Chapter 20

Information is key

"So, how was the food?" Zelos asked his visitors with a confident smile.

"It was the best I ever had! I need the learn the recipes for sure." Genis said enthusiastic, looking to the butler who was starting to clean the table.

The man showed a polite smile. "Thank you, I will notify the cooks. I am not sure if they will be so happy to share, but I will ask."

"Cooks? As in several?!" His eyes were wide at that.

"Well yeah, they're cooking for the great Chosen after all." Zelos chuckled as he stood up. "So, bumpkins. How about that city tour?"

"I'll pass. I have to go back to my hometown for a little bit."

"Why do you need to do that, Sheena?" Raine informed.

"Well, I have to report on what has happened..." She looked down for a moment. Hopefully she would be forgiven for her failure.

"You will be alright?" Lloyd asked then, as if reading her mind.

Getting red, her dark eyes darted around, trying to find something to focus on. Why did she land on the painting of Zelos' mother?

"I'll be fine, really."

"Tell them you got my protection. That'll make them think twice."

Sheena rolled her eyes at Zelos his remark, but just nodded. She promised the party she won't be too long and left shortly after.

"So, little Angel. Allow me to guide you." Zelos wanted to take Colette's hand, but was intercepted by Lloyd quick. The stern, cold look he gave him almost felt familiar.

"Sorry, sorry. No harm meant." He shook off his bad thoughts and put on his wide smile. "Come on, follow me."

And so, the party did. Staying on the same layer, Zelos told a little bit about the rich district, pointing out all the big mansions and expensive dining facilities. There was even one you could dine and watch a show at the same time!

The castle had a long history; dating back all the way back to the great war. Thanks to the big walls and big army, it was saved from total destruction. Raine couldn't help but think about all the lives that took.

"You also have the church of Martel. And do you know of Cruxis?" Raine asked as they looked over the big building in question.

"The Angels, right? Yeah, they aren't a secret, especially not to me. I'm meant to do work for them after all. But..." he looked over to Colette. If that was in his future, he was not so excited to do it. And he already had doubts.

Genis nodded, looking worried and sad. "Hopefully we can find something for her here."

"We'll get to the academy later. Let's get to the shopping and entertainment district first."

Zelos lead ahead, going down the stairs leading to a courtyard. It had benches, flower patches, a couple of trees. Just a little bit of nature to an otherwise densely built city. He pointed out the shops, focused on armor, weapons, food. Anything a traveler or adventurer would need.

While they walked, they ended up at a big, round building reminding one of an old Colosseum. A lot of people were around, going in and out, seemingly excited. However, a hand full seemed not to share that when walking out, looking rather roughed up.

"This is the arena, the main attraction of the city. If you feel like fighting, want to test your skill, this is the place to do it. You can even make money while doing so. It's the perfect combination of fun and work!"

"I do not consider fighting as work." Raine remarked.

"Hehe, fair enough."

"Who do you fight in there, other fighters?" Lloyd wanted to know.

"That, or monsters and sometimes prisoners. The latter, never win if you catch my drift."

"W-what? Why?" That just sounded cruel to Genis. "A person could be in prison for anything. Isn't that a little extreme?"

"Most here are either heavy criminals or half-elves." Zelos shrugged.

This had the boy wide-eyed, looking up at him. Zelos lost some of his confident stance and his smile because of his shocked expression.

"I don't know what's it like in your world, but over here half-elves are at the bottom of the caste system. Any criminal caught, undergoes a biological test to make sure they aren't a half-elf. If they are, they will be executed without exception."

Now all three of them were staring at him, while Colette just kept her blank expression looking straight ahead. Raine's eyes were the most intense of all.

"Why is this?"

"I've been educated this way since birth. 'Half-elves are stupid, savage, filthy creatures.' That goes for everyone here."

"Why you..." Lloyd started.

Zelos rose his hands disarmingly. "Don't get mad, I'm just stating the common view. Well, I haven't been around any as far as I know. But I can tell who are good people and who are not. I personally don't care where someone comes from."

They all lost their tensed stance at that, as Raine nodded. "Good."

Frowning, he added: "Knowing that, but still being unable to shake the feelings, is what discrimination is all about, though. That goes for most people here. They just don't know any better."

"Yes, that is the sad truth of it all. You can be as advanced all you want, but if you are not as developed in mind, what's it worth?"

They all looked at Raine for these words. There was a silence, as Zelos opened his mouth, but closed it again. It was not his place to ask, nor the right one.

