Alright, here we are again, this is just a oneshot that's been floating around in the back of my head for some time now, I know I should be working on other crap, *coughhomeworkcough*, but ignoring that.

Don't ask why Decus felt the need to run around as Lloyd, he just did, ok?

Disclaimer: Yoshi no own Tales of Symphonia.

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As a Vanguard member, Decus was technically supposed to hate all things Tethe'allen. It sort of came with the territory. However, even he had to admit that Altamira was beautiful. The resort was glamorous, and somehow, not too gaudy, not to say that some of the attendees were not but…

Still the Resort City was certainly one of his favorite places in the newly reunited world.

That was why, when asked to take on the form of Lloyd Irving and go to Altamira, to "check out" the location of the Vanguard's master plan, he had accepted in an instant. He'd brought a bit of money with him and splurged on lunch, after that, he figured he had enough money for a night or two at the hotel before heading back.

Granted, he had to spend his mini-vacation looking like the idiot-in-red but still… The "getup" of sorts had only attracted him a few odd looks; apparently, the majority of the Tethe'allen population did not believe Lloyd capable of the attack on Palmacosta. It was odd how the biggest idiots could be right. And the body wasn't that bad looking, really, it was almost fun to catch the look of all the girls in skimpy bikinis, none of them would ever be nearly so perfect for him as Alice, but he wasn't complaining!

The only downside was that Alice had made him leave his Eau Du Seduction at home, something about not wanting to "stink-out the whole town before they can use them as a ransom". Alice was so cute when she was angry.

Therefore, Decus, in Lloyd's body, was wandering around Altamira. Vacation on!

He leaned out over the railing at the far end of the Hotel Lezareno Plaza. The view was spectacular; the sun's rays like fingers caressing the ocean's softly churning waves. The sky was the perfect shade of blue- a crystal hue that caused one's eyes to travel from sky to ocean without realizing it. The railing Decus was leaned against was the only thing that stopped him from plunging hundreds of feet to the ocean below. It was picturesque.

A contented smile slid over Decus'- or rather Lloyd's- face; he had not had this much fun in years. Maybe later he would go to the amusement park, or the casino, although he didn't have that much money to through around…

"Hey, Bud!" A loud call cut across Decus' thoughts, shattering them.

Some people, grumbled Decus to himself, don't get the idea of a quiet vacation.

"BUD!" Decus hissed as the voice came across the Plaza once again, this time closer. He turned to see the red haired Chosen of Tethe'alla waving and coming towards him.

Damn,thought Decus, he thinks I'm Lloyd!

"Lloyd, Bud, what are you doing here? No one hears from you for five months, then that oh-so-nasty incident in Palmacosta, and suddenly you turn up here? What the Hell man?"

"Ch- um… Zelos," he hoped the red haired ladies' man wouldn't notice that he wasn't Lloyd, or he wouldn't try to drag him along somewhere. "I could ask you the same."

"Oh, touché. Okay, okay, I suppose after all that I would need a vacation too. I swear after the whole Mithos thing I spent like two months on vacation. I mean, getting the Church going in the right direction was hell enough, but we had to get the people to believe all that B.S. about… well yeah, I guess I see your need to just chill and think about what's happenin'."

"…" Decus just nodded, what was he supposed to say to that?

"Hehe, man, sometimes I worry about you, I mean, could you be acting any more like your old man? Seriously, lighten up! This is Altamira!" From what Decus could see Zelos was just covering up his discontentment with the small amount of information he, Decus, was giving him. That and he was obviously worried about his friend.

"Well, it was nice talking to you again, Cho- Zelos, but I really need to get going." Decus high-tailed it away, but he had only made it a few steps when Zelos grabbed him by one of the blasted ribbons that hung from Lloyd's insane outfit.

"Oh, no Bud," Zelos said, nearly choking Decus as he pulled him back, "You are not going to just disappear on me again! Come on; let's spend some quality time together! We haven't hung out together for forever!"

"I don't think," Decus growled as he rubbed his neck, "that that is such a good idea."

