Alaia Skyhawk: I've got over 100 reviews on this story! Woo hoo! ...Anyway... here's the disclaimer.

I don't own Tales of Symphonia so please don't sue me. I do however own Krishka, Dallinius (Dalli), Aluran, the Alurannai and any OCs, except Sanaro and Annule, who belong to Mr.Who2123, so please don't steal them...

Enjoy

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Chapter 37: Homecoming.

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It was nearly sunset when Kratos arrived at the camp his friends had set up, in a clearing one mile from the outskirts of Hierma. Vayla, Martel and Mithos were sat on the remains of a fallen tree. Sanaro and Annule were sat at the base of another tree, and Yuan, Noishe and Dalli were sat on the ground next to the campfire. As Kratos stepped into the light, Yuan asked.

"Did you get it?"

Kratos smiled and nodded before getting the chunk of zircon out of his ver, holding it up for al the group to see and then tossing it to Vayla to be kept with the mana fragment.

"I expected to have some trouble convincing the mine supervisor to sell me any, but he turned out to be surprisingly co-operative." Kratos then added telepathically. Don't even hint to Martel, or Mithos for that matter, that I bribed him. She'll skin me alive.

Yuan and the others who could hear Kratos, took the hint and played along.

"That's good to hear. So, what are we going to look for now?"

Vayla snorted.

"What else? The final material we need. Mana Leaf Herb." She turned to Martel. "Martel, when you lived in Heimdall, did you ever learn about it?"

Martel shook her head.

"I'm sorry, even though half-elves were accepted then, we still weren't told the Elves' more important secrets. I heard it mentioned once or twice, but was never taught about it."

Sanaro leaned back against the tree behind him.

"Does anyone else have any ideas?"

Yuan cleared his throat, catching their attention. He looked around at them, seeming uncomfortable.

"We could... We could always go to Talavere and ask my mother. She's the Chief Herbalist of that village and I know she'll help us... That is, if the village elder lets us talk to her."

Mithos looked confused.

"Why would she help us? She let them throw you out of Talavere."

Martel looked at her brother disapprovingly.

"Mithos, you know better than to jump to conclusions. Now let Yuan explain."

Mithos shuffled uncomfortably.

"Sorry Sis, sorry Big Brother."

Yuan gave him a sad smile.

"It's alright Mithos, I never told you how it happened. You see my mother tried to stop the village elder from driving me out. He was going to throw her out as well because of it, but I told her that I would be alright and that she should stay in the village... It's been her home for all of her life, nearly three hundred years, I didn't want her to lose it because the other elves couldn't accept me."

Mithos blinked.

"Oh..." He then looked crestfallen. "I wish my mother had been like that..."

Dalli walked over to his distressed partner, climbed into his lap and snuggled against him.

"Don't worry about that, Mithos. One day she may come to accept you, but until then never forget that you're not alone, you have us. Your sister, your brother, Vayla, Kratos and Sanaro, Noishe, Annule and me as well."

Mithos hugged the little spirit.

"Thank you, Dalli, you're right... and one day when this war is over, I'm going to find Mom and show her that I'm a son she can be proud of."

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Five weeks later...

The nine friends trekked along the woodland track that led to the Village of Talavere. Over the last week or so, Yuan had become increasingly jumpy, as his nerves combined with his homesickness to make him agitated. It had been nearly eleven years since the war started and he had been thrown out, but even now the memories haunted him, as he both feared approaching to the village, and yearned to go home. As they grew nearer to their destination the sun shone down through the scattering of clouds in the sky, while the first hint of the autumn weather added a slight chill to the air. All to soon, the gates of Talavere came into view.

"Halt! Half-elves are not permitted to enter the village and neither are humans. You are to leave immediately." The gate guards stood there with their spears pointed at the group. Kratos took a step forward. "I said HALT!"

Kratos looked the guard dead in the eye.

"I am Kratos Aurion. I ask an audience with the Village Elder to explain our business here."

The elf lowered his spear a little.

"Kratos Aurion, you say? ...We shall see."

The man jerked his head at the messenger stationed just inside the gate. The young boy raced off through the village and out of sight. A few minutes later he returned with the Elder. The Elder clearly looked the part, his hair was greying and his posture had the slightest slump to it. For an elf that meant he was old indeed, at least nine and a half centuries, meaning he didn't have that much time left. As the Elder looked him over, Kratos allowed him to see past his secondary mana signature, to the alurannai mana signature beneath. The elder paused, gave him a haughty look and then nodded.

