Tales of Symphonia Story, Tethe'alla Chronicles (3)

QUIZ START: After you finally were able to convince everyone that you were alright you headed to the Governors place. However you stopped just outside, remembering that you hadn't given Raine her ribbon yet,
"Professor, here." you say, pulling a ribbon from your pack,
"So, these are the ribbons everyone else has?" she asked, taking it from you.
"Heh...yup. The ribbons mean we're friends." you explained,
"I see... It's so simple, but at the same time..." she sighed softly, "Never mind." the Professor tied her ribbon under the collar of her shirt; tying it like something of an extremely loose bow-tie. *Now I just need to give one to Yuan, and...* you stopped, thinking about the last ribbon you had, *...* after walking in you find Neil was waiting there, and he greeted you all happily,
"Chosen One! Lloyd! How is the journey to release the seals going?"
"Ah, well...actually..." Colette trailed of unsurely. How were you supposed to explain this to Neil...? If you all hadn't been to Tethe'alla, you wouldn't have believed that it existed.
"Uh, e...everything's going well!" the brunette lied, "Anyway, we were wondering if you could take care of him for a while." he nodded towards Mithos.
"Hmm? I certainly don't mind, but who is he?" the new governor asked.
"He's traveling with us for a moment, but we're heading to an area that is too dangerous for him." Raine explained.
"Are you heading to the Palmacosta Ranch?!" Neil gasped,
"The Ranch?" you ask, "Why?" your stomach clenched when you remembered Chocolate and...Marble...
"Exactly," Genis agreed, "That was destroyed."
"Oh, you're not?" Neil asked, almost disappointed, "We've recently received reports that Desians are wandering inside the ruins of the ranch. We've increased our security."
"I wonder if Magnius came back?" Colette asked,
"He can't have..." you argue, "He was in the ranch when it self-destructed... No one could have survived that...!"
"Perhaps it's a different group of Desians..." Raine mumbled, "Forcystus and Rodyle are still alive..."
"I don't know if its related, but there are also reports that Desians are attacking the sea route between Izoold and Palmacosta." the Governor chimed in, "They seem to be constructing some sort of giant infrastructure on the ocean floor."
"The Remote Island Human Ranch is located in that region." the Professor commented.
"Rodyle and Forcystus are the only ones left," Genis said, "Forcystus' ranch is near Iselia..."
"So that must be Rodyle's ranch." you finish.
"I wonder what's going on over there?" Lloyd asked to no one, "Maybe it's the Mana Cannon that Rodyle is building."
"Well, if you're worried about it, why don't we go take a look?" Zelos asked,
"Even if it's not the Mana Cannon, this city will become the next Luin if the Palmacosta ranch is operational again." Sheena agreed.
"Yeah. Let's check out the Palmacosta ranch." the brunette finished.
"...Well, it seems our plans are set." Raine decided, "We'll come back for Mithos later."
"I see. I understand." Niel agreed.
"Genis. Be careful. And Raine and Aura and Lloyd and everyone else, too." Mithos warned,
"Yeah. Just wait here for a little while. Is that okay, Mithos?"
"Sure." he agreed, then turned to Genis, "Genis. Please take this with you." he held out a panpipe,
"What's this?" the other asked. Your mind tried to force you to remember something, however all you saw was black. But you knew, you had seen that panpipe before.
"It's...a memento of my sister who passed away." Mithos explained,
"I can't take that!" Genis exclaimed, shocked that Mithos would give up such a prized possession.
"If you find yourself in danger, play it." the blonde explained, ignoring what Genis had said, "I don't know what it can do, but it may just be able to save you."
"Okay... thank you." Genis nodded, "I promise I'll come back and return it to you."

It took about an hour to fly to the ranch-- however you landed a fair ways outside the grounds to avoid detection. After returning the machines to their wing pack you all quickly proceeded towards the base. However when you made it, who you saw weren't Desians...
"!"
