A/N: THANK YOU, RAVEN! Raven Tsurara helped improve the Symphonia side part of this chapter. :)

Chapter 15

Something had changed since last night.

Guy noticed Luke didn't seem quite as tense as he had on other mornings after fighting against people. He didn't complain as they erased camp, in fact he worked a little harder at helping tear down the temporary fire pit. Though she wouldn't look Guy in the eye, Raine had softened towards the both of them, now checking in with Luke and using a different tone than she had used with any of them before. Weirder still, Luke blushed and turned away, muttering about how okay he was and not to worry about him. Usually he hollered at people to shut up when they bothered him.

No one else seemed to notice.

Now heading back to the naval port, Luke walked way at the front while Raine kept to her place at the back, both of whom keeping quiet about their new status quo.

Guy avoided her anyway, choosing to walk with Luke instead.

He never asked Luke what changed.

Guy had his own musings. Back at camp, Raine had approached him and opened her mouth to speak, but then suddenly remembered something else she wanted to do instead and stalked off without voicing a sound. Each time she did, he felt a little disappointed and then wondered why. She was an interesting person, but she had so far been too volatile to converse with. Was there really a point to talking with someone who ended conversations with hostility?

However, he sensed there was something there. She reminded him a bit of Luke who seemed angry and rude on the exterior, but on the inside, he actually was a very caring person. A part of him wondered if he could somehow break past her walls, that maybe he could finally see the real Raine. He wanted to slow down and ask about her being chased, and thought better of it before the desire even formed. He would let her decide when it was time to talk again.

Still… he couldn't help but wonder, who treated her so badly? She seemed comfortable enough at Saint Binah. Ever since they crossed the border, she acted paranoid. If she really was from Kimlasca, wouldn't that make more sense the other way around? Unless she was treated better in Saint Binah than she was in Sheridan. She did steal a flying machine after all. But after Kaitzur, she claimed it was all just the misunderstanding with Van. Was that true? Guy just couldn't decide. Maybe it was the God-Generals? They attacked Luke and she had no way of defending herself. Except they didn't seem any more interested in her than they were in Guy. He shook his head.

There really was no sense in worrying about it now. So why did he? Even he wasn't sure.

Kaitzur Port looked just like what Raine would've expected out of a port city of Kimlasca. Worn down. Full of commerce and militia. They were to set sail tomorrow, but in the meantime, Count Almandine wanted to talk with Luke. Rather than concern herself with the meeting, Raine retreated to the inn. For some reason, Jade stared at her as she announced her departure, as if she didn't feel uncomfortable enough already. Thank goodness the men and women were going to be in separate rooms. She didn't want to spend another night in the same space as everyone else. Being around them was becoming unpalatable.

But in her room that she would share with Tear and Anise, she could do whatever she wanted, at least until the meeting was over, and she chose to study Tethe'allan writing. She had been writing in her own language and copied down the translations with it, gradually making sense of whatever she could. Anything to avoid thinking about the possibility of sinking in the middle of the ocean with the men. The thought crossed her mind, would Guy save her again if the ship did sink?

Focus, Raine. She leaned forward in her chair, pouring over Elder McGovern's book, and while some of the translation was coming along, most of it was not.

She found it frustrating that Tethe'alla didn't follow the same kind of phonetic system that Sylvarant did. Each symbol made one sound and that sound was very consistent. But in Tethe'alla, they used strange spellings to mean the same sounds, extra symbols were added here or there, and oftentimes words didn't make sense.

The more she worked, she figured out a few words regardless. Her eyes stopped at a particular word, a word she'd heard spoken. Tartarus. Landship. So it was a type of vehicle, and likely one large enough to carry a few people. She sat back in her chair as she thought about it. No, more than a few... Malkuth was a country with a massive military, no doubt, and if the ship in the dock was any indication, the landship Tartarus must've been huge. How many exspheres would it take to run it? For nothing like that could run so effectively without exspheres.

Sheena had said so herself that Tethe'alla relied on the energy exspheres provided.

Raine heard footsteps and voices. She closed her journal to hide her writing as Tear and Anise entered the room. Anise threw herself onto the bed closest to the window, spreading out as much as she could.