"Lloyd," Zelos dropped his playful façade, "please, Bud talk to me. Everyone, her Highness especially, we're all worried about you. At least let's go get some food, talk, ya' know…"

"…" Decus couldn't believe he was actually leaning toward giving in, "I-. Oh, fine, I… don't see how it would hurt."

"That's my Bud!"

And that's how Decus "mini-vacation" turned into a meandering walk down Altamira's boardwalk.

Zelos got him an ice cream, chocolate for Decus and strawberry for himself, and took him wandering off down the way. Zelos' eyes seem to follow girls, some of which giggle and began strutting, while others blushed and quickly looked away. The Chosen seemed to like the shy ones more, and when Decus pointed this out Zelos smirked and replied: "If they're shy, it's that much cuter, ya' know. It's unlike you to watch so closely though…"

"Hmm…" It was an interesting theory, he supposed, but Alice was the only girl for him!

"…Am I to guess that my Bud doesn't want to talk about where he's been these past few months, since he hasn't brought it up, so should the great Zelos Wilder and his bud simply reminisce?"

"Wha?" What did the Chosen mean by that?

"Hehe, now that's a look I'm used to seeing on your face, Bud!" Zelos laughed, "You wondering how her Highness is doin?"

"I honestly don't see what the princess had to do with this," said Decus coldly.

This seemed to greatly displease Zelos, "Whatdaya mean princess, Lloyd, we're talking the beautiful teacher, Ms. Raine Sage!"

"…Oh."

"Remember? That's what I… Oh, never mind. Well, she's freaking out, just like everyone else. I even heard she set the Brat out to look for you, they're each scouring the world lookin' for you! Granted it'd be way easier with rheairds…" He glanced sideways at Lloyd- Decus-. "I've heard that you went and got yours back, how's our old buddy Yuan, hmm? Just as slippery and bossy as ever I imagine."

"Yeah." It seemed the only likely answer.

"…" Zelos leaned against the end of the boardwalk, back to the view and stared at Decus in a way that made him think for a moment that the Chosen knew he wasn't Lloyd. "It must be hard, the last link to your old man, him."

"Uh… a little."

"A little?! Lloyd, this really isn't like you, you've never been this, this… cold when you talk about your old man!" Zelos seemed angry now, "You're the one who was so "everyone has a right to live" dad this and dad that! You trusted Kratos even after he betrayed you, us, and you were right! And now what? You're going to let a little thing like him leaving for Derris Kharlan destroy your few good memories of him?!"

"What? No! It's nothing like that!" Lloyd had a father other than the dwarf? "I just don't want to talk about it's all!"

"Sure, sure, you don't want to talk about anything! You were always the one telling me that I had to earn your trust, and now that I finally have, you go and decide to test my trust in you? Not cool man. They way you're acting it's like your Mithos or somethin! Do you really want to betray him like this? I don't think it's fair, and if I know you, you agree with me." Zelos finally seemed to run out of breath, and along with that, anything to say.

"Zelos," Decus was… shocked. He knew that the real Lloyd probably had a life, and family, and friends that cared about him, but when he took this job he hadn't thought much about how this was destroying everything that the real Lloyd wanted. Everything that, it appeared, he'd worked so hard for in his life. "I'm sorry. I hadn't realized That you, and the others too, cared so much. I know that I've been really distant lately but there's something I've been working on, you'll understand soon, but not now, I can't tell you yet."

"…Thanks Bud," Now Zelos wasn't looking at him, "I suppose you need to get goin' eh? Whatever your plans are, they won't make themselves. Just don't wait too long to tell us, or ya' might not have anyone to talk to."

"Zelos, thanks." Decus scurried off, leaving Altamira, changing back into his form. Back to the Vanguard… Were their plans really hurting the kid that much…?

"Maybe you'll think twice about what you're doing, imposter," Zelos said to himself as "Lloyd" slipped out of earshot, "Lloyd doesn't deserve this."

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Hope that made some sense, okay, on to the next project…

Oh and a special thanks to Rouge my Beta, what would my writing be like without her?

R&R!

-M.Y.