A/N: HAHAHAHAH...AHAH...hah...

Yes, I'm still alive. Remember how I said I was gonna finish this damn thing before I turned thirty? Well, I'm turning thirty-one next month. Oops.

What's new? Well, dumbass teenager is now a dumbass adult. I hustled too hard in my twenties, burnt out spectacularly, dated the wrong people, had crazy roommates, went back to college, went through a global pandemic, and moved a million times. Got away from writing for a while. Now I'm getting back in touch with fandoms and embracing all my nerdy hobbies again!

Am I going to finish this story? I REALLY WANT TO. It'll be an interesting exhibition of how my writing evolved over the course of my life, lmao.

Anyway, I'm done rambling. Enjoy your first update in six and a half freakin' years!

After our relatively brief stint in Sylvarant, it felt weird to be going back to Tethe'alla already—but it wasn't entirely a bad thing. I felt strangely reassured; maybe it was a naïve way of thinking, but as long as we were in Tethe'alla, it meant we weren't making that final pact. There was a sort of distance there that made me feel a little safer. My dread over the whole thing was growing by the day.

Mizuho was our next major stop, but there was no extreme rush to get there. We had settled on the idea of revisiting a few important places to different members of the group, so we decided to spend the day at Altessa's so we could see Mithos again. I was less than enthused. But hey, at least it wasn't my birthday yet.

"Everyone! You're back!"

When we arrived at the dwarf's house, Mithos and Tabatha were standing outside; apparently he had been teaching her about the different types of clouds in the sky. It would've been cute, if my knowledge of him didn't sour the whole scene.

He was excited to see us, but his face fell when he saw the sad look on Genis's face. We all went inside and sat at the big dining room table and explained exactly what the plan was and what it meant for the two worlds. It felt weird to be revealing the whole plan to the leader of Cruxis himself—he had to already know, though, right?

"So… you're saying I won't get to see you guys anymore?" Mithos asked quietly. "I won't get to see Genis ever again?"

"I'm sorry, Mithos…" Genis replied. "I don't like it either. But if we don't do this, the two worlds will keep hurting each other!"

"…I understand. It's all right."

The blond stood up abruptly, and then turned on his heel and disappeared down the hall in the direction of his bedroom. There was a pause, and then we heard a door close—it wasn't slammed shut, but it pierced the awkward silence with its finality all the same.

"MITHOS IS UPSET," Tabatha declared, as if we hadn't already figured that out.

"Kid's really embracing his teenage angst," Zelos commented dryly.

"Shut up, Zelos!" Genis snapped, standing up. "It's not funny!"

He turned and stormed out the front door, almost mirroring what his friend had done moments before—except Genis did slam the door, and slammed it with vigor. I was mildly impressed.

"Genis…" Lloyd hopped to his feet, but Raine placed a hand on his arm to stop him.

"He won't go far. Let's give him some space. Isn't that what we're here for?"

"Idiot," I heard Sheena hiss to my left, and I saw her kick Zelos in the shin out of the corner of my eye.

I didn't really blame him. It was hard to feel sorry for Mithos in any capacity when he was lying to Genis on such a massive scale. I just happened to bite my tongue more often than Zelos did, and that was the only reason I wasn't also receiving a scolding right now.

I did feel bad for Genis, though. This was the first half elf friend his age he'd ever had, and now he was facing such a tough decision. It was too much strain on the poor kid on top of everything else.

We ended up leaving them both to their own devices for a while. It was a good opportunity to take stock of our supplies and actually breathe for a minute now that we were in a more relaxed environment than the Renegade base.

"If it's all right..." Presea spoke up. "I'd like to go to Ozette to visit Daddy one more time."

"Yes, I understand," Raine replied. "There's still plenty of daylight left, and Ozette isn't far. Genis and I could go with you; it might do him some good to walk with us."

"I'll go, too," Lloyd volunteered. He turned to look at the rest of us. "Are you guys okay with staying behind?"

"That's fine by me," Sheena said. "Be careful."

"Dinner will be waiting when you return," Regal reassured them. "Perhaps by then Mithos will be in better spirits."

"Thank you," Presea said. "I will go look for Genis."

With that, she picked up her pack and walked out the door. I had little doubt that even despite his current mood, Genis would be more than happy to accompany her. At the very least it would give him some distance from the situation and time away from Mithos to mull over his decision.