"Mmm, this sure beats sleeping on the grass."

Raine scooped up her books into her bag, but not before Tear noticed one of the pages float to the floor. She picked it up and Raine froze, feeling the cold shiver from head to foot. The paper had writing from Sylvarant. She could see Tear's mind working on the writing, deciphering fruitlessly, before her eyes met Raine's, slowly, in sheer confusion.

"What writing is this?"

"My own," Raine said, hoping Tear couldn't hear her heart rate increasing. After the ordeal with Glenn, she wasn't about to let them believe anything else.

"Your own? You mean you invented a writing system?"

Anise sat up, suddenly curious. "Wow! Can I see it?" Without permission granted, she hopped off the bed and hurried to Tear's side. The initial shock of cold gently flooded into heat. Raine turned away.

"This is really interesting. Not as smooth."

"Yes," Raine said, though without explanation. What would they think of it? That it was sharp, just like her? Oh goodness, she hoped so.

"How did you come up with these letters?" Tear asked.

"The same way anyone else would. By using familiar shapes and twisting them around a little." Though Raine had to admit the native Tethe'allan writing was much more fluid and beautiful. Tear nodded and smiled, handing the paper back to her.

"It's certainly useful for keeping secrets."

"I would say the same about using the language of Yulia's Hymns," Raine said. Tear blushed as Anise looked on. The game wasn't funny anymore. "But thank you for picking it up for me." Tear nodded.

Anise, however, seemed highly suspicious, hovering around Raine's journal with curious eyes. "Is that how you keep your journal private?"

"Yes," Raine held up her notes. There certainly was no further harm in showing her now. They didn't have a translator to start with like Raine had. Anise's eyes grew wide and she took the book as if she thought the invitation could be revoked. She flipped through the pages and found some where Raine drew actual drawings. She held her breath. Perhaps there was harm in it.

"Oooh, so you're doing the same thing Luke is doing!" Anise flipped some more pages. "Tracking every day like it might be the last day you remember."

"It's similar to that, I suppose. I like to write more... with a purpose rather than just recording memories."

Anise clapped the book closed and handed it back to her. "That would be useful…." Something seemed to bother her about Raine's practice, but she couldn't decide what. The usual bubbly Anise suddenly hid behind a more sullen girl as she stalked back to her bed to reclaim it.

Raine stuffed her books into her bag, grabbed her staff, and muttered a line about taking a walk.

Tethe'alla did have a much different feel than she remembered. Raine wandered the port town and missed Saint Binah far more than she thought she would. At least Saint Binah had trees and grass, more like what she remembered as a child. The Kaitzur port was nothing but buildings, brick walkways, and fences. Beyond the walls was too dangerous to go, but she felt herself drawn there anyway, mostly to get away from the industrial feel of the town. She stood at the gate until a bunch of crates caught her attention. Her eyes followed a trail to the sky, and she knew exactly what she wanted to do.

Guy would've almost given anything to know what was on Jade's mind. He hadn't known him very long, but ever since Choral Castle, the Colonel cut back on his quipping about this or that and seemed lost in thought more than usual. If it wasn't for a particularly creepy conversation with him and Anise trying to tease the fear of women out of him, Guy would've thought Jade has lost his humorous soul. He didn't speak much during the meeting with Count Almandine, and then immediately after the meeting, Jade headed straight for the inn while Luke had tapped Guy on the shoulder.

"Umm… Guy, can I ask you for a favor?"

"Huh?" Freed from his distraction, he saw Luke too embarrassed to look at him. "Oh, yeah sure. What's up?"

He had wrapped his fingers around the hilt of his sword. "Can we practice?"

Now on their way back to the inn, Guy felt good about Luke's progress. It was dark enough that Guy half wondered if the Kimlasca soldiers would let them back into the port town, but they had no trouble. One guard nodded as they walked past the gate into Kaitzur Port. Guy responded with his two-fingered salute.

Then Luke stopped walking, looking up.

"Hey, isn't that Raine?" He pointed at the roof of one of the buildings.

Sure enough, Guy could see someone sitting up there, and the short white hair with orange clothes indicated Luke was right. "Yeah. What's she doing up there?"

