Woot! Thanks for checking out my fanfiction. My obsession with ToS has come back, so I wrote a fic about it. This story includes my answer to unanswered questions in the game. Major spoilers if you haven't finished the game and there are pairings, but I don't want to tell. It'll spoil the surprises! Read and rate, I'll return the favor if I can. I'm not the best with introductions, so bare with me. The story will progress. I promise.

I do not own Tales of Symphonia or any of the characters. (If I did, Colette would be dead)

Anyway, enjoy!

Edit: I'm going back and fixing all typos in every chapter before it's too late. If you pick up a typo I missed, tell me ♥

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Chapter One:

Wish Upon A Star, No Matter How Far

Some time had passed since the downfall of a once great hero. Sylvarant and Tethe'alla were once again in their harmony for the first time in four thousand years. World regeneration that prospered both was finally reached, but world unity was still a goal to be accomplished. The mind set of the population was still divided. A border down the side marked off the regions along the two worlds, but by law, they were still one; one government. Many half-elves remained on Exire, as they were unable to move, or chose not to. Some died as the battle was being fought. Sylvarant was first to open its arms to the oppressed half-elven population; most half elves made their homes in Iselia and the surrounding areas. Hate crimes against half elves were more often than anyone would have hope; only one of the many reasons many half elves treated Exire as their only home.

As agreed, the group separated to achieve their individual goals. Parting was truly such sweet sorrow; for some, the parting was more painful than others. With a promise to never forget and keep in touch, they set off into the new land in terms of their own personal regeneration.

The night before Lloyd's fight with Kratos, Sheena asked to speak with Lloyd for a second. Seconds turned into minutes, and minutes turned into hours, but time didn't complain; neither did they. The two spoke of their views on the battle. Lloyd was quick to change the subject and it was later on decided that he would go on a journey to retrieve all the exspheres of the world. Sheena wanted to be by his side, and therefore offered to join him. Wanting her to be by his side, he accepted. Eventually, before Lloyd left Iselia, Colette asked to come on his journey to tell the worlds the truth about Cruxis, the Chosen's journey, and Martel's memories.

The stars were the brightest they had been in a very long time, compared to that horrific incident in Welgaia while trying to cure Colette's illness. A boy lay on the grass in a complete daze. His hands massaged his neck, though his arms ached from being twisted into such an uncomfortable position. He didn't mind though; the pain never caught up to him until he slept, even then, it never bothered him. He shifted his legs back and forth; straightening them both just to bend his knee up and form triangles moments later. Complex eyes skimmed the distance sky, as if he were searching for something. He was.

"You wouldn't find it, Lloyd." A familiar female voice broke the nighttime silence.

"I know."

"Then why are you looking?" The voice grew louder and louder until the owner's body sat beside the boy, in traditional Mizuho style: knees bent and resting body weight on the shins.

"When I was young, I remember looking at the stars with my father. I'm sure he's looking at the same star I am."

Sheena sighed and tilted her head back to view the evening sky. "You should be asleep."

"So should you."

"I was concerned. You've been doing this a lot lately. You miss him, huh?"

". . . . . He was our ninth companion." Lloyd purposely made no eye contact with Sheena; one look would give it all away.

". . . and your father. . . ."

Finally having time to relax, Lloyd came to terms with his feelings. Yes, he missed Kratos. The only other man who knew about Anna was floating farther and farther away with every moment, and there was nothing he could do about it. He wished Kratos could have stayed. He wished Kratos could have been the father they both knew he wanted to be. After spending some time traveling with Lloyd, Sheena became familiar with his habits. They changed after the World Regeneration; he missed Kratos since he actually had more time to think about everything. Still, she kept her distance between the father/son internal conflict Lloyd was facing. It was an unknown area to her, but, she could sympathize with him.

"Come on, Lloyd. Let's go inside. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

Lloyd caved in and sighed before standing to his feet. Sheena followed suit and the two walked into their inn. Before parting by the door, she said good night and Lloyd watched her walk down the hall. "It'll be okay, Lloyd." Sheena was trying to convince herself more than she consoling him, as she said it when out of earshot.

Lloyd turned to look at the stars once more, and upon finding the brightest one possible, whispered, "Good night, Dad." Then finally, his conscious gave his body permission to sleep in peace for yet another night.

The next morning, the group journeyed to Rebirth, also known as Luin. Thousands of gald and endless effort gave way to the resurrection of the city. Lloyd was anxious to visit the birth place of his mother, which gave a reason for Lloyd being one of the highest donators to the reconstruction projects. Yet, only he and Kratos knew this fact.

Colette was to speak to the masses at the town's square and the crowd was eager to hear. Many still called her Sylvarant's Chosen; a title that pained her. Her Cruxis crystal was unchanged and unmoved, and when asked why, simply replies "Memories. A proof of the past, a hope for the future."

"Wow," a person spoke up after hearing the story of the journey, "I actually prayed to the Goddess Martel. I can't believe she was a lie."

