Chapter VI) Time Together
"Aw, man. I know I've said it once already, but I feel so stupid." Lloyd paused to look down at himself as they made the final checks to their Rheaird. Presea also glanced at him once more before returning her gaze to the surrounding area in an effort to take her mind off her own outfit.
"If it consoles you Lloyd, you do look stupid. But, at least you're not alone." She had never seen so many people crowded into one place before, except for the Coliseum in Meltokio, of which this location reminded her.
They were positioned behind the starting line of a wide track, which ran in a long oval around the Altamira arena. At least thirty other vessels of various shapes and sizes were also present, lined up in three rows. Presea considered it fortunate that they were in the front line, although their Rheaird was overshadowed on both sides by considerably larger vessels. Up above their location, and around the arena itself, were tiers of seats – packed full of cheering spectators.
"So…just for confirmation. We go around this track once, then exit the arena at the marked location and follow the map from there. Correct?"
"Yeah," Lloyd sighed, "Providing we don't die of embarrassment first." He scowled at the Rheaird. "And what is with this paint job? There's little pictures of Klonoa all over the thing."
"Advertising," replied Presea, echoing Regal's words from earlier that day when he had unveiled their new, improved vessel.
She looked up at the private seating boxes on the foremost tier above their position, shielding her eyes from the unnaturally bright sun, which hung heavy in a cloudless blue sky. Regal was there now, chatting to George, the former Bryant family butler – now senior manager of the Lezareno Company. Colette and Rochelle were present too, both adorned in the same leather jackets Regal had provided. They were waving frantically at her, wearing big smiles on their faces and displaying more enthusiasm than Presea herself felt. Returning their waves, she turned to look at Lloyd.
"Is everything in order?"
The young man scratched his head. "Yeah, I guess so. Apparently, the Rheaird has been equipped with some kind of device that can temporarily suck in a large amount of mana to increase its speed every now and then."
"Yes, I believe Regal said you have to press that red button to activate it." Presea paused. "But it would be wise to not overuse it."
"Hopefully we won't have to. Regal also said that the Rheaird's speed has been doubled, remember?" Lloyd grinned. "Ready to win?"
"Your confidence amazes me Lloyd," Presea smiled at him. "But I do like it."
Several owners had begun to warm up their vessels ready for the race to begin. The noise escalated quickly, becoming near deafening as a range of mana fuelled engines roared into life for a few seconds before being turned off again. Presea begin to feel a strange sensation in her stomach, and she realised she was getting nervous.
"Well well. Fancy meeting you here."
Presea remembered that voice, and before even turning around to face Eiros, the nervous butterflies had been replaced by a smouldering rage.
The trio of Delphinium agents had presumably been on their way to their own craft. Mara laughed spitefully at them as they stopped, her lips forming an ugly smile.
"What do you look like? Ha, those clothes are ridiculous."
"Does it matter?" Lloyd snapped, looking as irritated as Presea felt. "It's not like it's gonna affect the race!"
"That is correct." Presea added, feeling heat rise in her cheeks. "We will beat you regardless of our attire." She regretted fuelling the argument, and chastised herself silently for making such a pointless and presumptuous comment.
"Oh really?" Eiros laughed, "Well, little girl, we'll just see about –"
He broke off as Mara pulled at his sleeve, jerking her head urgently to direct his gaze behind them. The trio turned around as a small group of knights approached, their jet black armour glistening in the sunlight. They were an intimidating sight; their aura of mysteriousness only countered by the livery they wore on their chestplates – the purple flower of Delphinium. At the centre of the group walked a tall, confident looking man, bedecked in a resplendent purple shirt and elegant, black trousers. A large raven coloured cloak hung around his shoulders and it was clear that beneath the loose clothes lurked a powerfully muscular body. The man's shoulder length hair matched the colour of his cloak, as fine as silk as it was courted by the light breeze. Despite his demeanour, he appeared youthful – the only give-aways to his maturity being his seasoned grey eyes, and a small beard trimmed into the style of a goatee.
He strode up to the group; the smile on his lips an uneasy combination of humour and coldness.
"Well now, it is a fine thing to see such friendly rivalry between competitors. This promises to be an extraordinary race."
