It's all in the Cards

A Tales of Symphonia Fanfic

By: Shadowfox83

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia or its characters I'm merely borrowing them for this simple fic, so no suing.

Author's Notes: this fic is a simple one-shot made from one of the Lloyd/Sheena map skit points detailing a bit more on the conversion between the two. Lastly there is some mild Lloyd/Sheena, enjoy.

The starred night sky shined down on the young swordsman who practiced his techniques while the rest of his friends slept in the nearby village of Mizuho.

As he ended his training a young woman clad in purplish attire approached him.

He paid no attention and after placing his swords away he walked over to a near by lake. Then taking a handful of water he began to clean the sweat off his face. "Ah that feels much better."

"Training hard, Lloyd." Said the woman's voice from a foot behind him.

"Uh, oh hey Sheena. What are you doing out here?" Lloyd then turned to come face to face with the young summoner.

"I like to come out here at times just to catch a view of the lake or the night sky, what about you? Training to become stronger?" she asked with a serious look in her eyes.

"Yup I have to, everyone's depending on me and if we're going to stop Yggdrasill and Cruxis I have no choice but to get stronger." Stated Lloyd with a focused look.

Sheena nodded at his words for she knew he spoke the truth, as she had watched she was amazed at his swift sword skills, and how carefully he handled the blades in his hand.

She had to admit while Lloyd ignored, and was clueless to, several things his heart was in the right place and she found that cute about him, but that was something she just couldn't bring herself to tell him.

'Why…why is it that I can never tell him? Is it because of after what happen with Volt that I don't want to hurt anyone or even myself anymore.'

"Hey Sheena what's your fighting style?" asked Lloyd breaking Sheena's thoughts.

"Oh, well that came out of nowhere but I'm a guardian user. I fight with special cards infused with powers." Answered Sheena with a confident smile.

Lloyd watched her for a second before he spoke up, "Guardian user huh?" He closed his eyes for a second before they reopened and he continued, "When I first met you, I was surprised how you could fight with a piece of paper." He said with a slight head tilt.

Sheena smiled at his curiosity before she answered him, "When dwarves create accessories they carve charms into them, right? It's similar to that."

Lloyd grinned at Sheena as a thought came to his head and he decided to tell her about his idea. "I see. So if I buy some paper and draw some charms on it…"

Sheena at this point decided to interrupt him and set him straight, "It won't work. It's a secret art." Adding a small grin at the end.

After Sheena informed him of the truth. Lloyd blushed a bit and hung his head a bit low out of embarrassment. "Darn…" he said.

'Not only that but I just made myself look like a fool in front of her…way to go Lloyd.' he cursed in his mind but to his surprise Sheena smiled slightly at him instead.

"If you really want to learn it, you can become one of us." She said with a small head tilt.

Lloyd upon realizing that Sheena had paid no mine to his previous comment instantly jumped at the chance to learn the skill. "How do I do that?" he asked her full of curiosity.

Sheena was a little taken back by Lloyd quick answer, and realized she had no choice but to tell him how to join. 'I…have…no choice, now.' She thought before she spoke to him.

"Um…like…marrying…" she stopped speaking since she realized that speaking about something like marriage to Lloyd was quite embarrassing for the young summoner.

'I wonder what he's…going to say? He's probably thinks its not worth it now, I mean its Lloyd I'm talking to…he's not seriously going to agree…is he?'

But to Sheena's surprise Lloyd smiled a gentle smile at her before speaking, "Okay."

Afterwards he flashed her one of his trademark overexcited grins, which in turn made Sheena blush a very deep crimson but she was still shocked at his answer. 'Is he serious. Lloyd…'

"…What?!" she asked him looking him straight in the eyes even if she was still blushing a bit.

Lloyd noticed Sheena and continued smiling at her, which in turn was causing Sheena to struggle to kill her blush. He then spoke to her again, "I just need to marry, right?" he said as he placed his hands on her shoulders.

Sheena at this moment completely lost it and blushed even redder if that was humanly possible. 'Why are you doing this to me, Lloyd?' wondered Sheena.

She then bowed her head down a bit so he wouldn't notice her face she then spoke to him quietly, "Um…I…Um…no…I mean…if…you want to…then…" 'Oh Martel, look what…you're doing to me, Lloyd. I can't even form a sentence.'

