AN: I'm back people. Sorry this had to take so long. If you want my reasons they are back at the last chapter. Thank you to everyone who reviewed. Let's get to why you're here.

Disclaimer: … I'm looking through the files that I keep that tell me what I own… I own several nice things, wooden cups from the Philippines, a mini fridge… I'm not seeing Tales of Symphonia though so I guess I still don't own it.

Ch. 9 The Memory

The sun was just peeking over the horizon when it hit the corner of Lloyd's eye. He slowly awoke again, pulling himself away from Sheena just far enough so that he could see her beautiful sleeping face. He bent forward and lightly kissed her forehead.

Sheena began to stir, and woke up. She looked into Lloyd's deep brown eyes and smiled. "I'm guessing it wasn't just a good dream then," she thought out loud.

"No it wasn't," Lloyd replied softly. "I'm still here, and I always will be."

He then bent forward again and kissed her passionately on the lips. She was more than delighted to respond with a kiss of her own. They continued thusly for as long as they could but eventually had to break apart for air. As soon as they had regained their breath however, they went straight back to kissing.

They continued the routine three times over and then, they just laid there in the cave, Sheena resting her head on Lloyd's chest while he ran a hand through her hair.

They could have stayed like this forever had the rudest thing that wasn't a person not suddenly interrupted them… Lloyd's stomach growled with the ferocity of a tiger.

"I suppose we should eat then," Lloyd chuckled. "Good thing that corpse over there won't be needing that big pack of food."

"I guess so," Sheena agreed.

They got up and searched his bag. Inside was enough bread, cheese, and other standard traveling provisions to last them a week. As they prepared a simple meal Lloyd had a thought. "Who was that guy?" he asked over to Sheena. "He seemed to have something against you."

"His name was Jarg," Sheena explained to him. "He had been tracking us for a few days before we had found you at the ranch. We managed to catch him and interrogate him. He told us where we could find Regal. I decided to cut him loose since he had been useful… I guess he thought that his life as a Desian was over and I was the cause of it…"

"It would have been," Lloyd said. "While I was a slave, I saw Desian commanders cut down there subordinates for failures. Usually it was for bigger reasons, like interrogating slaves for information and getting false info. But with some of the crueler high ranks, even the smallest failure required the highest punishments."

"That's terrible!" Sheena exclaimed. "Why would they do that?"

"I suppose they think fear is a good source of motivation," Lloyd sighed.

They ate their meal in silence, staring at each other happily, knowing that they were together and happy despite the terrible events that had taken place the previous night. When they were finished, they got up and began to walk in a direction that they hoped would bring them back to the others.

"Are we sure that this is the right way?" asked Sheena, doubtfully.

"I was a bit busy following a very difficult trail last night too worry about direction," Lloyd replied with a sheepish smile. "I still don't get why I can't find it now, maybe it rained or something last night after we went to sleep…"

"No the ground isn't wet enough," Sheena observed. "Either we are lost, or we are very lost."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Lloyd said with joking sarcasm. He wasn't about to mention it, but the thought of being lost in a wilderness with Sheena appealed to him greatly.

They continued at there leisurely pace for the greater part of the day. They stopped for a brief lunch, and after the twenty-minute post-lunch cuddle session that followed, they continued on their way. By the time the sun was starting to sink lower to the ground they found themselves on a beautiful, white sand beach.

"Well…" Lloyd chuckled, sitting himself down on the soft sand, "I guess this means that we are lost. At least we're in a nice location though!"

"Yeah, this is a beautiful spot," Sheena agreed.

"I bet I could find something more beautiful…" Lloyd commented, almost musingly.

"I doubt it Lloyd," Sheena remarked. "This kind of scenery is pretty rare."

"I found you didn't I?" he asked, looking at her.

At this Sheena jumped on top of him, bent close and said, "Good point." She then kissed him again. They again continued this for a good while and afterwards they just sat down and watched the waves.

"How are we supposed to find the others now though?" Lloyd asked after a while.

"We should continue south, to Meltokio," Sheena stated, in a matter of fact sort of way. "Back at the missions beginning when we had first set out, we agreed that if anyone were to get separated from the others then that person would just head back to Meltokio and wait. I tried for this reason to loose Zelos a few times, but he always managed to find us."

"I suppose we couldn't have gotten where we are without him though," Lloyd mused. "Then I suppose we should just get there as quickly as we can. Then when this is over, we can have a normal life…"

"That would be nice," she agreed. "Let's start moving faster tomorrow then. I don't know about you, but I've just been through a traumatic experience and need a good sleep."

"Was it really that bad to admit your love for me?" Lloyd joked.

"Oh yes, it was just terrible," Sheena played along.

"Well I guess it was a bit horrifying for me too," Lloyd laughed.

The jokes and banter continued for a few more hours and afterwards they went to sleep. They had survived their first real day together, and it had been one of the best days either of them could remember…

…Two days later…

They had decided that they would follow the beach south. As they crossed it, the sand's color slowly shifted from that breath taking white, to the duller yellowish brown that was more commonly seen. It didn't make a difference to them however. Sand was sand, water was water. They couldn't have cared less if it had been blue sand or green sand. It wasn't important. The important things were that they were together and happy.

