knees.

Looks like I won't be asking the Professor for an undershirt either.

We're all silent, just waiting for Lloyd to wake up. None of us want to breach or even approach the elephant in the room. Unfortunately, the silence of the room doesn't follow into my head.

We should've died there, the Exsphere says, for probably the fifth time since I've woken up. Why are we alive?

'Because we are.' I run my fingers over the scar again and shudder at the texture. 'Do you wish we were dead?'

It goes silent for the first time in awhile. No, it finally replies. I wish you were dead.

I swallow hard. 'Why?'

Because you don't deserve to live here.

A strangled gasp comes from the bed Lloyd is on. I jump, startled, and see Genis' posture straighten up as he cries out, "Lloyd; you're finally awake!"

"Augh ..." he cracks an eye open, blinking blearily and looking around the room. "Genis …? Where are we?"

Ignoring his question, Genis says, "You didn't wake up; I was worried."

"Where's Colette?" Immediately Lloyd is up, his eyes searching the room frantically. When he sees her he slides off the bed, stumbling over towards the girl. I can't help but feel jealous when I notice he's wearing his tank top. Raine stops his advances, placing a hand on his shoulder to steady him.

"Be careful," she warns. He shrugs off her hand, stopping right in front of the blonde. From my spot on the couch, I shoot him a nervous look.

"Colette ..." When she shows no response he glances down, one hand gripping his side. "Colette ... I'm sorry." He places his spare hand behind her head, pulling her into a weak, one-sided hug. I tense up, worried that she'll lash out, but thankfully the blonde does nothing.

"I couldn't protect you ..."

I lean back against the couch arm and tell him, "Colette doesn't respond to anything."

"Dammit!" He pulls away, his hand clenching into a fist as he turns his back to Colette. "I failed her … I really failed her."

Raine cuts his attempted pity trip short by asking, "Lloyd; do you remember this place? We're in the Triet Desert." She motions at the room around us. "Remember? This is the base where you were captured before."

Lloyd's eyes go wide and instinctively his hands reach for his swords, only to find nothing. "The Desian Base!?"

Sheena shakes her head. "These guys aren't Desians."

"What?" Lloyd frowns. "What do you mean?"

From beside him Genis sighs, massaging his temple area with his fingers. "So many things have happened at once; I'm confused, too."

"Why don't we go over everything we know about the situation as it stands now?" Raine suggests. Silently, Sheena motions for me to come over. I do so reluctantly, grabbing my bag and slipping it on backwards so that it's covering my chest. I get a few strange looks, but otherwise nothing. "First, our current situation."

"When we were about to be killed in the Tower of Salvation," she starts, "we were rescued by an organization that resembles the Desians. They call themselves the Renegades."

Lloyd tilts his head slightly, moving over to his bag and folded clothing. "Uh … so, you're saying is that these people are called Renegades … not Desians?"

"Correct."

"OK ..." he shrugs. "I don't really get it. But go on."

Raine glances over at Sheena, who sighs but continues the explanation regardless. "The Renegades are opposed to the Desians," she explains. "They're the group who sent me and Eden here to assassinate Colette."

"That's why they look like Desians," I say quietly. I hold up the bottom of my bags with my hands; it's starting to slip off my shoulders. "They use that so they can infiltrate and stuff."

Lloyd nods, adjusting his pants and hooking on his suspenders. "OK … that makes sense. But then, who was that angel — Yggdrasill, or whatever? And what about Kratos?"

There's an awkward silence; besides me and Lloyd, no one else was awake for the explanation. Reluctantly, I explain, "Yggdrasill said he is the leader of Cruxis and the Desians." I pause, letting that sink in for everyone, before continuing, "They're the same group."

Another silence. Then, it's broken when Lloyd blurts out, "Wait, what!?" I sigh, and start to explain again, but he just continues talking. "How can that be possible!?"

"It's —"

"Lloyd, hear me out." I frown, sending Raine a half glare that she ignores. "If you think of the Desians as a part of Cruxis, or perhaps even its pawns, everything make sense."

"I remember; didn't Kvar say his boss was named Yggdrasill?" Genis asks. Raine nods.

"According to Eden, Yggdrasill claimed to be the leader of Cruxis and the Desians." She glances over at me, before returning her gaze to Lloyd. "It makes sense."

"Then what about Kratos?" I flinch at his question. "He obeyed Yggdrasill's orders; that means —"

Sheena clenches her hands into fists. "He's our enemy; he deceived us!" she snaps. "He admitted it himself; he's one of Cruxis' Four Seraphim."

"It's likely Kratos is a subordinate of Yggdrasill," Raine speculates. She crosses her arms over her chest, sighing to herself. "He probably joined in order to make sure Colette didn't stray from the Journey of Regeneration."

Lloyd glances down. "So … he was tricking us from the beginning; everyone was!" His head shoots back up, and he grits his teeth. "Remiel, Cruxis; even Kratos!"

My throat tightens and I clutch my bag tighter.

What will he think when he finds out I've been lying, too? What will Sheena think? Raine, Genis; will they all hate me like they hate Kratos?

Maybe you should tell them all right now, the Exsphere drawls. Tell them the truth. Tell them you've been lying to them the whole time.

Could I really do that, though? Could I risk my friendship with them all, just to do the 'right thing'?

Before I can think further about that, the door slides open. We all turn, watching as a Renegade approaches. His helmet obscures his face, and his voice is gravely as he speaks. "Ah; you've all awoken. Please come with me; our leader is waiting for you."

We follow silently. Lloyd takes the rear, leading Colette alongside him as we follow the Renegade down the halls. It's a short distance to the room, and when we approach it opens without any action from the Renegade. He doesn't follow us in.

Yuan and Botta are talking when we arrive, though that wraps up fairly quickly with our entrance. Turning towards us, Yuan nods. "You're finally awake," he notes.

Lloyd keeps his hand steady on Colette's back. "So you're the Renegades?" He assumes.

Yuan glances over at him, noticing the hand on Colette's back, and shakes his head. "I'd be careful if I were you," he warns. "Right now, the Chosen is in self-defense mode; like a weapon that will strike at any moment's notice."

Lloyd's eyebrows furrow, and I see his mouth open in protest only to be cut off. "I suppose you should be rather grateful. The Chosen has simply lost her soul; she has not completed the Regeneration process yet."

"Is that why you saved us?" Lloyd asks. Yuan nods.