"How should I know?"

"I guess she just wanted some fresh air," Guy said without conviction.

"Why does she think she's an elf anyway?" Luke asked Guy, who shrugged.

"Beats me," Guy said. "But take a lesson from me and don't contradict her."

"I'm not stupid." And he continued for the inn.

But Guy's curiosity once again nagged at him. She stared straight up at the sparkling crystals in the sky, the fonstones.

Luke had paused again, noticing Guy still standing there. "Are you coming?"

"No, go on ahead," Guy responded without taking his eyes off of her.

Luke grunted but moved on.

Something about the way she watched the fonstones seemed strange. They had floated in the planet's atmosphere for thousands of years, but her face trained on them as if they were an anomaly. He supposed it was a wonder to see them, but he never really gave them any thought before. They were really beautiful to look at for sure, but once you've seen them, they didn't change much. What was the point in staring?

"What are you doing?"

Guy startled. The guard from the gate had walked up to him. Following Guy's line of sight, he saw Raine sitting up on the roof. "What the—? Who is that?" He raised his spear. "Hey! You're not supposed to be up there!"

Raine peered down at them and then jumped to her feet. It looked like she had her staff in her hand.

"Get down from there!" She didn't hesitate to do as she was told and disappeared off the other side.

Forgotten, Guy slipped away, back towards the inn. Raine, he knew, would show up there shortly and would probably be cross, so he hurried to get ahead of her. She might be the kind of woman to wait for him so she could tell him off; he didn't want to know for sure. He turned the corner and sure enough, there she was, her hand on the doorknob, and she walked in. For some reason, she also had her bag strapped over a shoulder. Why didn't she leave it here in the women's suite? Did she lie about going to the inn earlier? To his surprise, though, she didn't look angry. She wasn't even waiting for him.

She wore a lonely expression instead.

Maybe it was safe to apologize? Or say something.

"I'm so sorry…" he told her as he followed her in. "He wouldn't have even noticed you if it wasn't for me." He closed the door behind him. The inn had a few lamps burning and the front desk clerk ignored them as he wrote. Apparently, he knew they had already paid.

"It's okay." The tone in her voice sounded too lonely to care. "I'm sure he would've seen me eventually." Guy frowned, watching her shuffle across the floor. She didn't look at him, barely acknowledged him. Even the long shafts of her boots seemed to wilt a little and her staff nearly dragged.

"Hey, is something wrong?"

She turned and surveyed him as if trying to decide how much she trusted him.

Guy said, "You can talk to me, remember?"

"What is your interest in me?"

"Do I have to have a reason?" When she didn't answer, he continued, "You checked in with Luke the other morning, after we left Choral Castle. Did you have a reason for that?"

"He's a teammate. I was just making sure he wasn't suffering anymore."

"There, then. If it's good enough reason for you, it's good enough for me."

"I suppose so." Finally, Raine seemed to make up her mind. She held up her free hand, gesturing for outside. "Are you too tired? I'd prefer to take a walk."

Even though we just got back? What about her stuff? Was she really okay with bringing it along again? But this was an offer to talk. And privately, away from the others. He smiled. "Okay. But unfortunately, it looks like we'll have to avoid sitting on the roof." He had hoped that would make her smile.

She didn't.

How much would she tell him? Even as they ambled down the street towards the docks, she looked apprehensive. Guy waited for her to start first. The weight of her feelings was as obvious to him as was her hesitation to speak. Whatever was going on, it really bothered her. Her eyes once again scanned the fonstones in the sky and she paused, almost lost in thought. He held his breath when she sighed, sensing that she was finally going to open up.

"Have you ever felt like it wouldn't matter where you go or what you did, you'd never belong?"

"Not to the extent that I imagine you feel." He answered her. Truth was, he felt like he belonged now. Wherever Luke was, was good enough for him.

"You have a lot of privilege, being human. You can go anywhere you like without worrying about anyone figuring out your secret."

Really? He wasn't sure about that. Not many people knew he was from Malkuth, but that didn't stop him from wondering if anyone would recognize him. He felt better once they reached Kaitzur, but he would feel better still once they reached Baticul. But that wasn't something he'd acknowledge to her. As far as that goes, he had no secrets.

