::A/N:: It has been a while, but a Happy Thanksgiving was needed, so I worked on this story I have had in mind for months. I dedicate this to my mother, who is hopefully watching over me now, because I, too, had a fear of storms. That is, until she told me some off-the-wall story that calmed me down. I love you, Mom!

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia. I do, however, want to claim Anna's story. Because I kinda like it :) Now brace yourself for fluff!

Showers
With a Chance of Fluff

Lloyd never did like storms.

It was very dark outside, and he knew it was way past his bedtime. But that bright light kept waking him up. The howl of the wind against the walls of the inn terrified him even more than the lights. What he hated the most, however, was that big BOOM that always followed the white light.

No, Lloyd hated storms.

The small toddler squirmed under his blankets when another beam of light entered the room. He pulled the sheets over his head, as if the blankets could offer security from the scary-storm-monster-thing. When the clap of thunder followed, Lloyd curled up in a ball, hands over his ears to drown out the loud pop.

He wanted mommy and daddy to hold him because he was scared. He knew that they would make the scary lights and noises go away. But every time he found the courage to peek his head out from under his blanket, another light forced him back under.

So, Lloyd screamed instead.

He was shaking under the covers. When would the monster go away? All he wanted to do was go to sleep. He was so tired, but he was too scared to fall asleep. His heart was making funny noises in his ears, and it was hurting his chest. Did mommy and daddy know that he was scared? Was mommy and daddy scared, too? Were they hiding like he was under their blankets?

Once again, he was forced into a little ball under his covers. After a few seconds passed, he finally began to cry. He needed mommy and daddy to wake up and make the storm stop. Or, if they were scared and hiding, they needed to be brave for a second so they could run over to him and hide under the blankets with him.

When the big boom shook the inn, he screamed again, much louder, and not over the sound of the thunder. In a matter of seconds, his blanket was pulled off of him, and he had to hug himself tighter to keep himself warm. He looked up at his terrified parents, then he threw himself at his father.

"Are you alright, Lloyd?" he asked, slowly sitting down on the edge of the bed.

Lloyd simply shook his head against his chest, clutching his father's shirt, fearing the monster's wind would take him away. "Daddy, the big boom scare me! Make it stop!" he sobbed. He calmed down slightly when Lloyd felt him wrap an arm around him, as if trying to protect him from the storm.

"It's just a simple thunderstorm, Lloyd. You are safe inside here."

Another crack of thunder caused Lloyd to cry harder. "I scared, Daddy! Why is there loud booms? Why can't you make them stop?"

When silence fell around them, Lloyd bravely lifted his tear-lined face to gaze at the older man, who appeared to be deep in thought.

A few more moments passed before his father spoke up. "Well, Lloyd, the bright light outside is called lightning. The Summon Spirit, Volt, controls the flow of electricity in the atmosphere when the weather goes from warm and humid to cold and dry, or vice versa. The bright light itself is actually a tremendous amount of heat that is given off when the air splits, and when it is that hot, the result is a bright white flash. As a result of the separation, the loud boom, or thunder, follows the lightning. If the lightning is farther away, the thunder is not as loud and it takes a few seconds to hear it. If lightning strikes closer, the thunder is very loud and almost instantaneous.

"The rain is caused by the Summon Spirit of Water, Undine. By a process known as evaporation, all the water in the world is eventually transferred back up into the sky and forms those white puffs known as clouds. The clouds can only hold so much water before they have to release the water inside of them, and if it is warm on earth, it comes down as rain.

"The wind is caused by Sylph, the Summon Spirit of—,"

"Stop, Kratos. My head is spinning." Lloyd drifted his attention to his mother, who had a hand on her head. Her head was not spinning, though. His mom was silly sometimes.

"I was merely answering Lloyd's question," his dad responded. He buried his head back into his father's chest when that bright light, or light ting-was that what daddy called it?-lit up the room.

His mother chuckled. "I highly doubt Lloyd had any idea what you were talking about. To come to his defense, you lost me at a Bolt."

"Volt, Anna."

"What I'm trying to say is that he is two. Telling him stories like that, true or not, is only going to confuse him. You're not helping his fear."

Lloyd felt the need to come to his father's aide. "Daddy say bright light is spirit, Mommy! And rain is spirit! And big boom follow spirit!"

Lloyd's excitement slipped away when his mother laughed. "Daddy thinks everything is a spirit, honey."

Not knowing what else to do, the small child looked up at his father, hoping the wiser man would have some kind of response.

"If my story is not sufficient enough, then perhaps you would like to explain to Lloyd how these phenomenon come about?"

This was almost as good as Daddy Time, when daddy told him stories before bed! But his mommy never told him a story!

Smiling, the toddler got himself comfortable on his father's lap and glanced at his mom, who frowned in response.

"How are bright light and big booms made, Mommy?"

