Disclaimer: Tales of Symphonia and anything associated with it is not mine. I'm not that smart.

"It could very well be that he's one of the people we have listed as missing, suffering through some kind of trauma that's affected his memory. He might not even be from Palmacosta. I know most if not all the people living here, and we do get travelers and merchants here from time to time."

Odin tried not to appear too nervous as he wandered around the eastern side of Palmacosta, noting that the scenery felt familiar but the people only vaguely. Mrs. Dorr's words from the previous day still weighed heavily on him. What kind of amnesia could give someone false memories of someone else's entire life? The name "Odin" was starting to sink in after a morning of use and he was starting to get used to responding to the name, but it hadn't yet managed to reach his core. He was still Emil Castagnier-renamed-Odin to himself.

Hopefully he would get to hear more when they went to meet Mrs. Dorr soon. Odin wondered what the president of a famous company like Lezareno must be like. Tall, probably. Maybe he dressed fancy, and neatly for sure. Did he scorn the Sylvaranti, like other Tethe'allans? But no, if he hated the Sylvaranti then why would he help them? Or was he taking pity on them, and he didn't like them at all in reality? No, if that were true he wouldn't be coming here, would he?

Odin didn't notice the man exiting a shop up ahead until he walked right into his back. "Oh! I'm sorry!" He backed up quickly, thankful there were few people out on the street right now.

His answer was a sharp intake of breath and a muttered "You…"

"Huh?" Odin craned his head to get a better look at the man: long, red hair, green eyes and glasses, black clothing. Odin fought off a gulp as he saw that the man was staring at him. Were those swords he carried? He ducked his head again, hoping to avoid angering the man any more than he already had. "I'm sorry."

"It's nothing. You don't have to apologize." The man started to walk away.

"W-wait!" The man turned around and raised an eyebrow. Odin cringed. He had no idea why he'd cried out like that. Something about the man drew Odin to him, as if he were an old friend. But they didn't know each other, did they?

Mrs. Dorr's words echoed in his mind again, all too fresh.

"Um, do we know each other?" he ventured.

He could see the man hesitating, but the answer was curt. "No."

"B-but…" Odin cut himself off, afraid to bother the other any more. "No. I'm sorry."

"I told you, there's no need to apologize so much."

"Oh. I'm—" Odin hung his head again. That had been stupid. He could feel the man scrutinizing him again, neither of them sure what to do next.

"Courage is the magic that turns dreams into reality."

Odin glanced back up again to find the man slightly startled, as if he couldn't understand what he'd just said. He recovered in a second, though, and explained, "It's something a human with a few screws loose once said. You could probably use some of that."

"Oh." Courage, Odin thought, repeating it in his head. Courage is the magic that turns dreams into reality. The words felt powerful, as if with them Odin could conquer anything he wanted without fear.

"What's your name?"

"Odin. Odin Castagnier." He sounded out the name slowly, feeling awkward as he did. He hadn't tried to introduce himself as Emil, but the name still felt somewhat alien to him.

"Well, Odin, would you happen to—"

"Odin! Hey, Odin! There you are!" Before the man could finish, Emil came running over in their direction. "Come on, we have to go now or else we're going to be late! I've been searching through half of Palmacosta to get you!"

Odin promptly remembered that they were due for the meeting with Mrs. Dorr and the president of Lezareno in a very short amount of time. "I-I'm—I have to go!" he stammered to the man (he realized too late that he'd never gotten the man's name) before running off with Emil.

One fleeting look out the corner of his eye told Odin the man was still observing them as they left, and his words resounded again through Odin's mind as they ran for the Governor-General's office.

Mrs. Dorr was waiting there with Mr. Voll and Marta (accompanied by Tenebrae, invisible to all but her and Emil), as well as a tall, well-dressed man with long, blue hair tied loosely in the back who he hadn't seen the day before.

"Emil," Mrs. Dorr introduced, "this is Regal Bryant, president of the Lezareno Company."

"H-hello," Odin greeted the president lamely. "Um, you can just call me Odin now."

"Odin Castagnier," Emil supplied. "For as long as he wants to use it."

"In that case, I'm very pleased to meet you, Odin." Bryant gave him a respectful nod. "Mrs. Dorr tells me that yours is a very strange situation."

"Yes, sir. She said you might be able to help?" Emil couldn't keep the hope out of his voice. Already he could tell he'd been wrong earlier: the president of Lezareno did dress neatly and he was of considerable height, but he had a mellow air about him that told Odin he wasn't the sort of person who would judge him for being a Sylvaranti, maybe even for his lack of a solid identity at the moment.