By the way she talked, though, it sounded like she thought he'd figured out one of hers. What was it? He searched his memory, but couldn't place it. There must be a way to resolve this confusion that was Raine. This time he was going to word things carefully so as to not upset her. "I take it when someone does figure it out, their reaction is less than enthusiastic."

"Household items become weapons for murder," she said as she glanced down at the staff in her hand, "except they don't see it as murder. They see it as removing a threat. As defending themselves against someone who is actually harmless."

"Hence the paranoia." Something about that made sense to him. Never knowing if someone was going to attack her…. Maybe that's why she brought everything with her. "That's such a rough way to live."

She nodded, though not entirely absent-mindedly. "You mentioned living like this, thinking everyone was an enemy, if I remember correctly."

He didn't answer right away. How much should he tell? He couldn't tell her everything. But perhaps it would be stranger not to have a secret at all…? "I was a bit like you, actually. I was afraid everyone around me would discover my secret and kill me. But one day, I realized it didn't matter."

"It didn't? Why not?"

"For one, I could defend myself. For another," he stopped at the edge of the dock and glanced back up the street, not quite to the bunkers where Luke was likely asleep. "My reasons for being there changed. They weren't enemies. Not anymore."

"They being…?"

Guy realized what he said and coughed to change the subject. "Er, well, you know, half of being an enemy is how someone else feels about you. The other half is how you feel about them." She smiled at him, a strong, genuine smile that he hadn't seen before and even suspected hadn't been seen in a long time. Maybe this woman he saw now was who she really was, finally letting her guard down.

"Yes, I think you're proving that." Raine nodded to him. "Even after the way I treated you, you still behaved like a gentleman."

"Of course! I'm a servant of nobility." He puffed up his chest as a way to joke about it. "Behaving any less reflects negatively on the manor." He checked to see if she was amused.

But she raised an eyebrow at him. "Then what about Luke?"

Guy brushed it off, somewhat disappointed. "Because he forgot everything, they pity him, so they treat him like a child and he gets away with behaving like one."

"While Luke doesn't have to be, you were raised properly." She rolled her eyes and gave him a smile that told him she had taken his quip the way he intended after all.

Oh, good, she did get it! Guy relaxed. "Yeah, my sister saw to that."

"Oh? Your sister?"

He laughed nervously, not realizing he scratched the back of his head in the process. "Marybelle. Except she's older than me—was—older than me." He remembered her but vaguely. She was very strict about his behaving properly as the son of a count. In fact, Van had stood up for him on more than one occasion when she became too overbearing. Guy missed her and imagined this was how Raine felt for Genis. Big sisters were just protective, he knew that.

They sat on the stone dock, Raine folding her legs to avoid sitting on the edge and Guy dangling his legs on the other side. She finally set down her staff, but kept the bag strapped to her shoulder. There was less space between them than usual, but for some reason, that didn't bother him as much. He rather liked this side of her. "Tell me about your family. Where did you come from?"

"Guy, I was being honest when I said I'm an itinerant. I can settle down but it never does last."

"Don't you at least know where you were born?"

Raine shrugged. "Who knows? A village somewhere in the woods is all I remember." The way she held her eyes with no contact told him she was lying. She remembered all right, but she didn't trust him enough to say. That was fine. He wasn't ready to give up his place of birth either.

"What about your mother and father?" He asked.

"They abandoned us. Why worry about them?"

So that really was true, too… Guy shook his head. He couldn't fathom why parents would be so ashamed of their kids. There had to be a reason. "What would you do if you saw them again?"

"There's no sense in worrying about that until it happens. Right now, finding Genis is my first priority. But enough about me, why not share a bit about you?"

"What is there to share? I am Luke's servant and have been for years."

"You love fontech."

"Well, yeah, but…. That's hardly interesting to anyone else." Even as he spoke, he felt the joy in his heart from it. What is it about fontech that made it work? The gears turning did other things, but there was more than that. Inner workings that couldn't really be explained. Magic, he could understand, but fontech was a type of magic that just seemed to be. He hadn't realized he moved closer to her and leaned in. "I mean, the things that people can do with technology, it's unbelievable!"

