Namco owns all rights to Tales of Symphonia. I don't claim to own them. This work is not intended for any form of profit and has been written without permission.
A funny thing happened to me the other day; I was sort of hit with inspiration for this chapter (no, I didn't have it completely planned out in my mind until just recently…that's how organized I am), but then never really got time to write. Of course, I promptly forgot what that inspiration was the second I decided my English project was more important, and just now remembered it. As such, I am just now writing.
Anyways, this chapter'll have a bit more interaction between characters than the last one did, so please forgive me if anyone seems a bit out of character; I'm just now getting back into playing the game and haven't yet even made it to Tethe'alla. Oopsie.
Secondly, I realize now that "Exsphere" is capitalized and that I forgot to do that all through Chapter 1…I may return and fix that sometime, but until I get the time to do that, try and bear with it.
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Chapter 2: Starlight
Lloyd had expected the attention. In fact, he'd have been very surprised if they hadn't caused some sort of a stir. What he hadn't expected was the entire population of Meltokio to be lining the streets in anticipation of their arrival.
"Well, this is a little awkward," the swordsman remarked, gazing at all the people around him, a bit embarrassed. He stole a quick glance at Sheena to see how she was reacting to this. She appeared to be grinding her teeth.
Apparently, not so well.
By nightfall when the two finally reached Sancta Cassius, the inn, they were exhausted; a couple of screaming fangirls had decided they wanted Lloyd's autograph and had chased them halfway through the city before finally giving up and turning back, dejected.
"Ugh…one room, please," Lloyd barely managed to say before collapsing against the front desk. He felt as if he were about to cough up a lung.
"Lloyd!" Sheena exclaimed, half out of worry and half out of shock that he'd apparently been as presumptuous as to order a single room.
"Huh?" he uttered, apparently assuming she was implying the latter, "Ah, don't worry about it. It's cheaper that way. Two beds, all right?" he said reassuringly, talking both to the by-now uncomfortable-looking receptionist and Sheena.
The receptionist looked at the two as though they may have been drinking. "Um…very well. One room'll be three hundred Gald."
When the two had gotten upstairs to their room, Lloyd promptly plopped himself down on the nearest bed. "Man, I'm bushed. Who knew half-crazed girls had that much stamina? They weren't even packing Exspheres!"
Sheena shrugged. "Looks like you've got some admirers." Her voice cracked a little as she said that.
Lloyd turned and looked at her. "Huh? No way, some of them had to have been at least forty. There's no way anyone on this planet is that kinky. Besides," he went on, turning his head and staring straight up at the ceiling as though there was something particularly interesting stuck on it, "I'm pretty sure Zelos has a monopoly on that sort of thing around here."
Zelos…Now that she thought of it that was something that had been bugging her for a while now. When girls were present—and the two knew all too well that they had been—Zelos Wilder could almost surely be found not too far behind. That perverted idiot… Sometimes Sheena truly wondered how someone like him had come to be the Chosen of Mana. True, the title didn't mean much now; once Mana had been resurrected and the Giant Kharlan Tree reborn many had abandoned the icons of the Church, choosing now to put faith in these new, more tangible symbols. While it may have been true that Mana was essentially Martel reincarnate it still made things like the "Chosen of Mana" seem like nothing more than empty titles.
"Hey," Sheena started, snapping the swordsman out of his daze. "Did you notice Zelos was AWOL when we showed up?"
Lloyd stared. "AWOL? What's that mean?"
She sighed. "I mean, he wasn't there. Everyone except him was there."
"Oh. Well, I showed up in Mizuho once, and you weren't there."
"I was out on a training mission with Orochi. Besides, that's different. You're comparing kirima and amango here."
"What does any of this have to do with kirima and amango?"
The summoner smacked her forehead and sighed. "Ay! You're missing the point. Doesn't it seem weird that he wasn't here? Especially around all of your newfound teenage fans?"
Lloyd thought for a moment, and then shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe he was out on a training mission with Sebastian."
He was promptly met with a pillow in the face.
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"Now Genis," Raine was saying, "you really should eat your dinner. Besides, I cooked it especially for you."
Ah, so that's why I wasn't eating it. The young mage stared down at his plate in the same manner as one staring at some sort of insect, really wishing that his older sister hadn't insisted on cooking dinner every other day. She was, to this day, the only person he knew of who could burn fruit salad.
"Look, sis," Genis started, mentally grabbing at any excuse he could think of to get up and leave, "I've got something I've got to—"
"Oh, no you don't," Raine asserted sternly. "You're going to finish that if it kills you."