He cast a glance at Lloyd and Presea, before looking across at Eiros and addressing him in a dangerously soft voice. "But I would so dearly hate to see it take priority over important matters." The man's voice turned cold. "Such as the last minute checks to your vessel."
Eiros quailed under the raven haired man's gaze. "Y-yes Lord Alderwyn, w-we were just going…" He looked at Mara and Jorin. "Let's go you two."
Alderwyn sighed as the trio hastily retreated into the mass of other competitors and their ships. "I do apologise for the behaviour of my subordinates. You see, I employ them for their muscle, not for their thinking prowess and as a result they do not use their brains often, if at all. Seeing as he even spoiled the pleasure of introducing myself, I may as well get straight to the point. I am Sydney Alderwyn. Am I correct in presuming that you are Master Irving and Miss Combatir?"
"Yes," replied Lloyd defensively.
The tone in his voice was not lost on Alderwyn, who smiled humourlessly.
"Oh come now, no need to be on edge. I have heard much about you both. A great many things…" he trailed off, looking away into the distance.
Presea frowned. "Are you here regarding Exspheres then?"
"Heavens, no. Not at all." Alderwyn laughed softly, looking down at the pink haired girl. "I would never discuss a sensitive topic of that kind in such an…open environment. I do believe I instructed those fools to give you an invitation with regards to that matter. Please tell me that they managed to get that right at least."
"Yeah…we got it." Lloyd had relaxed a little, but still sounded hostile.
"Good, that's that. Word reached me that you had entered, and I just had to see the two people responsible for humiliating my subordinates so frequently. You understand, it is nice to put faces to names." He idly flicked his hair, "Now I must be going – races to announce and all that." Alderwyn turned to leave before pausing, and looked back over his shoulder. "It would be… agreeable if you could beat them. It would appear that those fools need to learn a little more humility. Farewell."
Presea watched him leave with his guards. "Lord Alderwyn…he has a formidable presence."
Lloyd nodded. "Yeah, I don't know why but that guy worries me. I think we better watch ourselves." He shook his head. "Come on, I think the announcer is going through the names. Let's get ready."
The pink haired girl adjusted her hat slightly and sighed, climbing aboard the Rheaird. When their names were announced to a fanfare of cheering, she kept her head down, making sure she hadn't forgot any aspect of the route.
"Woah, there's a lot of support for our team," said Lloyd, taking his seat in front of her. "Guess that's Regal's work." He looked back and smiled. "No pressure, huh?"
The announcer finished presenting the competitors, and there followed a respectful silence as Lord Alderwyn gave a short speech to introduce the beginning of the race. His words were lost on Presea as she tied her hair back into a ponytail, making sure it wouldn't get in the way during the race. Shortly after, the raven haired man bowed out to rapturous applause and the signal was given to start engines.
"He sure is well loved," remarked Lloyd sourly as he started up their Rheaird.
"Yes, he and Delphinium alike." Presea looked about as the noise filled the arena – the numerous engines on either side and behind her droning into life. She felt her earlier nervousness recede into excitement and she tapped Lloyd on the shoulder.
"We can do this," she said as he looked around, and meant it.
"Yeah, let's show Delphinium what we're made of!"
The eyes of every pilot were fixed on the small glowing orb perched high above the starting line. The air was tense as they waited, the orb glowing brighter and brighter. Presea realised that she was holding her breath in anticipation and exhaled, almost shivering with excitement.
Suddenly the orb turned bright white and erupted into a magical cascade of sparks and flames that streamed into the air. The signal to go!
With a thunderous roar, all the vessels surged forward past the starting line, tearing through the air at incredible speeds. Presea sat in her seat which, like Lloyd's, had been transformed into an open cockpit of sorts, and ducked her head down against the buffeting wind. She scanned her map quickly, checking the directions she would have to give Lloyd when they left the arena. The air around her screamed in protest as numerous vessels blurred past, either overtaking or being overtaken. Compared to the wait for the race to begin, the start had been so sudden that she was still trying to collect her thoughts as Lloyd guided the Rheaird round the last turn of the oval track. Two vessels ahead smashed together in an aggressive embrace, scattering debris and smoke behind them. Another craft, one similar in size to their own, shunted into the side of the Rheaird as it moved to overtake, jolting Presea back to her senses.
