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umbry-fic · 22 days

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mairieux

Summary: Colette Brunel, and the decision to live.

Fandom: Tales of Symphonia Characters: Colette Brunel, Lloyd Irving, Frank Brunel Relationships: Colette Brunel & Lloyd Irving, Colette Brunel & Frank Brunel Rating: G Word Count: 1990 Mirror Link: AO3 Original Post Date: 07/04/2024

Notes: A short pre-canon fic. The title is from mairieux by n-buna.

~~~

When Colette was ten, she learned what it meant to fear death.

She had known since she was a child that she was special - chosen to carry the hopes and wishes of the people of Sylvarant, fated to one day deliver them to the Heavens and into the embrace of the Goddess. A holy figure to be revered, not to be befriended. A lonely figure among a thronging sea of people that always parted around her, praying at her feet yet refusing to approach her.

Standing before the church’s stained glass window depicting the benevolent Goddess reaching ever skywards, the truth of her fate was delivered to her by a group of priests, their voices containing not a hint of passion, as if they were blandly discussing the weather.

Because to them, her death was nothing more than a fact - a truth that could not be overturned.

When the light of salvation arrived from the Heavens, she would walk the land of Sylvarant in a quest to reach the tower that represented hope, and thus preordain an era of fortune, dooming herself in the process.

In that single moment, her heart grew cold, as if she had suddenly found herself lost in a vicious winter storm, flurries of snow assaulting her from every direction.

The few hands that had bothered to reach out towards her, to wipe the tears from her cheeks and coax a smile from her…

She would lose them, no matter what.

~~~

“Colette, would you like to go pick apples in the orchard today?” her father offered, nursing a steaming cup of tea over the dining table, empty plates littered with crumbs still scattered over it.

The scratch of pencil against paper stopped, and she sat up straight in her chair in excitement, homework forgotten. She barely spent any time with her father - most of it was monopolised by the priests. She had long since learned to stop asking, not wanting to be the one to put that horribly sad expression on his face when he gently turned her down.

She opened her mouth to answer enthusiastically, but the words wouldn’t come. They were trapped in her throat, drowning in poison that bit at her skin. The priests’ words from yesterday echoed in her ears, that strange chill gripping her heart in its claws once more.

“I… I have a lot of homework to catch up on, Father, so maybe not today.” She smiled weakly, not understanding why those were the words that had left her lips as she stood, gathering loose sheaves of paper. “I think I’m going to go back to my room now.”

In the silence that followed, neither her father nor her grandmother said a word to interrupt it. Her grandmother passed her a plate of still-warm cookies, a terrible guilt haunting both of their gazes.

She hurried up the stairs, cracks splintering on the surface of her heart.

If this was how they had felt all this time, then she could understand why they never spent any time with her.

~~~

“That’s all I have to teach you today. Class is dismissed.” Professor Raine snapped the book in her hand shut, faint muttering exploding into a ruckus as friends made plans and chattered about their day. “Remember to do your homework!” she yelled over the chaos as the dozen or so students jostled each other to be the first to leave the stuffy classroom.

Colette continued to stare out the window at nothing in particular, watching clouds drift across the colourless sky.

“Hey, Colette! Wanna come over today?” Lloyd grinned, sliding into view and jolting her out of her thoughts. The vibrant red he always wore was a shock after an hour of overcast grey, blooming to consume her vision. “We can do our homework together and then go visit Genis to see if he’s feeling any better.”

“I…” she faltered, heart sinking when the smile on her best friend’s face flickered for a moment at her hesitation. She had never, ever voluntarily given up a chance to spend time with the only friends she had, who stole her away from her closed-off world of prayers and scriptures to a world of fun and laughter where she could be nothing more than an ordinary girl.

She didn’t understand, how she could want nothing more than to be by the side of those she held dear, only for the thought of doing so stabbing a knife through her heart.

She shook her head. “I’m a little tired today. Sorry, Lloyd. Maybe next time?”

The lie slid from her lips with ease, despite not knowing when she could next spend time with him - not without this strange numbness creeping into the very depths of her soul.

“Oh. Well, that’s alright.” She glanced away when his expression crumpled, disappointment flooding his face.

“Give Genis my well wishes, won’t you?”

She folded her hands in her lap, keeping her head bowed, not wanting to bear witness to his crestfallen expression.

“...Alright. See you, Colette."

