Once again, Colette was a little overwhelmed by the meeting at the Martel Cathedral. After telling the clergy about Cruxis and the truth about Martel, and about the Giant Tree, they held her in even more awe than before.

"But your body was entered by the soul of the Goddess Martel herself!" one of them was saying.

"No! I mean, yeah, for a little bit Martel was using my body, but she wasn't the goddess then, she was just an ordinary person! It wasn't until later that she became one with the Goddess! At least, I think that's what happened to her, it was a bit confusing."

"An ordinary person? Didn't you say she was a half-elf?" someone else asked.

"Half-elves are ordinary people!" Colette balled her fists in conviction. "Everyone, humans, elves, and in between, we're all people! That was... that was one of the things Martel cared so much about, and why she was so sad about what Mithos did."

"In any case," yet another person said, "you were present at the planting of the Great Seed, and you said that Martel spoke to you."

Colette collected herself. "Yes. The Great Seed has been planted, but without love and admiration the Giant Tree, from which all mana flows, it will wither and die again. We can't- we mustn't let that happen."

There were murmurs of assent all around.

"So, um, I think it's important to tell everybody that," Colette added simply.

"Of course," said Liam, a high-ranking Tethe'allian priest. He sighed heavily. "It is obvious that there will be a very large change in Church doctrine. We have all been heavily misled by Cruxis."

"Yeah, no kidding," Zelos said.

"Thank you, Chosen," Liam said sarcastically. "Chosen of Sylvarant, since you have had the closest direct dealings with Martel, I think we would be wise to look to your for guidance in this matter."

"Me?" Colette squeaked. "Well, um, okay, if you think that's best," she said. worried.

"I'm sure you will do well," Phaidra reassured her.

"Okay. Um. Well, we've got to tell people about the Giant Tree of course. I mean, people know about it, but it's really important. I mean, the Giant Tree is as much an aspect of the Goddess as Martel is. Um, I'm just going to keep calling her Martel even though Martel is only a small part of her, okay? I'm not sure of this," Colette continued. "But I think what she was trying to tell me is that mana and the Goddess are just different ways of looking at the same thing. And the Giant Tree is part of that.

"And, um, I don't know if this is the sort of thing you're asking about, but I also think it's really important to try to get humans and half-elves to get along. I think the Church should treat half-elves as equals, even if most people don't."

There were a few gasps. "Chosen," one priestess said gently, "I know you said Martel was a half-elf, but if she was, she was an anomaly. Most half-elves are... well, they're just not like humans. You can't expect them to exhibit moral behavior. They're excluded from the Church for a reason. Certainly a few rise above their heritage, but most of them... Well, look at the atrocities they've caused."

"Yeah, she's got a point," Zelos said. "I mean, look at the Desians, or Cruxis. Half-elves sure are capable of some awful behavior."

"Zelos! How can... How can you say things like that?" Colette said.

"It's the truth," he said. "But... well, it's not like humans are any better. Maybe they haven't actually done horrible things on a scale like Cruxis... but that doesn't mean they wouldn't. Humans have done some pretty awful things to half-elves- and to each other. So I don't think you can call either side better than the other."

"Yeah, everyone is capable of being good! I know it!" Colette said.

"And it is true," Liam said, "That Martel was a half-elf. It would by hypocrisy to exclude those of the very race that she who would become one with the goddess, was."

"So you're just going to do as she says?" asked a Tethe'allian priest.

"Of course we are!" said the woman next to him. "She has spoken with the Goddess herself!"

"It does seem unwise to blindly place our trust in somebody like that," pointed out a Sylvarant priest. "It was our own blind trust in Cruxis- if they are telling the truth- that caused such trouble in the first place."

"You're right," said Colette. "I... I'm not special or anything. You shouldn't listen to what I say just because I'm the Chosen. You should do what your heart tells you to do."

"My heart," said one young priestess, "tells me to listen to you. Everything you have said reflects the goodness and love of our Goddess Martel. I cannot speak for everybody, but it is that love that drew me to the Church. I became a Priestess of Martel to help people, not to cast aspersions on them because of their blood."

