A/N: For the sake of this chapter, sentences in Japanese that Eden understands are written with italics like "this". However, I've done my best to make it obvious where it's being used to distinguish a language change and where it's simply used as usual. Sorry if it's confusing.

Tales of Symphonia © Namco

Also, please read the author note at the end!

"Are you alright?"

Even as I say it I know what her answer will be; looking at Sheena's curled up form, her shoulders slumped forward in defeat and head turned away, it's clear that she's not.

I don't sit down beside her, not yet. She's shivering, and suddenly the cloak in my hand seems heavier. "Um … here," I begin, taking a step forward and holding it out to her. "You must be cold, right? You don't wanna get sick."

Sheena is silent for so long that I wonder if she even heard me, and I go to repeat myself only for her to nod. " … Thanks."

I offer it to her and she takes it, wrapping it around her shoulders as she gets to her feet. " … Hey," she begins. "Let's walk somewhere."

"Huh?" I pause in surprise. "Uh — alright, sure. Where are we going?"

Sheena pulls her cloak closer to her body and despite feeling none of the cold I do the same. "You'll see," she mumbles. "Just … come on."

I follow her in silence, unsure what to say to the ninja — never before have I seen her so low. So … defeated. Scared.

It hurts to look at.

We stop at the graveyard, and I hesitate for a moment, unsure what to do. "This is Mizuho's graveyard," Sheena says quietly. "It's where all the people who I killed lay. All the people who died when I failed my pact with Volt."

"You didn't kill them, though," I argue. "You were — you were just a kid! Younger than Presea and Genis. It's not fair for you to take the blame for this … for an accident."

She walks forward, leading me further into the graveyard until we reach a single, large memorial stone. It's shaped like a sword and stands at least double my height. In the base, there are numerous kanji carved into the stone — small, but still there.

"This is the official grave for all of them." There's incense burning already, and Sheena puts her hands together in prayer as her head bows. I hesitate, unsure what to do, but before I can do anything her eyes open and her arms fall to her side. "I … I don't want this to happen again. To happen to you guys—to my friends." She shakes her head. "I can't do it. I'll just fail again."

"You succeeded once," I remind her, "with Undine. Remember?"

Sheena shakes her head again. "That's different."

"How?" I press. "They're both summon spirits, and — and they're both capable of killing us. Why is Volt so different?"

"Because I can't understand Volt!" Sheena cries. "He's — he spoke another language that none of us knew and even now — we won't be able to understand him."

I can't respond to that; but before the silence can stretch out for too long, a stranger's voice calls out, "Sheena?"

We both turn; a family of three is approaching, with a young child grasping both of their hands in her own smaller ones. The man looks startled, as if he didn't expect to see Sheena here, while the mother's face twists into something unpleasant.

Sheena says nothing, instead simply lowering herself into a deep bow that startles me. I'm unsure what to do, and instead look over at the family.

"What are you doing here?" the male asks, in Japanese; for once I can understand what's being said.

Sheena's response is mostly incomprehensible, but I manage to catch a few words — 'sorry,' 'I will leave' — that makes me feel sick.

The woman's eyes flicker over to me, and I already know the question that comes out of her mouth despite the language barrier.

"Who is this?"

"Eden," Sheena says simply. "A friend."

I open my mouth to say something — to defend Sheena, who these people have obviously just said something to her that I don't understand, but I'm stopped when Sheena reaches out to nudge my shoulder. "We should go," she says quietly. "Leave them to mourn."

"I …" I hesitate. "But — what did they say to you?" I ask. "It was something mean, right? Why aren't you telling them off?"

The family is staring now, and I wonder for a moment if either of the adults can understand what I'm saying. I meet the woman's eyes, forcing myself not to cower; I don't know her, she can't do anything to me.

"Who is that, mom?" the little girl finally asks. "Why is she here?"

"She killed your brother," the mom responds, her voice cold. "She's a—"

I can't make out the entire sentence, but judging by her tone of voice and the way that Sheena's posture weakens, I can assume—and a wave of anger rushes through me.

"Hey—you—" I hiss out a breath. "You are a liar. Sheena did not do—" I struggle, stumbling to figure out a way to word my sentence with my limited vocabulary, "—Sheena does not kill him."

"Eden," Sheena starts, her voice beginning to take an edge to it, "Eden—stop. This isn't worth it."

"No," I mumble. "You won't tell them off, so I will."

"You—" the woman begins, before going off into a spiel of Japanese that I only catch words of. "You are lied to."

"Sheena didn't lie," I argue, but before I can say anything else Sheena's hand wraps firmly around my arm. "Hey—"

She shakes her head. "Just … stop. They're right; there's no use arguing against it. I got their son killed."

