She sighed under her breath, careful to keep any sounds she could possibly make to a bare minimum. She still couldn't believe it would only be a few short hours before she would be leaving the party to head to the Mana Cannon. Something felt wrong, and she desperately had been trying to convince herself that it was all for the best, and she wouldn't be apart from her friends for very long. The others had all come to wish her luck, even Kratos, though she had ignored his few words of encouragement and simply nodded when he was done. She had no love for traitors. But the one person she had hoped to see before she left had yet to even look at her, and stung with rejection, Sheena readied her pack.

She jumped suddenly as a pair of gloved hands slid over her eyes, effectively blinding her and stopping her from moving her head. Her first instinct was to grab the person's wrists and throw whoever it was to the ground, but the accompanying chuckle calmed her heart and she managed to smile as he leaned close and whispered into her ear, "Guess who?"

"I'm going to guess... Yuan?" Sheena teased, reaching for the humour that simply wasn't there as Lloyd's hands dropped away from her face. Turning to look over her shoulder, she took in his dejected expression and a haunting emptiness in his familiar adust eyes. Without a word, she moved over on the piece of rubble she had been using as a seat, inviting him to sit beside her. He took her invitation just as silently, flopping down beside her with a loud sigh. "You don't look so good... Is it Kratos?"

Lloyd stiffened at the mention of the name, his hands reaching reflexively for his blades. They fell into his lap a second later, and he smiled ruefully at Sheena, who wore a very tiny smile. Tilting his head back, he let the fading sun rain down on his face, muttering with closed eyes, "It's... strange, you know? I can't believe I'm fighting beside him again..."

"You said it yourself, our goals coincide with his, that's the only reason you're letting him get anywhere near you." Sheena gently reminded him, though it didn't seem to work. With a shake of her head, she lightly punched his cheek, scolding softly, "C'mon you, you can't mope around like this, it's weird. Besides," Flushing lightly, she added sheepishly, "I was hoping you were coming over here to cheer me up."

"I was!" Lloyd hastily exclaimed to her embarrassed comment, once again not noticing the subtle hint of her blush. He sighed loudly, hanging his head in his hands as he muttered, "Damn, I'm useless... I'm sorry Sheena..."

"Don't apologize, it's okay, I get it." Sheena sighed herself, reaching out to gently pat his shoulder. She glanced over at the others, Genis was in deep conversation with Kratos about the structure of the ranch, Raine was listening attentively, as was Regal who could've been taking notes. Presea was watching them intently, looking from Colette to the others with a frown on her face. "Everyone looks so on edge..."

"Yeah..." Lloyd agreed wearily, rubbing his temples as he thought about the invasion that was to come. He felt odd, he had fought many times without Sheena by his side, but now... He frowned at himself. 'This is weird. I don't want to fight without her, it just doesn't seem right. Thinking that she'll be away from me, where I can't be with her... It makes me feel wrong.' Looking at her, he could see by the set of her mouth and the way her eyes had darkened that she was feeling it too, this sense of wrongness. "Sheena...?"

"I don't want to go." Her voice was oddly muted and devoid of emotion as she whispered the words, staring out listlessly in the direction of the Iselian Ranch where her friends would be leaving for soon. They hadn't left the Tower of Mana yet, still arranging themselves before they would leave for the ranch. Sheena winced as she corrected herself, 'Them, without me...' Even as the giant out of control tree continued to howl in the wind and darken the skies, her heart was crying out in pain at the mere idea of separation. 'I've been travelling with them for what seems like years... Leaving now, at such a crucial time... It's not right...' "I don't like the idea of leaving you to your own devices. What if something goes wrong? I won't be able to bail you out."

"You're worried about us?" Lloyd asked incredulously, his eyes widening in shock. The entire time he had been studying her, trying to think of the words he was going to say, he had been concerned that she was worried about being alone. Without really thinking, he started to laugh, ducking his head as his shoulders began to quiver with the force of his mirth. 'Of all things, she's worried about us getting into trouble? How can she not see...?'