It didn't take long for Raine and Lloyd to get ready, and after a quick goodbye they followed Presea out. Tabatha was tidying up the kitchen and Altessa was busy in his workshop, so that left Regal, Sheena, Zelos, Colette and I.

"Man," Zelos sighed. "Now what? At least the Renegade base had more to do."

"Now nothing," I said, stretching. "Dunno about you guys, but I have a dud arm and I'm gonna rest up while I can." I stood, strolling over to a squat bookcase in the corner and pulling out the first text I saw. My face fell. "It's all in dwarven…"

I let out a small huff, miffed. Why couldn't this world just have newspapers? I wanted a crossword or a Sudoku or something. Maybe I'd just go to bed early…

"Ha-ha," Zelos said from his corner. "See? You're bored already."

I turned to stick my tongue out at him. "Think of something, hotshot, or I'm taking a nap."

"You two…" Sheena already had a palm pressed to her forehead.

"Wait, I know!" He grinned. "Let's play two truths and a lie. Pops, you in?"

Regal raised an eyebrow, seeming a bit dubious. "Well, I suppose it would kill the time."

"Huh?" Colette tilted her head. "How does it work?"

"Oh, we have this game back home too," I said, mildly intrigued—mostly at what crazy stories Zelos might come up with. "You have to say three things about yourself. Two of them are the truth, and one is a lie. Everyone has to guess which thing is the lie."

"Yeah, but it can't be obvious," Sheena piped up. "Usually people come up with unique facts about themselves for the truths just to throw everyone else off. I don't know if this is the best game for me, though, Zelos… considering where I'm from."

"Aw, c'mon, Sheena! There's gotta be some stuff you can use that isn't top secret Mizuho business," Zelos protested.

"Well… okay. Only because I can't resist seeing what weird facts you use for your truths."

"Right?!" I elbowed her, grinning.

"You ladies are just jealous of what a colorful life I've led," Zelos said, unfazed. "So how about it, my little angel?"

"Of course! This sounds fun!"

With that, we all sat around the table, and I couldn't stop my lips from tugging up in an amused little grin. This ought to be interesting…

"Okay. Soooo… let's see…" It was Zelos' turn again, and he was grinning wickedly. "Oh, I know. One… when I was twelve, I had a pet manticore for three weeks. Two… I've had a fan gift me a doll made with locks of her hair. And three—I've dated five women at the same time."

Sheena and I groaned, Regal pressed a hand to his chin, and Colette giggled and clapped her hands. Zelos was the worst, and he was winning this game by a landslide. He just had too many weird stories.

"What was the manticore's name?" I demanded.

"Manny," Zelos replied.

I smacked my forehead. "Manny the manticore? Are you kidding me?"

"C'mon, I was twelve!"

Sheena heaved a sigh. "Okay, I'll bite. Why did you have a manticore as a pet?"

"It had a broken leg. I was nursing it back to health." He shrugged. "In the sewers, of course. Nobody really knew about it."

"Aw, Zelos, that's so sweet! Manny must've been so cute," Colette chirped.

I laid my head down on the table, stifling defeated laughter. This was ridiculous. How was Zelos even a real person? Okay, okay, what else… the crazy doll thing, that didn't surprise me. Neither did the fact about him simultaneously dating multiple women.

"Who was this fan of yours?" Regal asked.

"It was actually one of my classmates at the University in Sybak," Zelos laughed. "Said it was part of an experiment. I never really figured out what that one was about."

"Please tell me you don't still have this doll," Sheena said.

"Hell no. I hid it behind some books in the library when she wasn't around."

"What were the names of your five girlfriends?" Colette asked.

"Trish, Lily, Kayleigh, Sophie and Leanne," Zelos replied, barely even hesitating.

I felt my lip curl a bit. That jerk, he had me again. I was annoyed because a part of me wished I knew him well enough to be able to tell when he was fibbing, but I was failing so far. Nobody had caught him in a lie yet and this was his third turn.

Zelos glanced over at the clock on the wall. "Oh, time's up. What do you guys say?"

"Manticore," Sheena replied. Regal voiced his agreement.

"I think it was the doll!" Colette replied. "I really want to believe you had a manticore named Manny," she admitted, sticking her tongue out and looking sheepish.

Zelos chuckled, and then looked over at me. "Brit?"

I paused for a moment, thinking. Zelos led a crazy life, that much was for sure. But the manticore thing—that was almost too obvious, wasn't it? I really wanted to guess that, but I felt like that was another one of his outlandish true stories that he threw out as a decoy. As for the doll… Zelos had to have received a lot of weird gifts over the years.

