If every copy of TOS save mine were destroyed, the warehouse in which the original artwork is stored were burned to the ground, all reference to it were removed from the worldwide web by a catastrophic EMP, and everybody at NAMCO Tales Studio were stricken with amnesia and could remember nothing about the game, according to U.S. copyright law, I still wouldn't own it.

Disclaimer: NAMCO Tales Studio, Ltd. holds the exclusive rights to all characters and story elements appearing in the video game Tales of Symphonia. The following story has been created for entertainment purposes only and no profit has been made by the author

The Swordsman and the Summoner

Chapter 11: Sheena, I love you.

As Suzumebachi lay dying, he could only hope his message reached Mizuho. For three months he had posed as a jailer in the king of Meltokio's dungeon, and for one month he had guarded its most important prisoner—His Majesty's half-brother, the pope, deposed head of Tethe'alla's Church of Martel. It had been a dream assignment, something the young Mizuhoan spy could only credit to his family status. He certainly didn't have the experience or, he now reflected grimly, the skill for such a high-level task. But it seemed that all the top level ninjas, like the Hebi brothers, had their covers blown. Orochi was becoming as well known as Sheena, and Kuchinawa had betrayed them all. Sorry, Next Chief Sheena. Despite your wishes, I can't seem to forgive him. He thought about her for a moment. She had been present when he was given this assignment.

"I don't know if I can do this, Next Chief."

"You'll do fine." She took on a slightly pompous tone, as if imitating a long-winded elder, when she said, "Keep your head down, and your wits up." Then she laughed, a lively sound full of vigor.

Careful, Suzumebachi, or you'll find yourself falling in love with her.

"Sorry," she blushed, "that's what the vice chief told me when I was sent to assassinate the Chosen. And I'm still not sure what it means." She scrunched up her nose. "Don't tell him I made fun of him, okay?"

"N-no, of course not, Next Chief. I would never—"

"Oh, don't be hurt. I was just joking with you. You know, I was your age when I was sent on that mission. I had much less experience and was far less qualified."

"I'm sure that's not true, Next Chief. You could summon and—"

"I told you, call me Sheena, and it is true. You'll do fine. Just be sure and come back safely, okay? I'll need a lot of brave men like you to help me when I become chief, Suzumebachi."

He had been thankful his face mask was in place when he heard her say his name. That way she couldn't see the tremendous smile that covered his face. Sigh. He was such a fanboy.

He closed his eye as tears formed. I'm sorry I disappointed you, Next Chief. But if I've helped you out just a little bit, my life has been worthwhile.

■□■□■

Lloyd rested a hand on Colette's door. Try as he might, he could not bring himself to knock. He had dismissed his fear that Zelos was wrong and Sheena didn't love him. Within a week, they could very well be dead, and, whatever her feelings, he had to know. But another fear assailed him. What if he saw Colette first? Lloyd had never been very good at hiding his emotions, and he really had no idea what to say to her. Sheena might claim to admire the earnest way he lived his life, but Lloyd knew all too well that his tendency to be guided by heart rather than head could be dangerous. He'd already hurt a lot of people that way, and he didn't want Colette to become one of them. He sighed. Things sure were simpler when he was oblivious.

He shut his eyes and took a long deep breath. He shouldn't put it off any longer. He curled his hand into a fist and prepared to knock.

"Lloyd, hi!"

Colette. Damn. Options? Pretend I didn't hear her and open the door? Maybe Sheena's inside. Or accept the inevitable and talk to her? But I can't just come out and say I don't like her. That would be rude. She'd run away crying, and I'd have to follow and comfort her. I don't have time for that.

"Are you finished rounding up support already? That was fast, Lloyd. You're pretty amazing."

She was beside him now, too close to pretend he hadn't heard. Sheena, help!

Lloyd turned to face her, forcing himself to smile. "No, sorry, I haven't finished yet. Zelos took my place. I had something to take care of here."

"Oh, did you want to help Dirk and Genis with the village fortifications? I can take you to them."

