Hello. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!! This is my first attempt at a Christmas fic, so it may suck. I wrote it so I don't know. I'm really not sure what inspired this, but I hope you enjoy, and I hope this isn't too angsty. Wait a minute, I don't even know what the hell angsty means. DISCLAIMER: I do not own TOS, but someday I may buy it.
Lloyd leaned on the railing of the balcony he was on and sighed. Things had changed since the worlds had been reunited. The party had split up, but tried to keep in touch the best they could. Well, everyone except for Kratos. He had returned to Derris-Kharlan. 'Atonement', he'd called it before making his wish to Lloyd.
Everyone had tried to convince him to stay, some harder than others. Really the only one that tried as hard as Lloyd was Sheena. She'd grown close to the mercenary in the short time they'd traveled together at the begining and the end of the journey. Sheena had never known her parents, but she had came to think of Kratos kinda like that.
Since Kratos had left, Lloyd had been sulking and depressed. The group had decided to met up in Flanoir, in an attempt to cheer up Lloyd and get everyone in the Christmas spirit. Really, noone knew why Lloyd was so depressed, well noone except Sheena.
She was the only one that knew what Lloyd truly thought of Kratos. Lloyd sighed again as a tear ran down his cheek. He looked up at the sky and saw a single bright star contrasting against the dark sky crying frozen tears. "Dad, I wonder if you can hear me right now." He asked.
Sheena stopped at the step she was on. 'Lloyd,' she thought, ' He's trying to talk to Kratos'. Sheena's heart fell at the thought of the mercenary., but she continued listening."No, probably not. I wish you could. I wish you were here right now. I love you, I really do. I should've told you." Lloyd said before he started sobbing.
Sheena stood frozen where she was with a fallen face and a sobbing heart. Then she smiled. She knew exactly what she was going to get Lloyd for Christmas. "I call upon the creator of Heaven, Earth, and everything inbetween, the ruler of all. I summon thee, come Origin." Sheena said as quietly as she could so Lloyd's Angelic hearing wouldn't pick it up.
A moment later Origin appeared before her in a burst of mana. 'What do you wish, pact-maker?' Sheena heard in her head. "Can you take me to Derris-Kharlan, Welgia more specifically?" Sheena asked.
Sheena felt a large amount of mana around her, then saw the chilling city of Welgia. She headed for the computer control room in the heart of the city ; the most likely place the Seraphim would be. When she arrived her heart soared. She wanted to cry at the sight of the Seraphim.
"Kratos!" She said.
Kratos jumped, not expecting anyone to be there with him. He turned to face the young Kunoichi. "Sheena?"
"Hey. Long time no see, eh?" Sheena asked sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck.
"For you, maybe. But when you have lived as long as I have, a few months is nothing." Kratos stated.
"I see." Sheena said simply.
"How did you get here?"
"Origin."
"Hmph."
"Hey, Kratos, can I talk to you for a sec?"
"Isn't that your whole reason for being here?"
"Yeah. Hey listen, Kratos. Come back to Symphonia, please."
"You heard me when I left. I...I cannot return."
Sheena felt something tug at her heart. How could he not want to come back? "Why?"
"I must atone for what I have done."
"Kratos, please don't lie to yourself. We both know you've long made up for what you did."
"Sheena, I have not. I have done many terrible things and caused countless people to suffer. I cannot allow myself to pleasure of returning."
Tears threatened to spill from Sheena's eyes as she started yelling. "Stop it Kratos. I know you're putting up a strong front, and want mor than anything to return." Sheena stopped yelling as a few tears spilled.
"Do you know what all's been going on since you left? No! Everyone, Raine, Genis, Presea, Regal and Colette miss you. And Lloyd. Your son. You have no idea what you're putting him through!" Tears were streaming down her face now.
"He's withdrawn, basically refuses to talk to anyone. He's been depressed and sulking since you left. You should have heard him tonight. It broke my heart. He was saying, 'Dad, I wonder if you can hear me right now.No, probably not. I wish you could. I wish you were here right now. I love you, I really do. I should've told you.' And nows he's crying,"
"He loves you, he really does. And he misses you. So do I, same way he does." Sheena fell to her knees, her legs wouldn't support her anymore. She started sobbing and hid her face in her hands. "Just come home."
Kratos's emotionless mask fell and was replaced with sorrow. It hurt him, the thought that he was responsible for Lloyd's current suffering. It hurt him to think about Lloyd crying as he took in Sheena's words. Kratos looked up and realized it hurt him to see the tears falling in front off him.
Sheena reminded Kratos so much of Anna. Kratos walked forward and knelt beside Sheena. He placed his hand under her chin and made her look at him. "Sheena, you're right. I wish I could come back. But there would be noone to watch Derris-Kharlan." Kratos said.
"Perhaps I could."
Sheena and Kratos looked over to see Verius, the Summon Spirit of Heart, walking towards them. "Cor-Verius, why are you here?" Sheena asked.