Lloyd watched her cross her arms and the room fell into silence. Well, minus the rain, wind, light ting, and thunner.

Finally, she sighed. "Well, up in the sky, past the clouds and even the stars, is a whole other world. It's called heaven. It's where all good boys and girls go when they get old and can no longer live in this world. Everyone is so happy up there. There are no evil people and no monsters."

"No Noshe's, Mommy?" Lloyd asked, more interested in this story than daddy's. Were there people past the stars? He would have to look better next time.

He heard his father chuckle behind him. Ah, daddy was listening, too!

"I don't know, Lloyd. But every time someone goes up to heaven, all the people who are up there are so excited. They rush to meet the new person, and when everyone has become friends, they all take a big group picture. You remember when Mommy took that picture of you and Daddy?"

Lloyd nodded his head happily. He would always remember.

"That's the same thing up in heaven. So, that bright light that you are so scared of is nothing more than a picture."

He nodded once in understanding. He saw his dad make a funny face, but he ignored it. Mommy was a great storyteller!

"So now everyone is friends, but now the new person is hungry. You know how your tummy makes those funny noises when you want to eat?" Again, Lloyd nodded. "That's the big boom. After the picture, the new person is really, really hungry. So their tummy makes the big boom."

Lloyd could see his dad smiling, but he didn't know why. Having your tummy make funny noises was not funny. Didn't he know that?

"So then, they all have to cook for the hungry one. But, there are some silly people in heaven, and they like to splash people with water. Kind of like you do to Daddy when you take a bath."

"Yeah! That's fun!" Lloyd shouted, then calmed down when he realized daddy's smile was gone.

"No, that is not fun, Lloyd."

"Anyway," his mother added, and the boy turned his attention to her again. "All that water comes down past the stars and clouds and gets everyone down here wet. That's all the rain is."

"And the wind, Mommy?"

"Well, once everyone is done eating and cleaning up the water mess, someone always brings out a big cake. There are a lot of candles on the cake to welcome their new friend to their world. And, just like on your birthday, they get to blow out all the candles and make a wish. Depending on the number of candles on the cake will determine how strong the wind is. And then, they do it all over again for the next person. That's all the storms are, honey; a big party in heaven."

Lloyd's eyes grew wide. "Wow! So they get pictures, food, splash their daddy's, and get birthday cakes with candles! I want to go to heaven, Mommy!"

He watched her laugh. But…he was serious! "One day, Lloyd, you will get the chance. But as for now, I think you have been up for a while. Someone needs to go to bed."

Completely oblivious to the storm still raging on outside, the young child hopped off his father's legs and on to the floor and walked to his bed. When another light filled the room, he turned around and smiled.

"They taking pictures, Mommy! And blowing out candles!"

She smiled at him as she helped him climb into bed and wrapped the blankets around him. "Good night, Lloyd."

Lloyd closed his eyes, his mind envisioning this happy world where he hoped he could go one day. He had nothing to be scared of now. Not the wind. Not the booms. Not the light.

No, Lloyd was not scared of storms anymore.

As the toddler slipped into unconsciousness, he could hear the rain becoming softer, the boom becoming quieter. The last thing he could hear before he drifted asleep was a soft grumble in the distance.

Oh, and daddy's laughter.

0o0

Lloyd wasn't afraid of storms. He actually enjoyed them.

Colette, well, she did not.

They had all decided to camp in a nearby cave for the night, seeing as the storm was only getting stronger and the temperature was dropping quickly. The sooner they got out of the weather, the better.

Genis sat down a few feet from the entrance, running both hands through his hair to remove the water. "It's a good thing Raine has an eye for these kinds of things, or we could be wandering around in this storm right now."

Raine, who had mistaken the cave as some sort of ruin, was currently examining the rock structure, claiming that the cave itself was some sort of archeological mystery. However, what the group did not know, was that Kratos had been the one to sense the oncoming storm, and suggested to Raine they find shelter. He preferred an inn. She found the cave.

"Yeah, I feel really sorry for the people outside," Colette added to Genis's remark, sitting down beside him. She jumped slightly at the clap of thunder, and Genis lifted an eyebrow.

"You don't like storms, Colette?"

Lloyd joined his two friends and put a hand on Colette's shoulder. "Don't be scared of the storm. It's okay!"

He says it with such confidence, Kratos thought, remembering that Lloyd had once been terrified of the 'big booms' and 'bright lights.' He merely leaned back against the rocks surrounding them and closed his eyes, quite content with staying out of the 'cheering up-ness,' as Lloyd had grown to call it.

"Okay, Lloyd," Colette said, a slight waver in her voice.

Lloyd sat down beside her and smiled. "It's really nothing to be scared of. I was scared, too. But now, I know better! A storm is nothing more than a big party in heaven!"