But the five women? He had almost spouted out those names too fast, like he was just listing random names off the top of his head. If he was really that big of a man whore, I would think he'd almost have trouble keeping track of all the names.

"You never dated five women at once," I said.

His smug façade actually crumbled and he stared at me in genuine surprise.

"Well. Not bad, spitfire."

"Seriously?" Sheena gaped. "That was the one I thought was true for sure."

"Course," Zelos said with a snort. "That's why I used it. Believe it or not, I've never actually had a girlfriend."

The ninja frowned, staring at him. "Huh. I guess in the end that's not so surprising. I remember seeing you messing around with your floozies, but it was always different girls every week."

"Yay! I wish I got to meet Manny," Colette said, still completely focused on the manticore story.

I couldn't stop myself from grinning; I was fairly pleased with myself this time. Finally got him! Although that was an interesting fact I never would've guessed about Zelos. For someone who seemed so smooth with the ladies, it was strange to think he'd never actually dated. Was it because he didn't want to commit, or because actually dating required a particular level of closeness?

Zelos seemed to see the question in my eyes, and offered a shrug. "Not like there's a point to dating anyway, not when the church is bound to tell me who I can and can't marry."

Colette's face fell, and she looked a little sad. "Oh… that's right. Families of the Mana lineage are all from arranged marriages… it was the same for Father and Mother."

That made a depressing amount of sense, and it shed a different light on Zelos' womanizing tendencies. Why bother getting attached? It'd only cause more pain in the end, right? His own father had had an affair with another woman, who in turn killed his mother… the arranged marriage had both created and destroyed his family.

"Hey, hey! I'm not sitting here moping over things I can't control, so why should you guys?" Zelos reached out and gave me a lighthearted shove. "Spitfire, it's your turn!"

"All right," I replied, leaning back a bit to think. What hadn't I used yet?

After a pause, I grinned at everyone. "Okay… One. I've been on a train that goes underwater. Two… I'm actually allergic to wasabi. Three, I used to wear glasses."

"A train that goes underwater?" Zelos huffed. "Y'know, I'm mad because I think it's true. Why not just build a bridge? And I thought Tethe'alla had some backwards logic…"

"Now that must be an engineering marvel," Regal commented, stroking his chin.

"Plus think of all the fishies you get to see while you're on the train!"

I burst out laughing. "It doesn't work like that, Colette…"

The next morning, we made our way over to Mizuho. Mithos had made us promise to come back to Altessa's one last time before our official departure, much to my chagrin. The idea of not having to say goodbye just yet did seem to lift Genis' spirits a bit, though.

It felt like it had been ages since our last visit to the ninja village. We hadn't been here since… what, right before the Temple of Lightning? After my mini-vacation to Derris-Kharlan, right after Regal had first joined the group. So many things had happened since then. Looking back, it was still hard for me to believe I had survived for this long. We were getting close to the end, and things were only going to get more dangerous and uncertain from here on out.

The tranquil atmosphere of Mizuho was a welcome break after having to be in the presence of Mithos for twenty-four hours. Our first order of business was to accompany Sheena to meet with the Vice Chief and report on our progress.

"…I see. So Kuchinawa…" Tiga fell silent for a moment, closing his eyes in contemplation. "…I had received reports of his defection, but hearing it firsthand is truly disturbing."

We were gathered in the Chief's hut, sitting on our heels on the tatami flooring. The position seemed to come naturally to Sheena (and strangely enough, Regal?), but I found my legs getting stiff after a while. The last time I had been in this room, the meeting had been a lot shorter, mainly because Sheena had run off in tears. Good times.

Said ninja hung her head, looking like she could cry even now. "I'm sorry… it was my failure that brought this on. Now Corrine is gone, too…"

"Sheena." Tiga shook his head. "The dishonor of a traitor is not your weight to bear. We must not allow events of the past to cloud our vision for the future. You know our Chief would say the same."

"Vice Chief Tiga is right, Sheena," Lloyd piped up. "Kuchinawa made his choice."

I found myself nodding in agreement, though I was a bit too intimidated in this setting to actually speak up myself. I still had a hard time picturing what it must've been like for Sheena, growing up an outsider and having Volt's shadow hanging over her head from such a young age. It was one thing for Kuchinawa to resent her… but to pretend to be her friend this whole time, while secretly plotting to stab her in the back? That was insanity. I'd probably be wondering if all my friends secretly hated me.