"Yes. We Renegades are an underground resistance dedicated to fighting the Desians; or rather, the Cruxis." Yuan's eyes flicker over to Colette before returning to Lloyd, though they do stray a second too long on me and Sheena.

Lloyd sighs, his shoulders slumping suddenly. "So Cruxis and the Desians really are the same organization ..."

"Correct," Botta interjects. "Cruxis controls the Church of Martel in the open and operates the Desians from behind the scenes." He finishes with, "The Desians are subordinates within Cruxis."

"The Church of Martel is nothing more than an instrument created by Cruxis to control the world," Yuan tells us. "Those who call themselves angels are simply half-elves who evolved by using a special kind of Cruxis Crystal. They aren't Gods or anything of the sort. Of course," he pauses, a strange smirk crawling to his lips, "the Chosen and Church of Martel know nothing about that."

"So Kratos is a half-elf …?" Lloyd mutters. "Professor, why didn't you tell us?"

Raine shakes her head. "Kratos' Mana Signature was completely human," she admits. "I had no idea."

"So, are all of Cruxis half-elves then?" Sheena asks skeptically.

Botta shakes his head. "Not entirely. Some of the Desians, as well as Cruxis and ourselves, are half-elves, but not all of them."

"But Cruxis hates humans," I argue. "Why would they let humans work with them?"

"That's beyond the point," Yuan snaps. I wince, drawing back on myself a bit. "What matters is that all of this; the Journey of Regeneration, the Angels; it's all fake."

"What is Cruxis trying to do?" Lloyd asks, frustration creeping into his voice. "Are they doing all of this just to rule the world?"

I see Yuan's fingers curl into his arm, tightening the hold on the limb, and he snaps, "Must we explain everything to you? Why don't you try using your own head a little bit."

Raine quickly guesses, "They're attempting to revive the Goddess Martel, correct?" When there's no protest from either of the men, she elaborates, "The Desians are set in place to terrorize the people and promote the Journey of Regeneration. Cruxis then sends oracles to those of the Mana Lineage and controls their marriages to create a Chosen to become the vessel."

"That's so complicated, though," I mutter, because I've been too quiet. "Why go through so much trouble?"

Botta smirks. "Well, well. I am impressed."

"There is another world beyond Sylvarant that competes for Mana," Yuan starts, and he's quickly interrupted by Lloyd.

"Tethe'alla." Yuan nods, and Lloyd continues with, "It's from where Sheena and Eden are from."

Yuan's eyebrows raise in surprise and he sends the both of us a look of mild irritation. Regardless, he continues his explanation. "Yes. And the one who created this twisted world is Cruxis' leader; Yggdrasill."

"Create a world?" Genis gasps, his eyes wide in. "No way; how can anyone do that? That's ridiculous!"

Yuan scoffs, turning on his heel and beginning to walk away. "If that's what you believe, then our discussion ends here."

"Wait!" Lloyd calls out. Yuan pauses, not turning to face the swordsman as he speaks. "If Yggdrasill was the one that created the two worlds himself, what can you possibly hope to do against someone like that?"

Yuan turns at that, and Lloyd continues with, "And that's not all; you tried to kill Colette and me … you're certainly not on our side. And yet, for some reason, you saved us." He pauses. "Why?"

Yuan's lips curve into a wry smile. "You aren't as stupid as you seem."

"Excuse me!?"

"We believed Martel couldn't be revived if we killed the Chosen," Yuan explains. I blink. "Though, we wouldn't dare touch the Chosen now; as earlier explained, the Chosen's only goal at the moment is self preservation"

"We failed our initial mission when the Chosen reached the final stages of her Angel Transformation," Yuan says, finally. "However; now, we have, in our possession, the key element that will help us complete our mission." There's the sound of footsteps and immediately I turn, my eyes searching desperately for the source of the noise.

"We no longer need the Chosen!" Yuan turns fully, smirking smugly at all of us. The doors of the room slide open and a group of Renegades enter, pushing us forward and surrounding us. "What we need now is you, Lloyd Irving!"

The hair on my neck stands up and despite the discomfort it brings me, I force myself to place my backpack rightfully on my back, ignoring how revealed I feel. Lloyd's hand reach for his swords, only to meet air, and he curses. "What about me is so important!?"

"That is none of your concern —" Yuan's gaze moves to the Renegades and he orders, "get him!"

Desperately, before the last bit of space between him and Yuan is lost, Lloyd shoots forward and drives his fist into Yuan's stomach. The man groans, doubling over, his hand shooting out to catch himself on his desk before he can completely fall. Immediately the Renegades around us seem to weaken their defenses, and Sheena takes advantage of it.

"Come on!" Sheena shouts, as she tosses some of her seals towards the Renegades. They explode on contact, sending those hit to their knees. Corrine appears from a puff of smoke, latching onto the face of another one. "This way!"

We follow her to the door, and as soon as we've exited we take off running. Seeing how the door doesn't fly open immediately after us, I'm assuming Corrine has managed to distract the Renegades well enough. "We — we need to find our weapons!" I gasp out. "Where do we go?"

We hit an intersection, and Sheena only takes a few seconds to decide before leading us down the left corridor. "Give me a moment," she orders.

We manage to avoid the Renegades long enough to reach an empty string of hallways, and once it's clear that no one is coming through them we all relax a bit. Sheena leans back against the wall, taking a few seconds to breathe before checking to make sure no one is coming after us.

"Dammit. Why are they after me!?" Lloyd curses. "Are the Renegades our friends, or are they our enemies? They should make up their minds already!"

Raine scolds him with, "We can worry about the Renegades later, Lloyd. What we know for sure is that Cruxis is our enemy."

"You're right ..." He shakes his head. "We need to save Colette somehow; if she's made into Martel's vessel, then she'll die!"

I adjust my hair so that it's all lying over my shoulder, and then pull it to cover the scar. At the same moment, Raine turns to look at the both of us. "Sheena, Eden; where did you two get your Exspheres from?"

"Huh?" Sheena frowns, mumbling, "Well that came out of nowhere ..." She raises her voice, explaining, "I got it before I came here. It was attached to me at the Imperial Research Academy."

"I got mine here," I say quietly. "I — I-I didn't know they put Exspheres on things other than machines before getting it."

Sheena nods. "The technology was originally brought over by the Renegades; they're mainly attached to machines, as Eden said."

"Wait a second … so the Renegades and Tethe'alla are on the same side?" Lloyd assumes.

"No," I answer, keeping my eyes on my feet. "The Renegades are just going with whatever will help them get their goal. Even the plan — to kill Colette; it was their idea."