She's pulling me away and I don't resist, instead choosing to look over my shoulder at the family, sending a glare that doesn't convey the amount of anger I'm feeling. "You weren't—"

"Eden, just stop!" She finally snaps, as we're exiting the graveyard. "You don't know what you're talking about and — and you can't change what's happened. You have no idea what happened that day, and I don't need you to stand up for me."

All my words die away, leaving me completely speechless—and I swallow dryly. "I—" I struggle for words, but find none in the end. "… I'm sorry."

"You were trying to help, and I get that, but it really isn't your place." Sheena releases her grip on my arm once we're a fair distance from the graveyard. "So please just … let it go."

I nod silently, wringing my hands out. "Are you alright, though?" I ask. "I couldn't understand everything that they said, but for the most part I … got the message."

"I just … need to be alone, right now," she admits. "I appreciate what you're trying to do, but I really need to be alone."

"I understand," I mumble. "I'm sorry for bothering you."

Sheena shakes her head. "No, it's fine. But you should know better than anyone that, sometimes … you just need to be alone."

"I do." I nod. "I do. Please don't go back to the graveyard."

Sheena agrees, "There's no reason for me to, now. Like I said; I need to let them mourn."

I stare at her for a long moment before taking a step back. "I understand. Just … please, remember this wasn't your fault." I struggle, trying to find some kind of words that could do anything to help her feel even a slight bit better. "You can't let the past define you; especially when you've come so far since then. And you can do this, and nothing is gonna happen to any of us. We're strong, Sheena — and you are too. You're not a kid anymore."

"… Yeah," she says softly. "But that doesn't change the fact that there's a language barrier. There's no way to get past that."

I'm tempted, then, to tell her — to tell her that it'll be alright, that Raine will be able to understand; that there's no reason for her to fear. But I stop myself before the words can leave my mouth—that wouldn't go well. I can't tell her that, because there's no reason I should know that.

It hurts, being unable to do anything. Comforting people is hard; it's even harder when you know what to say to make it better, but can't say it.

I glance down at my feet.

"It … will work itself out," I finally manage. "Please, trust me. Trust us all; because we trust you, Sheena. And me, and everyone else — we all believe in you."

Sheena is quiet for a long moment, before she finally nods. " … Thank you," she mumbles. "Please let everyone know that I'll be back soon; I just … need time."

"I will," I say. "Um … stay safe."

The walk back to her house is awkward, and I wring my hands out, struggling to find where I'd gone wrong — or if I'd even gone wrong in the first place.

"You should know, better than anyone, that you can't push people into believing something," James tells me. "Sheena is in a fragile state right now, and you can't change years of conditioning in fifteen minutes."

"But—but I want to help her," I whisper back. "I don't like seeing her so sad and down."

"Then you support her. Not push her."

I hesitate, passing a few houses as I approach Sheena's. "I know," I admit. "I know it's hypocritical, too. But I can't help it."

James doesn't respond, and after a few more moments of silence I reach Sheena's house. Everyone looks up as I enter, obviously searching for Sheena, and when they don't see her they sigh.

"She … wants to be alone, right now." I slump down next to Lloyd, who is watching me silently. "I don't know how to help her."

"If she wants to be alone, you should let her," Raine says evenly. "Sometimes you just have to let people figure it out on their own."

Lloyd shakes his head. "We can't just leave her like that, though," Lloyd argues. "You saw how she looked when leaving the meeting.."

"Maybe you can try later," I tell him, "in a bit, I mean … maybe she'll listen to you more than she did to me."

Lloyd frowns. "… Maybe."

Raine closes her book softly, letting it rest on the table. "I won't stop you from talking to Sheena, Lloyd … you know better than any of us what it feels like; just don't push her."

"I know—I know," Lloyd responds. "I won't. But I want to try and help her as much as I can."

It's when Genis announces that he's going to cut up some fruit as a snack that Lloyd finally gets up, pulling his leather jacket on over his tank top and adjusting it before heading out of the living room. "I'll be back," he tells us.

"Wait—Lloyd!" I call after him, scrambling to my feet to follow him. "Are you going to find Sheena?"

He doesn't look up from tying his boots when he responds, "Yeah; leaving her alone when she feels this bad … I can't do that. I can't stand knowing I didn't even try to help." He stands up fully, and I meet his gaze as he says, "And even if I can't make her feel completely better, at least I tried. Something is better than nothing."

"… Yeah," I agree. "Just—don't push her, Lloyd."

He nods, a determined look coming to his eyes. "I won't."

