Disclaimer: Sadly, it would be such an honor to own it, but I don't. Nope ToS is not in my possession.

If you read my profile in which I changed, I would have no more to say, except for two things, my hope of how this will turn out at which will be decided by the quality and the quantity of the reviews.

The Chapter title changes here, I know it said "A Magical Day Part 1" before, but it will change.

And I don't know how to spell sorry in Japanese…but if you want, you can, "sue me!"

Thanks for reviewing!

Enjoy please!

Legend:

Italics: Flashback/Memories of POV of whoever.

Bold: Stress at any time.

Normal: Present Time/Real World

Bold&Italics: POV in Real World

Lessons.

Chapter 9: Arigatou!

Our home…was made of wood with a chimney stack, like any ordinary house in Heimdall, except ours was always a mystery to me. It was never near the other houses, where all the elven children were near, with their family, where our school and the elven leader was,still it was a home…

"Raine?" Though I was happy, for I always had friends outside of our home, "Come out!" Ellen, my friend from school would yell, "Why do you always have to sleep in?" The school bells always tolled without us hearing it, so I would never know when school would start, but kindergarten was kind to us.

TICK!

She threw a pebble at our window; our house was two stories, and my bedroom was at the second floor. I stretched and yawned upon hearing my friend, no matter how many times she did this, she would never give up, and I would never remember to wake up on time, but we were good friends and she did this everytime with no hesitation.

"Okay, com-i-n-g!" I yelled back with a cheery yet tired face running down the stairs after I had wore my clothes and got my lunch. The door swung open upon letting me say my goodbyes to my mother, father and of course my little brother who was just 4 months old…Genis Sage.

School was normal as any other day; we had crafts, play-time, nap-time, lunch time, snack-time, and story-time, except for something that my friend and I would never expect, especially me.

It was recess, and we were allowed to go outside to play our usual games, for me I played tag and hide-and-seek, there was me, and 5 of our friends. We had started with tag,

"Ha Raine! You're it!" As one of my other friends aside from Ellen exclaimed while laughing running away from me who was now "it".

"OW!" I exclaimed as I tripped on the 4th rock before finally touching the tip of Ellen's dress. When I touched the ground I had already worsen my bruise I had got from my previous falls, I had only two bruises. It bled, and all I did was squint with pain and hold back my tears, I knew if a teacher had to come, our game would be over, and I wanted to at least let someone else be it, before I go receive help, however this time, I had done neither: cry/seek forhelp, or continue the game, had done something that was uncontrollable,I guess it was a reflex of some sort.

I tried to wipe the blood away with my hands, and it worked, I also stood up and walked a few paces, though I was only one more step away from starting a life of more pain, misery and lost hope, "AAAHHH!" the blood that I thought had stopped didn't, it was storing a large amount of blood that I could not fathom, for I was too young to understand any of this, still I was one of the smartest kindergarteners there, and that's when I fell to the ground.

"Raine! What's the problem!" They yelled as theycircled around me, including some other studentsglaring at the huge bruise on my leg, whilesome jeered, some stared with concern, but none of them went to get the teacher and I didn't mind, all I wanted was the bleeding to stop, but it kept on, I was almost afraid to die, for I was too worried to even think of death.

A small reluctant tear struggled to break free, I didn't allow it, but it disobeyed me, and was released whether I liked it or not.

"Raine…" I heard Ellen whisper under his breath, thinking what to do, "Please be alright!" hoping that I would be alright, she had almost cried as well, feeling like a wimp and realizing that she didn't want to be one, instead she looked at me with faith that I would be alright, "Mrs.-" But I guess she realized that the best thing to do at that time was to call a teacher, since the game was already being halted by me anyway. However she was too late, in a way though, a teacher still did arrive…eventually and unfortunately…

The air that surrounded me started to move like waves in the sea, some kids didn't see it, but Ellen was the first to see for her eyes shot open glaring at the intensity of the air, it was like one of those sunny days when you look down a long road, you would see the ground become water-like, 'cause of the Sun's rays, this was happening because some sort of heat energy was being generated.

As the air was getting more wave-like it began to grab some pieces of debris, dust and dirt that was on the ground into the air, no one knew what was going on, they were all speechless as they saw the ground begin to make tiny cracks allowing more of it to be shot up to the air. Before long I was surrounded by this air and the earth's tiny pieces.