"'If you desire for Tethe'alla to prosper, kill the Chosen of Sylvarant'," Sheena quotes. "It's not perfect verbatim, but that's basically what Yuan told the Pope and King to get them along with the plan."

"That's horrible!" Genis gasps.

Raine looks over at Lloyd. "I think our best chance is to head to Tethe'alla," she says calmly. Genis turns to look at her, a frown etched into his face.

"Why Tethe'alla?"

"Do you remember what Yuan said?" She asks. "Angels are half-elves who evolved using a special Exspheres called Cruxis Crystals."

Lloyd's eyes light up. "Oh, I get it," he muses. "Colette's current condition is caused by her Cruxis Crystal!"

"Since Tethe'alla is studying Exspheres," Raine starts, "they may have knowledge about Cruxis Crystals as well."

Sheena nods. "That's a good idea. I'm pretty sure they're studying the Cruxis Crystal that belongs to Tethe'alla's Chosen at the Imperial Research Academy."

My nose scrunches up at mention of Zelos. Lloyd notices and asks, "So Tethe'alla has a Chosen too, huh? Is he bad or something?"

"Bad … I don't know if I'd call him that," I say slowly. "But … he's ..." I shrug. "A bit overzelos."

Sheena deadpans at my pun, and I can't help flashing a quick grin to her. No one else gets it, unfortunately; I'll have to reuse it later on.

"Anyways," Sheena continues, "the Journey of Regeneration exists in Tethe'alla, too. Of course we'd have a Chosen."

Lloyd crosses his arms. "But if they've been carrying our the ritual for so long, why hasn't anyone completed Martel's vessel yet?"

I rock back on my heels. The alarm has finally ceased it's wailing, leaving it eerily silent besides our talking. "Guys," I start, "does that really matter? If we're gonna go to Tethe'alla then we have to hurry — Yuan might block of the way to Rheairds, and we still don't have our weapons."

"Wait, what's a Rheaird?" Lloyd asks.

Sheena ignores his question and instead tells him, "Leave that to me." Then, she calls out, "Corrine!"

The Summon Spirit appears in a flash of smoke, his multicoloured tails flicking calmly behind him. "Yes Sheena?"

"Could you find where our weapons are stashed?" The Summon Spirit nods, and goes to head off, only to be stopped. "Please find the location of the Rheairds, too."

"Of course!" he chirps, scampering down the halls and out of sight. Sheena watches him go, making sure that there's no disturbance, before she turns back to look at everyone.

"The Rheairds will allow us to travel through a distortion in space," she explains. "It's how we got here from Tethe'alla. Corrine will be back soon, so just wait a bit longer."

I slump back against the wall, swinging my bag off my back and hugging it to my chest. Sheena glances down at me, her expression curious, but she doesn't say anything to me.

Lloyd on the other hand, seems to not have the same courtesy. "What's wrong?" He asks. "Aren't you happy to go back to Tethe'alla?"

"Mm ..." I nod. "Of course I am."

"Then what's wrong?"

I shrug. He frowns at me, poking at my bag. "Isn't it weird to carry it like that?"

"Yeah," I reply.

"Then why do it?"

I grimace, beginning to get annoyed by his questions. "Why does it matter?" I finally grumble with a huff. "I'll move it back to my back when we have to go. It's not a big deal."

Then, I retreat into silence, ignoring any other question from the taller boy. When he realizes this his frown deepens, and he reluctantly retreats back to Genis' side.

'Do you know how I got the scar?' I question as I dig some dirt out from under my nails. 'I mean, I know it's from … dying, but what part of it?'

"No." I scrunch my nose up at his answer, wondering if he's just lying like he was before. "I'm not lying."

'How do I know that?' If it's possible for thoughts to come out bitter sounding, that one definitely did. 'You lied before. And you said 'I'm not lying' then, too.'

He sighs in annoyance. "What reason do I have to lie over something like this?" I can hear something rolling wherever he is, but when he speaks again it covers the noise. "There's nothing that important about a scar."

'Fine.' I jump when I hear a loud 'clang' from his side, and Raine shoots me a questioning glance that I ignore. 'What was that?'

"Sheena!"

"Ah — Corrine!" Sheena crouches to meet the Summon Spirit. "What did you find?"

Corrine's tails flick around him as he replies, "The weapons are stored close to the Rheairds, which aren't far from here!"

Sheena nods. "Please take us to them."

I swing my bag onto my back and hurry after Corrine and Sheena. Corrine manages to lead us away from any Renegades he smells, allowing a quick and easy run, and after only a few minutes of running he comes to a stop beside a door. It opens as we approach, showing an empty weapon storage room.

It's easy to find our weapons, and after everyone has grabbed theirs Corrine nods and leads us down another string of hallways.

The hanger room is similar to its game counterpart, just a lot larger and more technical looking. The control panel is similar to the one from the examination rooms, except large, and the controls whirl to life when Raine touches it. Thankfully there's no password, and she quickly begins to tinker with the controls.

"Are they here?" Lloyd asks, moving towards the area where the Rheairds are due to appear from. "I don't see anything."

I latch my hand on his arm, keeping him away, and when he gives me a questioning look I simply reply, "Just wait."

Reluctantly he does so and after a tense minute, Raine finally mumbles, "Aha."

Immediately the area I pulled Lloyd away from slides apart, raising three Rheairds from underneath. Lloyd whoops, punching a fist into the air. "Awesome, you did it Professor!"

Raine smiles at him, waving her hand dismissively. A second later her smile is gone, and she looks over at Sheena. "Can you instruct us how to fly these?"

"Yes," the ninja replies, "when you're all seated. Now hurry up! We don't have much time!"

This time Lloyd tugs me forward and I glance at him questioningly. "Just ride with me, alright? We have to hurry!"

"Sure ..." I follow after him, and once he's climbed up into the Rheaird I follow. Instinctively I wrap my arms around his waist, only to remove them when he tenses up. "Sorry."

"It's fine," Lloyd says. "Just make sure you hold on when we go!"

I look to the side and notice Sheena and Colette on the second one, and the Sage siblings sharing the last of the Rheairds.

"Don't touch anything yet!" Sheena yells once we've all taken our places on the machines. "I'll explain how to —"

Lloyd adjusts his hold on the handles, pulling it forward and causing the Rheaird to rumble. "Huh …?"