I stand there for a few seconds after he leaves, staring at the shut door for a long while before turning on my heel and returning back to the living area.

'I hope he can help her,' I think as I settle back down in my previous spot, relaying the occupants of the room what Lloyd told me. 'I don't want Sheena to feel this bad.'

"In time, Sheena will be alright," James says. "It's just going to take that—time."

Genis sets down a plate of sliced apples, and I stare at them for a long moment. '… I know.'

There's no taste, but I force myself to shrug away the discomfort and keep eating, albeit at a slow pace; and as horrible as it sounds, I'm glad Colette isn't here to see, because I don't doubt that she would recognize — or at least suspect — that this is more than a simple stomach bug.

"Vice Chief," Sheena begins, "I apologize for earlier."

Tiga shakes his head. "You have no reason to apologize, Sheena. Have you accepted what you must do?"

Sheena hesitates, before she nods. "Yes."

"Good. We can provide your group with a ship to reach the temple; talk to Orochi about it. He will know the way to the temple."

"I understand," she responds. "Thank you."

"Once you have made the pact with Volt, return to Mizuho. We should have found the Rheairds by then." The Vice Chief pauses, before he dips his head. "Take care, Sheena."

We find Orochi near the village gates as expected, a bag thrown over his shoulder. "So you decided to do it?" he asks Sheena, sparing us a look. I'd imagine that, if we weren't here, he'd be speaking to her in Japanese—Mizuhoan. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yes," she replies, and her voice is firmer and stronger than it was earlier. Whatever Lloyd said to her must've really worked. "I'm sure. I have to — for Colette, and for myself."

Orochi smiles, his eyes lighting up slightly. "Good; I am glad to hear it." The smile is gone as soon as it came, instead replaced by his usual straight face. "We'll be heading to a docking port just outside the forest."

Sheena pauses. "The one you have to take a special route to, right? I think I remember that from … last time."

"That's right." Orochi digs through his bag for something, and when he finds it he holds out a moderate sized pouch. "This is for you."

Zelos whistles. "Is that what I think it is?"

Orochi spares him a single look. "It is a wing pack," he tells us. "Initially, we retrieved it from the Meltokio Elemental Research Academy for your group, but there was never a chance to give it."

"Wait, what's a wing pack?" Lloyd asks.

"A wing pack is sorta like a dimensional pocket," Zelos explains. "It's used, for the most part, to transport cargo."

Orochi nods. "Yes. When you retrieve the Rheairds you will need to keep them in the wing pack. Do not lose it."

"Can the wing pack hold other things?" Lloyd asks. "Or does it only hold the rheairds?"

"Yeah, but if you put too much stuff in it, it becomes a mess to get stuff out." Zelos shrugs. "It's a nice investment, if you can afford to have one."

Orochi hands it to Sheena. "Keep your traveling supplies in here, too. It will make the trip lighter."

"Oh—does that mean I don't have to carry all the pots and pans anymore?" Genis asks, his eyes lighting up. "And we can keep our sleeping stuff in there too?"

"Yup." Zelos pops the p. "How'd Mizuho manage to get one of those from the academy, though?"

Orochi doesn't reply, and Zelos crosses his arms over his chest, sighing in defeat. "Fine, Mizuhoan secrets and stuff. I get it."

Unsurprisingly, everyone takes a moment to examine the wing pack; before long, everyone's sleeping things and other miscellaneous items have been put away, leaving us a lot lighter than before — and I rub my shoulder tenderly.

"If you are all ready," Orochi prompts, to which we all agree, setting off from Mizuho and into the forest.

It's a longer walk than usual, and by the time we exit the forest at least an hour has passed. Conversation is light between our group, with Orochi silently listening in while saying something to Sheena every-so-often in Mizuhoan.

Even once we're out of the forest, the path we take is made up of several twists and turns, obviously meant to throw off anyone who doesn't know the way, and I smell the sea before I actually see it.

There are ninja stationed at the entrance, and they exchange a few words with Orochi before allowing us through.

"Is that it?" Lloyd asks, using his hand as a visor so he can look out at the docking area. There are several small boats, as well two larger ships. It's mostly empty, with the exception of a few ninja patrolling the perimeter.

"Yes," Orochi replies. "We'll be using this ship." He turns to the guard stationed at the docking area and says something that I don't understand; the two of them speak too fast for me to keep up, and I nudge Sheena.

"What're they saying?" I ask quietly. "Or can you not tell?"

Sheena blinks. "Oh—it's nothing real important," she replies, "Orochi is just letting him know that the Vice Chief has allowed us to use this boat." She crosses her arms in thought, her hands gripping her elbows in support. "Don't worry."