"NO!" Colette exclaimed as her cheeks turned their familiar cherry blossom pink. "The Goddess Martel is real! Her soul protects the Yggdrasill tree, which protects all of us: elves, half elves, and humans alike. She fought to end the Ancient War all those years ago and now she lives on with the many souls that nurture the tree. Pray to the Goddess; she will listen. She cares for all." Her speech took the crowd by surprise and the color of her face turned red. She was blushing. They smiled, and Colette did too, while adding in her giggle. It was a real giggle this time.

"That's the last of them." Lloyd collected the exspheres remaining in town and closed the box before having Sheena seal it. All exsphere were sent to Mizuho, mainly for safety reasons. The seal could only be opened by the Chief.

"Alright, all sealed. Where to next, Lloyd?" Sheena asked.

"I was thinking Palmacosta. I've heard rumors of exspheres floating around. Also wanted to see Neal and Cla-"

Lloyd was cut off by the urgent voice of a man behind him. "Mr. Irving! Please, wait!" The group turned around to see a man running with a paper in hand. He was out of breath by the time the letter reached Lloyd and nearly collapsed.

"What is it, Lloyd?" Colette asked eagerly.

"Yeah, what's up? Everything okay?" Sheena included as Lloyd read the letter.

"Hmm. We're being summoned to Iselia. Something about a letter that can't be sent anywhere else."

"Is everyone okay?!" Colette became worried. Not much changed about her. "Is Phaidra hurt or something?"

"You dork. Everything's fine," Lloyd laughed.

"Going back to Iselia wouldn't be a bad idea. We could use a break anyway." Sheena stretched and yawned. "It's getting late. That meeting took longer than expected. I'm off to bed."

"Okay, good night, Sheena."

"Yeah, good night."

"Night, Colette. Night, Lloyd."

But that night was the same as the others; Lloyd could be found finding his father's star to wish him a good night. And true to Sheena, she was the one to call him to bed. She told Lloyd that Colette was worried. Colette being Colette, she would never express her feelings without a fight. Lloyd didn't look back, but closed his eyes and offered to talk to Colette in the morning. Something was happening in the group, and Colette noticed it first. Maybe that's why she offered to go on the journey with Lloyd. But one thing's for sure, she was definitely hiding a secret.

Early the next morning, the team traveled to Iselia. It was truly a home coming. The guards happily greeted Lloyd and Colette. It had been a while since Sheena visited Iselia; she felt more like a tourist. Lloyd laughed when Sheena told him and he offered to give her a personal tour of Iselia.

"Lloyd," Phaidra said when they entered Colette's home, "welcome back. Forgive me for interrupting your journey."

"Hey, Phaidra," he replied. "No, its okay. The letter sounded important."

"Yes, I suppose it is. Dirk has it."

"Oh, alright. I'll go there then."

"I'll go too, Lloyd." Sheena tightened the giant pink ribbon around her waist.

"Alright. Colette, you want to come?"

"Um. . . that's okay, Lloyd. I'm sorry, but I feel a little tired."

"Aw, you sure you're okay, Colette?"

"You should say something. Might be your crystal."

"No, no. I'm fine. Just need to rest."

Lloyd wasn't completely convinced and Colette's fake giggle only gave fuel to his fire of suspicions. He decided not to pursue it now, though. "Okay. We'll be back later if we can."

"Have a safe trip."

Sheena and Lloyd traveled to the Iselia forrest. The memories were peaceful to Lloyd; everything was peaceful. His reflects made his hand move swiftly to his swords with every sound, most usually caused by the wind. Even knowing the fact that the monsters had been long gone, Lloyd couldn't suppress his battle instincts. Lloyd stopped when they passed by the Iselia Human Ranch. The ranch was no longer functional, but it was turned into a memorial for all those humans who lost their lives to exspheres. A marble slab near the entrance contained the names of all the humans who died or had been bore within the ranch. Each ranch had a similar turn out, but this one was the most special to Lloyd: its where everything started. The day of the Oracle, the walk with Genis, Marble, Iselia; they were all so clear. The memories of Iselia's first destruction left a scare in Lloyd's heart. Chocolat forgave Lloyd, as did her mother. He even made a special momentum on the side of the ranch, where he first met her. Bowing his head, Lloyd said a silent prayer.

Sheena placed her hand on Lloyd's shoulder. "Come on, Lloyd. Dirk's probably waiting for you." Lloyd nodded thoughtlessly and continued on to his destination.

Sounds of a soft river's water flowing grew louder as they drew closer to Dirk's house. The two crossed the old log bridge. Before looking at the door, Lloyd separated from Sheena and went straight to his mother's gravestone. Kratos' sword still lay there, untouched by even Dirk. Possibly even the wind. "I'm home, Mom." Now, he was officially home.

When he reached the inside, Dirk handed him an envelope, with the Lezerano company seal and a certain companion's signature. "It's from Regal," Lloyd said to Sheena.

"Really? What's up with him?" Sheena asked. No one heard from Regal for a long time. He stayed in the Tethe'alla area along with Presea and Zelos, even though Zelos mentioned his desire to be near Mizuho. Lloyd figured they were on their own journeys and thought best not to bother them until his was over.