I pale, my arms tightening around his midsection and practically strangling him. "W-Wait, what did I do!?" He cries out. Before anyone else can say anything, the Rheaird literally propels itself through the tunnel. I shriek, the sound being drowned out by Lloyd's own scream, and my stomach drops to my feet.

"Lloyd!" I scream, barely able to hear myself over the wind. "Stop!"

"I can't!" He yells back, his tone a hint hysterical. My head grows tight, the pressure conjugating in my nose and I resist the urge to bring my hand up and check for blood. Then, suddenly it's bright and wind crashes against my face. I gasp, the cold air hitting my face harshly, and then I hear Lloyd laugh.

I dare to look down and my breath hitches.

"Whoa," I croak. "We did it?"

He laughs. "We did! We're in Tethe'alla!"

"Lloyd!" There's a faint yell from behind us. He turns to look and I quickly detach an arm from his waist, pushing his head back ahead and looking back myself. The others have managed to get through as well, and I release the breath I was holding. "Are you OK?"

He laughs again. "Yeah!"

I glance down again and frown. This is Flanoir; there's no snow in sight. Instead, grass and mountains span out for miles beneath us.

"Lloyd," I start, loosening my grip a bit so he has some space to move. "Can you slow down?"

He blinks. "How?"

"Um —" I grimace when the Rheaird shudders and he 'oofs' when I squeeze him tighter. "A-Are you pulling forward?"

"Huh? Oh — uh, yeah."

I nod. "Try pulling back."

He does so, and as expected the Rheaird's speed slows, allowing the others to catch up. Immediately Raine snaps something at him, but it's eaten up by the wind before we can hear it.

"This is so cool!" Lloyd exclaims, again, ignoring the way that the Rheaird shudders again.

'We're going to crash.' I whimper meekly, feeling sick all of a sudden. 'I really hope I live.'

The mountains quickly begin to grow in size, and once we're close enough, the Rheairds let out another violent shake, and this time Lloyd doesn't laugh it off. He mutters in confusion and I peak over his shoulder to look at the controls.

When I see the fuel gauge I pale, despite knowing already that this was going to happen.

"Oh no." He spares a quick glance over his shoulder at me. "The … the fuel …"

It shakes again and Lloyd yelps. "Whoa! What's happening!?"

"It's empty." I press my head into his shoulder, ignoring the sudden urge to throw up. The pressure in my head has grown and I can feel something wet caked against my face. "We're going to crash. Oh my god."

Raine repeats my words, louder. "Everyone, look; the fuel gauge is empty!"

"So that's it —" Sheena grimaces. "Since you guys broke Sylvarant's seals, this world doesn't have enough Mana!"

Lloyd stiffens. "What …? What did you say …?"

"We're going to fall!" She yells to us, at the same very moment that the Rheairds decide to take a nosedive into the mountains.

I'd like to say that I passed out, that I didn't have to experience practically falling to my death, but unfortunately that would be untrue. No — the entire fall, I just had to stay conscious.

Just so you know, falling from that distance hurts. I just so happened to have let go of Lloyd before we completely fell, leading to pretty much free falling the rest of the distance onto the cliff. Initially I bounce when I fall, rolling a bit before coming to a stop. For a few seconds I just lay there, attempting to catch my breath.

"You alright?" James asks, when I don't immediately get up. I nod in response, lifting a hand to brush at my nose. "You sure?"

"Yes," I grumble. I push myself up, grimacing when I notice how badly scraped up my arms and legs are from the fall. The side of my hand is caked in blood, and another check shows that, although my nose has stopped bleeding, the blood hasn't yet dried.

I nearly trip as I make my way back to the others. Raine is already casting a healing spell — thankfully her staff didn't break from the fall — and within seconds the scrapes have healed up. Sheena stretches her back as I approach, and I shoot a look at Colette as I pass. She floats silently, completely unharmed from the fall.

I take another glance at the Rheairds and wince. They're … pretty much destroyed, to be honest. I have no idea how we'll ever fix these things on our own.

I guess it's a good thing that the Renegades end up taking them back eventually.

A bit sheepishly, Lloyd rubs the back of his head. "I think … we somehow managed to avoid destroying them completely."

"But they're useless without fuel," Genis argues, moving to stand by the older teen. "We might as well have destroyed them ..."

Lloyd crosses his arms, frowning slightly. "Fuel, huh? What do we use, coal?"

Sheena's eyes widen. "Coal!?" She repeats, appalled by his suggestion. "Oh geez … how do you guys manage to actually live in Sylvarant?"

Lloyd glares at her, huffing to himself. "What are we supposed to use then? Fire?"

Before Sheena can respond to that, Raine guesses, "Magic, then, I suppose? Perhaps the lightning Volt produces?"

Everyone turns to look at Sheena, and she practically freezes in place. "Volt, huh? Then all you have to do is summon it; right Sheena?" Lloyd guesses.

"Uh — yeah," she mumbles slowly. "I, uh … I haven't made a pact with Volt though."

"Oh." Lloyd looks around at the Rheairds and shrugs. "I guess we just gotta leave them here, then."

Genis sighs in disappointment. "And here I thought that Magitechnology was infallible." He turns his gaze to the horizon and his eyes widen. "Whoa — hey, is that the Tower of Salvation!? I thought we were in Tethe'alla!"

"We are," I reply. "Tethe'alla has the Tower too."

"How is that possible?" Genis frowns. "There's only one Tower of Salvation. It can't be in both worlds."

Seeing how I'm the one who answered, Raine turns on me and immediately fires off a barrage of questions. "What about the Holy Ground? The Church of Martel? Both are here, correct?"

"Uh — y-yeah," I stammer. "We have both. Why?"

"The Holy Ground — is it called Kharlan?"

I nod quickly. Raine raises a hand to her chin in thought, and I quickly continue, hoping that I'm remembering the information from the game correctly. "The Holy Ground of Kharlan is where the Tower sits. We have it just like you."

"No way," Genis scoffs. "The Holy Ground of Kharlan is where the peace treaty to end the Ancient war was signed — there's no way there can be two of those!"

"Are you sure yours isn't a fake?" Sheena takes over for me, thankfully. "We have records in our museums that depict how the Hero Mithos called the two ancient kings to the Holy Ground of Kharlan in order to forge a peace treaty."

"Such records exist on our side as well," Raine points out. "The instruments used to sign it can be found in the Palmacosta Academy."

Lloyd hums to himself. "So … either one is a fake — or maybe they're both real?" He guesses.

"Lloyd, that's not possible!" Genis huffs. "Honestly. There can't be more than one treaty."