"I wasn't worried; just curious," I reply. "It feels like I'm never going to get a grasp on Mizuhoan."

Sheena fixes me with a bemused stare. "Eden … you've only been learning for what, a few months now? And it's been on the side; you've come a lot farther than you think."

"Mm." I hum. "I guess."

"Seriously, you have," she repeats. "The graveyard is an example—you understood enough to reply back."

I lock my arms behind my back, stretching my shoulders out. "Wasn't my grammar wrong?"

"… At times," she agrees, "but that's just mixing up tenses. You'll figure that out in time."

I sigh, but reluctantly nod. "I know."

Orochi leads on onto the ship after that, and our conversation dies away, replaced by the chattering of the group. The smell of salt water is slightly nauseating, but it's easy to block out.

We're told it'll take a little over a week to reach the temple, and when the boat rocks forward and begins to move, I realize that it's going to be a really long week.

As it turns out, I get motion sickness very easily. The only flip side of this is I'm too busy trying not to vomit to panic; but, to be honest, I'd rather be panicking.

"Is this what it feels like to have a hangover?" I croak to James as I press my palms up against my eyes. "Or is this worse?"

"Hangovers usually involve some form of sensitivity to light," James tells me. "You're just throwing up."

"I hate this, I hate this, I hate this," I mumble, trying to breathe in as shallowly as I can to keep from feeling even more sick. "Why me? Why not … Zelos, or something?"

"Why, I'm hurt." My head whips to the voice fast enough that I'm hit by another wave of dizziness, and Zelos smirks in amusement when I cradle my head in my hands. "Wishing such an awful thing upon me~."

I say nothing, simply hanging my head, and hear Zelos make his way across the room. "You alright, buttercup?" He asks, and I wince when my stomach flips. "Everyone's gathered for dinner, y'know. Might help if you eat something."

"And throw it up ten minutes later?" I snark back, rubbing my palms against my eyes. "No thanks … it's easiest in the morning. I'll just wait until then."

He shrugs. "Suit yourself. The Professor sure seems frustrated, though. Sheena's not too happy either."

"Oh god …" I swallow. "What did I do now?"

Zelos laughs. "Do you really need to ask?"

I run my hands through my hair, feeling the tight knots that tangle up my fingers. Zelos watches silently, and I reluctantly reach for my bag, removing my hairbrush. "… I'll go after I brush my hair," I finally relent. I drag it down my hair, barely able to feel the tug at my skull from the multiple knots.

Zelos watches with both amusement and surprise. "Do you not know how to brush your hair properly?" he asks bluntly, and I level a glare at him. He raises his hands in defense. "Honest question."

"I've always brushed it this way …." I mumble, feeling self-conscious all of a sudden, "I didn't know there was a proper way."

He holds his hand out, and I look at it blankly. "Give me the brush," he finally says, sounding exasperated. "I'll show you."

"… Really?" I reply, only for a wave of nerves to smash into me. Warily, I ask, "Are you — … you're not expecting anything from me, right?"

"Sorry buttercup, but like I've told you before — I'm not into kids." His fingers wiggle expectantly. "No catch; just let me help you. Combing it out like that is only going to damage your hair."

I stare at him for a long moment before reluctantly handing it over. He sits down behind me, drawing my hair back before sectioning it off. He grasps at the bottom of one of the section and begins to work the brush through the knots there. "Always start at the bottom," he tells me. "Split it up if it's tangled this badly; it'll help a lot with the pain."

He places the brush down, and I jump when I feel him tug at the knots with his fingers, causing him to snort. "Relax; there's another tip. If the knots aren't that bad, use your fingers to untangle them."

I attempt to ease myself into a more relaxed posture, but find myself gritting my teeth to keep from jerking away. I've always hated people touching my hair.

"So," Zelos mutters, starting with the brush again, "you've really never brushed your hair before?"

"I've brushed it," I correct him, fidgeting, "and you showed me last time—" the boat jerks suddenly and I grit my teeth together as another wave of sickness hits me, "—with Colette. I just don't like doing it that way." I pause, before admitting, "Uh — I've actually never had long hair before."

Zelos pauses. "You're kidding."

I shake my head the best I can. "My mom; she thought short hair makes you look more youthful." I sigh, cracking my knuckles. "Also … she thought it shedded less."

"More youthful?" Zelos repeats incredulously as he reaches for the next section. "You're only fifteen — on top of that, you barely pass for the brat's age. Why would you need to look younger than you already do?"

I huff out a laugh despite myself. "I-I dunno, honestly. My mom always nagged me about looking too much like a kid on top of it." My smile falters a bit, and I let my eyes slip shut. "She's … very critical. Of everything."

