Under the light of the stars

"There is no way we are going to make it to Meltokio before sundown…" Reiko said, as he, Lloyd, Colette, Genis, Raine, Presea, and Zelos all walked to the northwest, in the direction of Meltokio, the Capital of the Tethe'alla kingdom. The sun was already beginning to set in the western sky, illuminating it a golden-orange, like a fire. Golden-illuminated plains seemed to stretch on forever, and in the distance, the Walled City of Meltokio rose up on the horizon.

"I'm getting tired." Colette yawned. "I'm hungry too…"

"Well that's good." Lloyd said. "Hey, Genis, you're the best cook here. Make us some food please."

"Ok!" Genis replied "Just start a fire."

Lloyd had grabbed some logs that he had in the bag of supplies, most of which he had brought from Sylvarant. He ran out for a while, and Colette, who got nervous when Lloyd wasn't around her, followed him. They collected rocks to form a fire pit. When they returned, the skies that were orange had turned a dark purple. Reiko was talking to Raine about various things. Zelos was hitting-on Sheena, and was getting nowhere.

"You took way too long!" Genis complained.

"Hey! We needed to make a fire pit. I had to find those rocks!" Lloyd responded "But if it weren't for Colette, it would've taken three times as long… Thanks Colette…" He said, looking at Colette's face.

She smiled. She really liked it when Lloyd would do or say things that made her feel like she was significant. And Lloyd often did that.

Lloyd had finished making the fire pit, and starting the fire. As Genis had started to cook Miso Stew, Lloyd had left the small area around the fire. He sat down next to Colette. She smiled again as Lloyd put his hand around her. She really loved it when he showed her little bits of affection. She rested her head on his chest, and then she sighed, "I'm glad to be with you again."

He put his other arm around her. "Glad you are back again too… I couldn't bear it when your heart was sealed away by that accursed Final Seal thing… It's just… I l-l-lo…

"Love?"

"Love… yeah… It's just I love you…"

"You love me! I knew it!"

"You did?"

"Yeah… you were always nice to me… many people are really mean to me, but you are always kind to me… you're always there for me. Even when I was changing, you reassured me… but I should've listened to you. I shouldn't have sacrificed myself. But I'm myself again!"

"Well now you know that I love you… but do you love me?"

"Umm…well of course…" Colette blushed as she said this.

Lloyd then kissed Colette. They stayed in that moment for a long time.

Suddenly, Genis shouted, "Hey! I knew it! You two are in love!"

Lloyd angrily stared at Genis.

"Ok… Ok! I won't bother you about it!… But the food is ready" Genis stated.

Lloyd and Colette both got up from the secluded place where they had been sitting, and went to sit by the campfire. They ate the Miso Stew that Genis had made for the group. Colette was very happy, for she could actually taste it, for she couldn't taste anything since the time that she had broken the Fire Seal, almost a month ago, but due to the Key Crest, she could once again. After they ate the Miso Stew, Colette, who was still hungry, ate some Kirima fruit.

"Well, it's a good thing to see that you are eating like normal again." Lloyd said, as he sat down next to Colette. She turned around, and with her face full of fruit, tried to smile. And she had a lot to smile about. She had gotten her soul back, she wasn't going to die for the meaningless cause of switching over the mana flow, and Lloyd was really in love with her. But, she had forgotten the reason why she was going to go through with the World Regeneration Ritual in the first place. She had totally forgotten that the people of Sylvarant were suffering, dying, due to food shortages and other bad things caused by the loss of mana, and the fact that they were being killed, at the hands of the Desians, in order to make Exspheres.

The sun had fully set across the land of Tethe'alla, and now the Tower of Salvation appeared as a phantom, a dark black line streaking up into the sky. As she looked at it, Colette shuddered. Memories of just a few days earlier filled her mind, memories of that terrible event that ripped her soul asunder, and sealed it away within the Cruxis Crystal. Memories of that feeling she had when, she had been totally separated from reality, sealed away, supposedly never to come back. Then she looked over at Lloyd, who had fought against the angels of Cruxis to save her life, to stop her from being killed as a tool for the Goddess Martel's resurrection. She sighed, and then put her head on his shoulder. He looked over, and then put his hand around her. They both looked into the sky.

"You know, looking at the stars makes me feel safe…" Colette said, in gentle tone.

"It does?" Lloyd asked her.

"Yep… It sort of reminds me of you…" she replied.

"How?"

"Hehe… maybe it's got something to do with the stars being the only thing that you study seriously…"

"Oh…"

"And before I left on my journey, you used to stay over late, and point them out to me…"

Lloyd just stared at Colette.

"Whenever I look at the stars, it makes me think of you."

"Oh…"

They stayed there for a while, just staring at the stars, and then Colette suddenly leaned over and gracefully kissed Lloyd… …