Lloyd raises his hands in defense. "Hey, don't take it so seriously; I was just … kinda saying stuff," he admits.

"Too bad he's right," James says somberly. I nod in agreement.

As we make our way down the rocky path, Genis beams, his earlier annoyance at Lloyd forgotten. "Wow; it's our first adventure in Tethe'alla!"

Raine sighs in exasperation. "Genis, this isn't a field trip."

Unlike the game, there are absolutely no monsters clogging up the trail of the mountain. I keep as far away from the ledge as possible, just in case it decides to give out or something.

"How far is it to Meltokio?" I wonder aloud to Sheena. She blinks, glancing up from her seals at my question. "You've been here, right?"

She shakes her head. "No, actually. But it's only a few days. Weren't you listening earlier?"

I shake my head, ignoring the lurch and twist of discomfort in my gut from her answer. "Ah — s-sorry, I wasn't."

A few days. A few days and I'll be screwed; Sheena will go back to Mizuho, she'll question the Vice Chief about my 'family', find out that they never really existed. That I have no ties to Mizuho.

I'm screwed.

Yeah, the Exsphere drawls. You are screwed. Maybe it'd be better if you took a dive off the cliff and saved yourself the trouble.

'I'm good.'

"… That really was some fall, though." I glance over at Lloyd. He's talking to Genis about something, though he's loud enough that I can hear him from my place behind him.

Raine nods from her spot beside Genis. "Indeed; you don't get the opportunity to fly through the sky very often."

"Or fall from the sky, either." Genis sighs.

"It can't be helped," Sheena tells them. "When you break the seals in Sylvarant, the Mana over here grows thin."

"Hm … even so, the Mana is still a lot thicker here than in Sylvarant," Genis observes. Sheena blinks, looking at him in surprise.

"You can tell that?"

"Of course!" Lloyd exclaims, throwing an arm over Genis' shoulder. "The Professor and Genis are elves!"

I see Sheena's eyes glint in amusement as she replies, "Why can elves tell that?

Lloyd pauses, frowning to himself.

"Uh … 'cause they're elves?"

I laugh alongside Sheena at that response.

By the time we settle down for the night, we've managed a good distance from the mountains. Thankfully, despite it being mid November, it's quite a bit warmer than it was in Sylvarant; though we're quite a bit further from the Tower of Salvation here.

It's still approaching winter, though.

After dinner is all finished and we've picked out our watches, everyone settles down; or at least, almost everyone.

"Hey." I glance up at Sheena's voice, closing my fingers around my Frodeg to keep it hidden, though the light still shows from the cracks between my fingers.

She takes a seat beside me and I sigh. I know exactly what this is about; after our free fall from the Rheairds, I completely spaced on hiding the scar. Probably everyone has seen it by now.

A wave of disgust runs through me and I feel my stomach knot up tightly. "Yeah?" I ask, doing my best to ignore the discomfort and concentrate on what's happening. "What's up?"

"I've been meaning to ask this for awhile," she starts, after a moment of silence, "but I haven't been sure how." I fidget uncomfortably, wishing she would just get it over with and ask. "That scar on your chest — what happened?"

I sigh and bring my knees up so I can bury my head in them. What can I say? The truth is out, considering that I don't even know it fully. But it's too late to lie about it; my reaction has made that option unavailable.

"I …" I run the tip of my finger against the skin. "... Ah … I —"

"You don't have to tell me," she says quickly. "I was just wondering. I saw it before — in Asgard, I think; but I wasn't sure until now."

I shrug. "It's fine," I whisper. "I — I just ..." I shake my head. "It's hard to explain? I don't … really fully remember it." I cross my ankles over each other and dig my nails into the scar. "My — he um, he said that it was an accident, or something."

"Who's 'he'?"

"Do you remember in Triet?" I ask suddenly. The ninja blinks, taken off guard by the sudden change of topic. "When I asked if it felt like you've woke up before and it seemed time passed without you?"

"Yeah." She frowns. "Why?"

"This is what I meant." I curl my hands into fists and glance up at the starry sky. "There was … an accident, or something. And I don't remember falling asleep after it happened; just … waking up. A-And this thing, it was — it was just there." I blink rapidly, feeling my chest grow tight. "I don't — I-I don't know exactly what ha-happened. I can't remember."

"If it makes you uncomfortable you don't have to talk about it, you know," she mentions.

"I know." I straighten my legs out, rolling my ankle and feeling it crack. "Sorry … I-I guess I got kind of carried away."

She shrugs. "It's fine."

Despite her words, I can see how uncomfortable I've made her. I swallow hard and repeat, "... Sorry."

"It's fine, Eden." She sighs, and I reach for my bag only for her to stop me with, "I need to know the names of your parents."

I freeze. "Wh-What?" I stutter, my heart rate increasing by a ten fold. All my previous worries over my scar have disappeared, instead being replaced by absolute dread from her question. "Why?"

She rolls her eyes at my question, but answers anyways. "For Mizuho. If you've got family there then we can ask them; but if not, we'll have to refer back to the records."

"But — but —" I clutch the Frodeg stone harder and in the process accidentally push more Mana into the stone. It's glowing increases and I see Sheena glance down at it before her eyes raise again. "Sheena, can't you just —"

"It's not a big deal, honestly." She looks back at the campfire, rolling her neck a bit. "You don't need to get all worked up about it."

I shake my head. "No," I attempt to say this firmly, but it comes out weak. "No — I-I'm not gonna tell you. You can just use their last — last names."

"You don't get it," she replies. "If it was that simple then I wouldn't ask in the first place!"

A few heads turn in our direction and I feel my face heat up in embarrassment. "What are you going to do?" James asks, and I slump my shoulders. "Tell the truth?"

'No,' I reply. 'I can't. She'll never believe me.'

"I'm not telling you," I repeat weakly, unable to muster up any anger. I get to my feet quickly, turning on my heel and intending to head over to Genis or Lloyd, only to be stopped when Sheena firmly pulls me around.

Then her eyes go wide and I angrily attempt to stem the tears that have pooled in my eyes. "It doesn't ma-matter," I repeat, my voice cracking. "So just … ju-just please, please use their last names."

"I can't," she emphasizes, and though her voice is still angry I manage to stem my tears a little bit. "If I could, I wouldn't be asking in the first place."

I bite my lip hard and savour in the pain it brings. Unable to think of a reply I simply rip my arm out of her grip and try to ignore the way the Exsphere is stirring, waiting for a chance to take over. "I'm sorry," I finally force out, dropping my gaze to my feet. "But I wo-won't tell you."