"What's so funny?!" Sheena demanded, jumping to her feet as angry tears stung in the corners of her eyes. The rejection was washing through her body now, swift and strong as he laughed at her. It hadn't been easy to force the words out, and she hadn't meant it in the plural form when she had expressed her worry. As selfish as she felt thinking it, the world could end as far as she was concerned, as long as she still had him at the end of things. 'And here he is, laughing at me!' Hurt, angry, and beyond words, she turned away from him, ready to walk away and keep on walking regardless of where she ended up.

"Sheena, hold on!" Lloyd was on his feet with more speed than she gave him credit for, grabbing a firm hold of her shoulders to stop her from leaving. Shaking his head a little, he turned her around, explaining wearily, "Sheena, really, it's–" His words died mid-sentence as she glared at him, the angry tears having made their way down her cheeks now, giving him full evidence of how upset she was. Shocked, his hold on her loosened and she jerked away from him, turning around so he wouldn't see her cry. "Sh-Sheena...?"

Sheena said nothing, angrily swiping at her tears with the back of her hand. She was growling at herself in her mind, stomping away from the startled swordsman as quickly as her legs would carry her. 'Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid!'

"Hold it, Sheena, wait!" Lloyd gasped, running to catch up to her. She was surprisingly fleet for just coming off of a battle with the Summon Spirits of Light, but he refused to let her leave things between them so horribly. 'Martel knows what the hell could happen to either of us when we part ways...' That thought in mind, he bounded forwards and grabbed her right arm, spinning her around with one firm tug. She had instinctively raised her left to strike at him, but he easily caught that one too in his free hand, tugging her body against his. "Sheena, I wasn't laughing at you, that's not it at all. I was laughing because you were worried about us, when we were worried about you. Understand?"

Sheena was still stubbornly looking away from him, her tears drying on her face as she set her jaw. His hand released her left arm, raising it to gently brush away the half-dried streaks from her cheek. A hint of pink coloured her face, but she didn't recoil away from the tender touch, no matter how angry she was at him, any touch was welcome.

"You dork... We're scared for you, none of us are comfortable fighting without you, you've been such a big part of our team since you joined us." Lloyd explained quietly, finishing his job of drying her face, but still his hand lingered. Her chin stiffened and he stifled another chuckle at her childish action. Tenderly brushing his knuckles over her cheek, he added quietly, "None of us want to be without you for any amount of time, and if I could, I'd be right at your side for the rest of this damn journey. It feels... It feels wrong to let you go alone."

"It feels wrong to leave you." Sheena answered wearily, raising her hand to carefully test to see if her eyes were finally dry. Lloyd captured her hand in his own, and she tried her best to control the heat that continued to rise to her face and his warm hands enveloped the both of hers. "I don't want to go, not without you. It's so stupid..."

"It's not stupid." Lloyd disagreed with a quiet laugh, amused by the tough facade she insisted on disguising herself with. He had been able to easily see through her time after time, and it was something that made him like her. 'As tough as she tries to be, she really has this feminine side to her... She's not like she pretends to be...' "Listen to me, okay? We are all going to be just fine, nothing's gonna happen to anybody, I swear."

"You can't promise that." Sheena mumbled mostly to herself, shaking her head once at Lloyd's attempt to steady her wracked nerves. The fate of her friends, his fate, was out of her hands the moment they were separated and it scared her to think it was possible to lose him. She snarled angrily at her logic, annoyed by the constant throbbing in her heart as she scolded herself, 'We face that chance every damn day, why is it scaring me so much now?!'

A little voice laughed in her ear, telling her the answer to that question. It scares you because as long as you're with him, you can stop him from getting killed. Now that you'll be separated, you can't control a single thing. If he dies, he dies without you there to save him...

"Yes I can." Lloyd replied with a grin, placing all his faith in those words. He didn't know why it felt so important to have her believe him, but he had to hear her agree. It was a wanting more powerful than anything he had ever felt before, to see the fear and doubt leave her expression. "I can."