~~~

The ticking of the clock echoed loudly in her ears as she kicked her feet back and forth, seated at the dining table and pondering the intricacies of a complicated math equation.

This had been the longest week of her life. Guilt had choked her each and every time she had turned someone away, but the biting sting from the cracks in her heart that were only continuing to spread was worse, never fading. Tears pricking at the corners of her eyes, she slumped over the table, burying her face in her arms.

What was she supposed to do? She didn’t want to keep doing this - she didn’t want to keep hurting those she held dear. But the pain wouldn’t stop.

If she was inevitably going to die, then what was the point of enduring all this pain in the first place?

Steady knocking of a fist on wood bid her raise her head, and she wandered over to the door in a daze to see whoever it was that would come over at this time of the night.

“Hey, Colette!”

A familiar face greeted her in the doorway, and she wondered if she was dreaming.

“Lloyd? What are you doing here so late?” she asked, her gaze roving over her best friend, dirt smudging his cheek and a small glass jar wedged under his arm.

“I have something to show you, is all!” He offered her a hand, his smile small but brave, surely knowing there was a chance she’d turn him down again. Yet still he reached out for her, as he always did, never giving up.

She wavered on that threshold, weary, her heart pulling her in two different directions. She could just give him the excuse that it was late, far too late for the Chosen to be wandering into the woods. But she…

A hand landed on her shoulder. “You should go, Colette.”

She turned to stare in confusion at her father, who gave her an encouraging smile and a squeeze of her shoulder.

“I… Alright…” she mumbled, taking Lloyd’s hand.

~~~

Frank had watched his daughter close herself off from the world all week, grief colouring his gaze as he watched her slowly kill her own heart with every passing second without even realising she was doing it.

She had been on the verge of becoming nothing more than a living corpse with the trappings of a messiah. Still able to shamble her way to the tower and sacrifice herself, giving away the heart beating in her chest that had died long ago.

And not a single person would have cared, so long as she completed the duty she had been born to carry.

Perhaps that would have been easier. A peaceful existence, one without suffering, that would come to an end without any regrets.

But it broke his heart to lose his daughter this way, even if he could no longer reach her anymore.

So he hoped, and prayed, because that was all he could do.

~~~

“Woah! Careful there!” Lloyd laughed, steadying her as she slid down a slope, having nearly tripped over a particularly large root. She grabbed onto his arm, preventing herself from falling face-first into the dirt.

The sound of his laughter, carefree and bright, soothed the aching of her soul. It had been a while since she’d last heard it, hadn’t she? The warmth of his hand seeped into her arm, slowly melting the ice around her heart. For a moment, she could be an ordinary girl again.

She’d missed him.

“Here we are.” Lloyd ushered her into a clearing, the dense leaves of the trees clearing to reveal the moon hanging high in the night sky among the twinkling stars, casting everything in liquid silver. “Now we just have to wait.”

“Wait…?”

She didn’t have to wait long, a gasp rushing from her lips as gold erupted from all around her.

“Fireflies…” she whispered in awe, spinning in a circle to observe the clearing, which had completely transformed. There were so many of them! The tiny insects were almost like stars that had fallen from the sky, sharing their radiance as they floated gracefully about, doing as they pleased. Some filled tree hollows, and some fluttered past her hair, surrounding the both of them.

It was a magical sight, one that Lloyd had still wanted to share with her, despite how hard she had been shoving him away all week, refusing to let him in as she shut her heart in a gate to protect it. He truly was kind, wasn’t he? Kind enough to see her as nothing more than a normal girl, one with normal troubles, with normal dreams, who deserved to be happy…

She couldn’t help the smile that crossed her face, even as her heart continued to break.