"Come on, lets go see those smart asses at the academy."

"I would appreciate it if you would watch your langue, Zelos."

"Hehe, sorry cool beauty." His smile faded fast at her cold stare. He just quickly went on to take the lead again.

Lloyd followed, taking Colette along by her hand. Genis looked up at his sister, who's eyes lingered on the arena.

"Come on sis, let's go..."

She nodded finally and they followed the red-haired Chosen. They went down to the lowest tear of the city, mostly home to the common folk. It had several inns and general stores. As for the academy, it seemed to be hidden more in the back, close to the roughest looking part of the city.

Genis eyed the dirt covered, raggedy clothed people that were sundering around the dilapidated houses down the road.

"Those are the slums. Just keep clear of that area." Zelos advised. "Come on, over here." He gestured to a building that didn't look all that special.

The group went on inside, greeted by a reception area. Next to the desk, there were stairs going down. A dark-haired man looked at the visitors with curiosity, before he focused his eyes on Zelos.

"Chosen, welcome. Can I help you?"

"Yo! I'm here to see the progress on the research. Can we go down?" He pointed to the stairs.

"I suppose you can." The man looked over the others again.

"No worries, they're with me." Zelos showed a wide smile. As the man nodded to him, the group was led on downstairs.

It was a smaller room then they expected. With a name like academy, one would expect a big place. But it seemed very confined, all machines and researching materials crammed into one room. A blond man in a long, white coat with glasses, looked up from his notes. He had a moment of confusion.

"Chosen?"

"Heya. Sorry for barging in like this. We're here to ask about your research on my crystal."

The researcher frowned deeply. Raine stepped forward. "I apologize. Allow me to explain. This is our friend Colette." She gestured to the blond-haired girl.

"Oh, the Chosen from Sylvarant! Yes, I've been informed by Sheena. She told us Colette's symptoms, so we have set our attention on research data regarding the Chosen's Cruxis Crystal."

"Well now. So, my crystal was useful. When Colette returns to normal, I'll need to make sure she thanks me generously." Zelos said with a wide grin.

The researcher turned to activate a hologram globe, to showcase what he was talking about.

"Cruxis Crystals are thought to be evolved forms of Exspheres. Both Exspheres and Cruxis Crystals are lifeless beings, as we have discovered."

Raine was awed by this revelation. "What did you say?!"

"What does that mean?" Lloyd asked confused.

"Lifeless beings. How should I put it? Basically, Exspheres are alive, though not in the same way we are. They are not conscious."

The researcher nodded. "Precisely. Both of these crystals are like parasites fusing with other life forms."

"Parasites?" Zelos made a disgusted face. "That's not a very pleasant thought."

"When this fusion happens, the mana within the body loses balance and goes out of control without a Key Crest. It is very dangerous."

Genis piped up. "So that's why Exspheres without Key Crests turn people into monsters."

The teen next to him could not help to make a face. He thought of the flashes of his nightmares, of a monster, that once was his mother.

"Exactly," the researcher nodded. "In other words, since Cruxis Crystals possess the same qualities as Exspheres, we surmise that Colette is suffering from a parasitical infection by the Cruxis Crystal. Just in a different form."

Cupping her chin, Raine nodded slowly. "I see. In which case, the ritual of releasing the seals may be promoting the fusion with the Cruxis Crystal. Fascinating."

"Professor, don't talk like that after all the bad things that keep happening to Colette." Lloyd requested, looking over at her.

"Ah, of course. I apologize." She looked in between the two.

"So, if she had a Key Crest, she'd return to normal, right?" Zelos asked.

The researcher nodded. "She should be able to freely control the Cruxis Crystal if she had a Key Crest. But seeing this is a different kind, we have the theory she needs a modified Crest."

"How could one acquire this?" Raine wanted to know.

"Well, Key Crests are a specialty of the Dwarves." The researcher remarked.

"So we'll have to find one who can make one?"

"Good luck with that, all the Dwarfs have left the surface a long time ago." Zelos crossed his arms and shook his head.

Lloyd looked down at his hand, with his thumb he stroked the golden rim of his own Crest. "I remember my father, mentioning this was not of the right make, but it should at least help a little."

"When did he put that on you? You've had it on you our whole journey and you were still... in that particular state. It changed as soon as Colette did her last sacrifice. Why?"

The professor looked at the teen, but he really had no answers, sadly shaking his head. "I really wish I knew. The one with answers would probably be... my father."

