Lloyd woke up as the sun broke through his window. he yawned loudly, and looked over at Sheena. One of her arms was wrapped around Lloyds waist, while she slept. Lloyd carefully moved her hand away from him and got out of the bed. I'll let her sleep for a while longer." Lloyd thought to himself and headed downstairs. He sat down at the table and yawned again. He was not yet fully awake.
"Ah, you're awake." Dirk said walking in the front door, holding fresh vegitables in his arms.
Lloyd shook his head. "Physicaly. Not mentaly." He murmered.
Dirk set the vegitables in the sink and sat down next to his half-son. "So, you'r goin' off on a wounderous adventure with a lovely maiden. You'd better be able to protect her now, ya hear?" Dirk said.
Lloyd smiled. "Of course. I'd protect her with my life."
Dirk could not hold back a smile. "Ah, my son. You are on the edge of a very wounderfull thing. You may not yet realize it, but trust me whenI say this. That Sheena is something very special, and fraggile. Don't go an' ruin anythin' that has to yet begin."
Lloyd rubbed the back of his head. "O...kay. I didn't understand all of that. ButI get the main idea."
Just then, Sheena came down the stairs. She stretched her arms and sighed in relief. "Good morning Lloyd, Dirk." She said in a very happy mood.
"Well, you sure seem to be in bright spirits, atta' girl." Dirk said and handed her a rice ball. "I gone and tryed to make one of your recipies, sein as you an' Lloyd are goin' ta be gone for a while."
"Why, that's so sweet of you." Sheena said, taking the rice ball in her hands.
"Okay, Kratos wanted to meet us at Hiemdall. When do you want to leave Sheena?" He asked her.
Sheena swallowed the rest of her rice ball, and ran her fingers through her hair, which she now wore down to her shoulders. "Well, we don't want to keep Kratos waiting. Let's set off in about an hour."
Suddenly a loud pitched wailing could be heard from outside. "Lloyd wait!" It cried.
"Genis?" Lloyd guessed and oppened the door. Genis stood there panting heavily. "Hey Genis, why are you here?" He asked.
"Lloyd, take me with you!" Genis pleaded. "I need to get away from Collete. I never even wanted to date her. She just asked me one day, I couldnt answer, and she hasn't let up since. PLEASE let me go!" Genis pleaded with his best Innocent voice he could muster.
Lloyd smirked. "Oh, I dunno, Sheena what do you think?"
Sheena, understanding Lloyds hint frowned. "I don't know either. It was going to be just the two of us."
"Oh come on!" Genis cried in despair. "Don't leave me here! I'm gonna die if I don't get away from Collete. PLEASE!"
Lloyd laughed. "Oh fine, but you owe me big time buddy." He said.
Genis nodded. "Yes, Yes, I'll do anything!"
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Kratos sat on what used to be the stairs to the Heaimdall weapons shop. "Mithos. Rest in piece my friend." Kratos muttered under his breath. He looked over at the entrance of the village. Lloyd, Sheena and Genis had arrived. Kratos rose to his feet. "Lloyd. I'm guessing you had a good night?" He asked giving a little nudge twords Sheena.
Lloyds face switched an expresion that seemed to say, "DAD? I'm not that dirty!" Lloyd snorted. "Of course I did."
Genis snickered quietly. He soon had large lumps on his created by Lloyds fist.
"All right then. To buisness. Lloyd, gathering all the exspheres is not going to be and easy task. Exspecially with the Tetthe' alla bridge. Since you stopped me from going to Derris-Kharlan, I would like to accompany you."
Lloyd smiled. "Of course. I would have it no other way."
Kratos sighed in relief. "Thank you Lloyd."
Sheena nodded. "Okay then, where to first Lloyd?"
"um, okay." Lloyd said, looking up in thought. "How about we go to the human ranches that Raine didn't blow up. Those probably have some Exspheres left."
"Very well." Kratos said. "A wise first move."
"Yeah, Im good at things like this." Lloyd smirked.
"Only because you live only by instinct." Genis smarted. His head soon met Lloyd's fist for the second time in one day.
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The journey was going along perfectly. The small group ran into no trouble while destroying the Human ranch's. "Wow, that was easier than I expected." Lloyd said, watching the final human ranch burn in the distance.
"Yeah." Sheena acknoledged. "It should have been harder than this."
