Chapter 2 - The Rose of Battle
After resting a night and breaking another seal at the Balacruf Mausoleum, the group decided to head back to Luin to re-stock on supplies and find out more about where to get a Unicorn Horn.
"So do you feel better now Colette?" Lloyd asked his best friend.
Colette nodded and smile back at Lloyd. They had broken yet another seal and were on their way to Hima to report their findings to Sophia. But Raine was saying how even with the new technique, she needed something to strengthen her skills in order to help Pietro.
"Man, I can't wait to go to Luin again. The food there is great!" Genis said.
"Sigh...I hate walking..." Lloyd said.
The group had let Colette ride on Noishe since she had just recovered from her angel sickness last night. Lloyd was getting worried about what was happening to Colette, but at the same time, he also wondered about the true colors of the assassin. As the group walked into Luin they saw something unimaginable.
"What happened here...it's awful!" Raine said.
Kratos looked upset about something as they arrived in Luin to find it in shambles. Lloyd, Genis, and Colette looked around, but no one was in sight. They walked through the deserted streets and destroyed shops. They arrived at the water fountain to find the assassin there again.
"Not YOU again...you're even here too?!" Genis said.
"Genis! Don't talk like she's the one at fault here!" Lloyd said.
"...Lloyd's right! You're name is...Sheena right? Are you okay?" Colette asked.
" 'course I am!!!" Sheena said.
"I would think so otherwise..." Kratos replied. "You're bleeding a lot."
"Professor, please help her!" Colette said.
Raine felt that this was a trap and that Sheena might have other assassins around hiding in Luin so she hesitated.
"Professor! What are you waiting for?!" Lloyd yelled.
Suddenly, a man came running past the water fountain and two large monsters were following him. Kratos went ahead and started fighting with one of the monsters. Lloyd drew out his weapon, he didn't want to loose to Kratos. But again, Lloyd was knocked back by the large monster. He had failed to protect the man and now he was in trouble of getting killed himself. Sheena noticed what was going on and quickly stood up and ran over.
"Watch out!" Sheena said.
Sheena ran over in front of Lloyd and the man and defeated the monster. Lloyd was surprised at how much strength the assassin had left. And why did the assassin save Lloyd and the man when it was the perfect chance to go after Colette since Kratos was busy. Raine also saw what happened, the assassin had risked herself to save Lloyd and the man. Maybe the assassin wasn't a bad person after all?
Kratos as he put his sword back after defeating the monster and he walked over and asked if the assassin was alright.
"You are injured badly, I would advise you let Raine heal you." Kratos said to Sheena.
Sheena didn't want to accept the fact that she was being helped by her enemies.
"If you want to finish me off, now's you're chance." Sheena said. "I refuse to be helped by the people I tried to kill."
"Don't talk like that! What good will come from more deaths... So please don't give up life so easily!" Colette argued.
"Colette's right! And I- I already caused the deaths of many people, I don't want to see any more people die for useless reasons. Let Professor Raine heal you, we don't want to fight you now. It would be unfair." Lloyd said.
"Actually, it was unfair the last two times as well. We all attacked her at the same time." Genis said.
"Sigh, I swear, all of you are too soft-hearted for your own good." Raine sighed.
Sheena was surprised that the people she tried to kill helped her.
"What did you save me for? I tried to kill...the Chosen..." Sheena said.
"Probably for the same reason you risked yourself and saved Lloyd and that man." Kratos said.
"I know at a time like this...it'll be weird coming from me, but I owe the people of this city for food and lodging. I want to rescue them from the Asgard Ranch..." Sheena said. "So, I'll declare a truce with you guys."
Lloyd agreed to declare a truce with the assassin. Everyone else had no objections...except for Raine.
"Are you serious, Lloyd??" Raine said. "Well, I guess this is another way of saying we can keep a close eye on her."
The group rested in Luin for the night. Everyone was asleep and the sound of the fire burning the wood could be heard. Kratos was leaning against Noishe sleeping. Lloyd opened his eyes and looked around. He saw Colette and gave his blanket to her and then went back to his resting spot. But then he noticed that the assassin had gone off somewhere.
"Did...she really betray us?" Lloyd wondered to himself. "I'd better go looking around just in case..."
Sheena was sitting at a dock that was shattered and half broken from the Desian invasion. She looked at her reflection and Corrine's reflection in the water.
"Corrine...every night, it's the same dream. I can't get it out of my head! All that suffering I caused the people of the village." Sheena said.
"Sheena, don't cry please cheer up...!" Corrine said. "If you are sad...that makes Corrine sad!"
Lloyd then heard a faint crying sound coming from the dock area. He quietly walked over to find Sheena sitting alone at the docks. He was surprised that the assassin was crying...it seemed very unlikely. Suddenly, the sound of his footstep on the creaking docks alerted Sheena. Sheena sent out Corrine and it smacked Lloyd in the face. Lloyd fell over rubbing his head in pain.
"Sorry about that. I thought it was the Desians again." Sheena said.
"I'm used to this already...Professor Raine is violent." Lloyd said.
Sheena walked back to the ruined water fountain area followed by Lloyd. Corrine disappeared again because it didn't like strangers. This left Lloyd and Sheena alone.
"Anyways, I couldn't help but notice...were you crying?" Lloyd asked.
"What? N- No! Why would I be crying?!" Sheena said.
"Fine then, but why do you act so tough anyways?" Lloyd asked.
Sheena looked to the side, away from Lloyd and her facial expression was upset. Lloyd felt as if he said something wrong, he only meant it to be a joke. He tried to say something, but before he could opened up his mouth Sheena started to speak.
"Say, Lloyd. Do you know what it feels like to cause suffering and deaths to countless people..." Sheena said seriously.
Lloyd then remembered what had happened to Marble and the people of Iselia. He could never forget that. Also, he could never forget what happened to his mother and father. Lloyd also became a little upset, but he knew things wouldn't get better if he did. So Lloyd nodded and told Sheena he knew what it felt like.
"It is painful..." Lloyd said looking over at Sheena. "Because of me...many people have suffered, sometimes when I think about it, it feels like a dagger in my heart."
Sheena looked as if she was about to cry again, but she was holding it in.
"But anyways, it's okay to cry if you feel sad. We are friends after all right?" Lloyd said smiling with a tear in his eye.
Sheena was surprised that it was their first night together as team mates and Lloyd was already calling her his friend. Lloyd put his arm around Sheena's shoulders to cheer her up.
"So...it's okay to cry..." Sheena said softly. "Then we can both cry...together"
"Yes." Lloyd said.
Sheena embraced Lloyd and started to cry. Lloyd was really surprised at how different the assassin was from earlier. This isn't the tough girl who tried to assassinate Colette at the Ossa Trail and the Balacruf Mausoleum. Sheena was like a rose, but you needed to get past the thorns to understand her true personality. So Lloyd too, hugged Sheena as tears fell from his eyes as he remembered his past.
to be continued in Chapter 3 - The True Colors of the Summoner