"No, you can't." Sheena sighed, knowing without really knowing why he was trying so hard to convince her. As much as she wanted to put her faith in those words, her mind knew better. The odds were just too great. 'We've overcome harsh odds before, but this... I just don't like this.' She sighed raggedly. 'There's... I just... All I want is some solid proof that he's going to come back...' Unconsciously, her fingers began to toy with the bell she wore around her neck as a tangible reminder of Corrine. Lightning struck then, and with a tiny smile she turned to Lloyd and said seriously, "Alright... You, close your eyes. I'm going to make sure you come back."

"How are you going to do that?" Lloyd asked curiously, raising one eyebrow at the hint of mischief sparkling in her eyes. She just shook her head and motioned for him to follow her orders, a little smile curving her lips. Deciding to indulge her, he made a show of closing his eyes and not peeking.

Sheena slowly unclasped the chain that she had threaded through Corrine's tiny golden bell, keeping her hands as steady as possible to not give away what she was doing. She tiptoed closer, her movements calm and precise as she put the necklace on him. Her fingers brushing the back of his neck accidentally, sending a delicious shiver up her spine as he inhaled sharply at the touch. Hopping away mostly out of instinct than want, she calmed her heart before commanding pleasantly, "Alright, open your eyes."

Lloyd did as he was told, not noticing what she had done until he shook his head to clear out the static that had begun buzzing in his ears the moment her skin met his. The gentle chiming of the bell caught his attention, and he looked down to see it hanging around his collar, glinting silver in the dying sunlight. Surprise filled him as he stared up at her with wide eyes, stammering over his words as he tried to argue with her gentle smile, "Wh-Whoa, Sheena, I can't keep this! This is Corrine's–!"

"Of course you can't keep it, dummy." Sheena scolded gently, her eyes focussed on the bell as it twinkled as he moved. She felt oddly naked without the bell around her, as though Corrine's spirit was no longer with her. The urge to take it back was nearly overwhelming, but she forced herself to keep her hands where they were. "I'm expecting it back the second you set foot in Iselia." She added warningly, mischief dancing in her eyes as the threat died out, "And if it has a single scratch on it, it's your head, got it?"

Lloyd smiled gently, raising his hand to brush his gloved fingers gently against the precious memento. She had taken to wearing the bell as a necklace after the death of her friend, it was incredibly rare for him to see her without it. He understood the trust that was going into her giving him the trinket, even if only for a borrowed time. She really was expecting him back, it was a sign that against all of her logical reasoning, that she was going to have faith. "You'll get it back in perfect condition, I promise." Without really thinking about what he was doing, he reached into his pocket and dug out the angel bracelet he had received from Dirk for good luck. "Here, you keep this then, we'll call it for swaps."

"Where'd you get this?" Sheena asked with raised eyebrows, looking at the halo-like bracelet curiously. She slid it onto her wrist regardless, admiring the way the gold metal sparkled in the fading sun. A little smile raised her lips as she examined the bracelet, liking the way it hugged her skin and seemed to warm her entire arm. "It's... really pretty..."

"Yeah, I think it suits you better than it does me to be honest." Lloyd grinned as he watched her turn her hand this way and that to catch the sparkles of light. Patting the bracelet gently, he explained, "Dad gave it to me when we started out from Iselia, he said it's supposed to bring good luck... So, maybe it'll bring me you."

Sheena felt the familiar heat of a blush staining her cheeks, and she lowered her eyes out of embarrassment, unconsciously fiddling with the bracelet. She knew he was grinning at her, but she couldn't bring herself to look up at him. 'Stupid idiot...' She felt his hand rest on the top of her head, and she risked a peek up at the swordsman, seeing the fond expression he was wearing. Completely shocked by the warmth in his eyes, she found herself wishing she could disappear so he wouldn't see how embarrassed she was. Turning around hastily, she murmured softly, "I'll be back soon Lloyd... Be careful."