“Anyway, here!” The jar she had noticed him carrying was now shoved beneath her nose, filled to the brim with vibrant gold. She accepted it with careful hands, tracing the paths that the fireflies made against the glass. “You’ve been down all week, so I thought maybe I could cheer you up. I’m… glad you’ve finally smiled,” he mumbled, averting his gaze, the tips of his ears red.

She cradled the jar close to her chest, tears beginning to fall down her cheeks, drop after drop. It still hurt, so very, very much, and it always would. To know that moments like these would one day come to an end - that no matter how much she cherished these memories, they would inevitably be wrenched from her. And every time, her heart would remember this pain.

Perhaps it would be easier to cast it away in this sea of gold and let it dissolve into nothing, shielding her from the sea of pain that threatened to drown it. But it would mean giving up this overwhelming joy that she had forgotten, and she would not forego her dwindling chances to spend time with those she loved, knowing that here, she was safe, cared for by gentle hands that would never let her go.

“W - what’s wrong?” Lloyd panicked, rushing closer. “Did I -”

“You didn’t say anything wrong, silly.” She laughed, for the first time this week, letting the lock over her heart fall and shatter as she took his hand, rubbing the dirt that stained his fingers. “I’m just… really, really happy. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been.”

“Truly? You’ll tell me next time, though, if you’re feeling down again? I promise I’ll cheer you up!”

“It was just something silly. Nothing to worry about. I’m feeling much better now. All thanks to you, Lloyd!”

His cheeks flushed beet red again at her words, and she giggled, squeezing his hand.

Her happiness would not last. But she would make the most of it right now.

She would live, to the best of her ability. That was the decision she had made.

#fanfiction #one shot #tales of symphonia #colette brunel #lloyd irving #frank brunel #i marathoned six hours of lecture and my brain is leaking out of my ears so good time to post this

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darkhymns-fic · 8 months

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Being an angel is pretty inconvenient, huh? (Ch. 7)

Several years later, Colette reflects on what's changed and what hasn't - for Lloyd and for herself. [A Lloyd wingfic]

Fandom: Tales of Symphonia Characters/Pairing: Colette Brunel/Lloyd Irving, Frank Brunel Rating: T Word Count: 6493 Mirror: AO3 Notes: For Colloyd Week 2023, Day 7: Free Day! This fic is now complete! There are more notes over on AO3. Otherwise, thanks for reading along!

On Colette’s twentieth birthday, she went to visit her father.

Frank was busy in the garden that was facing the back of the house, pulling out the weeds and setting them aside on a cleared patch of green. Colette had been quiet when she arrived, hovering down to the ground with her wings, barely moving them. The sun was bright, overpowering any of her light. She was fine with this, curious to see how her father worked on his garden. He had always been a gentle man, holding onto the weeds with care, apologetic in his every gesture.

Her grandmother had always said she took after her father the most.

But even as silent as she could be, Frank still turned around, his faint blue eyes alight when he spotted her. He placed the weeds on the ground, wiping dirt onto his pants. “Colette! You made it.”

"Of course!" Looped around her right arm was the handle of a wicker basket. On the back porch, the outdoor table had been recently cleaned of any fallen leaves and petals. She spotted the teapot that was already set, along with the porcelain cups. "I brought a few sandwiches for us."

Frank took a moment to get to his feet, but even in his clear exhaustion, he was smiling wide as he pulled up a chair across from her. "Let me guess… is it your famous caramel apple sandwiches?"

"Oh, I made you a ham and cheese one, but I got some extra apple sandwiches if you'd like!"

And her father was kind, as he always was, gratefully accepting the food, as he would do when she was little and just learning how she could stuff her favorite fruits into sandwiches. It was at least more to it than just plain apple slices between two pieces of bread this time. After some lessons with Genis, her once plain apple sandwiches were now served with caramel sauce and creamy cheese.

