Friendly Relations

DISCLAIMER: These characters and places all belong to NAMCO. I am only using them in a fan-based story. Thank you!

"Can't sleep…" Sheena mutters, rolling around in her bed restlessly. "I can't believe I almost confessed to Lloyd... I can't believe Colette almost tricked me, either. I don't know which is worse!" Sheena smiles a bit, reveling in her own joke. However, soon enough, she is once more engulfed by the cloud of her thoughts. "This isn't like you, Sheena... you shouldn't be so nervous! It's just Lloyd!"

Just Lloyd. Sheena shakes her head, as her words echo in her mind. "...That's easy to say, but I guess it's harder to believe. Anyway, Sheena!" Sheena says to herself. Jumping up, she heads towards the door. "Staying here will accomplish nothing! I have to try to get what I want!" Sheena screams, awakening the two in nearby rooms: Presea and Raine.

"It seems my chances of sleeping successfully tonight will be less then 60..." Presea groans.

"Looks like she's going to do it..." Raine says softly, before covering her head with pillows.

Sheena slowly advances upon the door. Step by step, breath by breath, Sheena's goal becomes ever closer. Soon, she's at Lloyd's door. Taking a deep breath, Sheena knocks on his door.

"Who is it? Come on in." Lloyd yawns. The door opens, and Sheena walks in.

"Can I do this? Can I?" Sheena thinks to herself. "Hey, do you have a second?"

"What's up, Sheena?" Lloyd asks. Sheena squirms a little bit.

"Think! Think!" Sheena's mind urges. "Uh… Wanna come outside with me? It's snowing, and it's really pretty!"

"Sure!" Lloyd replies. The two walk downstairs, and outside the inn. A velvet blanket of darkness envelopes the skies above. Only the moon shines through the clouds tonight, most of the other stars are covered. A gentle haze of snow makes visuals difficult.

"You know, everyone else right now is asleep. It's only us. It makes the world seem more peaceful, this snow does." Sheena comments.

"It makes my socks feel wet, but I guess you're right too." Lloyd replies, earning a giggle from Sheena. "Yeah… but above us right now, Cruxis is busy planning its absurd Age of Lifeless Beings." Sheena groans inaudibly.

"Lifeless beings. Do you think the discrimination would really go away if everyone became lifeless beings?" Sheena asks.

"... I'm pretty sure it wouldn't work out so well…" Lloyd answers sadly.

"Yeah, I agree. I'm human. But the people of Mizuho and those of Tethe'alla have always had a gap separating them. Even in Mizuho, I always stood out." Sheena explains. As the two continue to walk, they come upon a majestic balcony. The snow seems to fall perfectly around it, creating a less snowed-in environment. "Hey, let's sit there!" Sheena suggests.

"Sure! Race ya!" Lloyd grins, and he tries to break into a run. Unfortunately, the snow severely inhibits their movements, and they run to the balcony in slow motion.

"...That took forever!" Lloyd exclaims. "Anyway, maybe Mithos despises the blood of both races coursing through his body." Lloyd begins.

"Maybe... I can understand that, though." Sheena mutters, closing her eyes.

"Well, you're from Mizuho, so..."

"Well, actually... Since I can make pacts with Summon Spirits, I probably… I probably have elves in my ancestry somewhere in the distant past." Sheena explains. Shocked, Lloyd stands up right away. "REALL-" Unfortunately for Lloyd, the balcony is not very wide. Therefore, he falls off the balcony, and lands face first into a pile of snow.

Turning around to face Sheena, Lloyd spits some snow out of his mouth. "Really! That's amazing!" Lloyd compliments.

"Good thing he's too far away to catch my blush..." Sheena thinks happily. "Well, apparently only those of elven blood can call forth Summon Spirits. And it's not just that, too... any other technique that uses the mana of the natural world requires some elven blood to be flowing through you." Sheena shouts.

"So, Kratos and Zelos too?" Lloyd questions loudly.

Sheena nods her head sadly. Fortunately, Lloyd notices this. "Hey, why don't you jump down, too?" Lloyd asks merrily. "My throat is getting hoarse from shouting so much!"

"Wha! I'm not doing that! It's cold!" Sheena exclaims hotly. Lloyd looks at her sadly.

"Please? I want to make a snow angel!" Lloyd pleads. "I'll pull you down if you don't come down!" Lloyd exclaims. Sheena looks at the distance between them.

"That'll be pretty tough, Lloyd! We're quite a ways apa-AHHHH!" Sheena doesn't get to finish her sentence, as Lloyd has jumped up and grabbed her by the pants. "Lloyd, stop!" Sheena mumbles desperately, turning red. Her black pants begin to fall off, due to Lloyd's weight. "Fine, I'm coming, I'm coming! Stop!" Sheena jumps off with Lloyd still in tow. Lloyd lands in the snow and Sheena lands beside him. In a single deft movement, she has pulled up her pants. "Jeeze, Lloyd! You almost pulled off my pants!" Sheena grumbles exasperatedly. Lloyd rubs his head.

