Disclaimer: My plan to own all of Tales of Symphonia is not exactly working out. Namco still owns all of it's themes and characters. In fact, they pretty much own my entire document. Well, except the verbs, adjectives, transitions and conjunctions. I own those. Namco only owns most of the nouns. But, I own the rest! BWAHAHAHA! Okay, I'm done now.
A/N: Okay, I'm back. Chapter 4 is ready to be read (hehe...lame puns.) In this chapter, Lloyd and Sheena say good-bye to their friends and begin their journey with Yuan. We also learn about Sheena's mother. So far, a lot of people have guessed who they think the mysterious culprit is. Keep guessing, people! I won't say if anyone so far is right or wrong, but please keep guessing. I want to see everyone's opinion. The culprits identity will be revealed at the beginning of the next chapter.
Also, many people have asked me "Why does the good stuff has to end?" The answer is: It doesn't! I don't know if I made it sound that way, but there is plenty of great suff to come. I still have plenty chapters full of romance, humor, and other...things, to write about. It just happens that THIS particular chapter isn't quite as...fluffy. This chapter is still gonna be good, just not as romantic.
Well, okay this particular author's note was rather long. Sorry. Just as ever, please read and review. All of my readers rock! I haven't gotten a single complaint yet! Not that I want any, but thanks for all of the great compliments! I hope you love my story as much as I loved writing it. I love writing it quite a lot. So, please, read, enjoy, and review. In that order. Again.
Chapter 4: Saying Good-Bye
"Good morning, Sheena," Lloyd said quietly first thing in the morning. The two had slept together again. It seems they just weren't comfortable sleeping apart anymore. Genis had gotten sick of their constant sleep-overs and had switched rooms with Regal. Regal was a deep sleeper, and therefore not bothered by Sheena and Lloyds constant night meetings. Zelos hadn't been letting either of them live it down, ether. The last time he had made a joke, Sheena had whacked him and threatened to throw him off Hima summit. In fact, Sheena and Zelos had gotten so bad, Raine had to follow Zelos around, prepared to whack him or shut him up at any moment.
It had been one week since the incident with Yuan, and Lloyd wasn't looking forward to leaving his friends. Lloyd looked down at the beautiful black-haired girl sleeping beside him and smiled. She was more than just his best friend, that was obvious. Lloyd had been with her for nearly the entire week. The fact that Yuan was her father had finally sunk in, and Sheena had been over-whelmed. Luckily, Lloyd had been there to help her through it. He knew exactly what she was going through. He had experienced the same thing only a couple of months ago. It was just another thing they had in common. Mysterious 4000 year old fathers. Go figure.
Sheena began to stir. She opened her eyes and the very first thing she saw was Lloyd's smiling face. He was a good sight to wake up to. She loved him so much, but she couldn't bring herself to tell him that.
"Good morning, Sheena," Lloyd repeated. She was awake to hear it this time. "How did you sleep?"
Sheena smiled. "Very well, but only because you're here, too," she said. She could feel herself begin to blush. So, of course, Lloyd blushed, too.
Lloyd sighed. "Today's the big day," he said, looking at Sheena to see her expression.
"Oh, yeah..." She looked down, unhappily. Learning that Yuan was her father had made her scared. She had been an orphan all her life, and to suddenly find out your father is a four-thousand year Renegade angel was a bit shocking. She had always thought of Yuan as something of a removed uncle, nothing more. She never even dreamed that he could be her father. Lloyd smiled with concern.
"Don't worry about it. Yuan won't be here for a while. You should enjoy your last day!" Lloyd said enthusiastically. Sheena smiled.
"Yeah...you're right, as usual. Thanks, Lloyd!" she said as she got up and went to the bathroom to change.
"You love her, don't you?"
Lloyd spun around and nearly fell over from surprise. He had just finished changing when he heard the deep voice behind him. He turned and saw Regal standing next to his bed.
"Um...what do you mean?" Lloyd said, stalling as another blush formed on his face. Regal smiled.
"It's Sheena. You love her. I can tell," Regal said. He had been watching the whole thing.