Colette only remembered when she sat down to finally put her wings away, the action sending motes of lights drifting in the breeze, fixing up her dress that now stretched past her knees. She watched it mingle with the rays of the sun before dissipating. Once, her father would have long stared at her wings in silence, his lips never quite lifting into a smile. But now, he barely glanced at it, or even commented on it at all.

The ginger tea was warm, her father always brewing it just right. As they drank and ate, she also decided to count the rows of flowers that had just started to bloom. The brightness of the marigolds gave her once plain backyard a sunny feeling, but it was the tulips that took over, their colors more varied, from bright red to a deep purple that matched her wings. Still, never had she imagined her father to suddenly develop a green thumb.

“Did you not want something bigger for your birthday?” Frank asked, leaning back in his chair. He had finished her apple sandwich first before taking the other in his hands. “This seems so small.”

Colette smiled. It truly was small, compared to her earlier birthdays—of the whole village gathered in the plaza, to wish the Chosen another year closer to salvation. She sipped the tea, enjoying, savoring that warmth. “But I’m happy with this. And I get to see your garden this way!”

Frank chuckled. Hours in the sun had bleached his already light-blonde hair, but the laugh lines around his mouth had also deepened. She remembered his smiles more in these recent years than when she was a child. “Dirk has been giving me a lot of advice on fixing up the flower bed. I might even start growing some vegetables later. Without needing to attend the Church as often as before, I find myself with a lot more time on my hands.”

That reminded her then. “I also just visited Grandmother in the temple, along with the other children.” She cradled the teacup in her hands, the mixture having long cooled. “They had just gotten back from a trip to the beach. They all seem to be doing well! And Jonah and his little sister recently got adopted.”

Frank nodded at the news, chuckling softly. “She has been very busy lately. But I think your grandmother always liked being occupied as much as she can.”

Even when the priests eventually left the Iselia temple, with the importance of the Chosen starting to wane with each passing year, it hadn't stopped Phaidra from visiting it, climbing those steps every morning. It also hadn't stopped her from deciding that the great atrium, now free of monsters as well as those of the cloth, could still be useful. Orphaned children from the Palmacosta tragedy, or rescued from the once common ranches, needed a safe place to stay.

Also, Colette figured that Verius, who had taken the temple for their home, liked the company. After all, it didn’t hurt for the children to have an additional guardian, and the Summon Spirit didn’t seem to mind its new role at all.

“And Lloyd?” Frank poured her another cup of tea, his hands steady as he did so. “I’m surprised he’s not with you.”

“Martel called him,” she answered, blowing on the hot tea. “He has to honor his pact with her, since he hasn’t gone to see the tree in a while.”

“Well, I hope you can spend this day with him at least a little. Or…did he forget again?”

Colette couldn’t help but laugh at the suggestion. “I should ask him that! But he’s been getting better about the dates.”

“And… is he getting better overall?” Frank asked. Both he and Phaidra had been one of the last to finally know about Lloyd’s wings—although Colette had always wondered if he had seen them both that day when she and Lloyd flew to the temple. Her father had never pushed to know, had always been patient to a fault.

“He is,” and though her voice was soft, the smile came to her naturally. She recalled the softness of feathers against her palm, the sensation making her chest warm. “We have so many wonderful friends that helped him.”

Still, there was a greedy part of herself she couldn’t ignore. Once they were on their journey again, they would only have each other, and the promise of it made her eager for the days to pass—even for her birthday to pass.

“Well, please tell Lloyd he is always welcome to come visit us anytime. I’m sure by then, I’ll have my vegetable garden set up! He can have the first bite of it.” Frank tapped his chin, thinking over his possible plantings. “Grape tomatoes are supposed to grow well this season. I’ll make sure they’re juicy once he comes around.”

Colette nearly spat out her tea as a giggle bubbled from her throat. Tomatoes! she thought, already imagining the look on Lloyd’s face if she brought him around. “Y-yeah! I’ll tell him!” And it wasn’t like she had to tell Lloyd just what type of vegetables her father was growing anyway.