Kratos looked down at the ground, deep in thought. "Yes, it should have been more difficult. Perhaps there is more going on here than meets the eye."
"What are you saying?" Genis asked. "That someone planned this."
"Precisely." a kind and gentle voice said.
Genis' eye's widened and he shot around faster than the others. "P...Presea?" He stuttered. Only feet away, stood Presea. "What are you doing here?" He asked, taking a step near her.
"Stop!" Presea cried, her axe quivering in her hand. "I... I'm not under my own control. Don't come any nearer!"
Genis stopped in midstep. "Presea, what's going on?" He asked.
Sheena and Lloyd stared at Genis. He was shaking. His fist's where clenching, and Sheena thought she saw a tear roll from Genis' eye. "Lloyd, what do we do?" She asked, wispering in his ear.
"We can't hurt presea. I don't know." Lloyd answered back.
Presea took a step closer to Genis, her axe sliding against the muddy ground, as she unwillingly dragged it. "It... It's Neflim." She managed to mutter.
"What?" Genis exclaimed. "Collete purified him from you, Didn't she?"
Presea took another step twords Genis. "We all thought she did, but that is not the case. He found some small part of my soul to take refuge, and now he's surfaced."
Even Kratos was disgusted. "To think anyone would do this to a little girl."
"Lloyd, we have to save her!" Sheena said.
"I know." Lloyd said, his hand on his sword's hilt's. He pulled his hand away from the handle. "But what are we supposed to do?"
Presea suddenly lunged forward and slashed wildly at Genis. Genis threw himself backwards, barely avoiding Presea's blade. He stumbled on a rock and fell over. "Genis no!" Presea cried as her Axe blade came down.
Sparks showered the ground as Lloyds fire blade parryed Presea's Axe. Lloyd held his blade inches from Genis, using all of his strength preventing Presea's axe from comeing any closer. "Presea, snap out of it." He said, sweat rolling down his face.
Presea, quickly pulled the axe from Lloyds blade and genis, to swing at an unsusspecting Lloyd. Blood splashed the ground as a cry of pain sounded out. Sheena fell to the ground, a deep gash in her stomach area. "Sheena!" Lloyd bellowed and rushed to her side.
Presea stared with wide eyes. "no, stop this!" She cried, trying to drive Neflim out of her.
Genis rose to his feet. "Crap, what am I gonna do?" Presea was losing her internal battle, and loseing badly.
Kratos walked slowly tword Sheena. "Lloyd, move."
Lloyd moved to the side as kratos placed his weapon gently on Sheena's wound. "First Aid!" He said and pulled the weapon away. His eye's widened in shock. "Lloyd, Take Sheena and get out of here now."
"What, What's wrong?" Lloyd bellowed in fear.
Kratos moved to the side. Sheena's wound had not only not healed, but it was spreading and getting worse. "Presea's blade has become so evil, that even I can't heal it's wounds."
"No..." Lloyd gasped. He picked Sheena up and cradeled her in his arms. "Sheena, hang on!" He wispered in her ear.
Sheena's eye's where glazing over, and she tried to move her mouth, yet no sound came out. "Don't try to talk." Lloyd said and ran off, away from the burning human ranch, and presea. "Sheena,I swear I won't let you die!" Lloyd thought and pulled a wing pack from his pocket. He threw it out in front of him, and the rehaird appered in a cloud of smoke. Lloyd stood Sheena up in front of him, and put his arms under her's supporting her, and reaching the stearing bar at the same time.
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"Iceicle!" Genis cried and a small ice crystal shot from the ground. Presea easily broke through the shield with her axe and continued her pursuit of Genis.
Kratos allowed his wings to shoot from his back. "Presea stop!" He belloweed and blocked her swing, sparing Genis from a painfull wound.
"I... I cant!" Presea pleaded. A tear formed in her left eye as she swung again. Kratos barely managed to block this blow.
Genis growled. "Stop this Presea!" He bellowed and ran at her full speed. She plled her axe back, and swung at Genis full force. Genis tackled her and wrapped his arms around her. Presea's axe stopped in mid-swing as Genis clung to her tightly. "Presea, please don't do this."
Presea's eye's began to overflow with tears and her axe slipped from her grip. "Genis." She wispered and managed to wrap her arms around him. Deep inside of Presea, Neflim screamed in agony, and shoot out of her cruxius crystal. "Thank you Genis." Presea said, clinging to him tightly.