Lloyd sighed, defeated. He sat down and buried his head in his hands. "Is it really that obvious?" he asked.
"Yes, at least to me. You should not be embarrassed, though. You two remind me of Alicia and I," Regal said smiling.
"How could you tell?" Lloyd asked. He wasn't ready to admit his feelings for Sheena, but he was glad he was talking to Regal. He was a mature adult. Regal smiled again.
"Well, you two are inseparable. You two do everything together. You even sleep together!" He said as he crossed his arms across his chest. The shackles had been removed a month earlier. "Not to mention the fact that you two blush every time you see each other!"
"Well, what should I do?" asked Lloyd. He had never been in love before. He was new to this, and he had no experience in the matter. But, Regal did.
"Tell her," Regal answered. Then, upon seeing Lloyd's frightened look, he said "But no now! Tell her you love her when you know the time is right."
"Okay...thanks. Regal"
After Lunch
Five hours later, the group was waiting on top of Hima summit for Yuan. Everyone was there except for Zelos, who had been knocked unconscious again. This time by Sheena, who had caught him giving Lloyd fake dating tips. As if on cue, as soon as they all arrived, Yuan appeared. He immediately turned to look at Sheena. Upon his arrival, she had turned pale and held onto Lloyd for support. He wrapped his arm around her. 'Such a gentleman,' thought Yuan as he looked at Lloyd. 'He truly is the perfect match for my daughter.'
"I hope you are feeling better?" He asked Sheena with concern. He couldn't bear the fact that his own daughter was afraid of him. Sheena looked up and nodded her head.
"Yes, I'm feeling...better. Thanks to Lloyd," she answered. Yuan nodded his head.
"Yes, Lloyd would know what you are going through," he said emotionlessly. He failed to mention that it was his fault Lloyd felt the same. It was he that had revealed Kratos as Lloyd's father. Yuan sighed. "I'm sorry, but it is time for you two to say good-bye."
Lloyd and Sheena turned to face their friends. They all had sad and worried expressions on their faces. Genis was the first to speak up.
"I just want to say 'sorry that I was such a jerk earlier.' I didn't mean to hurt your feelings," His voice began to crack. "You two are my best friends!" he said as he ran up to hug them. "Good-bye, Lloyd, and you, too, Sheena." Raine was the next one to come forward.
"Lloyd, though you were never the best student, you were always a helpful and reliable boy. You were also a great friend for Genis. Thank you," she said as she turned to Sheena. "And Sheena, though I haven't gotten to know you as well as I do Lloyd, I always thought very highly of you. You were always there when we needed you, and I thank you for that. I will miss both of you." She, too hugged both Lloyd and Sheena. "I'll tell Zelos you said bye, too."
Colette stood up next. She had tears in her eyes. "All I can say is...Good-bye!" She ran up to Lloyd and Sheena and kissed them both on the cheeks. "I hope we can see each other again someday!" And with that, she began to cry. Raine put a comforting arm around her. Presea was next.
"I'm sorry that we couldn't spend more time together. I must thank you for everything you have done. Not just for me, but for everyone who benefitted from you courageous actions," she said sadly. "Thank you and...don't change." She at back down and huddled close to Genis, who blushed.
Finally, Regal walked over to them. But, instead of talking right away, he hugged them in a big bear hug. Lloyd and Sheena looked at each other, confused. This wasn't like Regal. He noticed their confusion.
"You noticed that I'm hugging you. I do this for a reason, as a demonstration. If it wasn't for you two, and the others, I would not be able to hug. I would not ne able to do a lot of things. I would still be shackled. It was through your courage and hope that I was able to accept the past. If it wasn't for your help, I would not be here today. Thank you." Regal finished his speech and stepped away. He whispered one last phrase to Lloyd. "Don't wait too long." And then, he was finished.
Sheena spoke. "I just want to say thanks to all of you for believing in a coward like me. You are all the best friends I've ever had." She, too had tears in her eyes. "Good-bye."