His excitement didn't seem to help, though. Raine nodded and pulled her knees to her chest. "Technology can be incredible," she said in a dejected tone.

"See? Not many people find it as exciting as I do." He leaned away again and looked away from her. The way her eyes had lit up about ruins, he thought she would understand him at least a little bit, but… apparently not.

"It's not that. I've just seen technology mishandled. It's not always in the subject's best interests."

"You mean Luke?" She didn't answer. "Whatever Malkuth did to him, he certainly changed a lot. But we still don't know what they wanted or…, or why."

"Nothing good, I assure you, especially if he lost his memories in the process." She had pretty much curled up into herself, so he let the silence fall. He hadn't really thought of technology as a bad thing, though he could see why she didn't like it. Falling from the sky on a broken flying machine wouldn't give anyone a good view, but somehow… he didn't think that's what she meant by "mishandled" technology. He leaned back to prop himself up by his palms, once more returning his attention to the fonstones.

Huh. They really were pretty to look at. Why hadn't he cared before?

"What was he like before?" Raine asked suddenly.

"Before he was kidnapped?" He had to think a moment. That was a long time ago. "He was involved. He saw the world as it was and its problems, and he wanted to do something about it. Of course, he could leave the manor, so he was able to do a lot more than he could since the kidnapping.

"When he came back, he wasn't interested in politics anymore. He didn't even remember me—or anyone for that matter." That and the first week was sheer hell. Luke cried so much every time he was left alone that they got him a gramophone so he would fall asleep to music by himself. Guy had to help teach Luke basic hygiene, and the most humiliating of it all was showing Luke how to clean himself up after making a mess. The first thing Guy made sure to do was ensure Luke was retrained in using the toilet. Thankfully, he was a quick learner and it didn't take long. More thankful still, no one knew Luke had a problem, except Guy. That was a secret he'd die with.

Guy realized Raine had said something. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I said, I can only imagine what it was like for Luke, too. Being surrounded by people he couldn't remember."

"Yeah…."

"What about before coming to Duke Fabre's manor? What did you do then?"

"That's when my family died."

She quit asking questions and turned away.

As much as he didn't want to answer questions, he didn't really want the conversation to end there so he searched for a new topic. "How did you become a professor?"

"I studied a lot more than most people do. It turned into a handy skillset."

He raised an eyebrow. "That's all?"

"You'll just have to be satisfied with what you get."

A part of him sighed, but on the other hand… "Now that you're not so angry with me, I think I'm okay with that." He meant it. Secrets be damned, he was just glad she became more personable. The way she watched him, he could tell her mind chewed on something, and her expression didn't help clarify what. But then—

"I suppose I can open up to you," she admitted, blushing a little. "You don't seem like other humans."

"I have more tolerance for elves, I guess." Though he seriously wondered why she thought she was one. Were her parents playing a really mean prank on her or something? Why would they abandon her? Or was she abandoned because of her insistence that she was an elf? Nah, couldn't be that. Parents usually think their kids are adorable with their imaginations. Then why?

"Genis and I have traveled so much because we belong nowhere. We got separated when we stole the Rheairds, and this is the first time I've been without him. Everything's been flipped for me. Nothing seems familiar even though I feel like it should all be familiar. The places, the people, everything. But it doesn't."

"Even coming back to Kimlasca doesn't seem familiar?"

She shook her head.

Hmm… Something about that seems odd. The Kaitzur Port reminded Guy strongly of Baticul, with the industrial feel of the buildings. Was it really true that she'd traveled Radessia and very little elsewhere? "Maybe it's because we haven't made it to the mainland Kimlasca yet. Something there should seem familiar. Or even the highlands?"

"I think I'll feel better once I find Genis. I've never felt lost with him around."

"Can I ask you something else?" He could tell by her tensed reaction that she really didn't want to be asked if he had to preface his question with that. It was with a hesitant nod that she decided to give him permission anyway. "Do the people you meet seem to change their opinion about you after they find out you're an elf?"

The confused look she gave him confused him just as much. "Why…?"