Then I move around her and back to the place I was sitting before, effectively ending the conversation. You're in trouble, the Exsphere taunts as I slam my bag down behind me and force myself to lay down. You're in a lot of trouble.

'I know,' I snap back. 'Don't remind me.'

It giggles, but says nothing else. I press my hands to my eyes, trying to ignore the painful choking cries that are attempting to rip from my throat.

I've fucked up. This is it; this is how I lose my friend. This is how Sheena starts to hate me. When she comes back from Mizuho, it'll be even worse; she'll know I lied to her, she'll know that I never actually had family from Mizuho.

She'll actually hate me for real when she learns the truth.

"I don't want to be hated," I whisper, so quietly that I barely hear myself. "Please don't hate me for this, please ..."

"It'll be OK," James says lowly. "I promise. It'll work itself out, somehow."

'I hope so,' I reply, before finally allowing my eyes to shut.


"Sorry, I'm going to have to part ways with you here."

We turn to look at Sheena. She kneels down to search her bag for something, and while she's doing so Genis asks, "What? Why?"

"Did you forget?" She glances up at him with a strange smile. "I was trying to kill Colette. I have to report my failure to the Chief."

I stiffen. "Does that mean —?"

"No," Sheena replies. "You don't need to come; you weren't assigned by the village, just the Renegades. However …" she zips her bag back up and hands me an envelope. "You'll need to give this to the King for me."

I take the envelope nervously. Since that first night back in Tethe'alla we've been … on rocky ground. It's obvious she's mad at me for refusing to tell her my parents' names, and although she hasn't asked again, the silent treatment she's been giving me has made it hard to not just spill my guts about everything.

"Wait, the Chief isn't here?" Genis questions. "Where is he then?"

"Mizuho," she replies. "We of Mizuho were chased from this land long ago; we all live in hiding."

Lloyd looks at me with a perplexed expression. "Huh? Why doesn't Eden have to go then?"

I shift from one foot to the other. "I, um … I-I'm not from Mizuho," I explain. "My parents were, but I've never actually … been there."

"How'd you meet Sheena then?"

I huff. "Does it matter Lloyd?"

Raine cuts off our conversation with, "Will you be alright if you go to make that report?"

Sheena waves her hand flippantly. "Don't worry about that. Regardless, I'll need you to make sure and deliver that letter; to the King, Eden." She gives me a stern look. "Alright?"

"Mm," I agree. I finger the edges of the envelope. They're a bit crinkled from being in her bag, but otherwise the letter is in good shape. "I will."

"Is that really safe though? The King wants to kill Colette."

Sheena nods. "To prevent that from happening, I've written the details of everything that's happened. Besides," she motions towards me. "Eden was part of the original meeting; you've got her to back you up as well."

"Ah — yeah," I agree. "Yeah, it'll be fine."

"I see. Thank you, Sheena." Lloyd is practically beaming at her. Sheena's face heats up, and she quickly looks away in attempts to hide it.

"D-Don't mention it; it's really nothing," she says dismissively. "You don't need to thank me." She takes a few seconds to fan herself with one of her seals before continuing with, "The Imperial Research Academy is under the control of the royal family; you'll need their permission to use the facilities; there's no other way is all."

Genis laughs loudly. "Are you embarrassed?" He teases. "You're funny, Sheena."

Lloyd breaks into laughter as well and even see Raine's lips twitch into an amused smile. I laugh a bit as well when Sheena's face grows even redder.

"Sh-Shut up!" She huffs, turning away quickly to hide her face. "I'm going now!"

"Wait —" Lloyd's hand reaches out for her. Sheena turns slightly at his voice. "Will we see you again?"

I swallow hard. "Of course we will," I answer. "Sheena … she has to bring me to Mizuho."

I ignore how my stomach drops. "It'll be alright," James soothes, but it does nothing to ease the nerves. "You'll make it work."

"I'll meet Eden again," Sheena replies, before I can reply to James. "For you guys; well, we might meet again, and we might not."

Raine crosses her arms. "Then let's not say goodbye yet."

Lloyd nods. "Yeah — see you again!"

Sheena smiles and nods. "Alright; see you again, someday!" Then she turns fully, walking away from the gates without looking back. I breathe out deeply, and look down at the letter in my hands.

"Well, we should go," I say finally. "Um … I know the way to the castle. So, I'll lead you, OK?"

"Sounds good," Lloyd agrees. "Lead the way, Eden!"

For probably the first time I take the head of the group, noticing the differences from the last time I was here. The crowds are still large, but not nearly as large as they were during the festival. Many of the stalls are gone as well. Genis and Lloyd are chattering excitedly to each other.

"Tethe'alla is so cool," Lloyd gushes, turning to Raine. "Look at all these buildings, Professor! This has to be two times Palmacosta's size!"

I grimace. He's shouting rather loudly; thankfully the crowds cover it up fairly well, though a few people still turn to look at him.

"This place is called Meltokio," I explain, despite the fact that Sheena told everyone this back at the mountains. "It's Tethe'alla's capital."

Lloyd shrugs. "It's still huge either way."

Thankfully, due to the short stay in the Renegade base, we don't look like complete outsiders, though we're all a bit rough around the edges from traveling … and falling through the air onto a mountain. We're obviously not royalty, or even citizens of Meltokio, but we don't look like bums at least.

"Do you guys want to stop by the inn, first?" I ask, when we reach the stairs that lead to the main area of Meltokio. "We might not be able to get into the castle …"

"If we need to, then we'll check in," Raine explains. "It's best to not get ahead of ourselves."

I nod. "Alright."

So, with that in mind, I lead them up the stairs. It's a short walk, and when we approach the square I swear I hear gasps of awe. I glance at the statue in the center; it looks just as grand as it did the first time, but after all that's happened it's somewhat disturbing to look at.

Obviously the others think otherwise, because Lloyd moves to stand right at the base of it. "Jeez, it's huge! Colette —" he cuts himself off there, his expression falling immediately, and I wince.

"Come on," I say quickly, attempting to herd them in the correct direction. "We should hurry."

Unfortunately Colette is the only one who really obeys. She walks past the statue, her wings flapping idly behind her, which seems to kick start everyone else into moving as well. I hurry forward so that I don't lose track of her, trusting everyone else to catch up on their own.

