A/N: Another rather short chapter. Sorry about that…anyway, I'd like to thank the reviewers! I got more reviews than, like, ever last chapter. So…thanks, guys!

I don't own Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World, by the way, but that's okay. Because if I owned that, I'd own Marta, and I wouldn't wish that on anyone.

"Whoops!"

Something crashed into Zelos's back, sending him crashing him to the ground with a grunt, something heavy on top of him.

"Oh, Zelos! I'm so sorry! I—"

"Colette." He stood, dumping the blonde angel off him. "What's up?"

It was almost certainly about Lloyd. That was the only reason they came to talk to him.

"Um, I was just wondering if you'd seen Lloyd."

Bingo. Zelos sighed."No, I haven't. Not in awhile."

"Well…where did you see him last?"

In my dreams. "It was awhile back. Don't even bother."

He reumed walking, and she retracted her wings and walked beside him, frowning. "I'm worried about him. I hope he didn't really attack those towns…"

This is getting old. "He didn't."

"Yeah, you're probably right…"

Why do I have more faith in him than his childhood friend? This is so stupid. "I've never been wrong before. Just put your faith in me, my beautiful angel!"

"Sheena said you were a moron," Colette said solemnly.

"Sheena doesn't like me very much."

"But Lloyd said you were brilliant."

"He did?"

"Mm-hm! He said you knew even more math than Genis!"

That was just so flattering. "Is that all?"

"But he said you sucked at history."

"Doesn't he, too?"

"Lloyd has a history phobia, thanks to Professor Raine."

Zelos snickered. He supposed that was understandable. That woman was terrifying.

"Um…Zelos?"

"Hm?"

"Do you want to look for Lloyd with me?" Her voice was hesitant. "I know you…care about him, too."

Zelos frowned. "I don't know."

"There are some other people looking for Lloyd, too!" she said. "They think that Lloyd destroyed the cities, and, well…they don't like Lloyd very much, and might want to kill him, but they're very good people!"

"How can they be good people if they want to kill Lloyd?"

"And they have a doggie summon spirit named Tenebie!"

Zelos had a difficult time thinking of anything to say to that, so he just settled for an "oh."

"They really are nice people. Marta pushed me into a bookcase at first, but we're friends now!"

Marta, he presumed, was one of the people looking for Lloyd. "Did she?" he said.

Colette nodded. "And she has a friend named Emil. They seem like good friends."

"Good friends with a summon spirit dog and out to get Lloyd?" He rose a brow. "They sound absolutely charming."

She nodded eagerly. "Oh, they are!"

Apparently Colette still couldn't grasp the concept of sarcasm. Some things never changed.

"So…what are you going to do?" he asked finally.

"I've been looking around for Lloyd. I'm starting out by asking everyone if they've seen him, but no one has yet." She seemed a bit sad at this, but shook her head. "Why won't he talk to us?"

Zelos shrugged. He'd been wondering as much. "Who knows?"

"Maybe it's because he actually did do those things…"

"Are you kidding me? Are we even talking about the same person?"

Colette blinked. "Why else wouldn't he talk to us? He's always counted on us before…"

No, you all counted on him. There's a difference there. "Still," he said evenly. "I trust Lloyd, and I'm not going to call him a murderer until someone shows me hard proof."

Colette sighed. "I don't know what to think."

"Think what you want."

"I'll just ask him once I find him…"

"You have fun with that."

"So…you're not coming?"

"No. I'll wait for Lloyd here."

"Well…" she paused, pulling her pink wings out. "…good luck, Zelos. Let me know if you hear anything from him."

He shrugged. "All right," he lied, watching as she took to the skies with a wave. Like he'd tell someone who trusted Lloyd so little where he was. Flipping some of his hair over his shoulder, he placed his hands in his pockets, cautiously opening his wings with a grimace.

Palmacosta.

"Wait—let me get this straight. You want me to rescue a couple of brats who just so happen to hate Lloyd?" Zelos crossed his arms and scowled. "No. No way."

Clara glared at him. "They're important people."

"Should I even care? They're after Lloyd, aren't they?"

"They might have information on him."

"Like their information would even be right."

"You don't know that it would be wrong."

"I'm fairly sure. They don't even know Lloyd."

"They seem to have met him before."

That was interesting. Zelos wondered whether it had actually been Lloyd…or the imposter. Still… "And I should care because?"

"You want to find him, don't you?" she pressed.

"And if I do? Talking to a couple of kids who might have some information that's probably wrong about Lloyd won't really help me that much."

"Even incorrect information is better than no information at all."

"Yeah, if I wanted to go on a wild goose chase. Sorry, my beautiful lady, but I really don't."

"Are you saying that sitting around your mansion doing nothing and hoping Lloyd will turn up is better than trying to get information?"

He was beginning to realize that she was very determined to make him go. Of course, it stood to reason that a woman whose family had been killed while she was a rampaging monster would be tough. "Yeah, maybe. And if he turns up at my place while I'm off looking into a false lead? Besides, information gathering is more Sheena's forte."

"If he really wants to find you, he'll wait for you at your house. Besides, one of those brats, as you so delicately put it, is the daughter of the leader of the Vanguard."

"Why should I care about something like that?"

"She's cute, too."

Was that all people thought of him? "I've met her. She's all right. Not really my type, though."

Clara's brows raised. "You've met her? When?"

"Oh, about five minutes ago. She was with some whiny brat, too."

"Whiny brat? Oh, you mean Emil."

"Was that his name?"

"He's not so bad."

"I wouldn't know. If he's trying to kill Lloyd—"

"You don't know they're trying to kill Lloyd. They could be trying to track him down."

"To kill him."

"Not necessarily. Besides, perhaps you could set them straight. Tel them what you think of Lloyd."

"Right, like they'd listen." Listen up, you two…don't kill Lloyd! He's great, awesome, probably fantastic in bed, absoulutely drop-dead gorgeous and hot, has an amazing personality, basically saved my life, is hot-headed and stubborn as hell, and can pull the suspenders look off. You can't kill him! He's Lloyd! Right, mm-hm. They'd definitely listen to that.

"They might if they knew you were one of Lloyd's former companions."

"I'm not a former companion, Clara," he snapped.

"Nonetheless, they should listen if they know you know Lloyd well."

"Hmph." Zelos uncrossed and recrossed his arms. "Where'd they go off to?"

"Dynasty ruins." She smiled. "They should have a fisherman with them. Take some of my men."

"Yeah, yeah…"

A/N: Uh…reviews would be nice…so review if you wanna. Yep.