Lloyd took a firm hold of her arm, spinning her around for the second time that day, tugging her into his arms. She gasped softly as she landed safely in his chest, and without a second to waste, he embraced her tightly, closing his eyes as he held the startled summoner close. "You be careful too Sheena... I want to see you again."

Blushing fiercely at their close proximity, Sheena only managed a muffled sound of surprise before her entire body melted. Very slowly, she raised her arms to hug him back, clutching his shoulders as she buried her face into his chest. Her heart was thudding painfully in her ear as she touched him, but she couldn't let herself draw away from the embrace. 'Who knows if I'll ever get the chance to do this again... I should make good on my feelings at least for now...' "I'll be just fine Lloyd... You watch yourself out there... for me. I want you back in one piece."

"Is two not good enough?" Lloyd teased, unable to help it. He only ended up earning a swift punch in the chest, leaving him breathless. Chuckling weakly and he gingerly rubbed the spot where she hit him, he saw the ferocity in her topaz eyes that told him she meant those words with more passion than he had guessed. "I'll be perfectly fine too."

"Lloyd... Don't make me regret trusting you." Sheena whispered, closing her eyes tightly as she hugged him close again, savouring the warmth of his arms around her body and his seductive scent of leather and skin. She took a deep breath, saving this moment and storing every single sensation into her mind for later use. Unable to bear being in his arms for another moment, she hurriedly pushed him away, turning around and dashing out of his reach before he had a chance to catch her again.

Lloyd watched impassively as she danced away from him, pausing when they were a good distance apart before she turned around. Even with the distance, he saw her cheeks were still red, and there were silver tears trickling down her face as she raised her hand to wave at him. 'My arms... feel painfully empty...' Robotically, he raised his hand too, returning the wave as he forced a smile onto his face so not to worry her.

"Lloyd!" She called loudly, cupping her hands around her mouth to amplify her voice. He put a hand around his ear to show her that he could hear, and with a devilish smile, she hollered, "I bet you fifty Gald I make it back to Iselia before you do!"

"You're on!" Lloyd hollered back, his voice breaking as he started to laugh. Of course she would try to break the tension with a joke, even as her smile became painful for him to see. Though he was hoping with all his heart, the doubt was suffocating, and it was all he could to not hold her tightly against him and never let her go. "Keep your Gald ready then, I don't want you to be dead broke when I beat you!"

"Heh, in your dreams Irving!" Sheena turned around then, towards the waiting Renegades that would be taking her to the Mana Cannon. She didn't trust any of them as far as she could throw them, and as her arms idly settled around her waist, she risked a peek over her shoulder to see him still watching her. Smiling a little to herself, Sheena quickly brushed her hand across her face to remove her tears as she began to walk towards her enemies' enemy.

'Don't make me regret trusting you, Lloyd... Not with my heart at any rate...' She smiled wearily, reaching to touch the bare space of her neck where Corrine's bell should have been hanging. Closing her eyes for a moment, she envisioned Lloyd standing behind her, watching as she walked away. She could see Corrine perched on his shoulder, also watching as he always had. With a weak smile, she whispered under her breath, "Bring him back to me, Corrine... Please."

AN

I always wished this scene had a better parting then it did, lol. I don't know why, it just seemed so jumpy in a way... It was like "you go to the MC" and she seemed so hesitant in that moment, like she wanted to tell him something but couldn't get the words out... I wanted to try and capture the awkwardness she might be feeling... Bleh XD And as for the swapping thing, it seemed like a good idea at the time...? And the last line, I'm very fond of it for an odd reason, so I took my beta's awesome advice and tried to rearrange it as best I could... Lol, it seems like it worked. Depending on some things, I may or may not post a companion piece of what happens when they two reunite. I'd like to see who wants to see it first, but then again, I may just do it anyway. XD I have another fic in the works, and I wanna ask, anyone like comedy? XD

Sky