"Which I imagine would be hard to come in contact with, let alone get him to talk. He is with Cruxis and would want the Chosen to accept Martel."

"So, he is the enemy." Genis said quietly.

"Can't go betting on that now, can we?" Zelos remarked, flipping his hair. "I got an idea, however. Sheena is from Mizuho. They've got the biggest information network. If anyone know where to locate a Dwarf, it's those guys."

"I see, I suppose we go with that. Do we go and find her?"

"Heh, no dice, my cool beauty. Mizuho is a hidden village. Only people from there know where it is."

"Then how do we contact her?" Raine narrowed her eyes at him.

"We have someone from Mizuho that is always around here. I can ask him to relay the message." The researcher offered.

Nodding, Raine bowed her head to him. "Thank you for all your trouble. This has been very insightful."

"Yeah, thanks!" Zelos gave the man a very laid-back salute. The researcher was used to it, so he just nodded and bowed in return.

"What can we do in the mean time?" Genis wondered.

"This city got lots to offer! Just pick your poison."

"I think we should weigh our options further, instead of having fun."

"I guess you are right, sis."

Leaving the researcher back to his work, the party went back up the stairs. The face of Zelos was very telling, however.

Raine turned to him and said: "You can have fun later. Now, we need to find a way to help this poor girl. Or do you not wish to do so?"

Feeling called out, he scratched the back of his head. "Of course, I wanna help."

"Good. Do you have any books at your mansion? Specifically, about your history?"

"Not that. But I know the castle has some. It wont be a problem getting you in there."

"You are highly regarded, huh?" Genis said curious.

"Of course, when the Chosen speaks, the king listens!" Zelos said with a wide grin.

"I guess that is useful in this situation."

"Snot-nosed twerp." The red-haired Chosen muttered as he went on ahead, leading yet again.


There was no welcome home, which come as no surprise to Sheena. Thanks to their system, she was able to travel home fast. But that same system probably brought along the word, having reached every one's ears. The news that she had failed once again.

Clenching her fists and biting her lips, she stood before the torii; the traditional gate signifying the entrance of the village. Corrine stood next to her on the ground and looked up to her. "Sheena, it will be okay. You did the right thing. Just explain it, they will understand."

She truly hoped so, as she slowly nodded to his words. Stepping past the threshold, she let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding. Some people looked in her direction, none of them betraying any emotions about this.

"Sheena, you are back."

"Orochi." She couldn't help but smile seeing a familiar face after so long.

"The chief is awaiting your report." The ninja man got right to the point.

"Oh, right." Sheena picked Corrine up from the ground to hold him close. It was a warm comfort she needed. "I'll go right away."

He nodded to her, his eyes betraying nothing and the rest of him was too covered up to be able to tell.

Walking towards the house in the center of the village, Sheena took a deep breath as she knocked. It was just a couple of seconds before she got a response.

"Enter." A deep, male voice said.

Stepping in, Sheena couldn't help looking towards the bed in the corner. A thin curtain prevented full view, but the contours of an elderly man could be seen sleeping. Still no change then. Biting her lip, she went to stand across from a man kneeling on the floor and bowed deep.

"I have returned, vice-chief Tiga."

The man had short, black hair and dark eyes, which looked her over without betraying any of his thoughts. "That I can see. Please take a seat, Sheena."

She knelt down, taking the same position as Tiga. Corrine jumped down to sit next to her, his bell chiming with every move. The man's mouth was a thin line as he looked at the pair.

"You have failed to kill Sylvarant's Chosen. Because of this, Mizuho now faces persecution from the royal family and the church of Martel. I have also heard that the Chosen is in our world. Care to explain?" He didn't raise his voice, kept a calm tone. And that was even more intimidating for some reason.

Hearing Corrine growl, Sheena petted his head to calm him down. "It's alright," she told him quietly. Then she raised her voice. "When I came to Sylvarant, I saw the suffering of the people. The human ranches, that even had no shame in taking children. Not even to mention what we have learned about Cruxis! And yet, with all the pain and suffering, the sacrifices... Colette kept her smile. She kept strong and fought for the people in need. All she did, was for people she didn't know. She has a great heart. I just couldn't..."

Looking down at the floor, Sheena shook her head. "All that, only to be a sacrifice in the end? That is cruel. This can't just keep going on. There has to be another way, there just has to be!"