"No, that's not why I'm back. But I'll help later if I get the chance."

"Did you want to see me, Lloyd? That's why you were at my door, right?" She grabbed his hand and began pulling him inside. "Come on, I'll get you a glass of water, and we can talk."

Lloyd groaned. The look of expectation in her eyes wasn't making things any easier. "I'm always happy to see you, Colette..."

She was practically beaming, and for a moment he noticed the faint pink glow of her angelic wings. "Thank you, Lloyd. You're so sweet."

"But I have to..." he rubbed his head and chuckled nervously." You haven't seen Sheena around, have you?"

"Sh-Sheena?"

"Yeah, I kinda need to tell her something."

Colette frowned. Can't you see she's no good for you, Lloyd? Her responsibilities as chief will always take her attention away from you, but I'll give you all my heart! It was then that she decided to tell him everything. The thought scared her, but the realization that she could, by the end of the day, have Lloyd for her very own overruled her fear and silenced her doubts. She was just about to speak when a flash of lavender caught her eye. Sheena had just walked past the school and was heading this way. Suddenly, Colette could not remember how to talk.

■□■□■

Sheena wiped at her sweaty forehead with the back of her hand, smudging the buildup of dust and soot from two hours of hard work. The physical labor hadn't taken her mind off her troubles as she'd hoped. To the contrary, working so closely with Dirk only served to remind her of Lloyd. Though the dwarf shared no blood with his foster son, his influence on the young man was considerable. Loyalty, perseverance, courage—these all he had learned from his dad. Even the way he moved evidenced him as the dwarf's son. While watching Dirk swing his hammer, Sheena had recognized the origins of some of Lloyd's basic sword moves. When she found herself paying more attention to Dirk than to her work and unconsciously beginning to size him up as a potential father-in-law, she knew it was time to get out of there.

So caught up was she in her thoughts, that she had almost reached Colette's porch before she noticed Lloyd standing there. Merely seeing him caused her heart to skip a beat. Giving him up might be harder than she thought. Then she realized whom he was with—Colette. And he was laughing and rubbing the back of his head. Embarrassed, maybe. Or happy.

She noticed something else. Colette, your wings!

Sheena sighed, a single tear escaping her eye and leaving a trail down her dusty cheek. Where Raine's powerful healing techniques could not help this girl, Lloyd's love, or at least a love for him, could work miracles. Sheena knew the feeling.

Luckily, his back was to her, and she hadn't made any noise. She retreated a few steps to the trail leading north out of the village. Nodding grimly and being careful to attract no attention, she hurried down the trail. If this is what you want, my love, then I'll help you.

■□■□■

Colette eyed the unmoving girl with an unwavering glance. Humph. Stand there if you want, Sheena. I'll still tell him.

Curious at Colette's behavior, Lloyd turned his head in the direction of her gaze and caught a brief flash of lavender moving rapidly up the trail toward the Martel Temple. Sheena! He called out her name and started after her.

"But Lloyd, I...wait!" Colette's lip trembled and tears fell from her eyes. This was going badly, very badly, not at all how she imagined. She had to stop him. If only she could confess her love, he would do the same—she was certain. Then they would lock eyes, hug, and maybe even kiss. What was happening? Why was everything going so wrong? "I...I love you."

Lloyd's heart tugged him in two directions. He had to follow Sheena, and quickly, before she outdistanced him. She could hide in the field for days if she wanted. But he loved Colette too, albeit with a different kind of love, and didn't want to leave her like this. Once she had been the most important person in his life. Love for her, though he hadn't called it love, was the reason he undertook the journey of regeneration. He had wanted to protect her, yes, but it was simpler than that—he just wanted to be near her. On that journey, however, something unexpected happened. He met the most beautiful, amazing person he'd ever known. Before Sheena, he had never been in love, nor known it was even possible to feel as deeply for a person as he felt for her. Reflecting on his life before the journey, he realized that, had he never met Sheena, he very well might have fallen in love with his childhood friend. But, having met Sheena, he knew no one could ever replace her in his heart.