Hearing this, Kratos opened his eyes slowly, thankful that they three of them had forgotten that he was even there.

Genis, however, smiled at his friend, the smile he only gave him when Lloyd was being stupid. "A party in heaven, Lloyd? I think you need to go to sleep."

The teen glared at his friend. "I'm serious! Listen, Colette. The rain, the light, the wind, everything is from this party!"

Colette seemed very interested in Lloyd's story. "Really? Wow, that's so cool, Lloyd!"

But the younger Sage was not buying it. "Come on, Colette. That's crazy."

"What happens up in heaven?" the Chosen asked, ignoring the younger friend next to her. "Are storms really parties?"

Kratos waited for a response. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Had Lloyd really remembered that ridiculous story from fifteen years ago?

"Well, what happens is, when someone goes to this other world called heaven, everyone rushes to take a picture with this new guy. So the bright light is a camera flash! After the picture, they discover the person is hungry, and their stomach growling is the thunder! Then, as they are cooking, they splash each other with water, like a big water fight!"

Like you taking a bath, Lloyd, Kratos recalled, a faint smile working its way across his face. Anna would have been so proud that Lloyd had remembered her made-up story.

"And once they are all cleaned up, a cake is brought in with a bunch of candles! And they get to blow them all out! That's the wind! See? A big party in heaven!"

Lloyd's closing remark was met with silence. Colette's eyes were wide in excitement and shock. Genis had a mix of utter confusion and an 'are you serious?' look on his face. Lloyd just smiled.

"Pretty cool, huh, Colette?"

That was when Genis began to laugh. "Lloyd, that is the dumbest thing I have ever heard in my life!" he said between gasps for air. "Who told you some stupid story like that really has some issues!"

While her friend rolled with laughter, Colette turned her head to the side, her eyes peering out of the mouth of the cave. The rain was falling so hard you couldn't see anything else. An occasional flash of lightning and clash of thunder was heard, and to Genis's surprise, she didn't jump. She was actually smiling!

"Wow, that is really neat, Lloyd!"

That's when the two of them realized that Lloyd was nowhere to be found.

0o0

Lloyd wasn't scared of storms, but he sure as hell didn't like being out in one.

He had snuck away while Genis had his fit of laughter, the same laughter that stabbed at his heart. Yeah, he knew the story seemed a little out there, but that didn't matter, did it? It helped him get over his fear. It could help someone else.

He could clearly remember that night, like it had been yesterday, when he was hiding under his covers as a child, scared out of his mind. He remembered sitting on his father's lap, feeling safe just being in his arms. And then he remembered the story, the one that had convinced him that there was nothing to be scared of.

It was really the only memory he had of his mother. He had plenty of his father, laying out on the grass, looking up at the stars, sitting on his shoulders, telling him bedtime stories of legends and heroes Lloyd had grown to idolize, fiction or not. But his mother never told him stories, so it was like a landmark in his mind. He would never forget.

So naturally, it made him extremely upset when his best friend made a laughingstock out of it.

He closed his eyes, trying to forget the incident. Genis didn't know, and if Lloyd had heard the story from anybody else, he probably would have laughed, too. But it didn't help. It was already done, his precious memory of his mother was defiled; there was nothing he could do to change that.

"You shouldn't stay out here, Lloyd."

He nearly jumped out of his skin. He quickly turned around, hands on his swords, and braced himself for the intruder.

Or Kratos. "Oh, yeah…I know," he said quietly, removing his hands from his swords, hoping his mentor didn't catch him jump. He didn't need to be ridiculed twice in one hour.

Lloyd took a deep breath to ease the awkward silence that fell on them. The rain had not lightened up. In fact, it felt like it was raining harder, the storm growing stronger.

"That was quite an interesting story you told back there."

Lloyd glared at Kratos. He was not going to be laughed at again for a story he held as close to his heart as he did anything else.

"I don't care what you think about it, damn it! My mother told me that story! It's one of the few things I can even remember about her, so I won't sit here and have you laughing at that memory either!"

He quickly turned around, angry, hurt, but most of all, confused as to why he had just spilled his guts to the last person he would have wanted to.

The silence was only short lived when Kratos made Lloyd jump twice within five minutes as he placed a hand on his shoulder. "Do not let an opinion alter your relationship with her, Lloyd. And I do believe that even as she is watching you now, that she is pleased that you have recalled such a precious memory to help a friend in need."

Before Lloyd could pick his jaw up off the floor, Kratos had turned around and had walked away. He shook his head; Kratos sure was a weird guy.

But he couldn't help remembering the look of pride on the elder's face before he walked away.

I couldn't really find an ending I was happy with, so I ended there, before I overdid it. Yes, Genis was a little punk, and so am I for not having him apologize, but you can get over it. Or better yet, write a story about it for me.

Happy Thanksgiving guys!