I sighed as I sat down in the corner back seat of the bus. I had been so busy today. First I had gone ice skating with my mum then I went disco rollerblading with my sister, then I remembered I had to buy a few items of clothing which shall go unmentioned so my sister went home and I went shopping with my ice skates and rollerblades in my bag, along with my first aid kit. (If I'm going ice skating and then rollerblading I am going to bring something for when I undoubtedly injure myself. Weirdly enough, I didn't.)

I had bought what I needed as well as some cool socks, something else which shall go unmentioned and two new wigs. One was a long brown one the same colour as my hair and the other was short, spiky and red! It looked a lot like Kratos' hair.

I look around at the other people on the bus as it starts moving. There was a young man sitting in front of me, a middle aged woman on the other back corner seat, a young couple with a small girl diagonally in front of me, an elderly couple near the front and three men and one woman sitting in the middle of the bus, they were older than their prime but not old.

I sighed and looked out the window. I frowned. This wasn't the normal rout. The driver turned around. "Sorry everyone. It looks like I took a wrong turn somehow. I don't know how, I haven't made any turns yet. I'll see if I can get us back on rout."

He kept driving but everything around us soon turned into thick vegetation, there wasn't even a road anymore.

This place was nowhere near where we started.

Suddenly there was a bright light and the sensation of falling. I saw the ground coming and dived on the little girl. I held onto the bottom of the seats and held her down over them both just as the bus hit the ground. I heard everyone scream and I felt the both of us lift up slightly but I held strong. There was several thuds and then silence. I stood up and looked the girl over. "Are you ok?" I asked gently, when she nodded I turned to her parents. Her mother was fine but her dad had been next to the window so he had some glass shards in his face, it didn't look too serious.

I stand up taller and look around the bus. "Is everyone alright? Is anyone injured?"

Two other people had glass damage but the driver was in a bad way. I carefully step over to him and gently examined him. Not as bad as it looked. I opened the door and undid his seat belt and removed some of the broken bits of metal and plastic from him. "Can someone bring my rucksack over? It's in the back corner." The man from in front of me did so and I pulled out my first aid kit. "It's not much but it will have to do." Just as I am about to start tending his injuries I hear something behind me and turn around.

Oh, god no.

I would recognise that uniform anywhere.

Desians.

Oh, shit. Oh shit. Oh shit.

"Stay here." I tell everyone. I picked up my rucksack by the handle, took a deep breath and step out of the completely broken door. I pick up a broken bit of door as I went past. This will have to do.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?"

Three of them, all male. One had a sword at his hip, large, bulky, bigger arms than legs. Swordsman, relies on brute strength, less on agility and speed.

"Some humans in a metal contraption."

One had a cross bow. Tall light build, skinny. Archer; relies on speed, agile, not so good at hand to hand.

"What do you think we should do with them?"

Last one, no visible weapon. Robes. Short, stat, not one for speed, agility or strength. Mage, long range, no physical strength.

"Let's take them to the ranch."

I frown and take a step closer. "If you want them, you will have to go though me." I was honestly surprised that my voice didn't give away just how terrified I was. What the hell was I doing?!

"Aw, little boy thinks he's tough does he?"

I snapped. I lunged the few steps between us and swung my bag at the swordsman's head. Did I forget to mention that my ice skates and my rollerblades where in there? Yeah, that thing weighed a lot! It was heavy. He spun around and his helmet made a satisfying sound. I dropped the metal bit of door I had and pulled his sword out of his sheath. I spun on my foot and took a swipe at the archer, who was standing next to the swordsman at the time. Unfortunately I had misjudged the distance and his height. The sword went right into his neck. I heard a sickening squelch and nearly gagged.

I pulled the sword out of his neck and lunged at the mage who was fumbling with some kind of sash or scroll. I got him in the neck too, though I have no idea how. I turned around and looked at the swordsman. He was groaning and half his helmet was cleaved in. I took a deep breath and stabbed him in the neck. It was kinder than letting him suffer with the head wound he must have under that helmet. I stabbed the sword into the ground and started searching through their pockets.

Ah ha! Some bottles and some gummy things I assumed where gels.

I went back to the bus driver and looked his wounds over again.

"You-You just killed those people!" Someone said. I was too preoccupied with the driver's wounds to care who.