She looked down at her map, examining the notes she had made across it. "Lloyd, when you leave the arena there will be a tight turning left into woodland. I measured it at approximately 23 degrees –"
"Got it," he shouted back. "Don't worry, tight turn will do!"
The arena blurred past them and suddenly they were flying clear away from the city, speeding along wide grassy hills, the sounds of other ships crashing together behind them. Lloyd guided the Rheaird left, and they sliced into the woodland, scattering melting snow from the branches of trees.
"The trail ahead splits in two. Take the right path." Presea ducked to avoid branches that wouldn't have hit her anyway, and wiped away the displaced snow from her face. The trees were hurtling past at an incredible speed and she heard a crash behind them as an unfortunate vessel presumably hit one.
"Lloyd, there will shortly be a…um, very tight turn left." She glanced again at the map. "Then another one right. That should take us out of the forest."
Another vessel in front clipped into a tree, and spiralled off into the forest, falling from sight as Lloyd guided the Rheaird left, then right. Suddenly the blurring forest ahead was replaced with an awe-inspiring panorama of the beach at the far side of the island as they burst through the tree line. Two parallel lines of mana beacons lit up a pathway onto the sandy beach, and across the coastal waters – winding away from the island itself.
"Lloyd, continue travelling in between the beacons. The route takes a gentle curve away from the island before making its way back in towards the arena."
"Got it." Lloyd laughed. "Glad I signed us up yet?"
"Yes," Presea smiled as she checked the map. "I am enjoying myself." As no further directions were required for the time being, Presea looked around. The main bulk of the racers were a short distance behind them, still cajoling and bumping off one another. In front of them it was a different story, with only a handful of ships speeding on, skimming across the surface of the water. Presea smiled as the water spray from the leading vessels splashed against her face – they were doing well, all things considered.
Her instructions guided Lloyd back into the arena, and they crossed the starting line to begin the second lap – Lloyd beginning to speed up slightly now that he was getting familiar with the route. Presea continued to point out directions when needed, but also tried to find time to relay their position to Lloyd. They passed round the course in a much faster time than the previous effort, and as they concluded the second lap Presea realised they were in third place.
"Lloyd! We have two laps left to go, and two competitors to pass."
The leading ships came into view as the Rheaird left the arena, and Presea realised that overtaking them may prove to be easier said than done. They were enormous vessels, speeding rectangular masses of metal that were tearing through the air faster than she thought possible for objects of their size.
As they approached, Lloyd dipped and bobbed the Rheaird, trying to find a way between the two vessels, but to no avail. They seemed to have formed an uneasy alliance in order to keep Lloyd from overtaking. As they entered the forest, Lloyd brought the Rheaird up close behind again, heading for the small space between the leading craft.
"Hold on Presea, let me try something."
The pink haired girl ducked as another branch passed by, spraying her with melted snow. "Affirmative. Please be careful though."
She was jolted forward in her cockpit as Lloyd slid their vessel into the small gap between the two ships, pushing into the one on the right. Due to its smaller size, the Rheaird didn't even so much as scratch the larger ship, and it slammed into the side of them, trying to crush the Rheaird between itself and the other large competitor. As the aggressor bore down on them, Lloyd slowed down and pulled their vessel back, moving out of the way. Presea watched as the two craft in front collided which a terrible crunch, and one of the vast ships fell away, smoke billowing from the stricken vessel. Before the surviving competitor could recover, Lloyd brought the Rheaird up above it and sped ahead through the forest.
"Oh man, I hope whoever that was is okay." Lloyd sounded concerned, but he didn't take his eyes from the track ahead.
"Turn right here," said Presea. "The craft seemed large, so hopefully it shielded the pilots from any harm."
Bright sunlight glared down on them as they burst from the woodland onto the long stretch of beach, and Presea was overcome by a strange, wild jubilation. "Lloyd, we in first place!"
"Yeah, I know!" He looked back for a split second and winked. "Let's try and keep it that way."
Presea also chanced a look behind, and saw another craft bearing down towards them at an incredible speed. She didn't recognise the vessel itself, which looked like a black and purple version of their own, but she did know the trio on board.
"Eiros' team are in pursuit. Their speed is significantly greater than our own."