She chatted with Frank until the sun made its descent through the sky, its light filtering through the trees that surrounded the backyard. The summer beetles hovered around the branches, and the breeze lifted her hair. She wanted even more of the tea, which brought back memories of holding the same cup when she was little, watching as her father dipped a spoonful of honey into the mixture.

She was so distracted by it that she didn’t at first hear the footsteps from behind her. They were quiet and padding, barely making the wood creak as they walked along the porch.

But it was the mewing sound that caught her full attention.

A white, furry shape jumped onto the table, knocking aside one of the teacups that Colette attempted to rescue. It hadn’t broken, which was the important thing. Still, she barely gave it a second thought, grinning at the sight of the cat; his meowing still as high-pitched as it was when he was first found.

“Blippy!”

“Still a little rascal,” Frank commented, but didn’t mind any of the spilled tea that was running across the table, merely mopping it up with a cloth napkin he had. “He always gets more energetic whenever you visit.”

Colette hardly needed to reach out before Blippy pressed his head into her palms. His purrs rumbled through her skin, the softness of his fur as familiar as the feathers from this morning. “I hope he’s been good,” she said.

Frank’s smile was a peaceful one. “Always. Your grandmother can’t get enough of him.”

The grown cat, so content with her petting, was a far cry from the small kitten she had once carried around in a basket. Once, he had been such a tiny thing, sometimes shaking as if it still remembered the river it had nearly drowned in. But then it would also reach out towards Lloyd’s wings to paw at like they were toys, to rub his nose at her fingers, fascinated by everything all around. It had been like that when they traveled to Mizuho, to Ozette, to the World Tree, and to so much else.

But the journey wasn’t just about sightseeing or visiting friends. Gathering the Exspheres still meant weeks out on the road and in the open, and fighting with those who refused to relinquish what they had. She knew they had to get Blippy into a proper home.

“Then why not with your dad’s?” Lloyd had suggested then, the idea coming to him so quickly that even Colette had been surprised. “I always thought your house could have used a pet.”

Maybe Lloyd knew it would make it easier for her, to leave Blippy with her family, to reassure them when she would need to be gone once again from their lives. She could tell how often his fur was brushed, how well-fed he was, and how the collar around his neck sparkled with the tag that was attached to it. His tail swished across the table happily, with his paws kneading one of the cloth napkins.

“Lloyd needs to visit you too,” she whispered, her fingers threading through the fur on Blippy’s neck. “I know he’s been missing you.”

It had also been months since Colette had truly pet a cute animal! There were no longer as many stray dogs that hung around towns or fishing ports, and while it made her happy that most of those doggies now had a stable home, she had missed giving them both pets and names, to shower them with as much love as she could before she had to be on her way. So she got her fill with Blippy, repeating his name and patting down the fur.

But then, she heard a small ringing sound from beneath her hand…

“Ah, Colette!” Frank stretched out his hand, plucking something tiny from the inside of her teacup. It glittered within his palm, the smooth metal capturing the light of the sun. “You dropped your…”

Her eyes caught the shimmer of the intricately cut topaz, and the familiar engraving on the metal. “Oh! Oh no, I almost lost it again…” She quickly accepted the item, affixing it back to her finger. “Thank you. I think I had it on the wrong finger today.” That was why it felt oddly bigger than usual…

Frank sighed but was smiling all the same. “Lucky I caught it now and not in my garden patch like last time. I nearly buried it with the tulip seeds.”

Colette’s flush rose to her cheeks, laughing as she touched the metal band. “Lloyd said he would just make me another if I did lose it, but I hope it doesn’t come to that… Ah, speaking of Lloyd…!” Her heart fluttered, seeing just how far the sun had traveled across the sky.

“Forgot you already have to meet up with him?” Frank answered for her so easily, already getting up from his chair.

“Yes! I’m sorry, I was really enjoying our lunch and then Blippy showed up…” At the mention of the cat, she had to give her friend a few more pets, a few more scritches beneath his ears. It took the prompting her wings appearing to finally stop, despite getting fur everywhere on her dress.