The conversation had moved on. Sheena asked about Orochi, and we found out that he was still out on a mission. That was too bad; I remembered Orochi taking Sheena's side in the game, and she really seemed to need the other brother's support right now.

Lloyd and Raine spoke up to explain the circumstances regarding our pact making and the separation of the two worlds. Tiga's face remained solemn as he considered the new information we presented.

"You wanted to move the people of Mizuho to Sylvarant, right?" Lloyd asked.

"I'm afraid there won't be enough time," Tiga replied. "We have operatives in locations based throughout Tethe'alla. It would take weeks at the minimum to gather everyone."

Lloyd shook his head, looking conflicted. "I'm sorry. We made a promise…"

"We stand behind your vision, Lloyd," the Vice Chief said. "Your mission to change the nature of the two worlds is paramount, and time is of the essence. Sheena must continue on without us."

"That's right," Genis murmured behind me. "If we're going to make the pact, then Sheena has to…"

Sheena looked over her shoulder at us. The doubt in her eyes had dissipated.

"It's all right, guys. I've been doing a lot of thinking about this, and my mind is made up. I want to see this through to the end."

"…Okay," Lloyd said, offering a resolute nod. "I get it. I feel the same way."

"Sheena will unite and lead our people that are currently stationed in Sylvarant. In this way, Mizuho will live on in both worlds," Tiga continued. "Things may not have gone exactly as planned, but I believe this is a solution that our Chief would wholeheartedly approve of."

"M-me? Vice Chief…" Sheena was momentarily at a loss for words.

"Do you have misgivings?" he asked.

She flinched a little, and then quickly lowered her head in a bow. "No! I… I accept this task."

"You'll make a great chief, Sheena!" Colette whispered way too loudly, causing most of us to look around and grin at each other.

Sheena's face turned bright red—but to Colette's credit, she cracked the first real smile we had seen from her all day.

Since this was supposedly Sheena's last chance to visit her hometown, we opted to spend the night. I was totally content with this decision. Tucked away in a hidden village like this, it felt like I could finally let my guard down a bit. Everyone else seemed to feel the same way; they had meandered off throughout the village while Lloyd helped Genis put together some dinner.

Those two…

I paused as I walked past the small building that Sheena called home, listening to the loud bickering coming from within. If they were cooking, it sounded an awful lot like wrestling.

Boys. I snorted, continuing on my way. They really did act like siblings sometimes. With the ruckus they were making, it was only a matter of time before Zelos decided to intrude and make things that much more obnoxious. The guy had a sixth sense for these sorts of things.

The last few times I was here, I hadn't really had so much time to wander. I wasn't sure exactly where I was going. I just kind of wanted to pretend I was a tourist in a new place for a while… not that Mizuho was the most tourist friendly place, but oh well. The other villagers had mostly just ignored my presence so far.

It was mid-November… back home, the trees would have been mostly bare by now. We might have even gotten a dusting of snow already. Winter loved making early appearances in New England.

Here in the more temperate regions of Tethe'alla, autumn was just getting into full swing. Mizuho was full of Japanese maples that had turned a stunning fiery red. My mom had planted one of those trees in front of my childhood home back in the day, and I remembered how pretty it was in the fall… but I had never seen so many of them in one place. It really was something else.

The dirt path continued on, past several other thatched roof homes and a small vegetable garden. Before I knew it, I was walking through a bamboo grove.

Wow. I had never seen bamboo growing in the wild before. The countless stalks swayed lightly in the wind, making me feel like I was in a moving green tunnel. The path was blanketed with fallen yellow leaves. I had thought of the village proper as tranquil, but this grove felt like its own private world.

After walking for ten minutes or so, I slowed. I hadn't come to a gate yet, so it seemed like I was still in town, but it probably wouldn't be safe to go too far into the outskirts by myself. I had already caused enough trouble for the group with my solo wanderings.

The path was also gaining a bit of an incline. This edge of town was backed up against the mountains, right? I had to wonder how far the trail really went. It looked like it would be a neat hike. Maybe someday, when I wasn't being pursued by an evil pseudo-religious organization…

There was a trio of squat statues at the edge of the trail to my left. I paused, crouching down to inspect them more closely. The bald figures looked almost childlike, dressed in what appeared to be monk's robes with their hands folded in prayer. The stone was a bit discolored with age and covered in patches of moss, but the statues were dressed in little red bibs and knit hats that looked almost new. Interestingly enough, there was a small dish with a few pieces of candy at the foot of the middle statue.

