Woot! Chapter four! Yeah, I feel my chapters are a bit short but I try to leave them at about 4-8 pages in my word processor. Later on, the chapters will get longer as I'll be putting in a lot more description and scenes. And I'll try to keep everyone in character, though Genis and Raine's characters will be slightly altered due to their different backgrounds. Don't worry, everyone else will pretty much be the same. I think. No promises! -shifty eyes- Wouldn't want to give away the surprises, now, would I?

I do not own Tales of Symphonia. If I did, Colette would have fallen into the lava in the Triet Ruins seal.

Enjoy!

Chapter Four:

Melancholy

Some time had passed since Raine was brought to the Research Academy. Thankfully, the man she met her first day kept to his word and she ate a measly bowl of Miso soup. That was the best meal she had, however. Afterwards, her meals were regulated by the meanest of the researchers; a human with an open disfavor of half elves and when asked, never gave a reason for the explicit hatred. It didn't take Raine long to realize she was going to be through a lot of hell on Tethe'alla. The things her mother told her about the Academy barely scratched the surface of the true repugnance contained within the walls. Virginia's description of "half elves locked in rooms" and "experiments that were derogatory to humans and elves alike" sounded pleasant compared to the real horror she experienced every day. Like a nightmare come true, Raine lived the woke up to the despair, wishing she hadn't.

The prodigy's days consisted of painful experiments and tests. They seemed meaningless and downright cruel and unnecessarily excruciating; there was no reason to inform the girl of her mistakes by way of electric shocks, skipped meals, verbal abuse, and beatings. Frequent beatings. Maybe the head researchers liked causing her pain. But why? Just because she was born smart? Starvation was definitely not beneficial to her health. Why would food effect the results of the test? Wouldn't they... raise them?

She thought about how good her life used to be. At least when she ran away from the Academy, she was running with her family and they were together. Sitting around a campfire during the middle of the night was a joyous occasion; Raine didn't even mind the bugs that would crawl into her food. Eventually, she decided to share and they seemed to back off. When she cooked, however, none of the bugs came around. She could never figure out why.

"Alright." Mistress Janet, as Raine was instructed to refer to the head researcher as, snapped some papers on a clipboard. "Let's get this over with."

Raine winced, swallowing loudly. "I'm in a lot of pain, though." Bandages covered her arms and leg, some with dried clots of deep red blood. The rags she wore barely dressed her body; as if someone merely cut pieces of old, dirty cloth together and had them sown by a blind man in the dark, upside down.

"Shut up and do as I say; otherwise no dinner," Janet demanded, growing irritated.

"Yes, Mistress Janet," Raine sighed. She couldn't afford to lose another meal over an experiment. She'd be lucky if she could even eat afterwards.

"Good." The woman pointed to a screen hovering above her head. "This is what you're going to do. Shapes will appear on this screen corresponding with these buttons." She directed Raine's attention to a platform, holding the testing equipment. "This experiment will test your memory skills. The shapes will only show up once and you must remember their order. If you get it wrong. . . well, wait and see."

It didn't take long for Raine to guess the punishment induced for incorrect answers. A strap was placed on her neck and tightened to the point where breathing became more difficult than it should have been. Her complaints fell on insensitive ears for Janet did not care openly expressed for lack of concern for the half elf's protests. She scolded Raine for complaining; three licks with a thick metal tipped whip. Every hit landed on her legs; the most tender part of the girl's body. Raine cried out in pain and fell to the cold floor, rubbing her now painfully red flesh. Deeply discolored marks decorated her skin.

"Get up!" Janet lifted the whip for round two.

The girl struggled to her feet, using the wall for support. "What was that for?!" she shot back, hotly.

"Silence, NOW!" the mistress screamed.

Raine's sobs dwindled and she obeyed instructions, still pulsing with anger over her unfair punishment. She pushed her silver hair back; it was soiled for baths were not frequent in the Academy for test subjects.

Janet returned her attention to the testing area. The machine sang as she pushed buttons with a single finger. "Sit down so we can finish this."

"Not like you're doing anything but sitting back and watching," Raine whispered under her breath while walking.

Janet's eyes narrowed as she paused from her duties. "If you have something to say, say it out loud. I will not tolerate disrespect. Especially from a HALF elf." The last two words made her body jerk back in revulsion, as if she had just said the nastiest, most deprecating terms in the history of Tethe'alla.