Can't help them both, he realized. Have to choose.

Slowly, he shook his head. "I'm sorry, Colette," he said, and ran after the ninja at full speed. He cursed when he saw Colette fall to her knees and burst into tears, but never for an instant did he doubt he'd made the right decision.

By the time he reached the border of the village, he had lost sight of Sheena. In a flash of brilliant blue, he, for the first time in nearly a year, deployed his wings and took to the sky.

■□■□■

Since her deliverance from the bane of the Angelus Project, Presea had overcome hundreds of foes. For a decade and a half, her experimental Exsphere had left her a prisoner in her own perpetually prepubescent body. Sixteen years on the very cusp of adolescence, adulthood teasing her, enticing her, but always a hand's breadth out of reach, and the whole time, on some level, she was aware of it. The Exsphere dulled her senses; it did not erase them. By the time of her release, everyone she cared for had either died—Alicia and Daddy—or forgotten her. A lullaby half-remembered by a child­hood acquaintance or two was all she left behind as the world had passed her by.

Worse yet, the Exsphere left her an emotional cripple, unable to feel for others, or to understand how they felt for her. Emotions were coming back to her slowly and intermit­tently, and whatever events triggered a particularly powerful emotional response, she treasured. Yesterday's visit from Lloyd had been one such event. Its significance dimin­ished when she learned he had come only to seek her help, but it did not disappear. Fighting alongside him would show him she cared. And fighting was something she could do. One benefit of the Exsphere, the only benefit, it would seem, was the excep­tional strength it gave her. It was this strength that enabled her to defeat the aforemen­tioned hundreds of foes and made her a valuable ally to her friends. But the strength was not precious to her. She would trade it all for full access to her emotions. For, now, more than ever, she needed them.

She had entered Iselia only moments ago, and headed directly for Colette's home, the most logical gathering place for the Chosen's group. Immediately, she was confronted with a heart-broken, sobbing Colette. And she had no idea what to do.

Comforting her was the obvious choice, but how to go about that, other than imitating the manner she'd seen others offer comfort in the past, eluded her. She doubted a pat on the shoulder and a gentle, "There, there," would be sufficient. Still, it was better than doing nothing, so she stepped forward and extended an arm.

"Colette," she said.

The hands the blonde had been using to cover her eyes she dropped, revealing a look of disappointment, bitterness, and a little bit of shock, as if she hadn't been aware she had company. The look unnerved Presea, but in a blink all traces of bitterness were gone from Colette's eyes, and Presea considered the bitterness may not have been there at all. A moment later, Colette launched herself into Presea's arms.

Good, she will accept my attempts to comfort her.

Presea held Colette for several minutes, listening to the girl's soft sobs and occasion­ally rubbing her back or stroking her hair. Unsure of what else to do, Presea fell back into habits. Extricating herself from the girl's arms, she gripped the handle of her axe. "Who did this to you?" she asked.

She wasn't expecting the answer, and the axe fell to the ground with a dull thud. How could Lloyd claim he cared about Colette and cause her this much grief? If this were the way of friendship, she wasn't sure she wanted any more to do with it.

■□■□■

Lloyd flew for a quarter mile past the temple—Sheena wouldn't want to be around all those people right now—until he reached the small grove where he thought he'd find her. If he knew her as well as he believed, she would hide herself atop one of the higher branches among the trees. He touched down softly, not bothering to retract his wings. He decided not to look for her. There were few trees, but if he ventured into the grove, she'd probably slip past him, and he'd never be able to find her.

"Sheena, please, I have to talk to you."

Sheena, perched on a tree branch, made herself as small as possible. She couldn't see him right now. She just couldn't. And she was a ninja. Her training ensured that if she didn't want to be found she wouldn't. Go back to her, Lloyd, she silently begged. Be happy.

"Please." Had she already slipped past him? Maybe she never even made it to the grove.

