Kiss & make up by Truro

Tales of Symphonia © Namco

Lloyd had asked Genis to bake him two cream pies. The poor boy was upset about the events of the last chapter, and so his work was sloppy. However, Lloyd didn't mind, "Zelos!" he called, "Surprise, you loser!" he cried shoving one of the pies into Zelos' face, and then hitting him between the legs, with the other one. Then, celebrating his victory, in a moment of madness, he grabbed hold of Genis' head, and kissed his forehead.

As they headed out of Meltokio, Zelos wondered how he could get back at Lloyd this time. As they walked along the Grand Bridge, Genis walked along at slower pace. Regal noticed this and slowed down.

"Is something wrong Genis?" he asked.

"No," said Genis, "It's nothing."

"Young man," said Regal, "It's a well known fact, that when people use that line, something most defiantly is wrong, so spill."

Genis knew that he couldn't keep it a secret any longer, so he told Regal what he had done,

"Using her for practise?" said Regal, "What made you do that?"

"Zelos said I should practise with girls a little."

"That explains everything." Sighed the gentle giant, "Listen Genis, Zelos sees women as an alien species, who need to be conquered with trickery. They're not, they're people. And a woman's feelings are much easier to hurt than a man's."

Genis knew that Regal was right.

"Isn't there anything I can do to make it up to her?" asked the child.

"I'm not sure." said Regal, "Perhaps you could do something for her, with your magic?"

"I don't know." said Genis, "The only new spell I've learned, is one that changes people clothes, for a few hours.",

"You could give her a nice new dress for a couple of hours." Regal suggested.

"Not really." said Genis, "It only works on guys."

Raine stopped suddenly.

"Oh my!" she cried out.

"What! What is it?" asked Colette, surprised, by Rayne's sudden outburst.

"This pod-like item!" said Raine, picking it up. It was about the same size as a rubbish bin, and had golden letters, that appeared to be a strange hieroglyphic style. "What do you suppose it is?" asked Presea, "I've no idea!" said Raine, "Lets hurry to Sybak, hire a lab, and I'll soon find out!" and she dashed off, leaving a cloud of dust.

Later, Lloyd and Colette where walking down the Sybak streets.

"I'm sorry about the flowers Colette." Said Lloyd.

"That's okay." said Colette.

As they walked past an old man, Colette made note, that there was a puddle of mud, on the ground.

"We'd best steer clear of that…!" she was cut off, when she tripped, knocking the old man into the puddle.

"Ow…" Colette whined.

"You nimrods!" shouted the old man, trying to get up, "You noodles! You nincompoops!" he slipped in the mud again.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" said Colette.

"You've ruined my suit!" complained the old man.

"Tell you what," said Colette, "I'll give you a couple of hundred, to have it cleaned."

"Ah, that'll do nicely!" said the man. Colette, went to get her purse, but then she remembered something.

"Oh no! I left my purse at the hotel!" she cried.

Lloyd signed, "I'll pay." He groaned, taking out his wallet, and handing the old man a few hundred Gald.

"Thank you young man." Said the old timer.

At the research academy, Raine was studying the pod.

"I really need to figure out what kind of writing this is." She said.

"Don't you recognise it?" asked Sheena.

"Not at all." said Raine, "I'm off to the library, to see if I can find any books with that language in it. DON'T touch the pod!" then she left.

"For some reason," said Sheena, "It looks a little familiar."

"It should." chuckled Zelos.

Then Sheena realised something.

"Wait a minute." She began making marks in the dust that covered the pod. She made the marks around the letters, "Give me an 'm', give me an 'e', give me an 'l' give me a 't'." then, she finished making the marks.

"Meltokio garbage pod?" she asked.

"That's right!" laughed Zelos.

Sheena gave an amused giggle, "Why didn't you tell her?"

Zelos shrugged.

"'Cause I thought it'd be funny."

Sheena covered the markings she made with more dust.

"I don't think we need to tell her just yet." said Sheena. Zelos agreed.

Lloyd and Colette where still walking around, near the river.

"You're too generous, Colette." Said Lloyd.

"But that's good, right?" asked Colette. Lloyd shook his head, and sighed. Then, she did it again,

"Owww…" she moaned.

Lloyd rolled his eyes. Then he turned to the unfortunate person whom Colette accidentally knocked into the river, during her trip to the ground.

"You numbskulls!" ranted the old man, climbing out of the water, "You noodles! You nincompoops! You…you…you again!" he said, recognising the two kids.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" said Colette, "Lloyd! Please, pay for his suit to be cleaned again!" Lloyd, angrily reached into his pocket, and handed the old man another couple of hundred Gald.

Genis decided to tell Raine his problem, but he caught her at a bad time.

"What can I do?" he asked, "I didn't mean to make Sheena mad."

Raine was too busy and excited with the pod, and was feeling a bit irritable.

"I don't know, and I don't care." She said, "She'll forgive you sooner or later." Raine loved her little brother, with all her heart, but when she's in relic mode, no one is safe.

"But I want to do something to make it up to her."

"You'll have to ask her." Said Raine, with veins throbbing on her head,

"But how?" asked Genis, "I mean, I know how sensitive she can be, but what can I do?"

"Look, I'm sick of hearing about this petty bickering!" Yelled Raine, "My concerns are slightly more meaningful than something you only have to cook Sheena a nice breakfast, to make up for!"

Genis backed off, slightly shocked at his sister's outburst

"I am trying to decipher this!" Raine shouted, pointing at the pod, "This is science, Genis!"