Slowly but surely, everyone began to hear small cracks of sound popping and cackling around me. At that time, I had thought it was raining, for my eyes were closed the whole entire time, the thing happened so fast, because I heard thunder strike all around me, it was a crescendo of thunderclaps, before I could fully open my eyes, my scream had caused my arms to move right in front of me, at a instant, a huge flash appeared right in front of me, followed by a deafening and explosive sound.

When the flash before my eyes was cleared, a teacher had already arrived and seen both a huge scar across the earth as smoke ascended into the sky and around me the dust had cleared, she had seen something that my parents have been telling me all my life, a lie!

"Mommy? Why do daddy, Genis and I have small ears but we live in a village of Elves?" I would ask, causing my mom to smile with pride, happiness and understanding that I was very smart for my age.

"Raine do you want to know why we live so far away from the village" I remembered this feeling happy that we were humans, and never thinking as to why my parents acted weird sometimes.

Sure we were prohibited to live so close to the village because the elves disliked us being humans, but we were still granted to live there, go to school, work and do everyday elven activities.

But that was all a lie! I had never understood why my parents did that, I always hated them forlieing,but the"always" that I felt, wasonlyfora short amount oftime, so short that one could say it was a fractioncompared to what I really felt afterwards.

"Ah! What is she?"

"I don't know"

"Maybe she's not an elf"

"Well I heard that she's a human and was specially granted to stay in this school."

"Look here comes a teacher!"

The kids all murmured around me making me feel very uneasy, though I was too busy feeling this heat that resonated from the palms of my hands. Still theteachers accepted this kindly and after that day when mother told her I was a human, I had found out that the teachers were only hiding their thoughts; they were all suspicious right from the very start. I just looked at the huge split in the ground with disbelief and not understanding a thing that was going on, All I knew was that I was very uncomfortable with this…from reading books every night I have learnt that humans are incapable of generating even the slightest bit of magic by biological ways.And it wasn't only that my parents were acting strange, but the teachers, the students, my feelings and even Ellen, no matter how good a friend she was I guess she also knew…the lie that my parents kept me away from the truth, out of their love, so much to protect me, them and our home, the truth of me…that I was a half-elf.

From that day on, everything changed…Our family lost everything, especially me; I lost the most…our home, school, friends, Ellen…and soon our family; my faith, hope and will to live was gone, my mom however never lost it, same with my dad. I had always thought that my parents would hate me, I never talked to them, until that day when our days of running had met an obstacle, something that we couldn't run away from anymore.

"Hand him over!" It was the day when we arrived in the Academy City of Sybak, my mom had looked with joy and hope in placing my 10 year old body in a school here, I had never thought that we were going to come here, but we did, and everything seemed fine, the humans thought I was one of them, for I restrained on my magic and of course I looked human. We had to rent a home for we were too poor, so we stayed at a home of humans.Only a week had passed, but I don't know how, the humans that we were living with had turned us in to the Imperial Guards that were sent from Meltokio.

At that day I had found out three things, I could never trust a human or elf ever again, escept for my parents, the teacher from Heimdall told the Elven Chief and we got banished from the village, and now this. I had never thought that I could ever talk with my parents for I felt so much shame and sadness for shooting that stupid lightning bolt on the ground, so I thought my parents hated me.

"Virginia darling! Take Genis and Raine down to the basement!" Father said as he took his last kiss with mother and left us time to open the door and run.

But I was wrong, my parents still loved me. But that wasn't good enough for me, since I hated myself; I could never allow myself to ever do anything that foolish ever again.

Genis was now 5 years old and he could speak and walk upright, and they wanted him, I didn't know why, but all that mattered was our will to not let Genis or anyone to be given to them, we came too far to be turned in to some human scum! I hated them, and if Genis could tell me in full English, he'd probably say, "Me hate also them too!"

"No! Go away!" the humans that we lived with didn't help us at all they just stood by the doorway looking at us and the situation with no remorse, or feeling on their face. We thought we could escape from the basement and through a window or something, but their dog had run down the stairs and blocked the entrance. We didn't know what to do at that time, and I still didn't want to say anything to my parents, for that was when I still didn't' know if my parents loved me or not, but my dad did something that I hated.

"Take me instead!" The air was silenced, no one spoke, nothing made a sound, except for the slight sound of a head jerking towards the voice of my dad who stood right in front of us in front of the two shadowy figures who were blinded by the sun's rays which outlined our father's purple shirt and green pants.