"Ojizō-sama," someone said from behind me. I leapt to my feet and swung around, nearly jumping out of my skin.

"Holy—Sheena! Don't do that!"

She blinked, looking a bit taken aback, and then tilted her head with amusement. "Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you."

"…It's fine," I replied, letting out a breath and running a hand through my hair. "I probably should've been more on guard. I was getting lost in the moment, I guess. What were you saying before?"

"The statues," she said. "They're called Ojizō-sama. Jizō is the guardian that watches over travelers. He also protects the souls of children that have passed on—that's why people make offerings of candy to him."

"Oh," I said with a small frown. "That's kind of sad. Why the little red hats?"

"An offering for the winter," she responded. "The women of the village knit them in the fall every year."

Sheena walked up and crouched down where I had been before, reaching out to gently straighten the hat on the middle statue. Her expression had morphed into something a little more pensive.

I studied her for a moment, remaining quiet. She had been in these contemplative moods frequently over the past few days since Corrine's death. There were times when she could put on a face and laugh with everyone, but I could tell it was tiring for her. It had to be hard carrying on with business as usual when her partner was gone.

"I like this spot," I finally said when the silence had stretched on too long. "It's peaceful."

"Yeah," she said. "I come out here to think sometimes. I… I was found here, you know."

"Huh?" I stared at her, but she was still focused on the statue.

"I wasn't actually born in Mizuho. The Chief found me here when I was a baby and took me in as his own."

"So this is the spot…" I trailed off, brow furrowed, as some things started coming back to me. That was right, I did vaguely remember something like this getting explained in the game… had it ever really been expanded upon? I didn't think so.

"You look Asian—or, uh, Mizuhoan," I pointed out. Most of the people we had met in Tethe'alla outside of Mizuho had a distinctly Western looking ethnicity.

That comment caused her to crack a wry smile. "It's because we probably have the same ancestors. Some of the history has been lost, but before the Kharlan War, it's said that Mizuho was made up of two large clans. The war pitted them against one another, and eventually the losing clan was forced to flee into the mountains."

She got to her feet once more, gesturing up the path. "These are the mountains of the Aido Clan. If you keep going this way, you'll reach a gate and a small shrine—but we're forbidden from going any further without permission from the Chief."

"Wait, so you think someone from the other clan left you here?"

"There's no way for me to really know," she said with a shrug, "but it's the most likely story. It also explains my summoning abilities. Normally, only those with elven blood can use summoning arts, and that kind of mixed-race marriage would be forbidden in Mizuho."

"Hmm…" I caught a falling bamboo leaf, rubbing it between my fingers absentmindedly as I mulled over her words. "Have you ever met any of the Aido people?"

Sheena shook her head, still staring in the direction of the mountains. "Nobody has actually seen any of the Aido in over twenty years. They're pretty reclusive."

After a beat, she smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes. "I ran off into these mountains once when I was little, trying to find my real parents. They had to look for me for hours. Orochi gave me so much grief…."

The yellowed bamboo leaf began to crumble into my hand. I let the pieces blow away, returning my focus to Sheena. The early evening light was starting to take on a pink hue, bathing her in soft, warm shades. She had begun to hug herself; her shoulders hunched a bit as if buckling under an invisible weight.

"I just… wanted to feel like I belonged, you know? The Chief raised me, but he wasn't my real father, and everyone in the village knew it. I always felt like an outsider." Her gaze lowered to the ground. "My little kid brain just sort of said… it had to all be a mistake. My parents didn't mean to leave me. If I just found them, everything would be okay again."

My heart sank. Being an orphan in a secluded village that valued its bloodline and culture so highly… that couldn't have been easy. Even if the Chief himself was on your side. And then the whole thing with Volt…

She shook her head. "Heh… it's stupid, right?"

"I don't think it's stupid at all," I shot back, stepping closer to her. "That really sucks, Sheena. Nobody wants to feel like they're not wanted."

She was silent for a moment, just hugging herself a little tighter. For a second I half expected Corrine to appear on her shoulder, ready to shout encouragement. It was then that I realized how much I had taken his presence for granted, and how often he had been there in these quiet moments when she was withdrawing into herself.