Suddenly, the Rheaird was rocked by a violent explosion and Presea felt the air around her flare up. She glanced behind to see smoke trailing from the rear of their vessel and looked across at the Delphinium ship. One of the trio – Jorin, by the looks of it – appeared to be holding a mobile version of the lasers the Desians once used to guard their facilities.
The burly man activated the weapon again and a thin beam of blue energy cascaded forth, slamming into the back of the Rheaird. Presea felt the scolding heat of the explosion as tiny licks of flame threatened to pour into her cockpit.
"Lloyd! They are using weapons against us!"
She heard him curse, but kept her eyes on the flames as they were quickly extinguished by the speeding wind. The approaching craft was suddenly alongside them, its passengers sneering in their direction.
"Hey, not bad." Laughed Eiros, as their vessel rammed the Rheaird. "Now why not just sit back and let us show you how to win."
"This is a race damn it," snarled Lloyd. "Why are you using weapons?"
"What a stupid question," sniggered Mara, lifting up a similar device to the one Jorin was holding.
Another blast rocked the side of their craft as she fired, and the searing heat this time caught Presea in the face. She cried out and ducked her head down. The hot air had been intense, stinging her face, but she appeared to have avoided being burnt.
"Presea, are you okay?" Lloyd glanced around quickly as the Delphinium vessel struck the Rheaird again. The pink haired girl could hear him curse as she wiped smoke stains from her face. "You bastard, Eiros."
He tried to twist their craft away, but their opponents were in possession of a much more powerful, and manoeuvrable, vessel. Presea looked ahead as the view of the sea was replaced with the outskirts of Altamira. They were nearing the end of the race.
Eiros laughed as Mara and Jorin aimed their weapons at the Rheaird. "I said next time watch out! You've crossed us for the last time, brats. Heck, you'll be lucky if you even finish this race."
"Yeah?" Lloyd met Eiros' gaze with a savage ferocity. "Well, we'll see about that." The young man jerked the control stick, steering the Rheaird straight into the Delphinium craft with a sickening crunch, the impact knocking Mara and Jorin onto their backs. Eiros swore, and tried to put some distance between his craft and the Rheaird, but the grinding sound that accompanied his efforts to pull away indicated that something was caught. Presea realised with a flash of panic that the wings of their vessels had become mangled together.
"You stupid idiot," cried Eiros, clawing at his controls, "What the hell do you think you're doin?"
Lloyd ignored him, looking around as they began to lose height. "Presea, are you okay?" he asked, concern on his face.
She nodded, glancing again at the joined wings, which were gradually being consumed by small, but fierce, flames. "I am fine Lloyd. But we are in trouble. There is a very good chance we are going to crash."
The young man smiled. "Hopefully not, there's something I wanna try. Just hold on." He looked across at Eiros. "Now, let me show you how to win."
Looking down, Lloyd pressed the red button to initiate a burst of rapid mana intake into their craft. The Rheaird's engine burst into life with a deafening roar, its speed doubling from the boost of extra mana. Presea could hear faintly the sound of groaning metal, and she realised that whatever was keeping the mangled wings connected was losing the battle against the different speeds of the two ships. With a last screeching protest, the joined wings of both vessels tore away, with additional amounts of the Delphinium ship disintegrating in the air. Presea looked back as the remaining hulk of Eiros' ship spiralled into the sea, leaving nothing behind but a thin spiral of smoke in the air.
"Lloyd…" She didn't know what she felt at that moment. Eiros and his team were more than just opponents in a race – they were also enemies, who had battled viciously on many occasions. She certainly didn't like them, but she found herself hoping that they hadn't perished in such a terrible way.
The Rheaird struggled valiantly to maintain its current speed with only one wing, but it was fighting a battle that could not be won. Smoke had begun to billow from the overworked engine, the vessel rapidly losing height as they approached the arena.
Rochelle fidgeted restlessly in her seat, waiting – like all of the other spectators in the tiers – in anticipation for the first ship to enter the arena. The sun high above was shimmering brightly in rare defiance to the season, but it was clear that its rays were waning. Thick, dark clouds on the horizon were approaching – bearing the promise of further snow while the wind, though still light, was beginning to cool. She tried to be as interested as everybody else was, thinking she would be failing Lloyd and Presea is she didn't, but it was no use. Her attention kept wavering, and she found herself once again scowling at Lord Alderwyn – whose private box was just two away from Regal's.