Zelos hums. As he works through the tangles in the second section, the tension in my shoulders finally starts to relax. Even though it's just a persona, it's strange to see Zelos without his usual perversion.

"Honestly," Zelos says, after a few seconds of silence, "you'd be better off with a wide comb for some of these — but I'm guessing you don't have one?"

"Nope— ow …" I wince when one of the knots tugs at my scalp. "Ow, ow, ow …"

Zelos pauses, moving his free hand further up and grasping the hair firmly. "If it hurts your scalp, try holding it further up — it'll take the pressure off."

"… Why are you doing this?" I ask, after yet another pause. "I told you that I can't give you anything—"

Zelos jerks one of the knots and I hunch my shoulders, hissing in pain, and he takes it as a chance to question, "Can't a guy do something nice without it being suspicious?"

I don't reply. Zelos finishes, combing through the last section of hair shortly afterwards, and he finishes it off by dragging the brush down the entire length of my hair. "There you go, buttercup," he announces, sounding far more like his usual self this time. "The first lesson is free of course, but if you ever want more—"

Before I can decline I hear footsteps, and within seconds Sheena pokes her head through the threshold of the door. "Oh — there you are. Raine was wondering where you two were."

I slide out off the bed, taking the brush from Zelos when he offers it. "Sorry — I was just brushing my hair."

Sheena's gaze returns to Zelos. "He was helping you?" she questions, and I nod. Zelos watches us from the bed, and I place my brush back into my bag before getting to my feet.

"His hair is long," I tell her, "and I've never really had long hair before. You know … shedding and stuff." I play with a lock of it, directing a look over my shoulder at Zelos. He's watching the two of us silently. "Uh … we should go?"

It seems to snap him out of his stupor, and his usual facade is back in place as he saunters past us, directing a grin in Sheena's direction — I choose to ignore what he says to her, instead pretending to be distracted by something else.

"Listen …" Sheena begins, once Zelos is out of earshot, "he didn't make you uncomfortable did he?"

"I—" I frown. "What?"

Sheena closes the door behind her as we head back through the halls of the ship. "I'm just asking; you've always seemed a bit uncomfortable around Zelos, so I wanted to make sure he wasn't … saying anything to you."

I frown, realizing the implications of her words almost immediately. "I'm just a kid," I tell her. "And Zelos tells me that all the time — so don't worry, Sheena."

Her shoulders relax, and she nods. "Yeah—I know, you're right … sorry." She sighs, dragging a hand through her hair as we reach the deck of the ship. "He may be a pervert, but he's not that kind of guy. You've just always been so uneasy around him."

"'That' kind of guy?" I reply. "You mean a pedophile?"

Sheena hums in agreement. "You're still a kid after all."

"Hey—I'm not a child," I protest. "I'm fifteen."

Sheena smiles teasingly, "Still look like a kid to me."

I huff. "Listen —" I struggle for a viable argument, only to fall short. "… I'm not a child. I'm a teenager."

She laughs a bit. "Alright, alright, sorry. Teenager, then."

When we enter the dining area, the smell of food makes my stomach twist in discomfort.

Although being seasick sucks, it at least gives me an excuse as to why I'm unable to keep anything down. I'm not sure if Raine is relieved to see me eating, or startled by the fact that I can't keep it down — but at least I have an excuse this time.

I yawn, leaning back into the pillow and arching my back to stretch it out. Thankfully the ship has stopped moving for the most part, now that everyone has settled down to sleep — and I've already thrown up dinner, so there's nothing left for me to worry about.

I see Sheena shrugging out of her top, and as she pulls on her sleeping shirt I sit up.

"Hey—" I start, before I can lose my nerve, "—can I try it?"

Sheena blinks at me. "Try what?"

I motion at her discarded clothing. "That. Um … it looks cool." I looks up and see an amused smile resting on her lips, and my cheeks flush in embarrassment. "What?"

"Nothing—! It's just that I'm surprised you want to try it on is all," she replies. "I don't mind. Though you know it won't fit you, right?"

"Mhm. I know." I push myself off the bed, staggering slightly when my legs wobble. "That's OK — I just wanna try it. It looks cool," I repeat.

Sheena shrugs. "Sure, go ahead; I'll help you put it on, so just strip down to your underwear."

I hesitate for a moment—but before I can lose my nerve I nod, sliding out of my sweatshirt and leaving me in just my tank top. I pause. "Wait, can't I just leave the tank top on?"

"Oh—I thought you had your other shirt on," she admits. "The one from Earth; go ahead and keep that one on, then."