The president, however, shook his head. "Not at this moment. I've never seen something like this before, so it will be difficult to assess any problems without further knowledge. In addition, I'm afraid that I myself may not be the ideal person to look into your condition. I suppose I could refer you to some of the researchers I'm familiar with, or the university in Sybak, if you're willing to travel and remain under observation for some time. Even then you won't necessarily be able to discover who you truly are, merely understand why your memories are as they are."

"You make it sound like it he's going to be some kind of experiment," Emil noted with a hint of guarded protectiveness.

"No, it's all right!" Odin said quickly, though he didn't find the prospect of being a lab rat particularly pleasant either. "I understand that what's going on with me is strange. If nobody knows what's wrong, there's nothing he or I can do about it. But as long as whatever I have to do isn't harmful in any way, I think I should be okay. It isn't, is it, sir?"

"No, it shouldn't be," Regal answered. "I would never willingly subject anyone to such treatment. And you may call me Regal." He smiled. "Whatever you should choose to do, I have a feeling we'll be seeing more of each other in the future and I believe it's fair. Between friends, if you will."

"Friends?" Odin fell silent, contemplating the word. Before in Luin he'd had no friends to speak of, but since leaving Luin Odin had started to wonder if he could be choked by them someday, between Marta and Tenebrae and now Emil and the president of Lezareno.

"Hey, Odin, you sure you're up to this?" Emil was still skeptical, and Odin thought there might be a hint of resentment in his tone. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to. Nobody would blame you for it. You're not even sure if this will work, and it could all be a giant waste of time!"

"Emil!" Mr. Voll reprimanded him. "Remember who's with us."

"Are you referring to me? It's fine," Regal said. "He raises valid concerns. It would be foolish not to consider them. You don't have to say yes, nor do you need to answer me now," he advised Odin. "I intend to stay here for at least another day, so rather than rush and do something you'll regret, consider carefully and give me your decision when you're ready."

"All right," Odin agreed. "And thank you very much…Regal."

"Odin. You are not considering accepting Regal's proposal, are you?"

By now Odin had gotten used to Tenebrae's appearances, so his materialization at the side of the bed barely fazed him. "This isn't about that Knight of Ratatosk business again, is it?"

"Lady Marta searched for two months to find you in hopes of having you as her Knight. She would be highly disappointed if you were to fail her."

"Marta doesn't want me, she wants her fantasy version of me! I don't even remember saving her two months ago." In his secondhand clothes, sitting in the mostly bare guest room decorated only by a few of Emil's rescued mementoes, Odin couldn't see how he could ever save anybody. He could hardly stand up for himself most of the time.

"What you remember and what Lady Marta remembers are two different things," Tenebrae pointed out. "Need I remind you of the reason why you want to leave in the first place?"

Odin looked down, unable to fault that argument. "I don't even know how to fight, really. I just know how to try and hit things."

"Training can be arranged."

"But what if I mess up? Marta could end up hurt, or worse!"

"And without you to protect her, that fate certainly will befall her on her journey."

"Anybody would be better than me." Odin traced circles on the bed sheets, trying to imagine himself out in the world fighting nameless enemies out to kill Marta and take Ratatosk's core.

He wouldn't stand a chance.

Tenebrae's gaze was full of reproach. "Remember, Odin, Lady Marta has waited all this time in hopes that you would become the Knight of Ratatosk. She wants no one else. But Lady Marta holds you in the highest regard. She will say nothing against you should you disappoint her. Please, Odin, try to have some courage." And with those parting words he disappeared, leaving Odin to his thoughts.

Courage.

The conversation with the red-haired man rose up in his mind, and his words echoed: Courage is the magic that turns dreams into reality. The words themselves felt like magic, as if they could transform even Odin into the brave and fearless Knight of Ratatosk he was expecting to be. But what dreams did he have? Odin wanted to find out who he was, but after talking with Tenebrae that didn't feel so much like courage. Maybe it wasn't his own dreams that would become reality, but Marta's? His being a Knight of Ratatosk was her dream, wasn't it?

Odin sighed, almost wishing he were back in Luin. He had no friends there, but at least in Luin everything had been simple.

Someone knocked at the door. "Odin?" Marta called softly. "It's time for dinner."

"Coming," Odin replied. He got up, relieved to have something a little less complicated to do than trying to figure out mysterious sayings from equally mysterious men.