"Hey," Genis replyed, hanging on to her just as tightly. "I'll always be here for you."
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Lloyd nearly jumped off of his rehaird, with Sheena in his amrs as he reached Flanior. He rushed through the town, Sheena's blood creating a trail behind them. "Doctor!" Lloyd cried as he flung open the door to the doctors office.
"Oh my, If it Isn't Lloyd. What happened to her?" He asked rising to his feet, from his chair near the fire.
"No time to worry about that now! Loyd bellowed. "She's dying! She need's help now!"
"All right." the doctor said. "Lay her on the table." Lloyd did as he was told. He stepped back and allowed the doctor to examine Sheena's wound. "Oh my, this is very bad." He muttered.
"What is it?" Lloyd asked immediatly. "Is she going to make it?"
The doctor looked over at Lloyd. "She may make it, or she may not. The only thing that is certain is that she must be treated right away. you must leave while I conduct the operation."
Lloyd wanted to argue, but if he did that would prolong Sheena's treatment. "Fine!" Lloyd said quietly and walked out the door. "You'd better get me the moment the operation is done." Lloyd said before closing the door behind him.
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Lloyd payed the Four-hundred gald payment at the inn and walked up to his room. He sighed as he opened the door and walked in. "I failed to protect her. I'm so useless." Lloyd said, burrying his head in his hands.
"I don't think you're useless Lloyd." Came a voice. Lloyd looked up to see presea, Genis, and Kratos standing in the hallway. It was presea who had spoken.
"Hey, you guys are all okay. Is presea better now?" Lloyd asked.
Genis nodded. "Yeah."
Presea smiled and wrapped an arm around Genis' shoulders. "And it's all because of Genis."
"Aw... come on now." Genis said, his face flushed cherry red. "Don't give me all the credit. I'd still like some of it though."
Lloyd chuckled lightly, but his spirits died again as he looked out the windw. He could see the balcony where he and Sheena had stood only day's before. He was just now begining to realize what Sheena had ment that day.
"So," Kratos began, walking into the room. He took a seat next to Lloyd." Do you know how Sheena is doing?"
Lloyd shook his head. "No idea. The doctor still hasn't finished working on her."
Presea sat down on the floor. "She looked really pretty with her hair down like that." She said, this having seen Sheena's new hairstyle for the first time earlier that day.
"Indeed." Kratos aknoledged.
Lloyd looked over at Kratos. "Hey, what's wrong? You don't look to well."
Kratos shook his head. "I don't know. I feel like I'm going to be sick."
Lloyd shrugged. "Maybe you need a vacation." Kratos laughed, a very, very rare laugh. "When this is all over, that's what I plan on doing."
Presea also looked slightly pale. Genis was the first to notice. "Hey, presea, are you feeling all right?" he asked.
Presea did not answer for a long time, before finnaly sayng. "I don't think that it's over. I can't belive that Nefliem is really gone."
Genis smiled at her. "Don't worry. We're never going to see the likes of him again."
Presea smiled. "Thank you Genis. It makes me happy to hear you say that."
A knock came at the door. "Lloyd, you told me to come over once the operation was complete."
Lloyd quickly rose to his feet and threw the door open. "How is she doc.? Is she going to be all right?" He blurted, not hiding any of his fear.
The doctor sighed. "I did all I can. She's asleap right now, and it looks as though she's going to make it. Just make sure she's not in any action for a few days to come now."
Lloyd nodded. "I understand."
The sun was begging to set, and clouds where begining to roll in once another small knocking came at the door. Lloyd threw the door open again and immediatly pulled Sheena into his arms. "Oh, thank god you're okay." He said happily.
Sheena had been extremly supprised by this, and was to stunned to do anything except return Lloyds embrace. "Welcome back Sheena." Presea said happily as Sheena was released by Lloyd. "I hope I didn't hurt you to badly."
Sheena shook her head. "Not at all. I'm fine now, so it doesn't matter anymore."
Suddenly loud rumbles of thunder could be heard, and lightning bolts began to come down almost as hard as the rain. "What the?" Lloyd cried and rushed outside.
Once they where all outside presea gasped. "No, It can't be!" Even before she spoke the word, they all knew what was going on. "Nefliem."