Another chorus of meowing, and Blippy was reaching up to paw at a bright wingtip. She giggled when she felt his soft paws make contact. “Aw, I don’t think you’ll like playing with mine as much as Lloyd’s,” she said.

Frank moved to pet Blippy, giving Colette a moment to escape. “Go on. It’ll be the end of your birthday before you know it.”

In his voice, she heard a soft plea. He would have wanted her to stay, as he had wanted her to numerous times. Saved from her fate as a Chosen, yet even so, he had to keep seeing his daughter off to an unknown.

But the worry lines in his forehead were not as deep, and she saw him visibly relax as he ran his hand across Blippy’s fur. The loneliness was not as all-engulfing as it had once been.

Colette rushed over to give Frank a great hug, her wings fluttering to keep her afloat. She felt his arms squeeze her back. “I’ll see you again soon.”

He hugged her tightly. He used to hold her with hesitance, as if doing it too much was not correct for the man who was only supposed to watch over until she must save the world. But she felt his love in his embrace, his fear now gone.

“Happy birthday, Colette.”

And when she flew off, she couldn’t help but turn back. She watched Blippy jump into Frank’s arms, as if knowing he still needed a shape to hold.

Lloyd really did always have the best ideas.

On the day that Lloyd’s wings had changed, Colette felt that she had failed him then. It was how the shape of his wings imprinted themselves into her mind like nothing else, how his stuttering gasp of fear had clutched at her ribs, how he fell limp to the ground once the back of his jacket was ripped open.

The kitten in his hands had been shaking, and she had to coax the little thing to go to her. He had held it out to her, in a last desperate attempt. The blood drenched the ground like it was rain, but Colette could not split herself in two to help both at once. She wrapped the kitten in a towel, patted it dry, and kept it safe within the shade of the tree. It had curled up, already fast asleep. And then, she finally rushed over to Lloyd’s side.

When Colette touched his wings, it was sticky with blood. The feathers were sporadic, the bones jutting out at sharp angles. She looked at his back, and it was a ruined mess, his skin so torn. Still, her hands reached out to him, even as Lloyd shook, even when she heard him cry out in pain.

Colette was not a healer. Even with all her angelic artes, she didn’t know a sufficient healing spell. Professor Sage should have come with him instead, she thought, while reaching for their packs for any of their first aid equipment. Or Zelos. Or Sheena. They would have known what to do. They would have had the experience of healing Lloyd in some way.

She remembered how much she was shaking herself as she tried to make use of the bandages. But no, she needed to remove his jacket first. Except his jacket was destroyed with bits of it stuck to his wings, and with the blood everywhere, it was hard to tell which was clothing and which were his feathers, steeped in a gory mess.

It made her so afraid. To think being an angel could still keep causing so much suffering.

“Gh!”

Lloyd gave a sharp gasp of pain that pierced her chest. His wings were too big. They bent at odd angles, were crooked, and still so fresh with agony.

She at first just tried to hold his hand. His Exsphere felt so warm, and only when she looked down did she see it shine. Was it hurting Lloyd? Was it helping him? Still, she held on tight.

Colette had hesitated, and that was a moment she wished she could have redone.

“Lloyd…” she called out softly, but still he was shaking. His other hand clutched at the ground, and his eyes were shut. His wings moved, and somehow, in that moment, they seemed a bit less intimidating.

Colette finally embraced him, carefully, as the blood stained her dress so deeply, feeling sticky against her skin.

She was clumsy with the bandages, and she was slow when she tried to clean up his wings then. Her fingers made contact with them once again, worried that every motion from her was hurting him.

How broken he looked then, barely able to stay awake. Still, she felt him lean against her, clinging back to her hand. His shaking lessened, even if only by a little.

Colette only realized her wings were still out as she continued to bandage him, the light falling over the ground and his feathers.

“I love you so much and this is all I can do.” She bit her lip, her vision blurry with tears, but kept him in her arms. “I’m sorry.”