"You heard of the Nazis? Those guys are just like them, concentration camps an all. Difference? They don't target Jews, they target everyone. Trust me when I say you do not want to get captured by them." I picked up a gel and sniffed it. Lemon, excellent. I rubbed it into his wounds and watched as they healed before my eyes. I made him eat one after I was done, just to make sure there was no internal damage.

I then handed out gels to everyone else and made sure no one else was injured. I sighed. "We're not safe here. I know where we can find a safe refuge. Give me a minute to gather everything up. Take all your belongings with you off the bus, we can't leave them here." I step off the bus and move back over to the Desians. I look back over my loot. There were some gold coins which I assumed were gald. Why would they have gald on them? Huh. There was some kind of bag the mage had. Upon closer inspection I discovered it to be a lot bigger on the inside. The swordsman also had a thin metal thing that resembled the tin I have in my rucksack for things I use during my 'Dragon weak' as my sister referred it to as once.

Ironic since my name is Drake.

I discovered this was a wing pack. Unusual to have one in Sylvarant. I packed my things in this and stared at the bus for a moment. "Do you all have everything you brought with you?" They all nodded and held up several bags. I winced at the amount of earth tech we were bringing with us but it couldn't be helped. I raised the wing pack and stored the bus in it. I chose to ignore their stunned faces for a while until we were somewhere safer and I was better able to explain. There were small bits of debris of the floor but none of them looked like they could be useful to the Desians.

I put the wingpack in my rucksack. I then undo the belt from the swordsman and fasten it to myself. I tied the bag I took from the mage to one side and sheath the sword on the other. I looked at the back of the swordsman's hands. There, Exsphere. I take a deep breath and pull. The Key Crest takes a bit of pulling but I eventually get it off. I wiped it clean on his shirt and attached it to the back of my hand. I put the Key Crest on first. I'm not that dumb.

Ow. It felt like it was drilling into the back of my hand and I got the feeling it was not coming off any time soon. I place the Exsphere in the Key Crest and wince at the feeling. I then got a sudden adrenalin rush.

I stood up carefully and looked around. Let me see. The Desians came from that way and the sun is in the same direction. If it was the same time as when we left that would mean the Desians came from the west.

I look at the uniforms again. Purple. Asguard. We were near Kvar's ranch. "Oh, Sugary Fudge Sticks."

"What?" Someone asked.

"The uniform. It's purple. These people are called Desians. The purple uniform is the Asguard ranch." I explain.

"What is so bad about that one?" Someone asked.

"The leader of the Asguard ranch is a man named Kvar. He is as sadistic as they come. He loves to watch people put through torturous experiments. He loves to hear them scream. We really, really do not want to be here. Come, we need to head this way, to Luin. From there we can restock on supplies and get to Asguard. It's safer."

Everyone nodded and we set out. I had to take care of a few forest creatures that got too curious and we were lucky not to run into any more Desians. When it got dark we stopped for the night. There was nothing to eat so we would have to go hungry. No problem for me, I rarely eat anyway.

I sigh and turn to everyone. I begin to explain to them about how we are not on earth anymore. They don't believe me but have no choice once I point out the unexplained rout the bus took despite the driver not taking a wrong turn, then the bright light and falling. I also managed to use a demon fang against a tree and they were forced to admit that I was right. (please don't ask how I was able to do that because I have no idea.)

I explained as much about Sylvarant as I could, omitting the separated worlds and the true purpose of Cruxis and the Desians. I kept everything to what knowledge you have at the beginning of the game, before you meet Sheena.

When I was finished everyone was silent, taking in what they had heard.

I hear the girl sniffing and walk over and crouch down in front of her. "Hey, what's the matter?" I tilt my head.

She sniffed. "I'm scared."

I smile and tilt her head up to look at me. "Hey, don't worry. I'm not going to let anything happen to you. I promise. And I never go back on my word. I'll protect you and your mum and dad too."

"Promise?"

"Pinkie promise." I held out my little finger and she wrapped hers around mine. I shook our hands like that and she giggled.

I stood guard by them that night. I watched over them. I also investigated the air. There was something in it. I realised after a second that this was mana. I knew I couldn't feel it like a half-elf or an elf would but since I came from a world with no mana it made sense that I could sense something that was not there my whole life.

I experimented with it. I found that I could gather up the mana from the environment around me. I focused on it and tried to see if I could pull up different elements in the mana. There was a lot of mana with a 'light' feeling to it, considering how close we were to the tower of mana that was hardly surprising.

I tried to find any way possible to distract myself from thinking about what happened that morning/yesterday. These people needed me to be strong until we got to Luin. I could not allow myself to think about it. I could not allow it to affect me.