Tiga seemed surprised at the passion and fire in which the young woman spoke. He took a moment to take in her words, considered them. Then he showed a small smile. "And that is why you brought them here. I see. I did hear our own Chosen vouched for looking over you all. That can be very useful."

As always, the information network was working fast. "Vice-chief?" She raised her brows, curious and surprised.

"There was a good reason for me to send you for such a task. It is because of your heart. We are no assassins; my hope was for you to find another way. That you brought her here can be in our advantage. But if you really want to help, you need to make a pact, Sheena."

She felt herself stiffen, gulping deeply. "Because of the Rheairds."

The man nodded. "You will need Volt to have them work. If we are useful, the people will hear and recognize us again. And we will be in the best position to move over to Sylvarant. You are older and more experienced now. I am certain you can do it."

"I understand." Sheena nodded, trying to shake off her fear. "I will make the pact."

"Very good. Make us proud, join the Chosen's group and help out."

Sheena bowed, as she looked over to the man sleeping in the corner.

"Do you need a moment?" Tiga saw her look.

"If you don't mind." She said it softly.

"Take the time you need." Standing up, the vice-chief left the room quick.

Left with Corrine, she walked over to the bed. Moving aside the curtains, she looked at the old man's face.

"Hello grandpa. Thank you for your Guardians, they were a great help. I even was able to make a pact Undine."

A sad smile crossed her face as there was no reaction. Now she was tasked to go and make a pact with Volt. The summon spirit she feared the most, the one she failed before and the reason for her grandpa to be in this bad state and that had killed a good portion of the Mizuhen people too.

Corrine cuddled against her for comfort, because he spotted tears in her eyes. "I believe in you, Sheena. You can do it, and you will have help with you."

"I can't possibly put them in danger too."

"Are they not your friends? You have been through a lot together. You can do it through joined strength, like you have done with saving the people of Luin."

"Thank you, Corrine." Sheena pulled him close.

There was a moment of comfortable silence. She listened to her grandpa's breathing, which was also giving her some peace. He was still alive, and she hoped with all her heart he would one day wake up. She bowed and pressed a kiss on the forehead of the old man.

A clearing of the throat made her jolt. At the door, was another familiar face. "Kuchinawa? What are you doing here?"

Normally he would be stationed back at Meltokio. He bowed in greeting.

"Sorry to interrupt, Sheena. I'm here per the Chosen's request. They would like you to join them again and wish to make use of our information network."

Something must have been discovered, Sheena figured. With a light smile she nodded. "Thank you, Kuchinama. I will go right away. Goodbye, grandpa." She closed the curtain back up.

Her childhood friend looked at her as she walked to the door. "Did you really make a pact? Sorry, I didn't mean to overhear."

"Don't worry. Yes, I made a pact with Undine."

"I see... Congratulations."

For some reason this didn't feel genuine. Sheena disregarded this and nodded. "Thank you. I should be going. I will see you later."

She said goodbye to him and Tiga and left the village with a very double feeling. She was scared, insecure, sad and ashamed. On the other hand, she felt strong, empowered, lucky and proud. Carrying Corrine, she hurried back to the others.

It was getting close to night time. The party had spent most of the midday and evening in the castle's library. Most surprising was the fact that Zelos was with them, reading through books. Raine had probably pushed him to do that. They all looked up when Sheena stepped in.

"Hey Jubblies, welcome back!" Zelos grinned widely.

She gave him a glare.

"How did it go?" Genis asked, looking up from his book.

"Fine. I was asked to stay with you, to keep an eye out."

"Huh, why?" he blinked confused.

"Ah, that's typical of Mizuho. They are probably trying to decide if they should side with the king or you guys."

"I-I won't be getting in the way or anything!" Sheena said while her face went red, which was a mix anger and shame.

"Do not worry, Sheena. We are fine with that. We would be happy if you are able to help." Raine assured her.

"Yes, of course. What do you need?"

"The help of a Dwarf. More specifically one that can make a Key Crest."

Blinking, Sheena needed a moment to process this odd request. She had many questions, so Raine went ahead to explain what they had discovered and discussed in short. It made a lot more sense after that.

Scratching her head, the former assassin was in thought for a long time. "Honestly, I am not sure if we have any connections with Dwarfs. As you pointed out yourself, they left the surface a long time ago. I really wouldn't bet on that idea."

"So, this is a waste of time." Zelos tossed the book over his shoulder.

The look Raine gave him was like fire, so he quickly corrected by picking it back up, dusting it off and making sure it was fine before putting it back neatly.