My father was gone, andI blamed me, sure Genis was the one that they wanted, but you can't blame a child who's only 5, besidesI didn't sacrifice myself, I was too afraid, if I only knew that father was going instead of Genis, then I would have let them take meinstead, I was smarter than Genis, they would havewanted me toexperiment on, yet they took father...my faith was still lost, and I still felt disgrace for myself, but now I could finally do something that I had never done for 5 years, talk to my parents-my mom.

"Mom? Where are we going in such a hurry?" I asked looking very worried as my mom carried Genis for we cared for his safety too much, as a matter of fact my mom offered to carry me as well, but I told her I was too old and didn't need it; I knew she cared about us like any parents should, and I only wished I could do something in return…

I looked at her face to see why my question wasn't answered, and what I saw was a face of mystery, I was sad for I couldn't understand her, I couldn't understand why she didn't answer, I couldn't understand why she never spoke of anything that has happened. And now I was more worried, I wanted to do something that would cheer my mom up, our home and everything was gone because of me, and now my dad and my mom's husband was gone, I wanted to change this, I wanted to atone for my sin.

I didn't know why she didn't answer, but I never wanted to think ever again that my parents didn't love me. Dad left just to save us, and I could do nothing…I really wanted to do something.

"Why?" I screamed a whisper, as my eyes closed forming the most painful tear I had ever felt, it was filled with all the pain, suffering, and hate that we have endured up until now. It was filled with the memories of the times when I could do absolutely nothing to help, I caused our family's captivity, I caused our father's leaving us. I wished so hard for all this to change, If only we could start again, live a new life in a new place where hate and race doesn't matter, and only freedom and peace. My tear slowly dripped from my cheek leaving room for a river of tides as I cried silently hanging my head low hoping that my mom and Genis would not see me like this… I wanted to be strong, for our family, just like my dad, who supported us and kept us going no matter what came our way, "Does he have to leave?" I sniffed, "Why couldn't it have been me?"

"Ooh! Light!" shot Genis's hand as he pointed straight for a blinding streak of rays that filled the whole opening of the forest that we had trekked through.

I didn't see nothing, not my mom's expression, Genis's, nor the vibrant energy from the Sun, I tried to, but couldn't prevent its strength from entering my eyes, so even though they were tightly covered by my eyelids still feeling sad for what I had done. The light dried up my tears as the heat hit my eyes, they opened reluctantly allowing me to see something that I had never expected, something that caused my third most greatest regret.

"Mommy? Is that the ocean?" Genis asked with great inquisitiveness to learn and a better knowledge of the world.

"Yes Genis." She answered, I guess it was because he was young, but my heart still wished for my mom to tell the truth to tell me what she really feels, I really wanted to understand her, and father.

Genis,if you can handle yourself out there that's all that matters…you know I love you, so please don't give up on your dreams…and…Presea.

And please don't tell the others of what happened, I want their lives to be happy without any worry for me, besides! I deserve this; I only wished I could still have done something to give to my parents, well…

SPLASH!

The water around me all fluttered into the air as a gush of wind brushed passed, my eyes closed gradually seeing nothing but darkness.

...Goodb-ye

"Ah!" Raine gasped with open eyes-speechless, "Zelos…" she said staring at Zelos's eyes which looked upwards at the sky feeling guilt, happiness, aspiration, astonishment, and peace.

Chirping was heard in the background as night began to fall exposing the moon's glow to outline and strike itself upon the tender grass, the beautiful scenery and two specific young figures sitting motionless and silently in the now parked limo-Rheaird.

"Pr-Presea…?" Genis whispered with a hope for an answer, "I-" though he was smart, he never anticipated the stillness of night, for it had the ability to allow the slightness of sound to pass through the air like a knife through butter, quick and painless.

"Yeah Genis?" Presea replied expressing no feelings to be shown outwardly, but inwardly she felt confusion, and a bit of gladness.

"I-" Presea was shocked, she didn't expect Genis to already say what she thought Genis was going to say, but she soon realized that Genis didn't say it, "wish I could tell you how I feel…words cannot describe this feeling…" Not even the night's affect on sound can allow Genis's words to be entered into Presea's ears, for these now weren't words of sound, they were words of mental ability; as Genis contemplated his final words, he turned his head away facing his back towards Presea.

The ocean lay there shimmering brightly reflecting the spectrum into a rainbow giving me a very cheerful smile. I had never known such happiness, it was I was too young to understand any sort of feeling and finally I understood happiness, it was peace and the fact that you know you're alive with the ones you love.