Which it nearly did. By the time Genis was able to drag himself outside into the mild evening air he felt like he may have been harboring some sort of parasitic life form in his stomach. The fresh air helped though, and for several minutes he just stared out onto the horizon, thinking about nothing in particular.
At this time of year, the sun was setting a bit later; as such it was just setting into twilight, the sun having sunk to just that point where the sky was still tinted a dreamlike purple-pink hue, casting a faint light over the landscape, unwilling to give in to the night's starlight just yet.
"Genis?" The half-elf turned toward the sound of the voice. A girl approached him, her blond hair brilliantly shimmering in the fading daylight, as if it were reluctant to let go of its glow.
Genis smiled. "Hey Colette. What's going on?"
She smiled. "Oh, nothing. Mind if I join you?"
The mage shrugged. "Not at all. What's on your mind?"
The Chosen sighed, gazing out toward the setting sun just as Genis had done a moment ago. "Well, to tell you the truth, I kind of miss Lloyd. Iselia seems so…empty without him."
"I know what you mean," Genis replied, leaning up against a split-rail fence that ran by the house. "He was usually getting in some sort of trouble. Things are way too tranquil nowadays."
"I'm also a little worried about him," Colette went on. "I mean, it's not like he has all of us there with him anymore."
Genis laughed. "I'm sure he's fine. He's got Sheena with him, after all." He almost immediately regretted saying that. Throughout their journey he'd come to notice that Colette had become very attached to Lloyd by the end. Somehow, he doubted that bringing up the female summoner had been the best idea.
To his surprise though, Colette smiled and nodded. "Oh, that's right. I'm sorry. I know they can take good care of each other."
His mind back at ease, he shook his head. "You know, Lloyd was right. You definitely need to stop apologizing so much."
She giggled. "It's a curse, I guess."
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In the light, his face seemed so pure, so gentle. When he smiled at her, his features seemed to glow, filling her with such a feeling of warmth and security that she wished she could stay that way forever.
"Are you all right Sheena?" he said, offering a hand.
Huh? She hadn't even noticed she'd fallen down. Whatever. She took his hand, smiling sweetly. "Oh, I'm fine. You don't think something like that would stop me, do you?"
Lloyd laughed gently. "Of course not. You're just a little clumsy, that's all."
The summoner's cheeks flushed. "I am not!" she exclaimed indignantly.
Lloyd seemed taken aback by the outburst. "I'm sorry, you're right," he said apologetically.
Sheena's face softened instantly. "No, I was just kidding. It's all right. Listen…" her voice trailed off as she thought of what she was about to say. "I've been thinking for a while, and there's something I wanted to tell you about."
She looked straight into Lloyd's eyes, hoping to find some sort of sign of happiness or at least curiosity. Instead, his eyes had turned cold, his crimson gaze burning into her head.
"Wake up Sheena," he snapped, glaring at her. "Open your eyes."
"Wha—" Sheena was shocked. "But Lloyd, all I was saying was—"
She wasn't expecting his next move. Roughly, he grabbed her by the shoulders, bringing her face close to his. "Wake up!" he screamed. "Wake up!"
Sheena's eyes suddenly snapped open, the darkness of the room instantly engulfing her. The only light was that of the moon, drifting in through the open window. All a dream… She shook her head, trying to wipe away the memory. Lloyd would never act that way around her…would he? She turned to look at the swordsman and froze.
A figure stood over Lloyd's sleeping form, silhouetted by the moonlight. Sheena was about to shout when he started muttering something. Silently, she strained to hear him.
"This…not right…" he mumbled. "It's…not a Starsphere." Without another word he produced a short, deadly-looking knife. With his free hand, he gently, so as not to wake Lloyd, picked up the swordsman's left hand.
Sheena decided she'd seen and heard enough. Silently, as she'd been trained, she sent a single shuriken flying his way. Not to kill him, but hopefully it would render one of his arms useless. However, the star sailed by the figure, ramming into the far wall with a dull thud.
Dammit! She cursed herself. Even with the moonlight it was too dark to guarantee any accuracy. Worst of all, the intruder was now aware of the swordsman's companion. Not wasting any words, he released Lloyd's hand and started to run. Sheena expected him to come at her, but instead he dashed past her, hurling himself out through the open window.
"No way…" she mumbled, racing out of her bed to the window. She could see him standing on the next rooftop, staring back at her, seemingly expecting her to give chase. "How could he have survived that?"
Behind her, Lloyd mumbled something incoherently and stirred, thought still asleep. For a moment she considered waking the swordsman, but decided against it. Quickness was essential here, and Lloyd wasn't exactly the picture of "nimble".