Raine tilted her head down and lowered her eyes, ashamed of what she could not control nor had a choice in becoming. "I'm sorry." Apologizing for the inevitable; the sad tale of a half elf.

It's not hard to believe why her race came to hate themselves. Constant oppression blocked the path to many rights and opportunities both humans and elves knew they were entitled to, yet refused to allow. Execution became a daily announcement; it was more like a half elf genocide. Even Virginia began researching an imaginary land called Sylvarant; her last hope for her children to escape the unjust tyranny. Raine always believed Sylvarant was the moon, or at least that's what she learned in the few books her hands came in contact with. Actually, her undying passion for books is that sparked the Academy's interest in her. They were so close to the Otherworldly Gate one night, so close to hallucinations of freedom and equality, so close to a dreams were unable to sympathize with. Sovereignty was an illusion; just another lie her mother put her to sleep on, just another farfetched dream none felt could be fulfilled.

"You should know I'm doing you a favor," said Janet with a proud tone ringing in the back of her voice. She flipped back a piece of her hair, increasing her field of vision. "Not too many people would even touch a half elf, let alone experiment on them."

"Doing me a favor?" Raine replied, first in agreement. Then her head shot up as she came to her senses, burning with unshed tears and crimson cheeks. "NEVER!" she screamed. "You demand my body, chase my family, threaten my father, and lock me in a cage like an animal! That's doing me a favor!? You filthy witch!" By the time she realized what she had said, it was too late. She quickly covered her mouth with her hand as her eyes widened in fear.

Janet's eyes flickered with shock, which changed to anger and rage in a matter of seconds. Growling through her gritted teeth like a wild animal, she charged at the half elf with god-like speed, her heels clicking like the morse code of death. She dropped the whip and raised the clipboard in the air, warning the girl of her intent to attack. Raine could not escape; her neck nearly snapped off when she attempted to run. The girl merely braced for impact, covering her face with her hands.

It seemed like an eternity, but soon the impact came.

And soon after, the darkness.

- - - - - - -

"Uncle Botta!" A little half elf boy bounced down the hallways of the Tethe'alla Renegade base. With carefree steps, he hummed a mysterious song that resounded and recoiled against the walls. He had a paper in his hand, an assortment of colors and shaped decorated its face with no regards to consistency.

"Yes, Genis?" Botta peeked his head out of the door just in time to see Genis stroll closer to him.

"I made you something!" Excitedly, he held up the paper and smiled.

Botta took the paper. He chuckled nervously as he turned the picture around, trying to find the top and separate it from the bottom; the picture was merely a colorful blob. "Ah, wonderful, Genis," he lied.

Genis giggled happily and widened his smile. "Where's Daddy?"

"Yuan is working on something very important," Botta replied.

"But where?!" The adolescent moaned, annoyed with his uncle's vague answer. He revealed a second piece of paper, slightly wrinkled on the edges and...was that a purple satay stain on the side? It most likely had the same turn out as the first grotesque piece of art. "I gots to give him this."

The Renegade sighed. "Alright, but you have to promise to be quiet and not disturb Daddy while he's working, okay?" Genis nodded. "Promise?"

"Promise." He nodded his head for a second time, confirming his comprehension.

Botta folded his arms. Yuan would definitely scold him for this later. "He's in his office working on something VERY important."

"Okay!" Genis exclaimed and turned on his heels, ready to dart off.

"Remember to knock on the door before entering!" he called out when the boy was half way down the hall.

"Okay!" the boy repeated, increasing his speed before his uncle could remind him of something else.

True to his promise, Genis stopped running when he turned the corner to Yuan's office. He regulated his breathing and wiped the dripping sweat from his forehead. The Seraph discouraged his childish behavior, yet came to terms with it. Genis was rebuked occasionally for running in the hallways, especially after the rhieard incident... the dents would never come out and Charles still wouldn't approach the rhieard's hanger, no matter how many times Yuan assured him that it would never happen again.

Knock. Knock.

"Come in," a voice called from inside.

With feeble strength, the boy jumped to reach a button and opened the door. "It's me, Daddy." Genis darted inside and ran right to the side of Yuan's desk.

Yuan groaned and buried his face in his hands. "Botta dies for this later..." he whispered to himself.