Suddenly, a vessel soared into the arena, smoke and flame billowing from one side where, presumably, there should have been a wing. Rochelle frowned, trying to pick out some identifying detail as the craft came closer, and saw a flash of pink hair catch in the wind.
"Look!" The Felesian tugged at Colette's sleeve, pointing towards the stricken Rheaird. "It's them! It's Big Sis and Lloyd!"
Colette brought a hand to her mouth in shock, "Oh no, look at their Rheaird!"
As their ship surged forward towards the finish line, Presea felt a giddy sensation pass over her.
"Lloyd, we are going to come first!" She said, having to shout over the sound of the wind tearing by. Sure enough, a moment later, they passed the line to a rapturous chorus of cheers – tiny magical fireworks and confetti being released into the air. But they continued to descend, despite the fact that Lloyd seemed unable to slow the vessel down, and Presea felt panic returning as the seating tiers rushed towards them. "Lloyd! We are going to crash!"
"Hold on Presea," the young man shouted, and pulled the craft in a steep climb, pressing the red button again. Despite the absence of one of the wings, the Rheaird responded fairly well, producing an extra surge of speed that allowed Lloyd to guide it straight up over the tiers and out of the arena.
The vessel survived for a few moments more, before its engine gave up completely and began to splutter, thick smoke pouring out of it the craft like blood from a wound. Presea felt a wave of nausea and panic pass over her as she caught a glimpse of the ground, a dizzying distance below, and closed her eyes, her hands gripping the sides of the cockpit tightly.
Time seemed to hang still for a moment, then she felt her stomach lurch as the Rheaird began descending like an arrow towards the ground. She heard Lloyd curse repeatedly as he tried to get the vessel under control, and gingerly opened her eyes to see a thick forest coating the rocky plateau of a mountain rushing up to greet them.
Lloyd managed to slow the Rheaird's descent slightly, but Presea realised it was going to be a dangerous landing. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the sight of the rapidly approaching trees, her thoughts a conflicting mess of emotions. "Lloyd," she began to shout, "I –"
"We'll be okay," he interrupted, the tone in his voice reflecting the pink haired girl's fears.
The speeding vessel smashed through the canopy of trees, parts of it disintegrating on impact and scattering in the air along with the displaced snow from disturbed branches. A large piece of debris from the front of the Rheaird slammed into Presea's arm, splitting the skin open. She cried out as blood sprayed across her cockpit, and saw Lloyd look behind in alarm. Suddenly, the Rheaird ploughed into the enormous trunk of a tree, the impact slamming Presea's head into the front of her cockpit. She felt a jarring pain for a moment, and then was enveloped in the comforting blackness of unconsciousness.
"Presea…oh man, Presea! Can you hear me?"
Lloyd's voice floated somewhere in the inky darkness, seemingly both close and distant at the same time. She felt something wet splash onto her cheek, before she was lifted up and carried from her position.
Lloyd! Presea desperately wanted to say something, but she hadn't even the strength to open her eyes. She felt the cold, damp grass on her back as she was placed on the ground, before falling back into unconsciousness.
Some time later, although she had no idea how long, Presea awoke and slowly opened her eyes – feeling a dull, throbbing pain in her head as she did so. For a few moments, everything was so bright that it hurt her eyes, but gradually the light receded and she found herself looking up at a snow coated tree canopy, the dusky sky above filtering through. Moaning softly, she tried to sit up and felt a wave of nausea pass through her body at the sudden movement. A small fire crackled beside her, giving off significant warmth and light despite its size, and, noticing an approaching shadow, Presea turned to see Lloyd approaching, a mingled look of concern and relief on his face.
She tried a smile, never before feeling so happy at seeing the young man. "Lloyd!" she whispered, and winced as a strange tickle in her throat caused her to cough. "We…survived then?"
"Oh, Presea!" He dropped the firewood he had been carrying and ran forward, dropping to his knees by her side. Presea gasped as Lloyd's arms wrapped around her, and the pink haired girl had to close her eyes to quell the dizziness she felt as she was pulled into his embrace. As she lay quietly in his arms, Presea felt splashes of something cold on her cheeks and realised that Lloyd was crying. She raised a trembling hand up to his face, running it through his hair and caressing his cheek.