If she senses my discomfort then she doesn't say anything, thankfully. Sheena hands me the top, and I slide it onto my shoulders, practically laughing at myself when it completely droops. Besides the obvious height difference between the two of us, there's also the fact that Sheena's — well, developed, and I'm not.

"Hmm," she hums to herself, picking up the sash. I suck in a breath in an attempt to help her tie it, but she's quick to tell me, "don't suck it in—I don't want to make it too tight."

"Oh. Sorry." I release the breath I'd been holding. While she's doing that, I slide the gloves up my arms and adjust them as tight as they can go to keep them from sliding right off.

After she finishes tying it into a bow, she picks up the thin … string-ish thing and loops it around the middle, tying it into a small knot and bow. "What's that called?" I ask, as she's finishing it up. "The little string?"

"Obijime," Sheena tells me, before backing away. "All done — wanna see yourself?"

I glance down at myself; I can tell I look ridiculous, but another grin crawls to my face as I nod. "Do I look stupid?"

"Nah," Sheena replies, but I can see that she's grinning as well. "You look great."

I do a little twirl, nearly stumbling on the excess fabric from the sash; it hangs near my ankles, and I'll step on it if I'm not careful. "Wait," I start, "I don't have leggings — it's not a perfect replica."

I turn my gaze to Sheena, who sighs in defeat before handing over the black leggings she just changed out of. "Again; those aren't going to fit," she points out. "Heck, they're even loose on me."

"Ah, yeah." I pull them up to my belly button, reaching down to roll up the bit of fabric hanging over my feet. There's an abundance of extra fabric around my thighs and calves and it makes me laugh. "I must really look ridiculous."

Sheena smiles in amusement, leaning back on her bed. "It's kind of cute," she tells me. "It's like you're playing dress up."

"Back home, they'd call this cosplay—" I freeze as those words escape my mouth, immediately cursing my loose tongue. Sheena blinks.

"Cosplay?"

"Uh—" I stumble over my words. "It's … dressing up like someone else?" I guess. "Um." I fumble with the extra fabric of the sash. "Yeah. Dress up."

Sheena hums, seeming to accept my explanation without much question. "Isn't that just considered dress up, then?"

"It's kinda different." I collapse back onto the bed, sighing, before quickly moving away from the subject. "Wanna try on mine?"

She shakes her head. "I'll pass." She looks over my form, raising an eyebrow. "You planning to sleep in it or something?"

"Can't I just have fun?" I shoot back jokingly. "Say … if I end up staying in Mizuho, will I get an outfit like this?"

"Do you want one?"

"Mm." I pause in thought. "Maybe. Sounds kinda expensive," I admit. "Doesn't Mizuho use a different currency also?"

"What? No; it's the same as the rest of Tethe'alla." Sheena helps me untie the obijime and sash, and I change back into my sleeping clothes, folding her clothes and placing them by her bag. "Where'd you get that idea from?"

I shrug. "On Earth, different countries are different nationalities … so they have different currency. I just assumed it was the same."

"Mizuho is isolated, but we still do business with the rest of Tethe'alla," the ninja points out. "We'd be in a lot of trouble if we didn't use gald."

"I guess you're right." A silence falls between the two of us, and it's when I see Sheena pull out her seals that I speak up, "Hey … Sheena. Are you really alright?"

She pauses, her eyes flicking down to the seals momentarily before resting on me. "What do you mean?"

"You know; Volt." I motion with my hands. "You've been all brave and strong and stuff since we left Mizuho, but … you're still scared, right?"

Her shoulders tense up slightly and I wince. I've hit a sore spot. "I'm … I'll be alright," Sheena finally responds, after a drawn out pause. "You were right when you said I can't let myself be defined by the past." She breathes out softly, running her fingers through her hair. "That doesn't make it any easier, though."

"We all believe in you, y'know." I lean back on the bed, wiggling my toes from the inside of my socks. "Really. I don't think any of us doubt you can do it."

"Yeah," Sheena says, after a pause. "Yeah … you're right." She exhales softly, sitting cross legged on the bed. Her seals are laid out in front of her. "I can do this."

"You can," I agree. "I know it."

Sheena leans back on her hands, stretching her back slightly before returning to her previous position. "Thank you, Eden," she says sincerely. "Really—I mean it."

I smile slightly. "You don't need to thank me— we're friends. You said it yourself."

"Friends help each other."

Watching Lloyd and Zelos spar on the main deck of the ship is more interesting than it sounds and I lean back against the railing, seated next to Genis who's been attempting to awkwardly talk to Presea for the last ten minutes.