The younger sibling snickered, since Zelos had told him what the pod really was.

"You can smirk, Genis, but this is an important moment in my career!"

Lloyd and Colette where walking through the streets. Lloyd was angry at the sudden lightness of his wallet.

"I'm really sorry!" said Colette, "I know I'm clumsy, but I'm not completely irresponsible!" then she tripped again, bumping into someone, knocking them into a rubbish bin.

"Sorry!" said Colette. Then the duo recognised the person, as the old man, whose suit they messed up twice before.

"I'm sorry! We'll pay to have it cleaned again!"

"Don't you think you're jumping the gun?" said Lloyd, angrily reaching into his pocket, "He hasn't said anything about noodles, nincompoops, or anything else that begins that begins with 'n' yet."

Later, the group was at the campus cottage, all except Raine, who was still examining her so-called artefact, and Genis, who was no where to be found. Sheena was lying on a bed, pondering things. Then there was a knock at the door.

"Come in." said the summoner. Lloyd entered.

"Come with me." He said, "I've got a surprise for you." Sheena couldn't refuse.

Meanwhile, Raine had finally found out how to open the pod.

"Yes!" she said, "It's…it's…" then, the lid came off…

"So what's this surprise?" asked Sheena. She was excited. She had a bit of a crush on the young swordsman.

"You'll find out when you get there." Lloyd said with a smile from ear to ear.

"At least give me a clue!" said Sheena, who was practically begging by now. Her knees were making sparks along the ground, as they where walking at quite a considerable pace.

Lloyd just smiled.

"We're here now." He said.

"Oh boy!" said Sheena, "Can I see it?"

"Close your eyes." said Lloyd, his brown eyes meeting Sheena's. Sheena cheeks turned a faint red.

"Okay." She said closing her eyes, and awaiting something special to come into contact with her lips.

Meanwhile…

"It's a rubbish bin…" said Raine, in a slight shock.

Sheena was excited. She believed that finally, Lloyd was going to kiss her.

"Okay Genis!" called Lloyd, "Fire away!"

Sheena awoke from her delusion, to see Genis throwing fireballs into the sky, and bring bolts of lightning down, colliding with the spheres of fire, to make beautiful explosions of coloured light.

"What's this all about?" asked Sheena.

"Well, Genis felt bad about the flowers. So he decided to throw you a fireworks show. He roped me into bringing you, 'cause he knew that you'd only come if asked you." said Lloyd.

"You, and Genis are insensitive jerks." said Sheena as she looked into the sky, "When, he's finished, I'll have something for him."

Lloyd decided to leave, before things got ugly.

About thirty minutes later, Genis came back up the hill, totally worn out after using all his energy.

"Hi." He said shyly. Sheena walked up to him, and raised her hand, as if to give him a big slap. Genis shut his eyes, and braced himself for a very sharp pain.

Meanwhile…

"It's a bloody rubbish bin!" Raine roared, snapping out of her shock, and turning red, with rage.

Genis was ready for his slap, 'Stupid Lloyd!' where the only thoughts on his mind. Then came the 'something' that Sheena had for him. However, it was very different than what he was expecting. Instead of striking his face, Sheena's hand gently cupped it, and then Genis felt a pair of soft, luscious lips, lovingly pressed against his cheek. Surprised by this, the boy opened his baby-blues and saw that Sheena was smiling, without a glint of hostility in her dark eyes.

"I'm sorry, I was mad." said Sheena, as she gave him a hug. Genis' blushed.

"And I'm sorry I upset you." Said Genis, "I just didn't know what to do. Every time I try to talk to Presea, my knees start shaking, and I lose my nerve."

Sheena smiled.

"All you have to do is talk to her the way you talk to me or Colette." "Are you sure that'll work?" asked Genis, "It got you a kiss didn't it?" was Sheena's response.

Next day, Genis was ready to try and talk to Presea.

"Remember," said Regal, "just be yourself."

"Okay, I'll try." Said Genis.

"And you just need to keep one thing in mind." said Lloyd, "She's just a normal person."

"Okay guys." said Genis, "Thanks."

Then, Kratos appeared.

"It's you!" exclaimed Lloyd.

"Just thought I'd give some advise as well." said Kratos, in his deep baritone, "Girls like it if you tease them about the way they're dressed, or how they've styled their hair. A bit of friendly teasing can be endearing."

"There's something I want to ask you Kratos," said Lloyd, "How come you're always helping us, when your our enemy?"

"You really want to know?" asked Kratos.

"Yes!" said Lloyd.

"Well come closer."

So Lloyd did that.

"Closer." Said Kratos.

"Yes!" said Lloyd.

"Come closer still."

"Yes!"

"Closer than that.",

"Yes!"

"…"

Then Kratos gave a slight chuckle, and vanished.

"You goit!" exclaimed Lloyd.

"No you goit!" he said pointing at Regal, who just shrugged, and walked away.

"They're all goits! I'm surrounded by goits! Genis, you're a goit!"

"I'm a what?!" said Genis, angrily.

"You heard!" snapped Lloyd.

Zelos, meanwhile, was having troubles of his own.

"Ow! Ow! Not the face!" he cried, as Raine's foot connected to his lower regions once again.

"I'll get you!" screamed the mad professor. But then, they stopped seeing Lloyd enter the room, dressed as a fairy,

"He's been reading some weird spell-books lately." He grumbled.

The End.