The boy looked at his father with a slight disappointment. "You didn't want to see me, Daddy?" His face was in shock as he looked up with watery eyes, sniffling as if about to burst into tears. "I have a present for you."

"No, Genis, that's not it. I'm just a bit busy."

"Well," Genis replied, making a full recovery. He stepped closer and began climbing on Yuan's lap and placed a crumbled piece of paper on his desk, making it impossible to ignore, "I made a picture for you."

"Heh," the Seraph sighed in defeat. "It's wonderful, Genis."

The boy's eyes flashed brightly and he smiled. "Really?!" he squealed.

Somehow, Yuan moved the paper to the side without Genis noticing. Work he had been working on previously occupied with was revealed. "Yes, thank you."

"Yay!" Genis hugged his father. "Uncle Botta got one too," he whispered as if it were the biggest secret in the world.

"Oh really?" Yuan replied, attempting to sound interested.

"Yeah!" he exclaimed. Then he moved in closer; standing on Yuan's lap to reach his ear, though his angelic ears could hear miles away. His face grimed. Genis barely missed stepping on the Seraph's central vital organs. Not all of his body was immune to pain. "But his doesn't have glitter."

"Oh?" he sang, slightly relieved that Genis missed stepping on sensitive parts of his body. "Why no glitter for him?"

The boy plopped back on Yuan's lap, letting gravity guide his fall, and folded his arms, just like Daddy. "I ran out," he moaned with a twisted face.

The angel laughed. "Unfortunate for him."

"And Phil wouldn't take me to Flanoir to get more!"

"Phil could be busy."

"Hmph, I guess."

"Thank you for the picture, Genis, but I must return to my work."

"What are you doing?" Genis peered on Yuan's desk, scanning over the disheveled stack of papers.

"Work," Yuan replied blandly, as he grew annoyed with the boy's persistence.

Genis turned to get a better look, curious about the work his father did daily. "What's a..." he scooter closer to the desk, squinting his icy blue eyes in an attempt to make sense of the mysterious words on the paper, "cru-cru...eck?"

"Cruxis," the angel corrected, rolling his eyes.

"What's that?"

Throwing his face into his hands for the second time, Yuan sighed. He had to get rid of the boy; deadlines were running closer and closer. "If you leave me in peace, I'll take you to Flanoir to get glitter."

The toddler's face brightened. He clapped his hands together rapidly. "Hmm," Genis thought to himself, "AND," he included, stressing the vowel, "Altamira!"

Yuan's eyes widen with shock. "What?!"

"Oh, PLEASE, Daddy!?" Genis batted his teary eyes.

"What do you want from Altamira?!"

"Paint," he replied, throwing his face upwards to smile. "I'm all out."

"Why do you need paint?" exclaimed the father Seraph, growing more and more irritated.

"Well, surely you don't expect me to draw a picture of you with YELLOW hair!" Genis replied with shock, sounding completely serious as he shook his head and threw his hands into the air to emphasize his point. How could he possibly draw Yuan without the blue paint?

Yuan growled. "Oh Martel," he pleaded to the air.

"Please?!" Genis repeated.

"Alright, alright. Just leave me alone for a little while, okay?"

"Paint and glitter?" he asked, repeating the terms as if it were a binding contract.

"Yes, yes! I will take you to Altamira to get the paints and then Flanoir to get the glitters." Picking up Genis with little to no effort, he placed the boy back on the floor in a standing position. "Now run along," he commanded, waving his hand in the direction of the door. "I've work to do."

Finally satisfied, the boy nodded and ran to the door. "Okay. Thanks! Bye, Daddy!" he chirped before running away.

The angel shook his head and returned to his work.

To tell the truth, I giggled a lot when while typing up the scene with Yuan and Genis. It's just so much fun to poke fun at him! xD And he's so hot... especially in the manga -drool- His cape flaps with such undeniable awesomeness. He's just Yuan ♥ Of course Genis can't draw Yuan without the blue paints! Who has yellow hair?! Blah.

Oh, yeah. I suppose I should explain why it's named Melancholy. A synonym for melancholy is bittersweet. That word is my new obsession Xx Don't ask, just nod and agree with me. While Genis is living a rather sweet life, Raine's is bitter. Poor girl got the mess knocked out of her! Janet is such an evil witch. Suppose it's also time to raise the rating huh? Anyways, read and rate! Constructive criticism makes me smile.