There's not much to do on the ship and by day five—today, that is— everyone has resorted to training and reading to pass the time. After thoroughly getting my ass handed to me by Lloyd just ten minutes ago, I'd rather watch him and Zelos spar then go up against either of them.

Considering there are no wooden swords around, as well as the fact that we're on a moving ship, we need to be careful with where we aim.

After all, Raine can only heal so much.

The two of them pause for a break and Lloyd rolls his shoulder stiffly. "Man … Zelos, you're pretty good with a sword," he states, his expression light. It's obvious he's enjoying himself. "Did you teach yourself?"

"Hm?" Zelos looks over at Lloyd. "To an extent. There's always tutors willing, though."

"Tutors, huh? How does that work?" Lloyd asks. "Does someone just come to your house and teach you?"

I stretch my toes out and tentatively begin with, "It's probably just like what you and Kratos did. You know … teacher and student."

Lloyd's hand twitches slightly, but he keeps his composure otherwise. "So you never had to learn on your own."

"Oh, eventually I did," Zelos replies, "after all — someone like me could never get this great while under the control of a male teacher. Now, if it had been a female …"

Genis rolls his eyes. "I bet you would've learned even less if your teacher was a girl — you would've just spent the entire time flirting with her!"

"Or worse," Sheena mumbles under her breath. She's leaning up against the railing, her arms crossed over her chest, and I poke at her calf. "What is it?"

"Let's spar next," I say. "I've already gotten beaten by Lloyd six times in the last five days — I need to even it out."

She gives me an odd look, but agrees regardless, and I resist the urge to sigh in relief. As the days have gone on, Sheena has become more and more restless — the closer we get to Temple of Lightning, the more I can see her composure beginning to waver.

She's kept a strong face around all of us, but that doesn't stop me from noticing the minute trembling of her hands, the shake in her shoulders at night as she speaks quietly to Corrine—

Corrine, who's going to die from Volt's shock when we reach the temple.

A shudder runs down my spine. I've been wracking my brain for the past few days, struggling to think of a way to save the little Summon Spirit without endangering any of our lives, but have come up with nothing.

There's the simple solution of simply telling Sheena not to summon him, but she'll likely refuse; or, in the case she agrees and doesn't summon him, she'll be left helpless in the temple when Volt attacks her, and I'd rather lose Corrine than lose Sheena.

Lloyd and Zelos go on for a little while longer before stopping, and I raise my arms expectantly; Sheena just rolls her eyes and grasps my hands, hefting me to my feet. Then she blinks.

"Have you lost weight?" She questions as we make our way to the center of the deck. "You feel lighter."

I freeze in place, blinking a few times. "I — no?" I guess. "It's probably just because I've lost muscle mass or something."

"I don't think it works that way …" Sheena murmurs, before shaking her head. "Oh well. What kind of spar do you want?"

"Just like the ones we used to do in Sylvarant." I stretch slightly, despite having done so earlier, as I talk. "They felt more aggressive back then?"

Sheena hums. "I don't think so — you've just gotten better is all." She finish her own stretches before falling into place. "You ready?"

I spare a look over at our group; Lloyd is talking to Genis about something, giving Presea a chance to breathe, and she and Zelos are watching raptly in expectation.

"Yeah."

Sheena approaches quickly, her leg swinging out towards my shoulder, and I block her kick. She twists her body, her other foot lashing upwards towards my chin—I dodge back, dropping into a roll and springing back to my feet.

She blocks my punch with her forearms and I swing the back of my arm towards her, forcing her to duck out of the way; she attempts to sweep my feet out from under me and I narrowly avoid falling onto my back.

Launching into a spinning kick, Sheena nearly nails me in the face, and I roll out of the way, landing a punch to her stomach as she lands. She stumbles back a bit but recovers almost immediately, blocking the two that follow after the initial one and—

My back slams into the floor of the deck as she flips me, using my own momentum from my punch to grasp my arm and throw me down, and I quickly force myself into a roll, turning so I'm facing her again as I duck into a crouch. The railing is at my back, and I force myself to my feet.

I launch into a roundhouse when she gets close enough, followed by a series of punches to push her back before I move to a more spacious area.

Except, by doing so I leave myself open—and it's only when Sheena is in my face, forcing me right back where I came from that I realize I should've attacked more offensively.

I kick and stumble, my hands catching me before my face can slam into the floor face first, and I feel the railing against my back again; except this time, I'm really cornered.

So, I lunge.

My arms wrap around Sheena's torso, and I put enough force behind my movements to knock her — and myself — back, leaving me on top of her. I hear Zelos whistle, but tune it out for the most part, pressing my body weight against Sheena in an attempt to keep her pinned; I attempt to force her into a side choke, her surprise giving me a moment to try — a moment.