"I am a summon spirit, bound by no pact. Nor will I ever be. Yet I still feel drawn to you. I suppose it is from my previous life as Corrine. I remember I would do anything for you, even die. And I feel indept to you, for it is because of you I am currently here." Verius said.
"I couldn't do that to you. I was thinking of having Origin make it so the Eternal Sword could keep Derris-Kharlan close and camaflauge it using it's own mana." Sheena said, calming down a bit.
'Yes, that would work.' Sheena's spirits soared again at this. "Okay, good. Now come here and tell that to Kratos."
Origin appeared again behind both of them. "Kratos, return to Symphonia. I have everything under control." Origin said.
"Origin... Very well." Kratos said.
Sheena smiled. "All right, Origin. Take us back to Symphonia." Sheena said.
Kratos held out his hand and helped Sheena to her feet. "As you wish pact-maker." With that Origin transported them back to the steps.
Sheena wiped her eyes on the back of here gloved hand and moved forward. "Just follow my lead." Sheena was grinning again. 'Just like Anna.' Kratos thought before following her.
As soon as Lloyd heard the footsteps, he wiped his face on his sleeve. The door opened and Sheena went up beside Lloyd and leanded on the railing, while Kratos came up behind him. "Tomorrow's Christmas, you know?" Sheena said
"Yeah." Lloyd said simply.
"You could at least look at me when we talk." Sheena stated.
Lloyd turned his head enough to look at her. "Happy?" he asked.
"Very. Now I have a question for you. If you could have one wish, anything you want for Christmas, what would it be?" Sheena asked.
"I don't think you could help with that." Lloyd said bitterly.
Then he felt a pair of arms wrap around him from behind. "Is that so?"
Lloyd's eyes lite up and the spark that he had in them during the journey returned. "Dad?" he asked.
(Authoress Note: Warning, a hugging chain is coming up, but read it anyway for the poll at the end of the chapter)
Sheena stood up straight and once Kratos let go, Sheena took Lloyd in her arms. "Merry Christmas Lloyd." she whispered before giving him a quick peck on the cheeck and let go.
Then Lloyd turned around and all but tackled Kratos. "Dad, you're back!" Lloyd said happily.
"Yes, this time to stay." Kratos said as he wrapped his arms around his son again.
"Welcome home. Thanks for coming back." Lloyd said.
"Don't thank me. If it weren't for Sheena, I wouldn't be here. She came to Derris-Kharlan and told me of everything that had been happening...and reminded me of my bonds to this world." Kratos said.
Lloyd let go and walked over to Sheena. "Thank you Sheena. And I'm sorry. I'm sorry I turned you away like I have been. And I'm sorry if I hurt you. I shouldn't have acted like that." Lloyd said.
"It's alright, don't worry about it. I know how you feel. I'm just glad you're back to normal." Sheena said.
Then Kratos walked over and did something that surprised everyone present. He gave Sheena, someone other than Lloyd or Anna, a big hug. "I never thanked you, so thank you. I had no idea what was going on. I'm glad you told me. Also, you remind me so much of Anna, it's kind of painful."
"Anna... you mean Lloyd's mother... and your wife,... don't you." Sheena asked.
"Yes, your personality is so much like hers. You look so much like her, and your build is nearly the same." Kratos said, letting go of the Kunoichi.
(A.N.// It's over now, the hugging.)
"Thanks. But if you don't mind, I'm going inside. It's pretty cold out here." Sheena said.
"All right. We'll be in in a minute." Lloyd said.
Sheena entered the building and walked down the stairs. She reached the bottom and was about to open the door, but stopped and smiled. 'I probably shouln't, but I'm going to anyways.' She thought as she opened the door.
"Where's Lloyd? That was the whole point of you going up there, was it not?" Raine asked upon sight of Sheena.
"Yeah, he said he'll be down in a minute. But I have a question for you guys. If you guys could have one wish, anything you wanted, what would it be?" Sheena asked.
"To see Lloyd happy again." Colette said.
"Yeah. He's my best friend. It's hard to be cheery when he's depressed." Genis stated.
"During the journey, Lloyd gave me the courage to atone by having it himself. But if he doesn't really even have the will to live, then nor do I." Regal said.
"He changed me. But now he's becomung what I once was. therefore he is slowly taking me back to a place I do not want to go." Presea added.
"Yes. His hopes and dreams became my hopes and dreams. If he has none, then I have none." Raine said.
Just then Lloyd walked into the room smiling just like he used to. ""How did you-" a few of them asked at once, then Kratos came in behind Lloyd.
"Well, two wishes have been used, who wants the last one?" Sheena asked.
Man, this was longer than my usual by a whole page. Anyways, should I continue, or not? The next chapter will be the mistletoe part if anyone wants me to continue. Oh, and I want you to try to guess which two will be under the mistletoe. All correct answers will be given a cookie. Unfortunately, this will most likely be the last I post untill the middle of Feburary because I have a kickboxing match Feb. 9 to train for, and I want write and be good at kickboxing at the same time for some reason. But I will try 'cause I love you all. Please reveiw because it makes me feel so loved.