"Colette — stop for a second," I attempt, pushing past a few people. She obeys immediately, her wings lifting her into the air and allowing her to hover above the ground — and, apparently, right in the path of a group of people.

"H-Hey!" One of them squawks, stumbling back. "Watch where you're going!"

Thankfully Colette doesn't move to attack; she just floats there, her expression flat and eyes staring blankly into the distance. I manage to finally reach her, huffing slightly as I take in the situation.

Then I freeze, because I remember this scene exactly.

"Now now, settle down my darling hunnies." I swear my blood runs cold at his voice. He turns his attention back to the two of us, red hair falling over his shoulders and lips curved into a charming smile. "Hi there my little beauty —" his eyes move over to me and that smile changes to a wild smirk.

"Heey!" He laughs, forgetting his interest in Colette suddenly. "What do you know; it's Eden! Already returned, huh?"

"N-Not exactly," I stammer nervously. From the corner of my eye I see the rest of the group approach, and Lloyd mumbles something to Genis.

Zelos ignores my answer, instead asking, "Where's Sheena at? I just have to greet my wonderful hunny and congratulate her on her safe return!"

"Sh-She's going back to Mizuho." I move closer to Colette, struggling to keep from outright hiding behind her. "We —"

He waves a hand at me. "Oh, spare me the details; if Sheena's not here, then I'll just have to congratulate you instead!" He moves towards me and I quickly dart to the side, closer to Colette. Thankfully it doesn't trigger any response from the girl.

Suddenly noticing her again, Zelos' eyebrows raise. "And who~ is this?"

Colette, of course, doesn't reply, instead continuing to stare silently. One of the women scoffs, raising a hand to her mouth as the silence stretches on. "Well — the nerve of this girl! Master Zelos himself has deigned to speak to her, and yet look how she acts!"

Behind her, another woman shakes her hag. "What a hag," she practically spits the word out. "Look at her; dressed up like an angel. It's not even close to festival time! How stupid."

"Hey —!" Lloyd starts towards the girl, only to be held back by Raine. He turns to look at her, but she simply shakes her head.

Genis has considerably less restraint, and he easily ducks around Raine and hurries to our side. "You — don't insult Colette!"

Zelos' eyes flicker towards the boy before looking away in disinterest. Lloyd, finally escaping from Raine's hold, approaches as well, crossing his arms over his chest. It's so similar to Kratos that I almost jump. "Genis, just ignore her. She's obviously never looked in a mirror."

"It probably broke before she could," I add on. Neither of the women find it funny.

"What did you say!?" The one who was insulted snaps. Suddenly, I'm reminded of an angry peacock and I have to stifle a giggle.

"Honestly, you're all acting like children," Raine scolds. "Cut it out."

I look over my shoulder at her. "We are children, though."

Raine shakes her head in exasperation at my reply. "Regardless, won't you try to have a bit of maturity?"

Zelos takes Colette's continued silence as offense, and quickly attempts to mend the situation by saying, "Now, now; settle down." He looks back at Colette. "Are you upset, my little angel?" He moves a bit closer, lowering himself so that his face is at equal height with Colette's. "You know, I bet you look cute as a button when you smile."

He reaches out to touch her face, only for Colette's hand to lash out and grab his. Before he can even start to move away she yanks him forward, hefting him into the air and tossing him away.

My eyes widen in shock. I hear Lloyd and Genis laugh in amusement, with Genis' lasting a bit longer. Zelos lands a perfect back flip, and the two noblewomen gasp in terror and hurry to his side.

"Whoa!" He just stands there for a moment, his eyes wide, before regaining his composure. He takes a few steps back towards us, keeping away from Colette as he says, "That … was certainly a surprise. You sure are strong, my little angel."

Lloyd's nose scrunches up in disgust at the nickname and he takes a step in front of Colette. "Just who are you?"

Zelos pauses, a frown forming on his face as he looks at the twin swordsman. "No offense, but I'm not interested in talking to guys."

Genis huffs. "I hate this guy already."

Seeing how Lloyd is pretty much blocking Zelos from approaching me and Colette, Zelos changes his route so that instead he's approaching the Professor. She crosses her arms over her chest, giving him a scrutinizing stare that he ignores.

"Ohhh!" Zelos' grin returns full force. "What's your name, beautiful?"

Unaffected, Raine easily replies with, "Give me your name and I will give you mine."

Genis bursts into laughter. "You copied Lloyd!"

"Huh … now that I've heard someone else say it, it sounds kind of arrogant," Lloyd admits. I pat him on the shoulder.

Zelos ignores our banter, instead placing a hand to his chest in mock offense. "Oh my; you don't know me? Well, I guess I still have a ways to go."

Before he can actually introduce himself the noblewomen approach, tugging rather impolitely on his arm and nudging him towards the stairs. "Master Zelos, let's go already!"

"Oh, yes; yes. Of course." He tosses his arms over their shoulders, shooting a wild grin over his shoulder. "I'll see you again, my lovely ladies." Then, almost as an afterthought he adds on, "And, uh. You other people."

As he takes his leave I see Lloyd scowl. "What the hell was that about?"

I sigh. "That's … Zelos for you." I look down at my feet. "He's just like that."

"He's such an ass," Genis mutters. "He was just grinning like an idiot the entire time. Why do you know someone like that, Eden?"

"It's not like I have much of a choice," I reply.

Raine lifts a hand to her chin. "Hm … he had an Exsphere on him."

"What!?" Genis shakes his head. "No way! Why would someone like him have an Exsphere?"

Lloyd nods slightly. "That explains how he reacted so quickly." He looks over his shoulder at Colette, who hasn't moved since she bumped into Zelos. Then he turns to look at me. "Is he important or something?"

"Uh —" I cross my arms over my chest. "Well ..."

The others lean in slightly, waiting for me to finish, and I sigh. "Zelos is the Chosen of Tethe'alla."

There's a brief silence, and then a shocked, "What!?" from both boys.

"No way." Lloyd shakes his head in disbelief. "There's no way someone like that could be the Chosen. He's too … too —"

"Too overzelos?" I try. This time everyone else gets it and I see Raine press the palm of her hand to her face in exasperation. I grin.

"Wait — what does that mean?" Lloyd asks, and I sigh.

"If I explain it then the joke is lost ..." I mumble, before raising my voice. "Let's just get to the King."

Lloyd glances in the direction Zelos headed. "Up there?" He guesses. I nod, gently reaching out to take Colette's hand. When she doesn't go to toss me away like she did to Zelos I grab onto it, tugging her forward. She follows wordlessly and I release her hand.