The young man pulled back to look her in the eye, fresh tears running down his face. "I thought you had…"
Lloyd looked so lost and scared in that one moment that Presea didn't know what she could say or do to try and comfort him. She had become so accustomed to his strength and courage that to see him like this was a heartbreaking and confusing experience. The pink haired girl looked at her feet for a second, feeling both awkward and wretched for not knowing what to do.
I have to do something, she thought, berating herself for being so useless. Lloyd has never once hesitated in comforting me.
An idea crept into her head, and she enacted it immediately, before doubt or overanalyses crept into her mind. Forcing herself to sit up so that she was his height, Presea looked Lloyd in the eye before wrapping her arms round his neck, pulling the young man close and kissing him. She felt him stiffen with shock for a moment, before immense warmth surged throughout her body at his response. After a moment, she moved her head away to rest it on his shoulder, feeling her own warm tears come to the surface.
"Lloyd…I am okay, all things considered," she glanced up at the young man, noting he still looked downhearted, and tried to smile encouragingly the way he always did. "It will…take more than your inability to land for me to perish."
Lloyd laughed at that, which was the result Presea had been hoping for. She moved over, leaning her back against a sturdy rock beside him. Opposite her, through the shimmering flames of the fire, she saw the still smouldering wreck of the Rheaird. Judging by the cool breeze in the air, and the light scattering of falling snow, Presea guessed they were on the plateau of the mountain she had saw before they had crashed. She shifted, and noticed for the first time the outer jacket of Lloyd's outfit, which he must have draped over her for extra warmth whilst she had been unconscious. Her arm ached with a throbbing pain, and she remembered the huge wound the debris had inflicted upon it. Looking down, she saw a makeshift bandage, made from what looked like Lloyd's hat, wrapped around the gash. It was saturated with blood, which had also dried down the length of her arm, but it looked as though it had been successful in stopping the bleeding.
She looked up at the darkening sky, where the first dim stars were just penetrating through the blue, red, purple and yellow hues. "How are we going to get down from here?"
Lloyd leaned back against the stone too, rubbing at his eyes. "I activated the SOS signal on the Rheaird a while back – it looks as though it's working, so we've just gotta wait now for Regal to come rescue us."
Presea nodded, watching her breath misting in front of her, and smiled again. "At least we came first."
Lloyd laughed again. It sounded as though he desperately wanted to be happy, but something was preventing it. As Presea looked over at him, she heard the end of the laugh dissolve into tearful sobs again. The pink haired girl stared at Lloyd, lost for words. She had never seen him like this before. She went over in her mind every time the young man had comforted her, feeling shame at still being so easily confused by simple human emotions. Presea recalled how, during the journey to reunite the worlds, other members of the group like Colette and Sheena could so easily read the thought patterns behind others actions and closed her eyes, feeling tears rise to the surface at her own inadequacies. I want to help you Lloyd, she thought. But I don't know how. I am no use in these situations…
Her thoughts trailed off and she shook her head, scolding herself. No, self-pity will not aid me here. I must try.
"Lloyd…" she said at last, "…are you okay?"
He seemed to pause for a second, before shaking his head. Looking up at her, he swallowed as though he was trying to compose himself. "I thought I'd lost you…and it was all my fault. After everything that has happened, I'm still irresponsible and reckless. "
Presea shook her head. "No…you are incorrect. It was not your fault." The pink haired girl placed her hand on his, stroking it in the way Lloyd would when she was down. "I do not understand…why would you think that?"
Lloyd looked up at the sky, "I mean…I entered us in the competition. I was reckless when we came across Eiros and his team. What happened…It was all my fault."
"No…You are wrong." Presea shifted over to kneel opposite the young man, taking his hands in hers. "What happened…it wasn't your fault. If Delphinium had not broken the rules by using weapons in the race then this would not have happened."
Lloyd blinked, trying to take in what she was saying. "But…I"
"No! Lloyd…you must not blame yourself. Please…" she looked him in the eye and smiled. "I do not blame you, so you should not either. It was an accident."
Tiny fragments of snow continued to fall about the pair, dancing in the light breeze. Lloyd paused for a second, looking off at some unseen sight in the distance, before nodding – accepting her words. The young man looked back at Presea's face, before returning her smile – taking the sleeve of his outer jacket from her lap and licking its sleeve, bringing it up to clean the blood which had dried on her brow.