Lloyd just grasped on to her a bit harder still showing the same smile from before as he spoke once more, "I just need to marry someone in your village right?"

Unfortunately for Lloyd at that moment as Sheena heard his words, she felt her blush die instantly.

At the same time she also felt a small pain in her heart as her hopes, which throughout the conversation had risen quite high, came crashing down with an impact quite similar to when their Rheairds crashed in the Fooji Mountains.

She bowed her head down quite low before he swatted his hands away, "…You're so insensitive, Lloyd." She then began to slowly walk away from him, the young man who without him knowing had shattered her heart in two.

"Huh? Hey wait Sheena why are you sad all of a sudden was it something I said?" he yelled out but the young woman continued to walk away now at what seemed a faster rate.

"Hey wait a minute! Sheena…please stop!" begged Lloyd as he took off running after her.

Lucky for him he was able to catch up to her and gently placed his hands on her tense shoulders. Sheena felt his added weight on her and slightly turned around to face him.

Lloyd was instantly taken back what he saw before him was a rare sight Sheena's kind eyes were now tear-filled and she wore a very hurt look on her face, but Lloyd had no time to prepare for what came next.

In the next second she literally slapped the taste out of his mouth with one of the loudest slaps Lloyd had ever heard and or experienced.

'Okay now I know I pissed her off beyond anything else.' He thought as he took a step back and rubbed his very sore cheek. "Sheena…I'm…I'm sorry for what I did that made you angry…no furious with me. Sheena…please talk to me…" said Lloyd as he looked at her with a face full of shame.

"Lloyd…" she said softly and slowly. "You can be a real jerk even if you don't know it. I'm a bit sorry about the smack but this time…well you dissevered it."

"I understand the jerk part but please Sheena tell me what I did wrong? I hate to see my friends hurt and it pains me more when I'm the cause of it. Please tell me." Said Lloyd with begging eyes.

Sheena stole a glance at the lake before she spoke to him, "Its just that you…well so quickly agreed to…the..."

"The marriage? Is that it, Sheena?" he asked after interrupting her.

"Um…well yes." Said Sheena still a bit hurt but still gave him a small nod.

"I see…listen maybe I was caught in the moment and didn't fully think it through…" that was more than enough for Sheena as she removed his hands and began to walk away again.

"So that's it…it was nothing more…than a mistake." She said quietly.

"No, Sheena listen to me. It wasn't a mistake…well not a whole mistake. I wasn't lying when I said okay to marrying within Mizuho."

Lloyd's last words caught Sheena's attention as she turn around to face him, even if her head was slightly hung low.

"While I may not know many things about marriage I know it's like an eternal friendship, right." The young man rubbed the back of his head as he finished speaking.

"Um well in a sense…" said Sheena with a sigh.

"Well then if that's the case then the only Mizuho woman I would want to marry is you, Sheena." Said Lloyd with a grin.

"What? Lloyd you better not just be saying that." Said the summoner surprised and with slight worries.

"No, I'm not joking. Seriously Sheena you're a great friend to me. If I had to choose someone from Mizuho, well I would marry you Sheena and no one else. I understand if you still hate me, I'm sorry…" said Lloyd with a deep sigh as he turned his head away.

Sheena in response said nothing instead made her way to him. She then surprised Lloyd by giving him a small hug.

"Huh? I thought you hated me?" asked Lloyd wide-eyed.

"You idiot Lloyd I don't hate you, but next time just think things through before you speak, okay." She told him with a friendly smile.

Lloyd nodded before she continued, "Oh and I'm honored that you would choose me Lloyd, thank you." Said Sheena with a small blush while she still smiled at him.

Lloyd grinned at the young woman before he returned the hug to her. "Yeah don't mention it." The swordsman said with a chuckle, "I'm glad we're still friends Sheena."

"Yeah I am too Lloyd. I wouldn't trade it for the world." Said Sheena sighing into his shoulder.

"Me too Sheena…me too." Said Lloyd with a warm smile to her.

'Lloyd I can never stay mad at you…no matter how clueless you may be. Thank you for just being my friend.' Thought the summoner as she relaxed in Lloyd's strong but yet at the same time gentle arms.

'Sheena I'm glad that we are still friends and as far as that whole marriage thing goes…well who knows what the future may bring…' thought Lloyd with a mental laugh as he looked down at the young woman in his arms and gave her a happy smile.