"She's absolutely right," said a priest who Colette vaguely remembered from Luin.

Pastor Marche- Colette had been very relieved when she found he had survived the destruction of Palmacosta- smiled. "Colette has walked in the footsteps of Martel as long as I have known her."

Colette was blushing by now. "So, um, does this mean you'll let half-elves into the Church?"

Liam nodded. "I believe it to be the best course of action."

"Oh good!" Colette beamed. "I'm so happy!"

"This still leaves the question of how much information about Cruxis to make public," Liam said.

"I still say, tell the whole story," said Zelos. "The people deserve to know."

"It could cause panics, though."

"People might stop trusting the church at all."

"Well, the Church is based around Martel more than anything else. She never tricked us; she was practically imprisoned, wasn't she?"

"Wait, there's something I don't really understand. If Cruxis was mostly half-elves, then why didn't they order the Church to allow half-elves into the congregations and clergy? Why did he allow the half-elves of Tethe'alla to continue suffering, if he had so much power?"

"Because Mithos was a callous lunatic who didn't give a damn about anybody but his sister, that's why," Zelos said. "It served his purposes for humans and half-elves both to suffer, so he let them."

"Should the people be told that Cruxis was an organization of half-elves?" asked somebody. "It could... it could make worse the prejudices against half-elves."

"But if we leave that out, then what do we tell them?"

"Like you can keep it a secret anyway," Zelos said. "You can't, because we've already told people. People will tell each other. Do you want it to be a rumor that the Church suppresses, because they're afraid of the idea, or do you want to actually tell people the truth and not be revealed as a bunch of hypocrites?"

oOoOoOo

"I can't believe I'm getting away with this," Zelos said to Colette as they left the cathedral several hours later.

"Getting away with what?" Colette asked.

"This whole... telling the Church what I actually think, thing. I called them a bunch of hypocrites, for goodness sakes!"

"Oh." Colette paused. "Zelos?"

"Yes, my cute little angel?"

"Do you... do you really believe that stuff you said? About humans and half-elves both being awful?"

"I..." Zelos looked away.

They walked in silence a little ways.

"Oh look, there's Lloyd!" said Colette. She ran up to Lloyd and gave him a hug.

"Hey," said Zelos as he caught up to them, "why don't I get a hug?"

"Oh!" said Colette. "How silly of me!" She threw her arms around his neck and gave him a peck on the cheek.

Zelos grinned. "I knew my manly charm would overcome you sooner or later."

Colette giggled. "You're so silly, Zelos!"

"Yeah, Colette just likes everyone. Even people like you." Lloyd put in.

"'People like me?' What's that supposed to mean?"

"So how did you spend the afternoon, Lloyd?" Colette asked.

"Oh," said Lloyd, blushing, "there were some kids, and they wanted me to tell them about our journey. So I did."

"Aww, that's so sweet!"

"Of course, they already know about me, the great Zelos Wilder."

"Oh yeah, I actually only got to the point where you joined us when they all had to go, but they all knew about you already."

"Especially the girls, right?"

"Uh... sure, Zelos. The girls all knew about you."

Zelos looked smug, then looked across the square. "Uh, guys, wait for me here a minute, 'kay?" He walked across the square to where a young lady sat.

"I just don't understand him," said Lloyd.

"He was actually pretty serious at the Cathedral though," said Colette. "He seemed... he seemed angry and sad, mostly."

"Huh."

Zelos kissed the young lady's hand, and she giggled, then walked away. Zelos returned to them. "Right, so let's go then."

"You have so many friends, Zelos!" Colette said.

"Yep, Mr. Popularity, that's me," Zelos said. "You eating with us, cutie?" he asked Colette.

"Yup! If that's all right, I mean."

"Would I ever turn down dinner with a beautiful girl like you?"

oOoOoOo

Dinner was just the five of them. Raine and Genis had once again been speaking with other half-elves. There wasn't much new to tell.