"Ah...sorry about that. I got a little too excited, I guess..." Lloyd mumbles to Sheena.

"Too...excited!" Sheena thinks. "...WHAT?"

"Yeah..." Lloyd begins. "I haven't made any snow angels for awhile, now. So I'm pretty excited about it... Where you thinking something else?" Sheena shakes her head furiously. The two stop talking for a bit, waving their arms and legs around wildly. Soon, the snow angels are finished.

"...Hey, Lloyd? I think being a summoner has made me understand the half-elves more." Sheena says suddenly.

"Eh?"

"People have looked at me differently ever since I got my first contract with Corrine... it's like... like I'm not one of them, anymore..." Sheena explains.

"Did you ever...wish you were different?" Lloyd asks.

"I've lost count of all the times I've wished for it. Especially since I caused the deaths of all the people in my village... But it's because of this power that I met Corrine and everyone else!" Sheena quickly explains. "And definitely you, Lloyd..." She adds mentally.

"Yeah, without your summoning abilities, someone not as kind might have come to try and kill Colette instead. Sheena sits up, and looks back at Lloyd.

"You know, if I think of it like that, I think that everything a person possesses is important in some way." Sheena says seriously. Lloyd nods vigorously.

"Yeah, Zelos being a per and a playboy ended up helping me out..." Lloyd remembers. "Uh, in other words, you have your summoning abilities because they're needed?"

"Yep! My strength, Colette's power, Raine and Genis' elven blood... and of course, everything you have from your parents. They're all needed, and that's why they're here. We're all needed and so we're all here!" Sheena says.

"Yeah, you're probably right. I think every single life has meaning." Lloyd agrees. "You know, we should walk back. It's starting to get cold... Don't wanna get a cold, you know." Lloyd comments, getting up. He holds out a hand for Sheena, and she gladly takes it.

"... When did you become such a gentleman?" Sheena teases, as the two now walk back towards the inn.

"I've always been a gentleman. You've just never noticed!" Lloyd says hastily.

"I need to say something! I need to!" Sheena thinks to herself. The two grow ever closer to the inn. "So, what are we going to do about Cruxis?" Sheena asks.

"Well, we have to stop em', of course. I want to try and talk to him before we fight him, though." Lloyd replies.

"There you go again, Lloyd." Sheena says, smiling.

"What?" Lloyd asks.

"You always say exactly what you want, not holding back, time and time again. It's… it really is you. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have started thinking that maybe, just maybe, I might be able to try and be myself." Sheena says quickly.

"Oh, I think Sheena's complimenting me!" Lloyd teases. Sheena pouts.

"You know, we're having a serious discussion!" Sheena exclaims in mock anger. "Anyway, if Mithos was living as earnestly as you are, maybe he wouldn't need to snuff out the lives of everyone who's trying just as hard to live!"

"… I don't know if we can get that message across... But I don't want to have to fight him. After all, this is all for the sake of creating a world where we can live our lives the way we want to..." Lloyd and Sheena stop in front of the inn. "You know, Sheena... You and I think a lot alike! I think we could become great friends!" Sheena stops in her tracks.

"...Great...friends?" Sheena stutters.

"You don't want to?" Lloyd asks, slightly taken a back. Sheena turns away from Lloyd, and runs into the inn.

"…Idiot!" Sheena mumbles, running to her room.

Back outside, Lloyd sits down.

"...Darn..." Lloyd mutters.

"Darn is right, genius!" Zelos' voice screams, before a fireball flies past Lloyd.

"Zelos! What the hell are you doing!" Lloyd screams. Zelos lands beside Lloyd.

"... That wasn't me, Lloyd. I was just going to give you some more inspirational pep talks..." Zelos trails off. "Ah, it's you."

"Who?" Lloyd asks, looking up. Clad in his armor is none other then Kratos, holding out his hand. "...Did you do that?"

"Lloyd..." Kratos begins irritably. "...That was undoubtedly the stupidest thing I have seen for awhile."

"I agree with you whole-heartedly, man." Zelos grumbles to Kratos. "I mean, I set him up the best I can, and he..."

"Well, it's alright. Lloyd has always been like that." Kratos comments, earning a snigger from Zelos.

"...Did you just come here to insult me, Kratos?" Lloyd asks, annoyed.

"I was just passing by, and I noticed a rather romantic sc-" Kratos jumps away from a Demon Fang.

"Don't you dare do anything to Sheena!" Lloyd shouts.

"...I never said I was going to." Kratos says. "...Ah, farewell. I have things to do, I just remembered." With that, Kratos disappears, and Lloyd sits down again.

"What, now you're friends with Kratos?" Lloyd asks.

"No, but you have to admit what you did was pretty dumb. That was like, the perfect time to confess to her, Lloyd. I taught you that!" Zelos explains.

"I know, I know. It... it kinda slipped my mind, ya know? I'm not very good with memorizing things..." Lloyd trails off.

"Oh well, it should be alright, I guess. She'll probably be over it by tomorrow." Zelos says confidently.

"I hope..." Lloyd grunts.