"Well, you…" he faltered. How would he say that without upsetting her again? "So it's another trigger that seems to set them off?"

"I thought you knew."

Raine was a right puzzle, that was for sure. "Knew what? Why do you think people should hate you?"

"I call myself an elf so they don't hate me." She seemed to be hinting at something, but he missed it. He had to of. Was this maybe the secret she thought he knew?

"So you're…? Something else?"

She stared him, almost incredulous.

"Seriously," he said, "you can tell me. After all, words exist so people can understand one another, right?"

"You just love throwing my own words back at me."

"They're good words," he said.

"Then tell me about your family, what you are so hesitant to say." Her challenge struck him. Somehow, he suspected that she knew it would. But what the hell did it mean? She claimed she was an elf so they wouldn't hate her, but she was insulted at being called a human. What did she think she was then? But asking her that would mean he had to open up about being from Malkuth….

He compromised on a sly smile. "How about we concede and promise we don't pry?"

She nodded. "Say the word, and I'll stop asking."

"Me, too." Sure enough, they did. This time, it felt better, though. The silence finally felt normal and less awkward. Like more than a secret they shared together. A private pact between friends.

"You know…" Raine began after a long silence, "we have a lot in common."

"Yeah." Something about sitting here with her, with the moon's sliver reflecting off of the fonstones in the sky, he felt at ease. She really was mysterious, but she was also interesting and kind of pretty. Now that she wasn't angry with him. "The least of which is all the secrets we're hiding." He smiled at her and it intensified when she smiled back.

A Trip by Ship

At Kaitzur, the ship we were going to ride was being repaired. It was going to be a little while, so we decided to stop in and see Count Almandine, who's in charge of the port.

Count Almandine was angry that the God Generals had apparently attacked Kimlascan soldiers. I guess they had damaged the ship so that we wouldn't be able to leave. I can't blame him, either. Ion was apologizing profusely... I guess being the Fon Master must be tough.

Come to think of it, it's my job to see that Ion and Jade make it to Baticul to see my uncle, isn't it? I remembered that and figured I'd ask Count Almandine to send a pigeon to Father. It'd be handy if we could use fonic or fontech or something to send a message, but apparently there's no way to do that.

Anyway, when I told Count Almandine who I was taking along, his expression changed completely. That's right, Jade's an enemy of Kimlasca... Well, it was too late to take it back, and Count Almandine said he'd send off the pigeon anyway. The ship still wasn't ready, so we decided to spend the night here and leave in the morning. Now I'll get to travel with Master Van! This is great!

The fallen Papal knights scattered around, at least the ones still conscious, and Genis stood among them, now facing Lloyd, Sheena, Zelos, Colette, and Presea. They really couldn't be there to save him, could they? He couldn't even hope for that outcome, but here they were. They had rushed and even used Undine in a dangerous stunt to cross the rising bridge.

And they had just beaten the Papal Knights.

For his sake.

"Lloyd?" Genis asked. "Why did you save me? I'm a half-elf."

"So what? We're friends. Why should it matter that you're a half-elf?" Lloyd smiled at him and Genis just couldn't believe it. Lloyd actually came to save him even knowing his true blood! He grinned, unable to feel anything but excitement. There actually were humans who didn't care! He was sure Colette felt the same way Lloyd did, even though she still followed them as a doll. But then he deflated.

What about Sheena, Zelos, and Presea? Hesitantly, he checked with them.

"Sheena…?"

She shrugged. "I'm from Mizuho. We're not exactly the most popular either," but then smiled wryly. "Oh, and you're not off the hook for what you did."

Sheena probably referred to them leaving Meltokio before she came back. Genis ignored that as a spark of hope grew into the light of a small candle. He cast a shameful glance at Zelos. Surely, Tethe'alla's Chosen would feel different, more so after how much of a jerk Genis had been, even if it was mutual.

"What about you? You're the Chosen of Tethe'alla."

Zelos frowned. "To be honest, I'm not exactly kosher with this," he paused as if to weigh how he felt against what he wanted to say, "but I've always been treated differently. And now I'm an outcast too, I suppose it doesn't matter."

