Just Die Already
(AN: Disclaimer: I do not own or claim to own Tales of Symphonia, its characters, or locations. Set after the firing of the Mana Cannon by Sheena and prior to reaching Heimdall. Spoilers, angst, death, language, yaoi sexuality. A/U .
ZelosxLloyd & SheenaxColette)
Chapter Two: Home sweet Iselia
Zelos and I were sharing a tent. Zelos was laying down looking at the tent's apex.
"I wonder how many hunnies I have here in Tethe'alla?"
"Zelos?"
"One… two…three…"
I sighed. Why did he presume to act like a pimp when I knew his secret?
"Nine…ten…eleven…" He continued.
"If you're gay, then why do you continue to talk about your hunnies?"
"Lloyd, I was counting!" He shook his head. "But I have to keep my act up so no one will find out."
"Not around me you don't."
"Okay." He agreed, "Then I will count all the times we've hooked up."
I blushed.
"One…two…" He frowned. "That just isn't enough for me, buddy!"
Before I could react, his flames of hair engulfed me and I was on my back. He kissed me, gently at first then more passionately. I had never kissed anyone before Zelos, but he made me feel at ease.
Zelos effortlessly straddled me and yanked at my waves of chocolate hair. I needed to tell him about Colette; it was for his own good. I pushed him off gently.
"I have something I need to tell you."
He listened intently. Zelos was always a good listener, at least to Lloyd. He tried to ignore Genis for the most part.
"This is entirely a secret. I trust that you will be quiet."
He nodded respectfully.
I leaned forward so no information would leak. "I am plotting to kill Colette."
He leaned back and pondered, taking in what I had said. "Hmm, as long as it's not me, I don't care what you do. So where were we?"
Zelos grabbed my chin and began to kiss me.
"Lloyd!"
Genis had barged in as we parted from each other.
"What?"
"Raine wants to go into the Ymir Forest now!"
"But, why? We need to rest."
"She said Colette's condition has worsened."
Colette joined them, but fell flat on her face when she arrived. The tent crumbled beneath her.
"Ugh!"
"My sexiness! It is being…avalanched!" Zelos mumbled.
"…Oops. Sorry, everyone."
Genis laughed. "It's just one thing after another."
After we regained ourselves from the destruction of our home, Colette began speaking. "I know what Raine said. I don't mind if you want to stay here for the night. Just don't worry about me."
"But Raine said your skin was getting worse." Genis argued.
"She's fine, Genis. She should just rest. Colette is strong."
Zelos observed me with much astuteness now that he knew my intentions.
"Thank you, Lloyd. And I'm sorry."
Zelos stayed with Presea and Sheena, much to my disapproval. And I had to pick from Genis and Regal or Raine and Colette. I stayed with the boys.
Regal was reading a book called The End of my Punishment. Genis was playing with his kendama, trying to cultivate the perfect rhythm.
"Lloyd, what's your favorite spell that I do?"
I thought for a moment. "I kind of like Thunder Blade."
"Oh, that's nothing."
I cursed Colette in my mind. It was her fault I was with Genis and Regal and not receiving Zelos' expertise. I liked Genis, he was my best friend, but I preferred the company of Zelos.
"You've been acting pretty strange, Lloyd."
I didn't speak. I wasn't going to with Regal in the area. He would certainly tell Raine and the others my plan. Not that Genis wouldn't, he'd go blabbing to Raine.
"Just tired. So, good night."
--
Sleep was good. It put me in the right state of mind and reminded me that I needed to act quickly in order to take care of Colette.
We entered the Ymir Forest in the morning. Everyone was heading to see what the sorcerer's ring was going to do next. But I stayed behind and took Colette with me.
"Can I talk to you?"
She smiled.
"I don't mean to be rude but, don't you think this is silly?"
"Yeah, I don't know how sound can help us in a forest." She said obliviously.
"No, Colette. It's tiring for us to chase after you and gather items to heal you all the time. I want to, but some of the others have been restless." I lied.
"Oh." She frowned. "I figured I was just a burden."
"I love you, Colette. But don't you feel guilty for making everyone go through all this trouble?"
"I do, all the time. But no one wants to die."
"Nobody wants to, but what if you have to?"
"I will become a Cruxis Crystal."
"No, that won't happen. You should just kill yourself. End your suffering and theirs."
"Don't you want me to live?"
"Of course." I huffed.
"Then why should I die? All you have to do is get ingredients, right?"
"But we won't make it in time. I didn't want to tell you."
"Tell me what?" She asked.
"Raine said that we won't have everything we need in time to save you. By the time we make it to Derris-Kharlan, you will have died."
"Oh." She observed the ground with dismay. Was this the way she was to learn of her death? "Than I suppose this is no use, going and gathering these things."