As we ascend the stairs, I glance behind me. For a second I swear I see a familiar face in the crowds, but before I can focus on the person they've disappeared.

Reluctantly I turn away, frowning slightly, and continue towards the castle.

Compared to the royal quarters, the lower levels are nothing, and the gasps from the others prove that point. With the palace smack in the center (far center?), the church — or rather, cathedral honestly, — bringing up the left, and the entire royal quarters on the right, it's definitely a sight to behold. There's a small garden of flowers leading into the royal quarters, and the shrubbery is trimmed neatly.

As expected it's not nearly as populated as the lower areas, and the few people who are walking around are definitely … rich to some extent. Suddenly, despite myself, I can't help feeling incredibly self-conscious. I force myself to simply swallow that back.

"You guys can stare later," I say in an attempt to get their attention. It works on everyone but Lloyd, leading to me nudge him. "We need to hurry and deliver the letter."

The castle doesn't become any less extravegant the closer we get and by the time we're facing the guards I'm resisting the urge to flat out gawk. I wish I had a camera or something to take a picture of it; this thing is incredible.

The guards stare at us with indifference and I swallow hard, reminding myself that this has to be done, before stepping forward and speaking.

"Um —" my pitiful attempt brings their attention to me fully and I can't help wondering if either of them recognize me from the last time I was at the castle. "W-We need to meet with the King."

The left guard adjusts his hold on his axe. "His Majesty is ill and is not granting audiences at the time," he informs us calmly. "Now that you are aware of this fact, please leave."

I go to explain that it's on his order — a bit of a lie, but how the hell are they going to know that? — when Lloyd blurts out, "No! We have to see him!", and effectively ruins that option.

"I'm sure you do," the other guard replies, with a tone that makes me guess he's repeated those exact words quite often, "but until His Majesty is well there is nothing that can be done. However," he adds, after a short pause, "the Church of Martel is preparing a prayer ritual to pray for His Majesty's recovery; if you wish for an audience, then please ask the Priests to ensure he becomes well as soon as possible."

"But —"

"No exceptions," the guard interrupts sternly. "If you choose to cause a scene, you will be removed by force."

I sigh heavily, hunching my shoulders and turning to face the rest of the group. "Sorry," I mutter as we descend the short flight of stairs that lead up to the castle. "I tried getting in the conventional way."

"Conventional way?" Lloyd asks curiously. "What's that?"

Genis rolls his eyes. "Regular, Lloyd," he clarifies. I watch as two more guards approach the ones we spoke to, and after exchanging a few words they switch out.

"Why don't we try the Church?" Raine suggests. "It can't hurt. Perhaps there's a way for us to enter alongside those offering the prayers."

I blink, and then nod. "There's a secret entrance into the castle from there," I explain. "If we have to we can use that?"

"Huh?" Genis frowns. "How do you know?"

"Uh ..." I shrug. "I … used it once?"

"You snuck into a castle!?"

I shove Lloyd lightly, looking around quickly to make sure no one heard. Then, more quietly, I reply, "Not so loud!" I take another look around before admitting, "That's how I got to be on the mission in the first place; with Sheena."

"Wow," Lloyd replies, sounding slightly impressed. "And you didn't get in trouble?"

I shake my head. "Sheena saved me from that." I don't mention the lie I told Yuan; no one else needs to know about that. "Though that way might be locked this time."

"Let's hope that it doesn't come to that," Raine says firmly, before leading us over to the church. It's just as massive as I remember it being, with stone pillars of angels and an arched entryway with etched in runes.

It isn't empty like before, unfortunately, completely ruling out the secret entryway. A few people are seated in the pews, and as we approach the clergy at the front I take the chance to actually look around this time.

Stain glass windows lead up to the arched dome ceiling, aligned by ribbed vaults allowing light to filter in in addition to the artificial lighting. There are murals painted into parts of the wall, particularly above the arched columns leading to the Pope's office. The longer I stare up at the ceiling, the dizzier I end up feeling, so I force myself to look back forward.

When we're close enough, the priest approaches, meeting us in front of the pulpit and greeting us warmly with, "Welcome to the Church of Martel."

His beard muffles his speech a bit, but it isn't hard to understand in the least. I hear the door to the church open and then slam closed, followed by a rough scratching against the floor that sends shivers down my spine. "The standard hours of worship are —"

He glances behind us at someone and we all turn to look. "Oh, Presea; the prayers are to take place in the royal chambers," he interrupts himself. "Please carry the wood to the castle."

"Yes," she answers stoically, her eyes staring forward vacantly in a way that's almost a perfect mirror of Colette right now. She rounds the log, wrapping a single, gloved hand around another handle on the opposite side before exiting the church. Raine quickly returns to her conversation with the priest, and I turn to look at Genis only to notice him slack jawed with his eyes locked on the space Presea just inhabited.

"She's cute," he finally manages to whisper. I stifle a laugh at his dreamy tone, resisting the urge to make an offhanded comment about him drooling.

"Puppy love," James muses, stifling a laugh of his own. I nod in agreement.

From beside us, Lloyd frowns. "That girl … she has an Exsphere too." He turns to look at me and asks, "I thought those weren't common here?"

"They aren't," I reply, looking back at Genis. He hasn't moved, and I see him sway slightly on his feet, leading me to elbow him. He winces, immediately turning to glare at me.

"What was that for?" He snaps. I glance back at the Professor. Colette hovers beside her, toes barely grazing the ground, and turn to look back at Genis. "Well?"

"Sorry," I say quickly. "You looked dazed."

Somehow Lloyd manages to keep up with the conversation between the Professor and the priest. When there's a slight lull in the conversation, he quickly jumps in and asks the clergyman, "You said the prayers are gonna take place in the royal chambers, right?"

"Yes, that's correct, but —

"OK! Thank you!" Lloyd quickly replies in a way that is so uncharacteristic that I raise an eyebrow. The priest looks at him warily before nodding and turning to look at Raine. When she gives a nod to indicate that the conversation is over, he politely nods back before moving towards one of the back rooms of the church. When he's far enough away Lloyd turns to us, his eyes bright.

"Guys, I know how we're going to get into the castle."


A/N: Made it into Tethe'alla in one piece, and now there's a whole new world, a fantastic point of view. Not much to say about this chapter, except that we've got some drama to start eventually.

Thanks for reading! Please review, tell me anything you liked, disliked; it really motivates me to write and I just love hearing feedback.