If I was too young to even understand my own self…my sister Raine and mother, and father, how sad I was when dad left, but I never understood why, and how confused I felt when I was always around Raine and mom; again I never understood.

"There!" I heard mother exclaim with no sense of directing that word to anyone but the air, and is surroundings.

…The ocean was so calm that day, I even saw some flying fish that jumped out leaving streams of water from behind with left me to laugh and point. It was such a good day to be on the water, but who would ever know how the water and the ones you trust can so suddenly betray you and leave you the worst of all feelings, especially those that one cannot even understand why and how he/she is feeling. And to top that, how was one to understand how the ones you truly love how they feel, when they don't say a word and show absolutely nothing.

"Mother!" Raine cried out crying so hard that she had never cried before, all I did was stand there and cry as well, but I cried because I saw such sadness in Raine, and worry in mother's face.

"If I die, as long as you're alive, so darling-Raine, keep your little brother alive and live, you understand…LIVE!" The last words she spoke out…

I had always thought she died after that until…"No mother!" Again my young mind could not interpret Raine's feelings, but at that time all I knew was that Raine was empowered, was she mad?

"R-R-Ra-Sis-Sister!" I yelled, but it was more of a squeak, because I was afraid and weak, "Stop!" I persisted.

Raine continued to scream, mother was already hanging with one hand off the edge of our small sail boat we were in, since we had seen it conveniently washed up on the shore and decided to use it to get to wherever mother wanted to go, for we had no clue where we were going, and what she had in her mind.

If only we had any idea of this happening, but who could have foreseen such a sudden change in weather like this, at one time we were sailing under a beautiful sky with birds singing above us, and there was barely any clouds, and at the next we were in a thunderstorm. We only took a small doze, and we weren't awakened by the sound of thunder and lightning alone, it was a shrill sound calling out. When I came to opening my senses to the world around me, Raine was already hands held with mother.

"You can't give up!" And now here I am, watching Raine scream her thoughts out, "We lost our home because of me," The storm seemed very violent, however it was strangely generous to us, for I was still five years old in our boat, and as much as it rocked back and forth we still seemed safe, and al I can see was the rain in front of my eyes not being able to see, only hear the sudden silence that stretched between Raine and mother, "We lost father because of me!" I heard her scream the last word trailing off into a tear stricken echo, "We aren't going to lose you because of me! You understand mother! We will live, but I won't allow us to live without you!" The last tear left my face as I sucked my finger as though as they were stunned to disappearance by the cries of the rain as they slowly departed to make way for the Sun…

It was clear that we were on land now, but how we got there, I could never recall, all I could remember after that night at sea, was waking up in mother's bosom seeing her smiling face.

"Mommy? Where's Raine?" I asked while being let go of her arms onto the soft sandy beach as her left arm grabbed my right arm she walked towards a crouched figure sitting.

At that moment I guess that that must have been Raine, but still felt scared, so I hugged close to mother's waist as she and I continued to walk towards her.

"Raine…" She said with a hint of curiosity letting go of my hand leaving me to stand on my own as I saw mother gently place her hand on Raine's back, "Dear?" I may not have been by Raine's side, but I saw from a short distance that her arms were around her legs with her head hung low, and then jerked my head downwards to see what she might have been looking at, and saw a couple of black spots on the sand, I became silent.

Not only had rain fell hard yesterday night, but Raine fell to a very painful time, and I was never able to understand all that. We were all in it, and in her mind it was all her fault.

"Sister…" I let out a faint whisper.

Because of that incident, no! Because I was unable to do anything, you are scared of water. You can't stand water, and you want no part in it, why? Why did I have to stand there? You braved through all the rain so you could get to mother, and save her!

"And I stood there doing nothing once again. I couldn't have saved you!" Genis sat facing the nothingness that surrounded around his isolation in thoughts, "Arigatou!" Presea looked at Genis as he continued to sit in silence and wishing she could figure out what was going on with Genis.

"I almost lost all hope…" Genis trailed off.

That night, even though you were young, even though I was young, even though the rain was there and fierce as it was with his friends, thunder and lightning, and the angry clouds looming overhead, you still never gave up to save our mother. You still kept hope… You protected me, you and mother, but most of all our hope to survive and live for dad!