She didn’t expect a response, not until she heard him stir, mumbling something.

“Ah, Lloyd?” Trying to hold him gently, she avoided touching his wings, in case it really did hurt him. “Careful…”

“M’fine.” The words slurred out of his throat, and still she tried to keep him elevated. There were brief bouts of pain that made him shake, apologies once again spilling from her. But when he turned to stare at her, the light of her wings illuminating his face, he looked questioning.

She wondered if he had heard what she said earlier.

Colette had never before told Lloyd that she loved him. Not out loud, at least. It was tempting to say it again—but what right did she have when he was this weak?

“The kitten…” he whispered. “Is it…”

There was both relief and disappointment in her chest, a feeling she felt all too accustomed to, for so much else.

When she pointed to the sleeping kitten, all curled up and safe, she saw Lloyd smile. It looked almost euphoric; from the pain or from relief? But he quickly fell asleep again, still holding onto her hand. His wings lowered slightly, and through some of the blood, she saw their color was white.

Colette tried to set up a spot for Lloyd to rest, angling his body so that his wings wouldn’t be cramped. Her dress was still stained, and after she finally was able to change into a new set, she sat beside Lloyd, noting that most of his wounds seemed to have healed.

She did love Lloyd, but this time, the words stayed locked inside her throat. All she could give him was the touch of her hand, his fingers clinging to her again. I can’t push that on him now, she thought, even as part of her wished she could, somehow. The closest she had ever hinted at it was a kiss on the cheek every now and then, which Lloyd always accepted with a flush and a wide smile. Maybe I can just do that later…

It wasn’t long though before the kitten came to waddle up to her.

“You should be resting too!” she said. “Or are you awake because you’re hungry?”

In answer, the little animal pressed against her arm, meowing constantly that she couldn’t help but give it a few pets. “Hehe, you’ll wake Lloyd up,” she said, but didn’t stop from giving it a few scratches, entranced by its golden eyes.

At the petting, the kitten stuck out its tongue at her, making such a face that Colette couldn’t help but laugh at it—quietly. She really needed to let Lloyd rest for as long as he could.

With a small gesture, she coaxed the kitten to come closer. Its fur was no longer matted or dirty by the river. It even seemed to already forget the whole ordeal altogether.

“You need a name, don’t you?” She let it cuddle into her lap, all while she kept holding fast to Lloyd’s hands, hearing him breathe deeply as he slept. “Hm, you feel like a Blippy to me…”

“Heeeey, Coleeeette!”

Even if Lloyd hadn’t called out to her, it would be hard to really miss him at all.

The Great Tree had finally started to grow over the last few years, less of a sapling and more like a young oak tree whose roots had finally settled deep into the soil. It now reached past her height, inviting one to look above and try to see the very top. Birds flitted among the branches, rustling up the leaves that sounded hushed in the glade. If it weren’t for the mana that she could feel through the air currents surrounding it, the tree would have looked like any other in a forest.

As she flew towards it, she already caught sight of Lloyd, and the great wings that were outstretched as he flew over the top of the tree. The setting sun painted his feathers in watercolors of orange and violet.

He was waving at her with both arms. His wings flapped behind him excitedly. “Hey!!”

“I see you, Lloyd!” Colette waved back, her wings taking her further up into the sky. The leaves turned brighter from the light of her passing, and even the air around her seemed quieter too. She wondered if Martel was nearby, and if she would see her this time?

She only just barely broke past the tree’s canopy before Lloyd rushed to her with a great hug, tumbling them both through the air.

The feeling was almost electric; Colette’s wings fluttered to try and keep them upright, as well as from falling to the ground. But Lloyd’s arms were strong, his hands pressed against her back while his wings stayed outstretched to catch the gentle gusts of wind.

“We’re gonna fall!” she called out, except her voice was already devolving into laughter, mixing with Lloyd’s own.

“We’re fine, we’re fine!” Lloyd’s grin could be felt against her ear as he already kissed her cheek. The affection made her want to hold onto him even more. “I felt I was going crazy without you here.”