That was affecting me more than the fact that I was in Tales of Symphonia. I had read my fair share of self inserts so I knew I could just ask Origin to send me home... probably. If I met the wonder chef at any time I could ask him. That guy is some kind of inter-dimensional, omniscient being wasn't he?

I woke my group up near morning. We set out early and made it out of the forest within a few minutes. I paused and looked around. The sky was slightly lighter along the horizon to my left which would be east. Luin must be to the south west... I think... well, I knew which direction it was in I just didn't know via the compass. I have always been terrible with a compass but I could find anywhere by reading a map. I angled us that way and we set off across the field. We had to stop frequently because of the little girl. I could tell some of the older ones were also getting tired. I look to the west and see a group of people.

I hold my breath when I realised they were heading towards us. I pull out my sword and get ready. It was weird that they should be coming from the west. The ranch was north of us now. I sigh in relief when I realise none of them are in a Desian uniform. Two of them were in white, most likely priest uniforms.

I put my sword away and wait for them to get closer. As they get closer I can make out two priests and two people with swords, mercenaries?

When they get closer I wave one arm in the air and hail them over. They have provisions. Thank god.

"Are you all alright?" one of the mercenaries asked when they got close enough not to have to shout.

I nod. "Mostly, we have no provisions. We only just managed to escape from some Desian scouts. Can you tell us, which way to Luin?"

The mercenaries looked at each other and shared a look before looking to the priests. The priests gave us some of their provisions and looked us over. None of us were wounded thanks to my stolen gels.

The priests then offered to take us back to Luin with them. Apparently they had gone out to research the tower of mana and had spotted us on the way back. I accepted their offer with the socially expected amount of reluctance and gratitude and we got a guide back to Luin. When we arrived I looked over my group. They were shocked by what they saw. I had explained about Sylvarant being behind the times but I don't think they were expecting this.

I sigh. This was going to be hard.

When we got to Luin we were shown rooms at the inn. I was annoyed I had to explain I was a girl. After everyone had gone to bed I snuck out and crept out of the city. I then collapsed onto my hands and knees and threw up. I flinched when I felt a hand on my back. After a moment I had nothing left to throw up so I just clung to the soldier who had followed me out and cried.

When I had calmed down I apologised to him and explained about what had happened. My first, second and third kill. He held me close that night and told me different ways I could deal with it. I listened and eventually fell asleep in his arms. I woke up in my room at the inn a few hours later.

I never did find out who that soldier was.

There were still a few hours until sunrise so I sat on the bed and thought things through. So, I was in Tales of Symphonia. I had taken a bunch of other people with me. If I had a guide they would most definitely tell me to not die and that I could not interfere with the course of history. We would have to wait at least until the end of the game when the worlds were reunited before we could go home.

The next morning we all got some new clothes so we could fit in easier. I ended up wearing boy's clothes since I would not be caught dead in a dress. All I needed was a thick body warmer to hide my chest and I could easily pass off as a fifteen year old boy. I have done so many times before.

I ended up wearing black boots that reached half way up my calf. I had dark brown trousers that tucked into them. I was wearing a black shirt and over that I had a royal blue and black body warmer which was bulky enough to disguise my boobs. I had black fingerless gloves on to cover up my Exsphere. I wasn't ready to face that just yet.

We stayed in Luin for a little while. I earned some money to pay for our room at the inn by working in the docks. Since I had an Exsphere I was able to lift and carry things, that usually took two or more men, by myself. I really sped up loading and unloading. Some of the others chipped in for the room too. The woman who was sitting at the back with me (Sara) turned out to be an excellent baker and worked with the village bakeries. She taught them loads of recipes and earned a good sum from that. The mother (Joanne) of the little girl (Mary-Anne) worked in a nursery school and brought the idea of a crèche to Luin. There was a spare building in the shopping district which was renovated and turned into a crèche.

The women of Luin now had somewhere to leave their young children while they shop, this also gave several women around the village a job since they knew how to look after kids and where able to work there easily.

When I wasn't working at the docks I was training with the town guard. I have amazingly good muscle memory and picked up physical things easily. I picked up sword fighting really easily.