The Volls' kitchen was above average in size—the family, it seemed, was fairly well off—but with a family of four plus three guests crammed together at the dining table, it still felt crowded. Odin remained quiet the entire time, giving minimal replies to any comments or questions posed in his direction. The others didn't press him, probably thinking he was considering whether to accept Regal's offer, which he was in a way.

He had three options, Odin told himself. He could go with Regal and maybe find out who he was, or he could become Marta and Tenebrae's Knight of Ratatosk and accompany them on their journey to collect the Centurions' cores. His last choice was to stay here in Palmacosta and forge a new life for himself as Odin Castagnier, the "adopted" brother of Emil Castagnier.

That last didn't sound like such an option anymore. Odin felt as if he were being tugged simultaneously in two directions, and unless he chose one soon he would be pulled clean in half.

As dinner ended and Emil began clearing up the table, they heard the first beginnings of a commotion outside. Mrs. Voll ordered the rest of them to stay in the house while she investigated, which did little to ease the rest's anxiety.

As they relocated to the living room to wait, the dishes forgotten for the time being, Emil in particular seemed caught between running outside, picking a fight, and breaking out into tears. Ingrid moved in closer to him, and Odin could hear murmurs along the lines of "again," "that night," and "won't die." He made the mistake of glancing at Marta to see her watching him with a mix of distress and hope and expectation that made him want to cringe. He recalled a snippet of a conversation they'd had on the road, discussing the possibility of monster attack: "Don't worry, I can protect myself. But if I'm ever in danger, you'll save me again, won't you?"

But as long as they stayed safely inside, nobody would have to be in danger in the first place. The Blood Purge two months ago had already devastated Palmacosta once. It couldn't happen twice, could it?

Mrs. Voll's return confirmed their fears. "It's the Church of Martel," she explained hurriedly. "Soldiers have come to Palmacosta, claiming to be under Lloyd Irving's orders. They're threatening to attack unless we present them with something called 'Ratatosk's core.'" Odin's stomach twisted at that, knowing what would come next. "They're asking for you, Marta."

"No!" Before he knew it, Odin had leapt up, shaking his head vehemently. "You're not going to give them Marta!"

"Of course we won't," Mrs. Voll said sternly. "Odin, sit down." The fire rushed out of Odin's blood, leaving him to meekly drop back into his chair. "Mrs. Dorr talked to their commander, and she refuses to sacrifice anybody. But the commander issued an ultimatum. Either we find this Ratatosk's core and hand it over, or we face the consequences."

"What's this Ratatosk's core, anyway?" Ander demanded. "If she has it, we can fork it over and maybe they'll go away!"

"I'm right here, you know!" Marta snapped, but her distress was obvious. "I do have Ratatosk's core. It's this jewel." She lifted up the hair covering the core on her forehead, showing it to everyone present. "It's very important. People other than the Church of Martel have tried to take it before."

"If they want it so much, get rid of it already! It can't be something worth all our lives!"

The boiling rage took hold of Odin again. "If they take the core, she'll die!" he shouted. "You can't just tell her to kill herself!" He trembled. Ander was glaring at him and privately Odin wanted nothing more to crawl into a hole and disappear, but he'd been afraid for Marta ever since learning from Tenebrae why surrendering the core was not an option and this was his worst nightmare coming to pass right in front of him.

He risked a peek at Marta, and the gratitude and awe he saw gave him a little strength.

"Enough people have died already." Ander's voice was thick with bitterness. "It's a miracle none of us are dead yet. But look at Emil!"

"Ander, stop it!" Ingrid glared at him, but laid a hand on his shoulder. "You have no right to say things like that just because Dalia…"

"I don't want to hear it, Ingrid." Ander's voice was hoarse now. "This isn't only for me. It's for all of Palmacosta. One life or a hundred. Which are you going to give up?"

"But what if you were that one life?" Odin countered. "And what if there was a way to save them all? What's the use of sacrifice then?"

"That's idiotic, to believe that. And if it were me, I'd go and turn myself in. I'd tie myself with a nice big bow if it meant I could save everyone else the pain and trouble. Anything else would be pure selfishness."

"Not everyone would be as willing to die as you are," Mr. Voll reminded him. "Maybe you've forgotten how to care for your own life, but would you say the same if I, or your mother, or Ingrid were the person in question?"

"That doesn't matter, Dad! It's not one of us, it's her. And if what I've heard lately is true, she and her family have—"

"That has nothing to do with this. Does it?" Mr. Voll studied Marta quizzically, then his wife.