Even the Chosen? This couldn't be real, even as hesitant as he sounded. For people who persecuted half-elves, it certainly wasn't nothing for his blood "not to matter."

"What about you, Presea?"

"I… want to go home," Presea said in her monotone voice.

Genis frowned. Right, they had derailed her quite far from what she wanted. Even if it wasn't necessary, Genis would make up to her later. More so when they got her home.

Lloyd raised his chin. "See? No one cares that you're a half-elf."

Zelos's frown deepened at that. Not everyone was used to the idea, probably were raised with it since birth, but maybe he would grow to change his mind. Not only that, if Lloyd would turn his back on the world to save Colette, Genis felt far more secure by his side. Friendship meant more to Lloyd than that, he knew that now.

He was safe with them. That didn't mean Raine wasn't in danger.

"I'm still worried about Raine. She's by herself." Lloyd approached and put a hand in his shoulder.

"Nah, she's the professor. She'll be fine."

Genis couldn't tell if Lloyd was serious or delusional. "But she's a half-elf and is probably here in Tethe'alla, a world that not only hates half-elves but can also tell the difference."

Sheena seemed to be pondering something before speaking.

"It's possible she's still in Sylvarant. We should have found traces of the contrail or a crash by now." She looked away. "I didn't see anything on my way to Mizuho and back either."

"Then she's in Sylvarant," Lloyd smiled at Genis. "Maybe she just didn't make it through."

"Yeah…" Genis lowered his chin to his chest, unsure what to think. "Maybe… but what if she's stuck in the void of the fissure?"

"No way, the Renegades probably checked that out." Sheena said with confidence. "If she was stuck there, I'm sure they found her. They don't seem the type to leave someone in the void like that."

"If that's the case, she's fine," Lloyd said. "I don't think they have any real reason to kill her."

"Yeah…" and then with more conviction, Genis said, "Yeah! I'll bet the Renegades found her. Worst case scenario, they have her locked up somewhere."

He had no real proof, but he'd rather believe that than the other scenarios. Until Genis learned otherwise, he decided to believe that was true. As he tried to put away the worry, Genis followed behind the party towards their next destination. A stray thought still made its way.

For now, Raine must be safe. She had to be.

KatNote: Below is a first draft that I thought was funny (albeit a little OOC for Guy), so I thought I'd share this. It didn't work, I'm never going to use it, but it's worth the read. Enjoy. :)

Bonus: Deleted Scene

Guy said nothing so she glanced at him again. He gave her an indulgent smile. She scowled. He was definitely one of the humans who closed himself off. Why did he bother talking to her? Was he intentionally seeking her out to tease her? His expression changed immediately, as though he was afraid he did something wrong.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"I'd be better if you didn't behave like everything I say is silly."

"To be fair, some of the things you say are… a bit… out there." When she glared at him, he hastily continued. "You told us you could use magic, but you fledge as if you've never used it before. I mean, saying 'humans' all the time and pretending to be an elf—"

SMACK!

"How dare you!"

He rubbed the blossoming red spot on his cheek and swiftly backed away, his eyes wide in terror. "H-hey!"

"I'm not 'pretending' and don't speak so lightly of it." She was angry, but she whispered in a hiss only he could hear. The last thing she needed was the entire ship to know she was a half-elf. It stung her that he would even speak of it so loudly. This ship was headed for Chesedonia, but that didn't mean everyone on board was friendly with half-elves.

"I-I'm sorry." He truly looked it, but that only confused her more. "Okay, you're an elf. Why does that matter so much to you, anyway?" She paused and stared at him as if she had never seen him properly before. Was he joking? He didn't seem to be…. "Anyway, I'd better be going. I want to check on Luke."

He left Raine, though she felt something else was amiss. Was the tension between humans and elves worse than the tension between humans and half-elves? Or was something else going on?

A/N: Hi, Everybody!
I'm still tweaking the chapter that I thought would be 15, and it turned out this Real Chapter 15 was necessary to make it all work. :) So ya'll get a bonus chapter! The next chapter should come fairly quickly, maybe by mid-August? Now that this chapter exists to help it feel right.
Thank you so much for your patience! I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
~~Kat =^-^=