"Oh yeah!" Colette said. "The Church of Martel is going to let half-elves in now! I'm so happy!"

"That's a major step," said Raine. "I'm surprised you got them to agree so quickly."

"That's our Colette for you," Zelos said.

"You helped too, Zelos!" Colette said.

Zelos shook his head. "Hey, I'm not saying I'm not great and all, but I think the Church likes you a lot more than they like me."

"Why am I not surprised?" asked Genis.

"Quiet, brat."

"I wonder how humans will take to having half-elves in their churches. And how many half-elves will show up," mused Raine.

"You were in our church for years and nobody complained," commented Colette.

"Yeah, but... everybody thought we were full elves back then," Genis said.

"Hey..." Lloyd said, "So why is it that humans tend to think full elves are fine, but not half-elves?"

"It's not really logical, is it," commented Zelos. "I mean, most people don't even think about it. It's just... how it is."

"Maybe it started because... well, because of cases like the Pope and Kate. Where the parent just couldn't deal with their children not aging once they reached adulthood," Raine said.

"But... that... I still don't understand how a parent could hate their child like that!" Colette said. "Parents all love their children... don't they?"

oOoOoOo

Before going to bed, back in her room at the Cathedral, Colette took the opportunity to read some old texts on the nature of Martel. A knock came at her door.

"Who is it?" she said.

"It's Sheena. May I come in?"

Colette jumped up, knocking her chair over in the process, and opened the door. "Sheena!"

"Hey," Sheena said, closing the door behind her. "I'm, uh, not interrupting anything am I?"

Colette shook her head. "I was just reading." She sighed. "But it's so hard to tell what's true and what's just Cruxis making things up, in these books."

"Yeah," said Sheena. "I guess that would be a problem."

"Anyway, I'm glad to see you!"

"Yeah, I just wanted... uh... so, um, how likely is it that you'll actually end up having to marry Zelos?"

"I... I don't know. I think it's pretty likely though," Colette said cheerfully.

"And you're okay with that?"

"Yeah! It'll be great!"

"Great? You sure about that? I mean... It's Zelos."

"Yeah, I'm glad it's a friend of mine and not a stranger. Marrying... marrying a stranger would be pretty scary. I'm glad Princess Hilda doesn't have to do that this way."

Sheena shook her head. "Colette, you don't have to marry anyone if you don't want to."

"You're worried about me, just like Lloyd."

"Yeah, well..."

"It's okay though. I'll be just fine. Stop worrying about me!"

"You know, given that the last few times you've told us all not to worry about you, I don't think that's a good idea."

"Sheena!"

"Colette, I don't want to see you unhappy."

"I'm not unhappy!"

"Yeah, but I mean, if you marry Zelos..." Sheena shook her head. "Doesn't it bother you, strangers trying to run your life?"

"They're not trying to run it. You're right, I'm perfectly free to do whatever I want. And what I want to do is to help the people of Sylvarant and Tethe'alla however I can."

"Okay, just don't do anything stupid."

"I won't!"

"I... I just don't think Zelos would make a very good husband, that's all."

"Why not?"

"Oh great, it's like Lloyd all over again. Colette, you've seen how he behaves. Do you want to be married to a guy who cheats left and right?"

"He... you don't know he'll do that! You're just assuming!"

"Yeah, well, I think it's a fair assumption to make, the way he carries on."

"Sheena... I know. A lot of people have already tried to warn me about him, but... well... If it will bring the people of Sylvarant and Tethe'alla together, I want to do it."

"What, and sign yourself up for a miserable marriage to a philanderer?"

"He's a good person, Sheena."

"Only someone like you could think that. You wanted to be friends with me even when I was trying to kill you."

"And I was right, see?" Colette said brightly.

"Well, I guess, but..."

"Sheena, I'll be fine." Colette yawned. "Um, I really should be going to bed, okay?"

"...Yeah. Okay. Good night," Sheena said. As she left, she threw a worried look over her shoulder.

"Everything... everything will be fine," Colette said to the empty room. "...Right?"