"You are who you say you are... Very well I will hear your explanation, though I cannot guarantee that I will agree with whatever you are here to ask."

Kratos looked back at his friends as the Elder walked off.

"I'll be back shortly."

With that Kratos entered the village and followed the Elder. Upon reaching and entering the man's house the Elder turned and gave Kratos a humouring look, like Kratos was little more than a child. While Kratos was still a child by alurannai standards, the elder was still only about four hundred years older than him, not much given Kratos' prospective lifespan. The auburn haired swordsman glared at the Elder and told him why they had come to Talavere.

"You know that I guide Mithos and Martel with the intent of helping them to end this pointless war. However there has been a setback, Martel is ill and we need certain special materials to make the cure. With that in mind we came here to seek the help of Yuan's mother. While I know that we could ask you for the information, I felt this was an opportunity for Yuan to see his mother again. Would you deny him that? Would you deny the request of the Inartu of the Alurannai?"

Kratos stared silently at the Elder as the faint hint of a threat in that final statement became apparent to him. For the briefest moment the man actually looked nervous, he knew the alurannai were not ones to make threats lightly. He regained his composure, no longer having a superior look on his face, and with a voice that had the smallest hint of a shake to it, told Kratos.

"Very well, you may ask her. But only you and Yuan may enter the village though his mother is free to speak to the rest of your group so long as the meeting takes place outside of the village... and only for today."

The Elder gulped and looked anywhere but at the Inartu, Kratos stood for a moment giving him a final glare before walking out without a second look at the shaken Elder. The man's attitude had annoyed him and so he had no regret for his veiled threatening of the old man. With thing the way they were, Kratos had little time to waste being patient with stubborn, stuck up old fools. After a couple of minutes he reached the gate. Kratos stopped and glared at the guards, daring them with his eyes to refute his next statement.

"The Elder has given permission for Yuan and I to move freely though the village for this one day to carry out our business here... Now stop pointing those spears at my companions."

The guards swallowed and moved back to their posts either side of the gate, taking their spears with them. Kratos friends stared at him surprised at his sudden change in attitude. Kratos crossed his arms and tapped his foot impatiently as Yuan just stood there. Finally taking the hint, Yuan hesitantly stepped through the gate.

"I'll show you the way to my mother's house." The moment they were out of earshot of the others Yuan asked. "Why are you acting like this?"

Kratos' expression softened a little.

"That Elder is a fool. From his manner he has long since allowed himself to become fixed within a mass of prejudice and self importance. I find an attitude like that to be particularly disturbing in an elf of such standing, elves are supposed to know better. Anyway, as a result I decided not to be as polite as I would usually be."

Yuan's eyes widened.

"Wait a minute... are you saying you threatened him?"

Kratos looked back at him blandly.

"Yes."

Yuan blinked for a few moments, then dropped the subject.

"My mother's house is just around this corner."

As the two of them rounded the corner, Yuan headed for a small wooden cottage, the roof beams of it's porch strung with innumerable bundles of drying herbs. This was definitely the home of a Herbalist. Yuan stepped up to onto the porch and tentatively knocked on the door. A moment later it opened to reveal and elven woman with midnight blue hair and the same storm-grey eyes as Yuan. She looked at the half-elf and froze. A moment later Yuan was engulfed by a hug from his mother.

"Oh, Yuan! You're alright! I've been so worried about you. Look how much you've grown." She held him at arm's length. "How did you get the Elder to let you into the village?"

Kratos coughed into his hand. Yuan's mother looked up at him, surprised.

"We came to the village to ask you about a particular herb we need. I saw the opportunity for Yuan to see you and convinced the Elder to let us in."

She looked at him questioningly.

"And who might you be, that you could convince that pompous ass of an Elder so easily."

Kratos gave her a slight bow.

"I am Inartu Kratos Aurion, and Yuan is one of my most trusted friends."

Yuan chuckled at the shocked expression on his mother's face.

"I reacted like that when I first found out who and what he was." Yuan looked at Kratos. "Since my mother has been rendered speechless, I'll introduce her. This is Mairae Azlarsha."

Mairae snapped out of the shocked stupor and glared at her son with her hands on her hips.