I know you don't mean to, but you're really hurting me right now by prolonging this, she thought.

"We said we'd see this trip through, Sheena; we promised one another. Remember the thousand needle lying penalty? I don't want you to go through that. I care too much about you."

Lloyd, please stop.

"Okay, if you won't come out, just listen. What I said yesterday morning, I didn't mean. Well, I meant it, but I didn't mean it the way it sounded. I wanted to kiss you. Oh boy, did I want to kiss you. But I know that in Mizuho you're not supposed to do that without a dee...a dai..."

"Daihyo," she whispered before she could stop herself. You want a daihyo? Lloyd, does that mean—?

"I forget the term, but you know what I'm talking about. I respect your traditions. They're a part of you, and I didn't want to treat them like they didn't matter, because they do matter. Everything about you matters to me, Sheena, because I love you." He paused for a moment; his pulse was pounding so hard he hadn't heard his own confession. Best say it again to be sure. "With all my heart and soul, I love you."

With barely a sound, she landed at the base of the tree. Her legs wobbled; whether it were from the shock of the landing or the raging of her emotions she couldn't be sure. She began walking but ended up running to him. "Lloyd, I..." She didn't finish her state­ment. Her lips found his; her kiss spoke for her.

A full minute later, she stopped to take a breath and found herself encircled in his arms. She fiercely returned the embrace and rested her head on his shoulder.

He began to speak, "I was so stupid. I—"

"Shh." She placed a finger on his lips. "That's in the past. It doesn't matter anymore." She smiled broadly. "Oh, Lloyd, I love you. I've loved you for so long. I will always love you." As soon as she finished speaking, she hid her face and the deep blush that colored it.

Lloyd didn't blush. His huge grin prevented him.

■□■□■

Zelos stood in Chief Igaguri's home rereading the translated message for what seemed like the hundredth time. Things in Meltokio were far worse than he'd imagined.

■□■□■

Lloyd and Sheena sat together beneath the tree she had taken refuge in. His wings along with his arms, encircled her, suffusing the area around them with a soft blue glow.

"Your wings are beautiful."

He blushed. "I'm a man, Sheena. You're supposed to say they're handsome."

She shook her head. "No, wings aren't handsome. They're beautiful. Like you."

"That's kind of embarrassing."

"Too bad. I think they're beautiful, and I think you're beautiful."

"All right, I guess it isn't so bad when it's you saying it."

"Good, and I promise in public I'll only refer to you as cute or handsome. 'Beautiful' will be between us."

"It's okay if I say you're beautiful in public, right?" he said with a grin.

Now, she blushed. "Of course. I expect you to."

"Good, because you are." He was rewarded with another happy smile and a deepen­ing of her blush. He marveled at how gorgeous the simple reddening of her cheeks made her.

"About your wings," she said, "how long are you planning to keep them out?"

"I can't really put them away. I'm too happy."

"Oh," she smiled, "They kind of tickle."

"Heh. Sorry," He moved them away.

"No, don't. They tickle, but it's nice."

"You're weird, Sheena."

She frowned, and her brow creased. But finding that Lloyd was still smiling, she shrugged. "Maybe."

He peeled off his right glove and flexed his fingers, allowing them to breathe. They were damp with a thin coating of sweat, and, when he brought them to her face to trace the outline of her cheek, his index finger left a clearly visible pathway in the dust. "What have you been doing?" he asked.

"Helping your dad prepare fortifications for the attack, of course. When my ...'s village is in trouble, no task is too mundane."

"Your what?"

She couldn't meet his gaze. "My boyfriend."

■□■□■

End Book 1: Gathering the Troops
To be continued in:
The Swordsman and the Summoner
Book 2: Mizuho Mishap

Next: So, this chapter had the big love confession scene, but the romance is far from over. It may have just officially begun, but there's obstacles a plenty standing in the lovers' way. Problems at home call Sheena back for a quick visit. Lloyd tags along while the others remain in Iselia preparing fortifications.

■□■□■

Last Modified: 06 October 2006