"Renegades!" Lloyd exclaimed.
"So that's it." Genis said, "Neil and the others couldn't tell the difference between the Desians and the Renegades." Botta stood there, turning to face the group and not seeming surprised in the least that you showed up.
"We've been waiting for you." Botta greeted,
"Are you saying you were expecting us to come here?" Raine questioned,
"Does it really matter?" he retorted, "We have more important things to discus, such as joining forces."
"W-what...?" you ask. You didn't exactly like the idea of it...but you did like being able to see Yuan again...
"...Unbelievable." Raine commented, almost sounding disgusted, "You actually expect us to trust you after all you've done to Lloyd, Aura and Colette?"
"The circumstances have changed." Yuan's voice announced, the half-elf walked in from the side of the clearing where he'd apparently been hiding,
"Yuan!" Sheena gasped. Yuan walked by you all, standing next to Botta. You almost said 'Niisan!' but stopped yourself,
"Do you know of the Giant Kharlan Tree?" he asked,
"The legendary Giant Tree said to have existed in the Holy Ground of Kharlan, right?" Zelos asked, "It's the tree of life, which produces infinite mana." Colette glanced at Zelos, then looked back to Yuan,
"Isn't that just a fairy tale?" she asked,
"No." the word fell from your lips before you could stop yourself. Colette turned to you, confused,
"Exactly," Yuan agreed, "The Giant Kharlan Tree indeed existed. But the Kharlan War exhausted its mana supply and the tree wilted away. And now all that remains is its seed left in the Holy Ground of Kharlan."
"...!" your head pounded--for a split second you saw a huge green seed, inside it was the form of a...woman...?
"The seed of the Giant Tree is in the final seal?" Colette asked,
"It's called the Great Seed..." you mumble, putting a hand on your forehead. Genis looked to you, however after realizing you probably didn't remember everything he turned to Yuan,
"Are you talking about the Soul of Mithos?" he asked,
"Now that is a fairy tale." Botta responded, "The Great Seed, the source of the world's mana, is the seed of the Giant Tree."
"The Great Seed is absolutely vital in order to reunite the two worlds." Yuan explained,
"Because it's what's giving each world what little mana it has." you voice,
"That's right." Yuan complimented.
"Reunite the two worlds?!" Lloyd asked,
"I believe I told you before," your brother said, "Yggdrasill is the creator of the two worlds. Originally, the world was one, but Yggdrasill ripped it asunder."
"...It was called Symphonia." you say quietly, to which he nodded.
"How is it even possible for someone to split the world apart?..." the brunette boy asked,
"It was possible for Yggdrasill." Yuan argued, "And, as Aura has said: The two worlds have managed to survive by vying for the small amount of mana seeping from the Great Seed."
"So that's why the cycle of flourishing and declining continues, and the Chosen goes on a journey of regeneration..." Colette said,
"Yes," you confirm, "Mana is coming from the Great Seed but...it's not much. There isn't enough for two worlds to thrive at once; so one will thrive while the other..." you trail off.
"But," Yuan picked up, "If the Great Seed germinates, the Giant Tree will be restored and the cycle will come to an end."
"How do we resurrect the Giant Tree?" Lloyd asked hopefully,
"The Great Seed is nearly dead." your brother explained, "We must expose it to a large amount of mana in order to save it."

"There's no supply of mana like that to be found anywhere in the world... Either of them." Raine voiced,
"Cruxis base, Derris-Kharlan, is a comet made from a giant mass of mana." Yuan countered, "It lies suspended in the sky high above this land. All we have to do is use that."
"But..." you ask, "That's...Yggdrasill is there... He wouldn't let us just Use it."
"That's right. Why doesn't Yggdrasill revive the Giant Tree?" Lloyd asked.
"All of Derris-Kharlan's mana is being given to Martel for the sake of resurrecting her." he responded. You remembered that woman you saw inside the seed,
"...Because she's trapped...!" you ask, "Martel...is trapped within the Great Seed...!"