"You look a mess," he whispered as he finished, pulling her forwards so she was sitting between his legs, her back resting against his chest. Presea looked up at his face and planted a kiss on Lloyd's cheek.
They sat in the company of their own thoughts for a while, watching the snow descend against the trees and dusk sky. Lloyd broke the silence first, giving Presea a gentle squeeze as he spoke.
"Well, this time tomorrow we're going to be in Mizuho. Hopefully," he added with a laugh. "Looking forward to seeing old friends again?"
Presea smiled. "I was thinking about that earlier today." She looked up to face him. "It is strange…I do really miss our old companions, but…" she paused, trying to find the right words. "…It's not just that. There is something else I am missing too…but, ah…I didn't realise it until yesterday."
Lloyd looked down at her. "Really? What's that?"
The pink haired girl hesitated for a second, releasing her hair from the ponytail she had put it in for the race. "I miss…spending time with you."
Lloyd looked confused. "Huh?"
Presea blushed. "Ah…um, perhaps that did not come out correct. I meant…um." She looked away quickly, and brushed stands of hair, matted with blood, from her face. "Let me start again. We are…together frequently, correct? But…when we are together, we are normally preoccupied with some kind of mission, such as Exsphere retrieval. I understand that what we do is important, but…I…I miss just being able to spend time with you…alone, without there being any…overriding priority."
Lloyd was silent for a second, and Presea suddenly felt concerned that she was being selfish, or had overanalysed the situation. But then he nodded, his arms drawing her close. "Yeah…I know what you mean. I guess we haven't spent much time just…doing stuff and, y'know, just being together."
She looked up to meet his gaze, and raised a hand to his caress his cheek, feeling overjoyed that he understood and felt the same. "Yes…I thought I was just…well…I hope I am not being…childish."
Lloyd laughed. "You dork! Don't be silly." He ran a hand down her arm, finding her hand. Presea felt an immense pleasure at the contact, and shuddered in delight. "You're right, we should spend more time together."
"Oh Lloyd!" Presea felt a rush of emotions bubbling up within her as the day's roller coaster of events caught up with her weary mind. She turned in his arms to look at the young man, her eyes shimmering with tears of joy. "I…It would be nice to…be with you always. I do not ever want to leave your side."
Lloyd smiled, his slightly flushed face reflecting Presea's. "I don't want you to either. I-I was so worried earlier…y'know, that you had."
Despite the chilly air, Presea felt warmed to the bone as she lay in Lloyd's embrace, her fingers intertwined with his. She watched the snow fall and, as the last rays of the sun shined down on the descending flakes, she saw something glisten in the air which made her heart leap.
"Lloyd, look!" She pointed, but whatever it was had vanished behind the trees. Presea leapt to her feet, fighting off the returning waves of dizziness. The pink haired girl realised that she should probably be taking it easy, considering her injuries, but for some reason she felt such an incredible urge to see the glistening sight again that she began dashing though the forest – irrespective of the pain shooting down her arm and legs.
Bursting through the trees, Presea came to an abrupt halt, with the snowy terrain in front of her dropping away, down a steep incline, to the base of the mountain far below. Beyond the cliff edge was a breathtaking winter vista; a forest coated mountainside that rolled down away from her location into the wide open hills below, the twinkling lights of Altamira a tantalising distance away.
Lloyd caught up with her then, standing at her side. "Presea, what –"
"Look," Presea pointed across at the horizon, her own eyes following the outstretched finger.
As dusk descended to twilight, the silvery rays of the moon bore down upon the earth, catching the falling snowflakes in the air to form long, shimmering pillars of icy light. The translucent silvery mirages glistened and changed as the snow fell through the beams of moonlight.
Presea stared at the sight, transfixed. "It is…beautiful, Lloyd," she whispered. "I have never seen anything like it before."
"They're ice pillars," said Lloyd. "Professor Raine told me once that they appear when light shines through falling snow and ice." He paused, his breath misting the air in front of him. "But I've never seen them before, either."
Presea felt Lloyd fumble for her hand as he took it in his own, and she moved closer to rest her head on his shoulder, the pair silently watching the prisms of light shimmering across the sky.
