This time the action takes place outside of school, the friends camp out in Lloyd's back yard.

Disclaimer: No, I don't own Tales of Symphonia. I just like writing about it.


"Come on Genis, go, leave!" Raine yelled. Colette and Lloyd sweat-dropped as they heard a noise that sounded suspiciously like a paper fan impacting with the back of a small skull.

"Alright, OK, stop hitting me and I'll leave," Genis ran out of the door, grabbing a backpack that was sitting beside it.

"You alright?" Lloyd asked.

"Yeah, I will be," Genis glared in the direction of his house.

"I'm sure Professor Raine was just eager for your fun to start and for the chance to spend some time on her own," Colette said diplomatically.

"She'll just sit studying all the time I'm away like she always does anyways," Genis sighed.

"Well, sometimes it's nice to have time to yourself," Colette added thoughtfully.

"Besides, I thought it was supposed to be easier to study when it's quiet," Lloyd said.

"What would you know about studying?" Genis stuck his tongue out at the older boy. "Hey, wait, are you implying I'm loud?" he asked loudly.

"Well you are, see," Lloyd laughed.

"Hey!" Genis frowned and Colette giggled.

"So, what are we having for dinner?" Genis asked, changing the subject. Lloyd and Colette had gone shopping for food before they'd picked Genis up on the way back to Lloyd's.

"If you hang on a little while you can choose what you fancy from this lot," Lloyd indicated the bags of shopping he was holding.

"Alright then," Genis nodded.

He and Colette were staying over at Lloyd's. He had to admit they were a little bit of an odd bunch, but as humans went Lloyd and Colette were alright.

On the day she'd met him Colette had been a bit weary of him. It was understandable, she'd been beaten up very badly.

Genis could hardly believe the teachers had allowed the fight to continue for long enough for her to be actually knocked unconscious, but he'd sort of understood the explanation he'd overheard Colette give to Lloyd. The world could be a harsh place if you were different.

Fortunately, as Lloyd was there to get rid of him if he caused any trouble, Colette hadn't minded the small boy staying to talk to them and, once she'd figured out he didn't mean any harm, they had started to become friends.

Colette was a warm hearted person. She just sometimes had to have time to get used to new people.

Genis was amazed at her attitude. Even though she'd been hurt so many times she hadn't become angry or bitter.

Once you got to know her she was such a kind person, and it was clear that she loved life.

Genis wondered what going on the world regeneration journey would do to the girl if it involved going through things like she'd had to put up with so far. He winced as he remembered how she'd looked after that fight, that wasn't at all fair. But then again life wasn't fair was it. All the same.....

"Colette," he looked up at her.

"Yes Genis," she repled.

"How do you do it?" he asked.

"Do what?" she looked puzzled.

Of course, he thought. He'd not said a word of what he'd been thinking about to her

"Put up with all the stuff you have to go through as a Chosen,"

"It's my job," she said. She tipped her head in the gesture Genis knew meant that she was thinking carefully about something. "I've never not been a Chosen, so, uh, this is hard to explain,"

"I think I understand," Genis said. She noticed him looking at a small scar she'd received in the fight.

"Besides, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right?" she said, but Genis thought she sounded like she was just reciting it and that, perhaps, she didn't totally believe in what she was saying.

The trio walked in silence for a short time.

"Noishe!" Colette cheered as they neared Lloyd's house. The large, doglike creature let off a little while as the small girl opened the dog pen and flung her arms around the large animal's neck. He just barked a little, used to the affectionate glomps.

Genis stayed away from Noishe. Despite reassurances from Lloyd and Colette that Noishe was harmless, despite the fact he'd seen the other two playing with the creature, he still felt a little bit afraid of something that was so much bigger than he was.

The trio went around to the back yard after Colette had closed the dog pen again. Lloyd then went through the backdoor to let his dad know they were here and to fetch some things they needed from the house.

Genis sat down and watched as Colette unpacked the food. She'd done this so often it was quicker to let her do this by herself. She opened a packet of chocolate treats and offered one to Genis before taking one for herself.

"Dad says hi, but he's a bit busy so he'll not be coming outside himself for a while," Lloyd said as he appeared with his arms full of blankets and cooking equiptment. He and Colette laid everything out while Genis went to fetch some firewood.

A short while later they settled around a warm fire and were cooking their dinner over it.

Genis, being a good cook, was quickly learning how to cook things just right over the campfire.

He absolutely refused, however, to join in with Lloyd and Colette when they began melting chocolate and marshmallows over toast, saying it looked completely disgusting. He had to admit though, that Colette and Lloyd worked well as a team to cook their favourite snack. They seemed to work perfectly in unison to have all the ingredients prepared at just the right moment.

Colette finished the last of her slices of the gooey treat and sighed a content sigh. Lloyd giggled at her and she tipped her head and blinked in a questioning pose.

Lloyd grabbed a clean piece of cloth and wiped a stray bit of chocolate from the side of Colette's mouth. She blushed and thanked him.

They cleared the dinner things away and then settled down on their blankets. Colette nestled her head on Lloyd's shoulder and all three of them looked up at the mottled pattern of stars in the now dark sky.

"It's amazing, isn't it," Colette thought out loud. "Stars last such a long time, forever, but human lives are so short. Do you think when people die they become angels and they live with the stars?"

"I don't really know," said Lloyd. "They're really amazing though, the way they hang up in the sky like that. Hey Genis, how do they stay up there like that?"

Genis felt too tired to try and explain to Lloyd, and he'd probably not even understand it properly anyways.

"It's magic," the small mage answered. "A special type of magic."

That would do. And, he supposed, it was sort of true. The universe was kinda magic when you thought about it.

He sighed, it seemed Colette thought it was. He didn't have the heart, however, to disillusion her by telling her that even stars died sometimes.

"It's like a giant connect the dots puzzle," Colette said. "Only I can't quite figure out what the dots join up to make."

Genis grinned and moved closer to the other two. One he was settled comfortably he began to explain.

"Well, if you start at that one....." he said, pointing up at the brightest star with a smile.