"Yuan Azlarsha, you mind your manners young man."

Yuan looked at her with a sheepish but happy smile on his face.

"Yes mother."

She flapped her hands in exasperation and gestured for them to enter the cottage. Once they were all seated she asked.

"So what have you come to ask me about."

Kratos explained.

"A few months ago I took those I'm guiding to get cruxis crystals, but unfortunately one of them has begun rejecting her crystal. We have the mana fragment and zircon we need to make a rune crest for her, but we still have to find the Mana Leaf Herb we need."

Mairae mulled this over for a moment, and sighed.

"So Yuan has one as well?" They both nodded. She looked at her son with pride, Yuan looking pleased at her praise. "Quite an achievement when you're only twenty-six. You've done me proud, Yuan." She looked at Kratos. "About the Mana Leaf Herb... The only person who can tell you where it is... and give you permission to get some... is the First Elven Elder, in Heimdall." She paused and then asked. "What else do you have to do to make this rune crest? Maybe I can help you find it."

Yuan sighed.

"We need to find a unicorn to help Vayla fuse the zircon and the mana fragment together. After that we need to see the Dwarves and ask them to help us forge the rune crest since none of us have the skills."

Mairae smiled, she knew something.

"While I can't help with finding the dwarves, I can tell you that there's a unicorn living around Lake Umacy."

Yuan looked overjoyed.

"Really? That's great, it means we're one step closer to saving my wife!"

For the second time that day, Mairae was struck speechless. Finally she stuttered.

"Y-You have a wife?"

Yuan stopped and looked at her embarrassed at forgetting to mention that little fact first.

"Uh... yes, her name's Martel."

After another few moments Mairae leapt to her feet and strode up to and out of the door. She stopped on the path outside and said.

"Don't just stand there. I want to meet my daughter-in-law!"

Yuan stumbled out of the cottage, followed by Kratos who shut the cottage door, and then half ran down the street with his eager mother at his heels.

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It took some doing but Kratos managed to make it to the gate before Yuan and Mairae, having realised that the subject of the mana leaf herb would go out the window once she arrived. Though it was a close thing, the only reason he made it was because Yuan stopped his mother to tell her that the fact that Kratos was the Inartu of Aluran was a secret he kept from certain members of the group. Eventually Kratos got to the gate and practically skidded into the camp. Then, without giving them a chance to speak, he said.

"We know where to go to ask about the Mana Leaf Herb, Yuan's mother has even told us where we can find a unicorn. Now I suggest you ask any questions later because Yuan's mother, Mairae, is about to pay us a visit."

The other seven of his friends looked at him, confused at his rushed statement, that is until Mairae and her rather harried looking son came through the gate. She stopped at the edge of the camp and once again placed her hands on her hips as she turned and asked Yuan.

"So are you going to introduce me to your wife?"

Noishe and Annule looked at each other, then at the look on Yuan and Martel's faces, and erupted into a bout of sniggering. Martel got up and walked over to rescue her husband, simply stepping up to him and linking her arm with his, placing her free hand on his shoulder. She smiled at Mairae.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, I'm Martel. I've been Yuan's wife for a little over five years now."

Mairae held her arms out to Martel.

"My name is Mairae. Oh do come here and give me a hug... I'm not the kind of mother-in-law that bites." Martel giggled, as Yuan stood there mortified, and gave Mairae a hug. "I must say you are a pretty one and I also have to say that I'm surprised Yuan married so young, not that I'm complaining. I've always wanted a daughter."

Martel gave her a wry smile.

"Well you haven't gained just a daughter, you've gained another son as well." Martel waved a nervous looking Mithos over. Once next to her he put his hands behind his back and looked as Mairae shyly. "This is my brother, Mithos."

Mairae beamed in delight and immediately wrapped Mithos in a hug. Mithos looked like he didn't know whether to be embarrassed or happy at all the motherly attention he was getting. Something he wasn't used to since he could barely remember his own mother. Mairae moved over to the makeshift bench someone in the group had set up, gesturing for Mithos and Martel to sit either side of her.

"Now I want to know all about you and your adventures..."

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Alaia Skyhawk: This chapter does have some important plot points in it, but I'm not ashamed to admit that this is mostly fluff. What can I say, I like fluffiness. Well then, I'll update in a few days.