Finally, it was Lloyd's turn. "I also want to say thanks. All of you are more than just friends to me. We've been all over the world together, through thick and thin. We have truly become more than just friends, we're family. So, I'm not saying good-bye to my friends, I'm saying bye to my family.
"Well spoken," Yuan said thoughtfully. "I, too have something to say. I want to give my thanks. It was you stopped Mithos, a task I had been attempting for centuries. You are truly heroes for this world. I also want to give my apology. It was my fault that you were held back so much. I was jealous and angered at the fact that you were accomplishing where I had failed. I apologize for holding you back and causing you unnecessary pain. Good-bye"
And with that, Renegade, swordsman, and summoner boarded their Rheairds and flew off into the afternoon sky.
Hours Later
The three landed their Rheairds in the Ymir Forest. According to yuan, the culprit who stole the Roots of Evil was hiding here in Heimdall secretly. They started the long trek through the forest together. They walked in complete silence until Sheena spoke.
"Um...Yuan?" she asked nervously.
"Yes, Sheena?"
Sheena looked embarrassed, so she looked over at Lloyd. He gave her a smile and a thumbs-up. That was all the encouragement she needed. "Yuan...who was ...my mother?"
Yuan sighed. It was...painful...remembering. "Her name was...Fiona. She, too, was a half-elf." He took another deep breath in painful remembrance. "She was beautiful, the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. She had long black hair and always wore a cheerful face." He stopped for a moment before continuing.
"We met one night in Flanoir. She was a street dancer, performing to raise money for the church. I was there on Renegade business. I fell instantly in love with her. It was as if she was Martel herself. She was an energetic girl, always smiling and moving her hips. We started seeing a lot of each other, until a few months later when she discovered she was pregnant. I took her to the base in Flanoir and hid her from Mithos. She...she died in childbirth." He stopped and looked at Sheena.
"Her last words were to protect you. So, I did just that. I delivered you to Mizuho with a note to Chief Igaguri. He is an old friend. I knew he would keep you safe. I wanted to make sure you wouldn't be found by Mithos, or Destron. I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier."
Sheena looked into Yuan's sad eyes. She saw his concern. She looked past all of the guilt, anger, and hardship that he always showed. She looked deeper. And, there she saw his love for her, and his need to protect her. "Yuan, thank you for telling me," she said. She walked closer to Lloyd and took his hand. He squeezed back caringly.
Yuan spoke again, only this time to Lloyd. "Lloyd, I never apologized for what I did to you. I was the one who forced Kratos to reveal himself as your father. No one should have to go through with that. I caused you unnecessary harm throughout your entire journey because of that. I'm sorry."
Lloyd smiled. "Don't worry about it, Yuan. It's in the past now. Besides, friends forgive friends!" he said cheerfully.
Yuan smiled. He didn't do that very often. "Friends..." he whispered slowly. "Thank you, Lloyd."
Unfortunately, at that very moment, a scream was heard from Heimdall. Yuan and Lloyd commanded their Cruxis wings to appear. Lloyd drew his Material Blades, while Yuan drew his double-sword. Sheena took out her Asura cards. The three ran up to the Heimdall entrance to find the city in ruin. The entire town was on fire and only a couple buildings were still standing. A great cloud of smoke rose up above the town. Dozens of elves lay on the ground, dead.
A lone figure stood at the center of all the carnage. He/she held the Roots of Evil in his/her hands. There was fresh blood on the blades. Yuan recognized the figure immediately.
"It's you!" Lloyd shouted out. "It's..."
GUESS WHO!
A/N: And that's the end of Chapter 4! Sorry about the cliffhanger, folks! I hope all of you liked this chapter. Like I said, not much fluff. But don't worry, there is plenty more to come, especially in the next chapter. I have a huge chapter comin' up next. Chapter 5 will have a big fight scene, and a huge romance scene between Sheena and Lloyd! You will also get to find out who the mysterious culprit really is. Most people are guessing it's either Abyssion or the guy on Hakenosia Peak. I really want everyone to guess and try to find out who it is! The culprit's identity will be revealed next time.Until then, Peace Out!