They continued along the shoreline when off to the side, Lloyd saw something familiar. A large stone spire, sticking out of the ground as though a giant had thrust a great spear into the ground.

"That rock over there was part of the training I put myself through," he mentioned. "My father had once told me that up there was the greatest view of the world he had ever seen. I asked him to take me up there time and again, but every time he would tell me that if I were to get up there, I would have to do it without his help. After he left I would climb as high as I could, but I never quite made it the full distance."

"Then let's check it out," Sheena offered. "We've been making good time."

They went to the spire and looked upon it for a moment. Then as if he were being ordered to by a stern, powerful voice, Lloyd removed the exsphere from his hand, and motioned Sheena to do the same.

"I want to do this without any help," he stated. "It wouldn't mean anything to do this the easy way."

"I guess that's fair enough," Sheena agreed, removing her own exsphere.

They climbed the spire slowly. It was a difficult journey, but they eventually made it to the top. When Lloyd stood up and looked around, he saw many things. To the north he saw what may have been The Human Ranch, but it was probably just a small mountain. To the west he saw vast forests, and wide grasslands. To the east he beheld the great majesty of the ocean.

And to the south he saw a mass of rubble. Without any thought he jumped off the spire, equipped his exsphere before landing, and when he hit the ground with a force that would have killed him otherwise, he ran toward the ruins of his home. Sheena followed suit, trying to figure out what had come over him.

When she caught up to him, he was standing in the very center of all the destruction. She approached him cautiously, not wanting to startle him.

When he did notice her, he turned around smiling with tears in his eyes, and said, "Welcome to Iselia. Welcome to the village that I called home." His feet gave way and he collapsed to the ground, and he cried.

"I knew it I guess," he sobbed. "I knew that I wouldn't ever see my home as it had once been. I knew the Desians had destroyed it. I just knew it."

"It's alright Lloyd," Sheena said, wrapping her arms around him. "I'm here. It' going to be okay."

Lloyd kept crying like this for as long as he had tears to shed. When he was finally done, he gave Sheena as much of a tour as he could manage. The last stop was his old house. It had originally been a simple cottage. It had two levels and enough room to comfortably hold three people, though for the majority of its existence it only held two. Now it was just a pile of charred and rotting wood.

"My dad built this place pretty much on his own," Lloyd explained. "That was always the way he did things, not wanting others help unless he truly needed it. For about three years we lived there, just the three of us. One day, my mom was taken by the Desian Cardinal, Kvar. My dad told me that when this happened, he had placed me under the care of a local family, and then he left to find mom. When he found her, his description was similar to Regal's of Alicia. And like Regal, he killed her to save her. When he left again I knew why he had waited. He could have left again much sooner to take his revenge, but he stayed. He wanted to know that I would be alright. I guess he finally decided that I was ready."

"He was right," Sheena spoke, with a hint of pride in her voice. "You are strong Lloyd, in more ways than either of us can probably see."

"We had better keep going," Lloyd remarked. "We don't want the others to worry for too long."

As they exited the town from the south, something felt odd to Sheena. It was as though someone was watching them, waiting for something. She lightly signaled to Lloyd to be careful and he responded by placing his hands on the hilts of the swords.

"Those are not your swords," came a voice. From some tall grass off to the side came a woman. She wasn't very tall but taller than average for most women. She had long brown hair that went partway down her back. Her clothes seemed to be fairly simple. And at her side was a rapier. "You have no right to even lay hand upon them."

"You're right at least about these not being my swords," Lloyd responded. "But until I deliver them to the one who does own them, I'm aloud to use them."

"So then you are Altessa's courier?" the woman asked.

"I am."

"Do you realize you're going the opposite direction from where you are supposed to be going?"

"I know where I'm going. Are you supposed to be turning me around or something?"

"I am. But I'm also the one asking questions if you don't mind."

"Fair enough, I guess."

"If you know where you are going, then why are you taking the road south?"

"The next time I'm at the ranch, I expect to have an army with me."

"So then you are planning to kill my master?"

"That would depend on who your master is."

"I am Capricorn and I serve Lord Forcystus," she declared, with more pride and zeal than even most young recruits.

"Then I suppose yes, eventually."

"Then I should kill you," she stated, drawing her rapier. It was a fine weapon to behold. The hilt was intricate in design and the blade appeared to be made of mithril, but it was tinted red. It was clear that this woman had slain many.

"If you lay a hand on him," Sheena interjected, "then you will have to fight us both."

"…Then perhaps I won't kill you yet," Capricorn decided, sheathing her blade. "I am not a fool and I doubt I'd be able to fight the two of you at once."

"Well I guess that there are even a few smart people among the Desians," Lloyd chuckled dryly.

"I will pretend I didn't hear that," Capricorn retorted. "Either way, I will follow my mission as it stands. I will keep watch on you until you have delivered the swords to my master. Think of it as you're stuck with me."

"This will get annoying," Sheena sighed.

AN: Well that's done. Sorry if the end seemed a bit lame. I'm trying to make things flow together well but I feel like I'm having very little luck. Oh well I'll just stop now before I start rambling again. You guys know this works. You push the button at the bottom left of your screen and you review. As always I welcome all praise and insults, as long as they have good reasoning behind them. See you next time at Ch.10: The Reunion. Laters!