The boy pulled the letter from its home, turned, and unfolded the neatly folded paper. Great care was taken into writing the letter, which was done on special paper, using a sweet smelling ink that filled the room. "I'll read it aloud:

Dear Lloyd,

I pray your quest is going well and that everything is well. Some time has passed since our journey. Forgive me if this letter has caused any concern or worry to you, but I felt that it was rather urgent. You know fully of my crime: the murder of Alicia Combatir, Presea's beloved younger sister. I served time in jail of my own freewill and bond my hands as a symbol of said crime. Before disappearing, Alicia made a final request. Now it is time to fulfill that request.

It is now time to remove the shackles that bind my wrists. Never again will I use these hands as weapons to kill. But, true to my promise to Alicia, I will remove them. Our entire group is being invited to this ceremony and I would be grateful if you did attend. It is truly through you that I met Presea and later spoke with Alicia; for that, you have my most heartfelt thanks.

Please join me on the date mentioned, as I finally free myself of the past and continue my journey towards the future. For Alicia's sake, for Presea's sake, and for my own.

From a changed man,

Regal Bryant"

"Whoa. . . He's finally gonna do it! Good for him!" Sheena smiled and raised her fist into the air. "Are you going?"

"Of course! I wouldn't miss it for the world! This is really important to Regal." Lloyd scratched his head. "I wonder if he wrote this with his feet. . . ."

Sheena looked at him. "Lloyd!"

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" he laughed.

She grunted and turned around to hide her flushed face. Even Sheena couldn't help but laugh at such a 'Lloyd' comment.

The announcement took Lloyd by surprise. He was happy for Regal, but his mind was on other things. His mind was on Colette, which occasionally wandered on to Kratos. Colette was acting weird and his father was gone. Lloyd used to use intense act to suppress his personal emotions, but now he had time to think. He had time to be in pain. The pain had no mercy. The pain was testing him. He avenged the lives lost and kept his promises to serve both worlds, reunited, and even aided in the separation of his father. Time was a pain, and the pain worsened over time. Even with these wild new emotions wrecking havoc on his persona, he continued to ignore it and took after Colette.

Lloyd excused himself from the house after being offered dinner by Dirk. He mentioned his meeting with Colette and Dirk backed down, merely nodding and waving Lloyd away, telling him to be back in the house by dark. Lloyd made a comment about not being a child anymore. Dirk replied by saying he wasn't waking up in the middle of the night to open the door for Lloyd. Lloyd laughed and concurred. Call it instinct, but Sheena thought it best not to even ask to go with him. She stayed behind and enjoyed some of Dirk's cooking (hopefully it wasn't Potluck Surprise).

When Lloyd reached Iselia once again, he asked for the whereabouts of Colette. Phaidra hinted towards the school, and Lloyd headed straight there. The schoolhouse was unchanged since Raine's departure. Dust cluttered the air and floated around in swirls as Lloyd opened the door. Floor boards screamed, but Colette didn't notice the sounds. When Lloyd peered through the entrance, he saw her sitting on a desk directly in front of her 'mark'; the hole in the wall. The professor did a minor patch job. Minor meaning two pieces of wood creating an X over the hole. Hopefully Raine's home repair skills weren't as bad as her cooking.

"Colette." He decided to make his presence known.

She turned around with her hand over her eyes to shield the light coming from the side windows in her eyes. "Oh, Lloyd!" Standing, Colette jumped off the desk where she lay. She didn't trip, surprisingly. "Is everything okay?"

"No, it's not."

She stopped in her tracks and looked rather surprised, then scared. "What's wrong?"

"You." Lloyd got straight to the point; his voice dripped with annoyance, but why was he taking it out on Colette?

"Wh-what about me?"

"You're hiding something, aren't you?"

Colette began to back up and tripped over the leg of a chair. The dust shot from under her and made a small tornado before subsiding into a scattered pile. "N-n-no! . . .You're just tired, Lloyd. Why not go to bed? I got Regal's letter! I think its wonderful that he's-"

"Don't change the subject." Lloyd folded his hands and widened his stance. "Tell me. Now. You did this to me during the World Generation, and I hated it."

"Lloyd. . . . ."

"You still wouldn't tell me?! Why don't you trust me?!"

Her eyes were distant and glistened with unshed tears. "I-I. I'm sorry . . . . I. . don't even understand myself. . . "

"Understand what?"

Colette sighed as she closed her eyes, breaking the barrier holding back the tears that streamed down both sides of her face. "Not yet. Give me time, okay? After Regal's ceremony. Please?"

". . . . . Fine." Lloyd excused himself and left the schoolhouse in a huff.

Colette sighed and lowered her head, hands folded as if she were saying a prayer. "I'm sorry, Lloyd. But this is different. . . we're not regenerating the world, we're not unlocking seals, we're not on a journey, we're not saving me from an illness. It's more than that. . . . . . give me time, okay? Oh, Martel, please guide me. These are your memories after all." She looked at the floor with blurry vision, as her tears fell down and created a puddle near her feet.

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