Without a second thought she dove through the window after the man, out into the breezy night air. She turned a neat flip and landed on her feet on the sloped roofing. Crouching low, she let herself slide down the surface, accelerating as she neared the edge. At the last second she launched herself up, landing on a taught wire between the two buildings. The ninja balanced precariously for a split second, and then hopped nimbly onto the adjacent rooftop.
Through all of this the intruder had watched, unmoving, almost with a sort of bemused indifference. "Quite impressive, for a mortal," he retorted, his voice cutting the calm night air.
Sheena turned and faced him. "Believe me, I had a little help."
The man laughed. "I see…your Exsphere. Hmm…how pathetic."
"What do you mean?" the summoner shot back. "And who are you, calling me 'mortal'?"
"My dear," the man began, "you'll soon find out that compared to you, I am leagues above what you pitiful people would call mortal."
Sheena smirked. "Oh yeah? Well, I managed to keep pace with you pretty well."
Had it not been so dark, she would have sworn that a huge grin broke out across the man's face. "Now where would the fun be if I hadn't let you keep up?" Without another word he turned and leapt over the edge.
What is with this guy? Sheena looked over the precipice and saw him make the entire lung-crushing leap in one bound. He landed nimbly, unfazed, and dashed off down an alleyway. Sighing with resignation, Sheena gave chase, flipping gracefully over the edge and descending to ground level via a series of wall kicks.
"Come now," the man's voice said. "You'll never catch me if you play it safe like that."
Sheena dashed down the alleyway after the offender, wonder just what the hell all of this was about. And to think earlier the most pressing of her problems was where Zelos had gotten himself off to. As she proceeded down the alley, the moonlight grew more and more scarce. Suddenly, something collided sharply with her head and she fell backward in a daze. Before she could react, she felt herself lifted roughly off the ground by the front of her robe.
"Who…who are you?" she gasped, her breathing impeded by his near stranglehold.
"That…" he rasped, "will be revealed in due time." And then he brought his hand up to her face.
Expecting a slap, punch, or hit of some kind, Sheena tensed, expecting the impact. When it never came, she opened her eyes again.
Bad move.
There was something attached to the back of the man's hand, a fiery, shining white orb. It exploded into a dazzling, burning light, nearly blinding her as she felt herself drop back to the hard, stone ground. When she finally felt the pain die away and opened her eyes once more, the man was nowhere to be seen.
"What was that?" she wondered aloud. "I've never seen anything like that before…"
Suddenly Sheena felt a sharp draft, and realized the front of her robe had been ripped open from the man's hold. The interior layer of fabric was still intact, for modesty's sake, but it still didn't look all that great.
As she looked around, she realized that she recognized the part of town she was in. In fact…
"The castle?" she muttered incredulously. "What the hell?"
Curiosity getting the better of her, she trudged up the flight of steps in front of the large, regal building.
"Hello."
"What the—" Sheena spun around to the sound of the voice, spell card in hand. However, she lowered her weapon when she saw who it was.
The offending speaker was no more than a boy, around Genis' age, maybe even a bit younger. In fact, his hair was white, which only furthered the comparison.
"Who are you?" Sheena asked incredulously.
"Huh?" the boy replied, almost surprised a girl so much older than he would even consider bothering to talk with him. "Oh…my name's Annis."
The ninja smiled. "I'm Sheena."
The boy smiled in return. "Hey Sheena." Suddenly, he cocked his head to one side. "Your clothes are hanging off…are you a…" He paused, as if thinking of the word. "Are you a prostitute?"
"WHAT!?" Sheena flushed red, considering killing the kid just for suggesting such a thing. Then again, her look and condition didn't exactly help anything.
"You, boy! Is that you? Hurry up!" The call of the guard from above was sharp and commanding. Sheena quickly ducked out of sight.
"I'm sorry," Annis said softly. "I've gotta go. I'll see you again sometime!" Without another word, he hurried up the steps to the castle entrance.
This sure has been an interesting night. Sheena was about to head back toward the hotel—hopefully to finally get some well-deserved rest—when she heard another conversation start up.
"Are you here for prisoner 7590A? We've been expecting someone for him."
Annis spoke next. "Um…who is that exactly?"
Sheena could hear the guy sigh, even from under his iron helmet. "That would be the Chosen of Mana, Zelos Wilder."
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Author's Note: This went on longer than I thought it would, honestly. I guess I should come to expect that from now on. Anyway, in case anyone cares, "7590" is my birthday, just sort of…compressed into one number. Yeah, I'm done now.