Unfortunately, she's more than strong enough to overpower me despite my advantage; I'm not nearly fast or strong enough to complete the choke in time, and within seconds I'm locked in a choke hold, with Sheena's legs looped around my hips and her arm wrapped around my neck; she applies enough pressure to keep me subdued, but not enough to force me to tap out, and I struggle for a few moments, my feet kicking wildly as I struggle—and then I relax, tapping her arm with my hand when it becomes clear I won't be able to escape.

Immediately she releases and I lean back onto her, causing a squeak of surprise to come from the ninja, but she relaxes after a moment, allowing me to catch my breath before prompting, "You gonna get up?"

"You—choked me," I whine. "How am I supposed to get out of that?"

Sheena laughs a little bit. "Well, the point of a choke hold is to keep the person down. I had a huge advantage over you the second you let me flip you."

"I didn't let you," I correct, "you overpowered me."

"Hey, you put yourself in the position," she points out. "Tackling me to the ground; even if you'd gotten me into the choke you tried, I could've broken out."

I sigh. "I know … you don't gotta rub it in."

Zelos makes his way over to the two of us as we're getting up, a grin stretched across his face. "Sooo," he starts, "you guys always get so close and personal while sparring?"

Sheena glares at him. "Don't twist it into something weird," she tells him. He holds his hands up defensively.

"Hey, hey, relax hunny; I'm sure it's perfectly normal for two girls to be trapping each other with their bodies—ow!" He yelps in pain when Sheena smacks him across the back of the head.

I cross my arms over my chest, returning back to my previous spot. Lloyd offers my sword back to me but I shake my head, instead sitting back down.

"That was pretty cool," Lloyd says, resting his elbow on his raised knee, "you guys were moving so quickly—even though the fight didn't last long, it was awesome to watch."

I hum. "Usually those fights don't last long," I reply. "Training spars might, since when knocked back or put into a hold I just get out and we keep going, but this was an actual spar." I sigh, leaning back on my hands. "I thought I had it for a second."

"Attempting to subdue a larger opponent with your body weight is not recommended," Presea speaks up. "You will always be at a disadvantage if you try."

I nod. "I know, but … well, you guys saw; I was trapped. I had to try."

"Sheena flipped you pretty quickly," Genis points out bluntly, "you didn't even have a chance."

I shrug in response. The boat rocks with the waves, and I let my eyes slip shut as I rub my upper arm. Although I can't actually feel the cold anymore, I wear my cloak simply because everyone else has begun wearing warmer clothes as well; same with the thermal leggings underneath my jumper.

Not wearing them would attract way more attention than it's worth.

Regal comes out from the lower deck to let us all know dinner is ready, and we all make our way down to the kitchen area; Orochi follows behind us, the last one in as usual.

Dinner is a vegetable and meat stew, and as everyone serves themselves from the pot I squirm uncomfortably. I take a small amount, just enough to keep Raine and Sheena off my back.

I watch the others, listening to their reactions as they take the first spoonful of stew, and carefully lift my own spoon to my lips, twisting and paraphrasing their own words in my head to create an appropriate response— "You can really taste the vegetables," I mutter, faking a wince; there's still steam rising from the bowl. "Thank you for cooking, Regal."

It's when everyone begins to eat the stew fully that I reluctantly begin with my own bowl, pacing myself with Presea, who has the smallest portion after mine.

'Keep it down,' I think to myself, as I place my near-empty bowl with the other dishes. 'Keep it down.'

But no matter how many times I repeat that to myself, it's useless in the end—and to my distaste I find that the feeling of acid burning my throat has become something normal. It's just become a part of me by now.

"Can we practice Mizuhoan?" I ask Sheena when she enters the room, a forlorn expression on her face; because by now I've learned how to spot when she's uncomfortable, when she's scared and apprehensive — and the best way to keep her mind off of it is to offer her something to do. "I really should fix my tenses."

Sheena agrees, and I flip through my notebook to read over the new sentence structures that she wrote down for me just a few days ago—and for the rest of the night, until we both head to sleep, the two of us converse in a weird mix of Mizuhoan and Common.

A/N: The Kharlan War Self-Insert has been uploaded; it's title is "Apparition". Please go read and review it! I'd really appreciate the support on the story.

Sorry this chapter took such a long time to get out. I'm still doing poorly. I'm working through it slowly, but it is really a struggle these days. It doesn't seem like things are getting much better after so long, which is really a hopeless feeling to have. However, I'm not giving up on this or any of my other stories.

Please review and let me know what you thought of this chapter! Thanks for reading!