"I am glad I am seeing this with you," she whispered, eventually.
"Yeah," Lloyd nodded, wrapping an arm around her waist. "We've seen some really cool things together huh?"
Presea agreed, but stayed silent for a moment longer, thinking. There was something Rochelle had said to her yesterday which had remained in her head and wouldn't go away. It hadn't bothered her at the time but, gradually, it had picked up her attention the way a rolling ball of snow down a mountain attracts more mass. She held her tongue on the question though, wanting to clarify it in her own mind before repeating the Felesian's words.
She turned to face Lloyd, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Lloyd…I…you are always going to be here…with me, yes?"
"Lloyd looked down at her a smiled. "Sure I will. I promise. Why?"
"There is…no reason, it is just…" she looked him in the eye before burying her face against his chest. "…Oh, I do love you Lloyd, and I want to be by your side, always."
The young man gently kissed the top of her head. "I love you too Presea. I really do," he paused, then laughed – not entirely without nervousness. "And you better always be there too."
"I will. I promise." Presea looked up as a low whine filled the air, and saw a black silhouette pass though the ice pillars towards their location. As the object came closer, Presea realised it was a flying vessel, one not much bigger than their Rheaird had been. For a second she felt a slight panic, wondering whether or not it belonged to Delphinium, but such fears were allayed a few moments later as the ship turned out to be carrying Regal, Colette and Rochelle.
"Lloyd!" Presea cried, elated. "They have located us."
"Yeah," he grinned at the pink haired girl. "What a relief."
The craft lowered itself slowly onto the ground beside them, a little too close for comfort to the cliff edge. Rochelle and Colette leapt from the ship, running forward and throwing their arms around Presea and Lloyd respectively.
"Big Sis, look at you!" The Felesian cried, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "Are you okay, babe?"
"I am unharmed…" Presea smiled, "…mostly."
Rochelle squeezed the pink haired girl tight. "I-I was so scared, I thought…" she burst into tears, "I thought we weren't going to find you."
Presea winced from the strong contact, but stroked Rochelle's hair as the Felesian slumped weakly, sobbing, into her arms. "Please do not cry…it is okay, we are both fine. I said I wouldn't leave you."
Colette looked across, smiling with relief. "We've been searching for you for a while now. The signal from the Rheaird died shortly after being activated, so Regal had loads of his employees out looking for you. Rochelle wouldn't go back without knowing you were safe. She's been amazing."
Presea looked down at the Felesian, whose head was still resting on her shoulder, and felt the warm sensation that came with the feeling of love pass through her. "Rochelle…"
"You have to take care," the Felesian said, unmoving, her voice muffled, "I…you can't leave me. I love you Big Sis."
The pink haired girl was at a loss for words for a moment, then felt warm tears springing to her eyes at the Felesian's touching words. "I love you too." Presea hugged the girl tight, and looked across as Regal called to get their attention.
"You both look freezing," he said. "Come, climb aboard quickly so we can get you back to the house."
A few hours later, Lloyd closed the door to the room he was sharing with Presea and sighed.
"Woah, that was a little frantic."
Presea flopped down on the soft bed, regretting the action as pain flared up in her arm. "Yes, it is nice though to have friends who are concerned so much for our health."
"I know but," Lloyd paused as he removed the remains of his outfit. "I didn't think that doctor would ever leave."
Presea changed into her night-clothes and looked at her cleanly bandaged arm. "I expect Regal just wanted to be thorough."
Lloyd turned off the bedside lamp as he climbed under the covers. "Yeah…so, is your arm okay?"
"It still hurts, but it will be fine." Presea tucked herself in under the covers, relishing the warmth, and rolled over to be beside Lloyd. He responded to the contact, wrapping his arms around her, and she snuggled close, enjoying the safe, protected feeling that his embrace afforded. She turned to face the young man and kissed him passionately, feeling a nervous shiver pass through her body as his hand slid across her waist. The pink haired girl shifted position as they continued to kiss, the pair drinking each other in. As Lloyd's hands found their way under her night-clothes, his fingers caressing her skin, Presea rolled on top of the young man, her forehead resting against his, whilst her hands ran across his chest.
"Lloyd," she whispered. "Let's be…alone together, tonight."