"It was brought up, but everyone's certain they want that jewel rather than Marta herself."

"What are you talking about?" Odin interrupted, confused. "What about Marta's family?"

"I never really told you before, Odin," Marta began anxiously, eyes trained on the ground. "My father is the leader of the Vanguard. I used to be a part of it, too, but I left. Daddy's changed, and so has the Vanguard. What they're doing now is so stupid!" Her expression was lost and hurt, and Odin found himself taking a step toward her, reaching a hand out towards her.

"Enough of that!" Ander cut in sourly. "We don't have time for theatrics. Are you going to let them have that jewel or not?"

"Of course not!" Odin insisted, but Marta shook her head.

"No. He's right. Maybe I have been selfish." She bowed her head, and turned to a corner of the room where Tenebrae had observed the entire display. "I'll go. Perhaps…even if they get the core, things will work out for the best somehow. I'm so sorry, everyone." She walked out to the door as everyone stared in shock, and when Odin tried to run up and stop her she shrugged off his hand. "I guess I wasted your time. Thank you for worrying about me."

"Marta, don't," he pleaded. "You don't have to do this! You can't!"

"Goodbye, Odin." Marta exited the house and shut the door behind her. It was useless trying to convince her like this, Odin realized with horror. Ander's voice had hit her too deeply, and there was no time to stop and deliberate before the Church of Martel made good on their threat.

"Odin." Tenebrae appeared behind him in his usual cloud of darkness. "Do you intend to let Lady Marta give herself up?"

Odin leaned against the door, checking to make sure nobody was within sight before answering. "No, of course not! But what do I—" He caught Tenebrae's gaze. "I…"

"I can help you forge a pact with Lord Ratatosk right now, and when the time comes I will instruct you in the basics of combat. But you must choose quickly, Odin. Should you wish to go after Lady Marta, we don't have much time."

Emil hesitated, and imagined how Marta must be doing at that moment.

But if I'm ever in danger, you'll save me again, won't you?

A deeper voice answered, in a low mutter engraved into Odin's memory: Courage is the magic that turns dreams into reality.

Right now, the thing he wanted to do more than anything else was to save Marta.

I don't care if you're not who you think you are. You're still who I think you are.

"I'll do it," he agreed. "I-I want to help Marta."

"Very well." Tenebrae inclined his head toward the door. "You will want some privacy for this, unless you wish for Emil or the Voll family to stumble upon you."

"Right."

"Odin?" Emil called, his voice closer than Odin had expected. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going out!" Odin announced quickly, and before anyone could answer he ran outside, ducking into an empty space behind a house after a few minutes in an attempt to hide from anybody who tried to follow.

Tenebrae was still there with him. "Shall we get started?"

Odin closed his eyes, repeating the man's words to himself once again. Courage is the magic that turns dreams into reality. He had to do this, for Marta. Taking a deep breath, he nodded and answered, "Yes. Please, Tenebrae."

"Then let's begin. Odin, I command you. Unleash the power within yourself." A stream of the same cloudy dark power Odin had come to associate with Tenebrae appeared, streaming steadily to envelop him. Emil grimaced and shut his eyes as his head started to ache, clutching his head as the darkness collected around him and the pain built. "Awaken, 'Hunter of Evil!'" Tenebrae finished, and the power came to a peak. Odin felt as if he were on fire—but then the burning shifted, racing in his blood as it had when he'd tried to defend Marta inside the Volls'.

Odin opened his eyes, and he could see the world anew. The dark no longer seemed so dark, and the foreboding atmosphere had vanished. No longer was he weak, shrinking from forces greater than himself; with a little applied effort, he could control those forces.

His clothing was different. Worn hand-me-downs and old loafers had been replaced by…a lot of blue and gold and black, and a sword strapped on at his back. Elegant. He had no idea where the outfit had come from, but whoever designed it had some interesting fashion sense.

Tenebrae observed him from the side. "The pact should now be complete. Odin, do you feel Lord Ratatosk's power within you?"

"Yes." His voice was deeper, Odin noted, and it was full of every bit of the confidence he felt. "Let's go, Tenebrae."

They found Marta surrounded by soldiers in the memorial near the center of Palmacosta. There was a small crowd gathered to watch, and to his irritation some of the onlookers sported self-righteous expressions, like it was a good thing she was going to die for them.

"Don't you dare lay a hand on Marta!" he yelled, and everyone turned in his direction.

"Odin!" That was Emil's voice inside the crowd; of course he would have been here. "What happened to you?"