"For so long, it was just me and Corrine," Sheena murmured, as if reading my mind. "Everything that isolated me from others… to him, none of it mattered. I—I really miss him." Her voice cracked on the last word, and she swallowed thickly.

I couldn't watch her like this anymore. I stepped forward and closed the distance between us, wrapping my arms around her in a tight hug.

At first, she stiffened, as if she didn't know how to respond. After a moment she unfolded her own arms and hesitantly placed them around me.

"None of it mattered to Corrine because he saw that you have a good heart, Sheena," I said. "I see it too. And you do belong. It just took you longer than most people to find your family."

She took in a short breath, and let it out in a whimper. Then her arms tightened around me, and she began to cry.

We stood there for a while among the swaying bamboo, Sheena sobbing into my shoulder. It was hard for me not to start crying too. It was all so unfair. The only other person that had been on her side when she was young was the Chief… and she had been without the man who was essentially her adoptive father for twelve years. Now everything with Corrine and Kuchinawa, and the prospect of having to possibly leave home forever… it was too much for one person to bear alone.

Finally the ninja straightened, pulling away a bit so that she could rub at her eyes.

"Sorry," she said.

I shook my head. "The situation sucks. Cry all you want. Just lean on me if you have to, okay?"

"…Okay. Thanks, Brit." She met my gaze, but her eyes were still a little puffy. "I think… I think I needed that."

"Good," I said, smiling. Then I took a step back, planting my hands on my hips. "But you owe me exactly oneshoulder cry in return, got it? I plan to get real sloppy, so be ready."

That surprised her into a watery laugh. "You are so weird sometimes." She turned away, facing the path leading back to the village. "C'mon. We should be getting back."

"Hey, don't change the subject!"

"All right, all right!" she acquiesced, rolling her eyes. "One shoulder cry."

I laughed, falling in step with her as we began walking. The shadows were getting longer as the sun started to set, and among the towering bamboo it was getting dark quickly. It definitely was the right time to be heading back. Hopefully Lloyd and Genis had actually managed to pull together some dinner without destroying Sheena's house.

She's come so far… she's not alone now. That's why I can go… with no regrets.

Corrine's words during his last moments echoed through my mind, and I sent a sidelong glance in Sheena's direction as we walked in companionable silence. The bitter regret of having been unable to save him still ate at me. However, no amount of foreknowledge allowed me to control the choices that others made. I could only control my own actions. This was what Corrine had wanted.

And in the end… I was grateful to him.

"I hate this city…"

The quiet voice caused us to pause. Presea was standing at the back of the group with her head down, fists clenched.

"Presea…" Genis walked back to her side, then turned to face us. "Do we really have to stop here? I don't like it either."

"Hm? C'mon, guys!" Zelos waved his hands in protest. "If it was such a big deal, why not say so earlier?"

"This… may be the last chance to visit," Presea responded. "I don't want to hold anyone back. I would just prefer to wait outside."

"I'm sorry," Raine said. "I promise I won't be long."

"I'll stay with—"

"Don't worry, my sweet little rosebud! Bud and The Great Zelos will keep you company!"

Genis flushed, upset at being cut off, but Zelos was already walking over (and dragging a protesting Lloyd by his ribbons). The half-elf sent Zelos a reproachful look before turning his gaze on Presea.

"I'll… I'll stay with you too."

"… Thank you," Presea said quietly. It was hard to read her expression, but the stiffness in her posture had lessened a bit.

I turned to look at our destination. It was an overcast, breezy sort of day, with the occasional light mist of rain. The gates of Sybak looked particularly uninviting in the drab light. Normally I'd volunteer to hang out here too, particularly since Lloyd and Zelos's dynamic could be very entertaining. But Zelos had been a whole other level of obnoxious ever since this morning, and the prospect of sitting in a quiet library was sounding really good right about now. Not to mention I wanted to be close to the group healer; the gloomy weather was making my injured arm all kinds of achy.

Although Raine had no concrete personal connection to Sybak, she was a scholar at heart and wanted to revisit some of Tethe'alla's historical texts one last time. After all, she was still under the impression that her birthplace was about to be lost to her forever.

"All right," Sheena piped up, snapping me out of my thoughts. "We'll be back in a bit, guys."

The others were moving on. I turned and gave Presea's group a quick wave, before turning to follow after Sheena, Raine, Regal and Colette. Behind me, I could already hear Zelos and Genis starting to bicker loudly. Yep, I had made the right choice.