I found that the Desian broadsword I had was too heavy and after a bit of testing and measuring the blacksmith disappeared for a day. When he came back he had three swords for me. They looked almost Japanese in make. I found them really easy to use. I usually used the shortest one as a shield while I used the middle length blade. I used the longest when I was fighting the only soldier on the village who uses a spear. I was able to get in closer and avoid the spear head. Since it was so long I ended up having to use both hands for it so I couldn't use the short one with it.

Two months after we arrived I gathered my group up in one of the rooms we had at the inn.

I sighed. "So, we have been here for two months. I was not planning on us staying this long. Do you all still wish to go to Asguard?" I looked up each of them. Somehow I had been elected leader. This was weird for me because I am not normally a leader. I don't like leading and I am much more happy sitting at the back, doing what I'm told and not interacting with anyone.

The group was me, Barry (the young man sitting in front of me), Sara (the woman sitting across from me at the back) Joanne (The mother), Steve (The father), Mary-Anne (The little girl), Alison (The elderly woman), Stephen (The elderly man), Jake (One of the two men), Scot (One of the other man and Jake's brother), Simon (The third man), Lucy (The other woman) and Gary (the bus driver).

Gary looked thoughtful. "You said it was safer than Luin?"

I nod. "I think it is. It is further away from the ranches, Kvar usually comes here, I think. There is also Hima. It is further around to the West. I don't think the Desians bother it much since it is so small. That could either work in your favour or against it, less people to choose from if they do turn up."

In the end, Joanne, Steve, Mary-Anne, Sara, Alison and Stephen decided to stay in Luin. So I would be taking Barry, Jake, Scot, Simon, Lucy and Gary to Asguard. We stocked up and left the next morning. I was reluctant to leave them behind as this meant that they would be there when the Desians attack the city. I had grown fond of them, despite my phobia of people.

The trek to Asguard was uneventful. There were a few monster attacks but nothing too serious. We got there in good time and we still had most of our supplies left over. When we got to Asguard we looked at each of the inns. The cheapest one was the only one we could afford. Within a few days Gary the bus driver had got a job with the dragon cart driver, Lucy got a job as the mayor's maid (with board and lodgings), Simon took an internship with the village blacksmith, Jake got a job at the item shop and Scot got a job at the food store.

Barry was a surprise. He moved in with Harley (the only half-elf in the city) and started working with him on research. Apparently he had always found architecture to be fascinating. He didn't seem to care at all when he was told that Harley was a half-elf. 'He's not like the Desians we met before. I trust him.'

I managed to steal a pass from a guy selling them for obscene prices and made my way over Hakonesia Peak. I hate mountains. I really hate mountains. I had no trouble getting past Koton. I made it to the house of salvation and from there to Palmacosta with surprisingly little issue.

With what money I had I was able to buy some more supplies. I then asked around about boats. I wanted to get to Iselia and if I could avoid Triet all the better. I burned very easily. I was so pale I gave the term 'white' a new definition. I do not do well with extreme heat. Not as bad as my brother but still bad.

Cold was worse so I was hoping that being so close to a desert made Iselia warmer during the winter than I was used to. I was also hoping I could avoid Flanoir all together. I have serious trouble regulating my own body temperature.

I found out that no passenger ships went from Palmacosta to Iselia but there was a cargo ship due to depart. I helped with loading the boat and offered to work in exchange for passage. I was told to get a mop and start cleaning.

The men on the ship were surprised when they found out I was a girl. They had been curious as to why I had requested my own room. One of them walked in on me getting dressed. It got very awkward for a little bit and the one who walked in on me would not stop blushing every time he saw me. I honestly didn't care. I have no sense of decency.

We were half way there when the weather took a turn for the worst. Dark clouds covered the sky, the wind picked up and the sea became more violent. I quickly packed up all my stuff and put my bag on, just in case. We were almost at Iselia when the storm really hit. I can't remember much. There was a lot of sliding around on deck, desperately trying to protect the ship. I lowered the mainsail myself since I had an Exsphere and was much stronger than I looked.

I sucked in a breath as a wave reached up above us, the ship turned sideways and the wave crashed over the top of us. I felt something hit my side and I grabbed onto it. I then surfaced from the sea and realised I was holding a bit of wood. I stayed holding onto that wood for as long as I could. The sea threw me about and I kept getting sent under.

I was running out of strength. I hadn't heard anyone else shouting out for a while.

I was sent under and accidentally let go of the wood. I tried to swim upwards but I was too tired. It was actually quite peaceful down here. I couldn't hear the storm, I couldn't feel the waves, it was very calming.

I sighed and closed my eyes. This wasn't so bad.