"That doesn't matter. But whoever even tries to go near Marta is going to regret it!" One hand grasped for the sword on his back, and the knights edged forward.

"Kill her now!" ordered their commander, a large man in gold armor. "First her, and then bring divine punishment upon this city of traitors!"

"Oh, no you don't!" Unsheathing the sword, Odin ran at them and in a second he was clashing with the quickest of the knights, not entirely sure what he was doing but desperate to reach Marta and get rid of them all. "Tenebrae!" he called. Secrecy was not an issue right now if he wanted to succeed in this fight, and even if anybody remembered the name later they wouldn't know who it meant.

"Right." Tenebrae hovered over them all, keeping a close eye on Odin and issuing advice where needed. Odin soon realized that trying to fight with his sword was useless right now—not enough time and too troublesome when he hardly knew how to use it—and soon settled for relying on his speed and the added strength he'd gained from Ratatosk's power to fight. He'd managed to knock out two knights and was battling another when Tenebrae snapped, "Odin! To your left!"

A glance told him there was another Martel Knight coming his way, but Odin still had the one in front of him to contend with. He gritted his teeth and prepared to attempt a last-ditch haphazard slash at his current opponent—

And then Regal dropped in and sent the other knight flying with a powerful kick. "I thought this might happen, so I came as soon as I could," he explained quickly, spinning to take on another knight. "I was tending to business on the other side of the city when I received word of what was occurring here. It's despicable."

"Talk later!" Odin barked. "We have to save Marta now!" Regal only nodded in agreement before delivering a final blow to knock another knight unconscious.

The crowd had retreated, none of them save Emil brave enough to try and stay near the fighting. Emil stood in the same place he'd been in when Odin first spotted him,

watching them intently. Marta was still circled by five guards who were luckily keeping their eyes on their comrades rather than trying to kill her, and she gazed at Odin with even more reverence than he'd ever seen in her before.

In the time it took Odin to battle with another three, Regal dealt with all those remaining in their way. Odin's pride stung slightly, but shook it off. Regal obviously had more experience, and his-self esteem was irrelevant. Nothing mattered now but saving Marta. The distractions done, they dashed toward the circle of knights, who were now hurriedly trying to restrain Marta enough to strike a killing blow as the two came closer and closer.

"Don't you dare! Demon Fang!" Instinctively Odin sent a shockwave toward the one holding his sword high, sending him sprawling to the ground. That gave Marta enough of an opening to escape her captors' grasps with one last yank and leap back, pulling out her spinner as she did.

Odin ran up to her side, Regal right behind him. "Marta, are you okay?" he muttered.

"Odin! You…you did it, didn't you?"

"Yes. I won't let you die, Marta." He glared back at the knights, assuming a fighting stance. "And I won't hesitate to kill anyone who gets in my way!"

The knights charged, and the three of them made quick work of those before turning their attention to the commander, and when they were through with him the fight dropped abruptly out of Odin again, leaving him to survey the results. He looked down at his hands. Had he really managed that?

"All right," Mrs. Dorr commanded; she must have come with Regal, Emil figured. Her face was haggard: relieved, but clearly concerned about many things. "When those people start waking up, I'll find out who I have to talk to. Don't panic, everyone. Palmacosta will not have another Blood Purge on its hands. We'll get to the bottom of this as soon as we can."

"Mrs. Dorr's really great," Emil remarked quietly as he approached them. "Since what happened to the Governor-General things have been tough on Palmacosta. But after she came back, she just stepped up and took command, even when it was one disaster after another." He bit his lip at that. "Hey, Odin. Where were you? I have no clue where you got your clothes, or your fashion sense, but…"

Nearby Odin could hear Tenebrae grumbling. It wasn't too much to hope for an answer to give Emil, was it? "Um." Definitely time for another change of subject. "I'm sorry I ran out like that earlier."

Emil seemed skeptical, but let it drop. "We should get back home, or else Mrs. Voll will be even more worried. You still think we're still needed here?" Mrs. Dorr was still busy issuing orders, as those who had nothing to do yet talked among themselves or milled around. There were more than a few glances at Odin and Marta, which they all noted.

"It should be fine if you go home," Regal said. "There will be questions, of course. I have my own to ask, but it's late. I believe there is nothing that cannot wait to be asked in the morning."

"Let's go, then." Emil tugged on Odin's arm. "I could use some sleep about now. It's never boring with you around, is it?"

Odin nodded and followed, pretty sure that Emil's quip hadn't been quite as much of a joke as he'd intended.