"You were going to die, you couldn't swim, you hated water, and you were scared of it, the water could have engulfed you and swallowed you whole, and I was unable to do anything!" Genis pounded his fist at his legs, "But…"

Presea…You gave back my hope; I thought I couldn't go on, first our home, then our father, and mother, and now my sister. I almost gave up, but you were there to help me save myself from getting my sister back.

"Arigatou!" Genis exclaimed as he slowly turned to face Presea who had her head hung low, yet what he didn't know was that Presea was staring right back at him.

"Mother! I-" I stopped short gulping softly, "I'm sorry…" My face was already facing hers with tears streaming down my face which had just stopped, Mother's face however was peaceful and inviting, yet I knew that she would be confused as to what I said, "We are all here bec-" Again I stopped but this time I was surprised for being interrupted by my mom.

"Stop!" She stated firmly, "Raine Sage, It's not your fault that we are here, it's not anyone's fault, it's just how the world is, the world hates us and we just have to try and live our lives the fullest we can by hiding our true selves."

"But…" I was almost sure that mother would interrupt me again, but she didn't, "How? We aren't accepted anywhere, where can we live?"

"…" I didn't know what was going on, but through my eyes I could see that mother was speechless.

"I-'m sorry." I stuttered a bit for I wasn't sure what mother was feeling.

There was a long moment of silence, I saw a short figure standing a short distance away, but because of the Sun, I couldn't make out whom. Even so, I knew that that had to be Genis.

The silence soon died away when after peering using the only movement from my eyes and slight movement of the head, I saw a couple of puddles of small black dots on the sand, and taking a quick glance at the right, I knew that that must not have been mine.

Before long mother was crying and I couldn't do anything but watch and allow the rain to pour, because rain is something you can't control, especially if it is controlled by the will of a Mother, for Mother Nature at that time was very angry, and when a mother is angry the daughter will pour for her. Right now mother was sad, maybe Mother Nature doesn't necessarily have to always be mad to make her children cry for her, she could just well have been sad like mother.

"Mom…Mother!" I screamed only loud enough for Genis to hear a faint echo, "Stop! Stop it! Enough! Please don't cry for me, a disgrace to this family…"

"You stop it!" And at that instant mother's hands grabbed my shoulders, and we stared at each other's face, I could see wrinkles, but most of all was the glint of hope in her right eye that covered like a beauty mask all the years of suffering we've been through, and all the tears of sorrow. "Look at my face Raine! I'm not sad, I'm not mad, and most of all I'm not ashamed of you! You and Genis were born a half elf and will be hated by all half elves, father wanted to be taken away, it couldn't have been helped. Raine…" She stopped and sighed leaving me to stare at her continuously eyes wide opened, "I-We love you, so please don't put yourself down because of us…we…" And that was the final thing that I could remember from the traces of my memory that held any significance. In truth, I don't want to remember anymore, all I know now is, that I have a 'right to life!' and that mother and father always and forever will love us.

…Mother…Father…up until now, so many things happened, so many things that are in my mind, and so many things that I don't know what Genis could be thinking. But I am certain for one thing,

I was young, but even if I wasn't, whenever you were silent, everything you did was for us. I sure won't blame myself ever again, I'm proud that I have such caring parents, and that day at the beach you were silent when I said I was a disgrace, you felt sad because your love was interpreted wrongly. I shouldn't have done that, your love for me shouldn't be returned with my misunderstanding of your actions.

Father wherever you are, and mother you may have forgotten about the real us, but I have not, and both your sacrifices and pain you suffered with us it was all out of your dedication for our lives, and for that mother.

"I thank you...Arigatou Mom and Dad…Arigatou Zelos!"

Raine thought those last words as she her eyelids slowly covered the only vision into a dark world of nothingness; a deep sleep.

"Sweet dreams Raine!" The moon shone down at the shadowy figures of sleep and night creatures, except for one who wore pink and red hair tiptoed away to a sleep of his own leaving the now blanketed Raine into dreamland.

…as long as I'm alive, I will make this vow!

Dedication: I know this chapter late for Father's Day, but that was because this fic was accidentally dedicated to it. (I started this on Monday).

Announcement: For those of you who haven't heard/known, there is going to be a Tales of Symphonia OVA/Anime in the year of 2007.

Final Note: I have four reasons as to why I'm going to say this: The chapter's name, you people for reading/reviewing, NAMCO for FINALLY making a ToS anime, and to our fathers for being there for us…ARIGATOU!