"We can figure something out, I'm sure. In the meantime, I could actually use you guys' help."

"With what? Did they ask you more back at your village?" Lloyd informed.

"Uh, yes and no? We are going to need Volt if we want to use the Rheiards again. And they would be a very fast and easy mode of transportation."

Raine cupped her chin and nodded. "That is very true. The faster we find a solution, the better. Not only for Colette's sake, but for our own and the worlds too. Not even to mention who is after us. Making this pact will not be a problem for you, right Sheena?"

The look she gave her, made the dark-haired woman look away. She took hold of her own upper left arm. This was a very typical tell of discomfort, Zelos had learned.

"I get It, you are afraid it will happen again. That you will fail."

"Huh, what's this about?" Genis asked, looking from one to the other.

Since Sheena turned away, the Chosen just went on to explain. That when the summoner was just a child, she was tasked with taming Volt. Something went very wrong however, resulting in many casualties. The people whom had lost a dear one, loathed Sheena for this.

There was a moment of silence when Zelos was done. Sheena did not want to look at their faces, instead staring at the floor.

"I understand if you say you all won't join me. If I fail again..."

She felt a hand rest on her shoulder and looked up. To her surprise, Lloyd's deep brown eyes looked back at her.

"You were just a kid. It wasn't fair of them to expect that much of you. I am sorry for your loss, but I am sure you will do better this time. You already made a pact with Undone, right? We'll be with you, support you. That's what friends are for."

She felt tears welling up in her eyes. Even more so when Genis and Raine agreed with these words. Zelos gave her a shining smile.

"You've always been the best. I'll gladly help you to beat that stupid spirit to a pulp!"

"And I'm sure Colette would say the same." Lloyd added.

With her sleeve, Sheena wiped her face, trying to catch the tears before they fell. "Th-thank you, all of you. Really, it means a lot."

Showing a sad smile, Lloyd nodded to her. "It's never easy to lose loved ones. It is even harder if you feel like you are the blame for it."

Raine and Zelos both looked pained at these words, each looking another way to try and hide it.

It seemed all of them has had something painful happen to them. It might be strange, but Sheena felt better knowing that. That she was not alone in this.

"So...where do we need to go exactly?" Genis couldn't help to ask.

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Sheena answered. "The temple of Lightning. It can only be reached by ship, since it's on an island."

Raine paled at these words, shifting uneasy while still trying to hide her discomfort. "Can one be arranged?"

"Yeah, that's easy enough. I'll just ask the academy. And we have Undine, she can provide us the necessary mana to get it going."

"You need mana to sail a ship?" Genis frowned. It sounded rather complicated for something that simple.

"Many things run on...well Expheres sadly."

"What you mean sadly?" Zelos frowned.

Right, they hadn't gone into that detail yet. So Raine explained what they had discovered about the Exspheres.

The smile on Zelos his face faded after hearing it all. "That is a gruesome story. Is it really true?"

"Why would we make something like that up?" Sheena asked frustrated. "Things like the grand bridge, that runs on a 1000 Exspheres, are really that many human lives."

"You can get mad all you want, that won't bring those lives back. They have been lost. Feeling sorry for them ain't no use. The way it's done, that has to change. Stopping this sacrificial system is what we gotta focus on."

Lloyd nodded in complete agreement to these words as he took Colette's hand. "Let's get moving."

"Alright, let's ask at the academy if they have a ship for us."

Taking the lead, Sheena went on to go to the building. It was getting late, but the same receptionist was still around.

Looking up, he smiled at Sheena. "You are already back! You sure work fast Sheena. How did it go?"

"Just fine, thank you, Noah." She returned the smile. "Do you by any chance have a ship that we could use?"

"A ship? Hm." Noah cupped his chin in thought. "We only have the E.C available at the moment. It will take some more time to get a normal ship."

"You gotta be kidding me." Zelos muttered, obviously not happy.

"What does E.C mean?" Genis asked curiously.

"It is a compact transport vehicle for a maximum load of 1400 kg and three times faster than an upgraded Exsphere carriage. They are normally used to bring goods to companies." Noah explained.

"We are not cargo," Zelos huffed, crossing his arms. "Can't we wait for a real ship?"

Lloyd gave him a hard glare. "You rather have Colette stay like this, longer than necessary just do you can be more comfortable?"

Losing his stance, Zelos was obviously taken aback by this hostile attitude.

"Uh sorry. No, that's not what I meant."

"Good. We will take that ship, thank you."