Sybak was busy today. As we meandered up the stone walkway, I noted throngs of students and researchers milling about the main square, seemingly unfazed by the gloomy weather. The shops and restaurants I could see looked particularly crowded. This thankfully meant it would be easier for fugitives like us to blend in.

"Raine, you wished to visit the Academic Resources Building, correct?" Regal asked. "It's just over that way, beyond the market."

"Colette and I are going to go check out some of the shops," Sheena said. "We'll meet you back here when we're done."

"All right," Raine replied.

"See you soon!" Colette added with a smile, and the two of them hurried off.

I frowned, a little surprised (and put out) that I hadn't been invited. I probably wouldn't have gone—there were some things I wanted to take care of at the library—but still.

"Brittany, are you coming?" The professor was looking over her shoulder at me.

"Uh, yeah!" I hurried to catch up with her and Regal.

The Academic Resources Building was located at the back end of the town center. It wasn't nestled quite so snugly between the shops and inn like I remembered from the game. The path led past a decorative wrought iron fence and through a neatly manicured expanse of green, where I could picture students having picnics on a nice day.

The library itself was an impressive brick building that looked to be about three floors. Stone steps at the entrance led up to a set of large, heavy looking wooden doors. A pair of stone chimera framed the steps.

Sheesh, this place was kind of giving me Ivy League Rich People vibes. It occurred to me that in societies like this, education was exclusively a pursuit of the wealthy. The middle class and the poor pretty much just worked in the trades.

"No community college for broke kids like me," I murmured.

"What was that?" Regal asked, holding the door open for me.

I shook my head, walking past him into the building. "Ah, nothing."

Raine had stopped a few paces ahead, looking up in apparent rapture. The main room had high ceilings, which meant the bookcases were twice as tall. Rolling ladders were used to access the out-of-reach books. The second floor was an open landing, so students could stand at the railing and look out over the rest of the library.

The room we were in seemed to extend impossibly far back, and there were dozens upon dozens of bookshelves packed with thick tomes. Long tables were set up in the center, and students hard at work were scattered throughout. For such a huge place, it was surprisingly quiet.

"Have you been here before, professor?" I asked, keeping my voice hushed. I hadn't been with the group the last time they came here—that had been during my little adventure on Derris-Kharlan.

"No," Raine responded. She was still looking ahead, her gaze distant. "It had caught my eye on previous visits, but we just didn't have the time."

Her eyes cleared, and she turned to me with a small smile. "All of this knowledge in one building. It's exciting, isn't it?"

"Um… yeah?"

She shook her head with a laugh. "You sound like Lloyd."

"This building has the largest and most thorough compendium of Tethe'allan history in the world," Regal chimed in. "There is even a great deal of information dating back to the Ancient War, the preservation of which has been no small feat."

Except Cruxis pretty much cherry picked what info they got to keep, I thought ruefully.

"Fascinating," Raine murmured. "There is still so much about Tethe'alla that I don't know. It occurred to me that after this, there won't be another opportunity. I'll be forever cut off from the land of my birth."

"Professor…"

"I'm sorry," she said, suddenly avoiding my gaze. "Perhaps that was insensitive. I'm sure you must understand better than anyone what that feels like."

Her words caused an unexpected pang in my chest. It had been so long now that I just sort of carried the homesickness with me and tried not to think too hard about it. I had hopes of getting home, but that didn't make home seem any less far away.

"It's okay," I said, shaking my head. "You're not wrong. But your situation is your own, professor. It's gotta be tough, leaving with so many unanswered questions. I get why you'd want to come here."

"Thank you," she replied. "I'll try not to keep you all here too long."

"Take your time," Regal said. "I appreciate the visit as well; I haven't been to this city in years. The historical section is upstairs."

Raine offered him a grateful smile, before moving off in the direction of the staircase. I watched her retreating back for a moment, frowning. It was hard going through this whole song and dance knowing that the worlds weren't really going to be separated in the end. I wished I could just reassure them that there was nothing to worry about. Foreknowledge was such a bitch sometimes…

A/N: I wanted this to be a massive 10k+ word chapter, but I've been talking about updating for months and I just wanted to get something out there before I go on vacation for two weeks. Lots of dialogue scenes, since we've gotta revisit a bunch of Tethe'alla destinations before the last seal. Brit's birthday shenanigans next chapter!

Thanks for reading! I'm off on a solo venture to Japan :D