"What?..." Colette asked,
"It seems your memory comes back quickest at these times," Yuan voiced,
"...."
"By using the power of a Cruxis Crystal, Martel's soul lives on, existing as a part of the Great Seed." the half elf said,
"If Martel awakens, the Great Seed will be absorbed into her and disappear. The reverse also holds true." Botta said, "In order to prevent that from happening, Yggdrasill protects the Great Seed with the seals of the Summon Spirits."
"...he cares more about reviving Martel than saving the worlds..." you mumble under your breath.
"So that's why the Renegades are trying to stop Martel's revival." Raine finished.
"Yes." Yuan confirmed, "We will make the Great Seed germinate. As a result, Martel will be absorbed by the seed, and then..."
"The Giant Kharlan Tree will be reborn." Lloyd finished, sounding as though he liked the idea that Yuan had planned.
"If that happens, will the two worlds become one again?" Colette asked hopefully,
"That I don't know." Yuan responded truthfully, "The only certainty is that the world will end if the seed is lost."
"So, you're gonna have Miss Martel be a good little girl and disappear." Zelos surmised,
"Martel is already dead. If it weren't for Derris-Kharlan's mana, her soul would have disappeared a long time ago." Yuan responded, sounding not happy.
"Why is Yggdrasill so obsessed with Martel?" Genis asked.
"That doesn't matter." the half-elf said shortly, dodging the question, "What's important is that we see to it that the Great Seed germinates."
"Up till now, the Great Seed has been protected by the Summon Spirits of the declining world." Botta explained,
"The mana links." Lloyd put in,
"Correct." the subordinate complimented, "Now that the links have begun to unravel, the Great Seeds protection has weakened."
"...Because we have been forming pacts with the Summon Spirits of both worlds." Presea said,
"Now I understand why you want us to join you." Raine said, "It's because we have Sheena, a summoner."

"Yuan, are you with Cruxis? Or are you with the Renegades?" Lloyd asked seriously,
"...I am with Cruxis, and I am also the leader of the Renegades." Yuan responded,
"A double-agent?..." Regal asked,
"In other words, a traitor." Zelos responded.
"So, what's your decision?" Yuan asked,
"...Okay." you voice before anyone else could. You saw the smile that tugged at his lips when you were the first to agree, however he was quick to keep his expression straight,
"...Yeah." Lloyd agreed,
"What?! Lloyd--c'mon," Zelos said, "Think for yourself! Of course Aura agreed--Yuan's her brother...! She's Biased!"
"Exactly--Yuan's her brother." Lloyd said, "I don't know what sort of jerk of a brother would purposefully put his sister in danger."
"...."
"Lloyd, Aura...So you're going to trust him?" Raine asked,
"Of course." you respond, you sighed mentally, *...I guess I am biased; aren't I...?*
"...Yeah." Lloyd agreed, "He's revealed the fact that he is a traitor. He's putting himself on the line. That has to mean something... besides, if he hadn't saved Aura from Rodyle she might be in Yggdrasill's clutches right now." you shuddered, remembering that. Sheena put an arm around your shoulders,
"Hell, Aura's like my little sister too. She trusts him, so do I." Sheena agreed, you gave her a grateful smile.
"...I'll trust him, too." Colette agreed. After that, everyone muttered an agreement.
"You were headed towards Rodyle's ranch, correct?" Yuan asked.
"You sure know a lot about what we're doing." Zelos voiced suspiciously, "Do you have a spy watching us or something?" he looked to you suspiciously, "Hmm? Well, Aura?"
"W-what?!" you demand,
"Zelos!" Sheena exclaimed,
"Accuse her again, and you'll be sorry." Yuan cursed, glaring at the redhead chosen, "I'd never ask my sister to sink so low as to spy."
"Either way, we have to stop that Mana Cannon thing before it's completed." Lloyd decided,
"We also have a debt to pay back to Rodyle." Presea growled.