Noah nodded, reaching behind the counter and producing a small package. He handed this over to Sheena. "Here you go. I am however not sure how fast it will go now because of the mana instability."

"No worries, I got that covered. Thanks, Noah."

"Please take care, all of you. Corrine included, even though it isn't mutual." The man showed a sad smile.

"Don't be silly! Corrine come out and say goodbye."

The small animal appeared as summoned, on top of the counter. Right away he took on a hostile stance, growling at Noah.

"I don't want to, I hate this place!"

"Corrine..."

He went up in smoke before Sheena could say anything else. The young woman gave Noah an apologetic look.

"It's okay, I understand. He didn't have the best time here, even though that was by the hands of other people."

Raine looked curious about this, aiming her look at the summoner.

"I'll tell you on the way. We should head towards the closest dock."

They all nodded in agreement and went off. Genis did wonder if Zelos didn't have to report their plans to the authorities, but the Chosen waved those worries away, saying he didn't have to answer to anyone. Since they didn't want to lose too much time, they opted taking along food and having late dinner on the ship. They probably would have to sleep on the ship too, or camp at their destination.

Corrine had reappeared, seeking comfort by pressing himself against Sheena's neck. While petting him, she explained to them that he was a man-made summon spirit, created by scientists. They were heartless people, purely focused on creating something new, not it's well-being.

The silver-grey eyes belonging to Raine, sparkled with curiosity and fascination.

"A man made summon spirit, how absolutely amazing! Please, allow me to have a closer look."

Whining at the woman's outreaching hands, the small creature went up in smoke yet again.

"Siiis, stop acting like that, you scared him!"

"I'm sorry, I simply must know more. How did he become your friend and when, Sheena?"

"I think it was about a year ago? I was on a mission in Meltokio which involved infiltrating the academy. There I found him locked up and badly treated. I had to let him out, even though he was growling at me. But, since he was alone and I was too, we joined up and he never left after that."

"As you can see, Sheena always had a way too big heart." Zelos chuckled.

"Well, you could use more compassion, Chosen. Collette would be a great example for you if she wasn't..."

They all shared a look towards the girl, who was still following with her almost blind stare. A silence set in, as they kept walking.

The Grand Tethe'alla bridge came in sight soon. Genis stared along the side of it, as they approached the eastern bank next to it.

"Wow, it just seems to keep on going!"

"Uhu, it is our biggest bridge. It has to cross an ocean after all!"

The young boy's eyes went wide at this. "No way!"

"Oh, it's true. Just at its most narrow point, to be more specific."

"Ah don't talk it down, Jubblies!"

"How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?!"

"Hey, it's that or your actual name, honey.~"

"Don't think so." She huffed at him.

"Actual name?" Lloyd inquired.

Sheena took a breath, then went on to explain that all people of Mizuho get a code name. Only their parents or significant other would know their real name.

"So, if you wanna know, you gotta marry this lovely lady. Interested?" Zelos grinned widely towards Lloyd.

"Stop it, you idiot Chosen!" The face of the ninja turned bright red.

Chuckling, he gestured to the water like saying here we are. Genis blinked in confusion.

"There is no ship?"

"No, silly. It's in here." Sheena showed the box that Noah gave her. It fit right in her hand.

Now all three of the Sylvaranty looked at her like she had gone mad. Rather than explain, she just went ahead and demonstrated.

Throwing up the cube in an arch, the object started to ripple and expand. Before they knew it, a ship was before them, laying neatly next to the dock.

Genis was too awed to say anything, Lloyd tilted his head and Raine had a very studied look.

"Odd. Why do I have the feeling I have seen this before?"

"What are you talking about, sis?"

Raine shook her head. "Never mind." She looked over the ship. It was white and sleek, as if it was made to glide right over the water.

"Undine, help move this vessel across the water!"

As Sheena summoned, the blue spirit appeared above the sea, just in front of the ship. "As you wish."

"Come on, let's get going. Ladies first, of course. Here." With a big smile, Zelos held out his hand to help them up the ship. None of the ladies took it. Genis did to tease him. He clearly did not see the humor of it.

Taking hold of the railing, Raine braced herself. She had to stay grounded as much as possible, but at the same time did not want to see all the water surrounding her. This would have been a real task, if it weren't for the others of the group taking it upon themselves to distract her, by talking about school and ruins. She really appreciated this. It also doubled as a distraction for Sheena, not having to constantly feel the pit of fear in her stomach as they set course to the Temple of Lightning.