"Obviously. I just wanted to make your last days happy ones." This was turning out better than I thought.
"I'm always happy with you, Lloyd."
I purposely smiled.
"Hurry up you two. We need to get through here quickly." The professor called.
"That's alright, Professor. I want to go back to Iselia."
"Iselia? That is far out of our way."
"True. That detour will be approximately eighty-five percent more delaying than watching Zelos at Altamira." Presea said without tone.
"Thank you, Presea." Zelos grinned.
"Zelos, that was not a compliment!" She whispered back.
"Look! If Colette wants to go back to Iselia instead of continuing on, I think we should. She needs to be happy no matter what is going to happen."
"You don't want to be…saved, Colette?"
"Lloyd, Professor, everyone, thank you for caring so much about me. I'm sorry that I've been such a burden to you all. My final wishes are to spend the rest of my time with all my friends in Iselia. That is all I ask."
"Final wishes?" Genis repeated.
"Yeah. It sounds like you are planning on dying. We aren't going to let that happen." Sheena spoke up.
"All I ask is that we go to Iselia for the rest of the time I have. That is what I want."
"But we can get the Mana Herb, we just have to get to Heimdall." Genis insisted.
"No. Don't trouble yourselves chasing after useless medicines. I'll be waiting outside. Please take me to Iselia."
I was astonished. I had actually managed to get Colette to overthrow herself by creating a couple of lies. And now we were going to Iselia to spend her last moments together.
Everyone was silent and stunned.
"I didn't know Colette felt that way."
"But sis, we just can't let Colette die!" Genis protested.
"So we should go against her wishes instead?"
"I agree with Colette. We should respect what she wants. We hardly ever give her an option."
"Colette…" Presea whispered.
I was glad that Zelos was helping me out.
"We had better hurry to Iselia." I finally said.
Zelos stood behind a moment and said something rather silly. "Umm… what are we going to do with her after she becomes a crystal?"
Everyone stalled.
"I mean we could probably sell her to Cruxis for big bucks!" Zelos attempted to laugh before getting attacked by everyone but myself and Regal.
"Ow! It was a joke, damn."
Colette was waiting outside of the forest. She whispered in my ear, "Thank you, Lloyd."
We boarded our Rheairds and entered the dimension above the Tethe'alla Base. In Sylvarant, we landed in Iselia.
"Everyone," Colette said, "let us pray to the Goddess Martel."
She and all the others save from me and Zelos bowed their heads for prayer. Zelos made tantalizing looks at me and blew kisses from afar. I blushed helplessly.
I'll admit, I was pretty bored in Iselia. Raine and Genis decided to search the remains of their home, Colette wouldn't shut up about our journey to her father and Phaidra, Zelos decided to stick with me, Sheena stayed by Colette's side, Presea examined the types of wood in Iselia, and Regal practiced whatever he does.
We walked around, eavesdropping on the various conversations of our comrades.
"Raine, look!" Genis held up a book with a rainbow colored kendama on it. She smiled in return. He picked up another. "Here! This is your book. Let's see, it's called The Dangers of Sexual Extortion?"
"Genis!" She bellowed stealing the nasty book from the child's hands. "This most certainly is not mine." And she chucked it into the pond, flustered.
We both laughed until we cried. Raine had a lot of skeletons in her closet, and they were ever hilarious.
Next was Regal and Presea.
"Look at the density of this oak." She said without emotion.
"Hmm." He replied lifting his leg high over his head, "Eagle Dive!"
"This tree is approximately forty-seven years old. And if I were to carve it into a statue commemorating Colette, it would take exactly seventeen hours."
"Really?"
How boring! Zelos seemed to be sinking slower into coma mode as he listened to their lifeless conversation.
"Snap out of it!"
He blinked abruptly and spotted Sheena and Colette on Phaidra's porch.
"They're next!"
"Colette, this is stupid!"
"Please, Sheena. This is what I want."
Sheena held Colette tightly. "I wanted Kuchinawa to kill me, but you wouldn't let him. This is the same thing."
Colette bit her bottom lip in worry. "Please Sheena, I want my final moments here to be happy ones."
Sheena didn't know what to do. Obviously persuading her to live wasn't going to work. The girls held hands and giggled about shoes, dresses, and silly little girl things, about how cute Gnome's ribbon was, and what Presea would look like if she was her real age.
"Ugh, women." Zelos groaned.
I laughed. "That's a first for Zelos. And um, thanks for your help in the Ymir Forest. I didn't think my plan would work so well."
"It's not over yet, bud."
"True."
--
AN: Well! I'm glad it was much longer than the first chapter. I also want to ask people if the genre fits well. I was maybe going to change it to Humor. Is it funny?? Reviews are wanted. I need them!!! Enjoy!