It was too easy for him to make her heart beat so fast at just a few simple words. But she didn’t let go, her fingers moving to interlock just at his back, to stroke at his feathers. “Hehe, it’s only been a few hours.”

“Really? It felt way longer!”

For a while, both held each other in the air, lifted by their wings; one made of light, the other of feathers. She could have been content to just stay, to just soak in his touch like nothing else. It seemed as if Lloyd was ready to just fall asleep in her arms like this—until he spoke again.

“…I think Martel could tell I was getting kinda bored.”

She tried to hold back her laughter, which came out as something like a sneeze instead. Lloyd moved back to pout at her. “It’s not that funny.”

“It’s a little bit! I wonder what Yuan would think?”

“Oh, I don’t even wanna know…”

Even as she slipped her grip from his shoulders, she felt his hand take hold of hers. His Exsphere, embedded in his thick glove, winked in the sunlight, and was warm as her thumb rubbed it absent mindedly. Looking at Lloyd against the backdrop of the Great Tree, she felt light. He still wore bright red, though no longer did he have suspenders on. His jacket was larger, the button clasps still fashioned tightly over his chest, and the longer hem pulled by the wind. Though he no longer sported flowing white ribbons, Colette knew if she let her hands wander around his collar, she’d find the bow she would tie up for him every morning.

He had also let his hair grow out slightly in the last few years, just slightly, with a lock or two sometimes falling over his forehead. It almost always called to her to push it aside, to let her fingers linger as she did so.

And of course, how bright and beautiful his wings were, framing both his face and smile.

With a gentle beat of his wings, Lloyd led her closer to the tree, to a certain spot among its branches. The more she looked at it, the more she understood just how much stronger it was getting, and just how fast it seemed to grow over these past few years.

But she could see the concerned expression on Lloyd’s face, even before he spoke.

“Martel says that she’s been sensing some unease in some parts of Sylvarant.” Lloyd sighed, leading them both to an outstretched branch that reached towards the west. “Probably those Vanguard guys again.”

Colette had known of that. The reunification of the world hadn’t been met with complete acceptance. Many feared Tethe’alla’s power, despite efforts from Zelos and Sheena to dissuade it. “It’s enough to affect the tree?”

Lloyd nodded, landing on the branch with her. It was steady, with just a small creaking of the wood, the leaves whispering as they seated themselves, as they would do when they were children and climbing up the trees around Iselia. “So along with the Exspheres, I’ll need to check on all of this, too.” He scratched the back of his head. “Sorry. I just keep dragging you around everywhere.”

Colette swung her legs from the branch. “You know I don’t mind. I can help talk with people, like Zelos does.” It was what she had already done on their travels. Not everyone would listen, and not everyone forgave the Chosen for not completing her journey, but there were still others who did, and in that forgiveness, she found more strength.

She grinned a little at a past memory, one that caught Lloyd’s curiosity. “Hey, what’s got you laughing now?”

“Just remembering when that little girl followed you around back in Asgard. I think your wings were her favorite. And you even helped her fly with you!”

Lloyd grinned slightly, all while still gripping her hand. “Heh… I don’t think her mom appreciated that though.”

“Oh, hehe. I guess you’re right.” Even so, that day had made her happy—seeing Lloyd comfortable, when once before, he hadn’t wanted to be seen at all.

The branch they sat on was more out in the open, allowing Lloyd’s wings enough space to stretch and fold evenly against his back, to not be too buffeted by leaves and other boughs. It had still taken time for Lloyd to show himself in public as he was now, with wings that evoked the angels of Cruxis. Some had even wondered if he was yet a third Chosen that had appeared with the reunion of the worlds.

But something Colette had always noticed during their travels, something dear to her, was how the children were always the very first to accept Lloyd, to reach out for his wings with no fear at all.

The glade where the Great Tree resided stretched out before them, the sky slowly turning to dusk. The tree was just tall enough to stand above most other trees of the area, allowing them a clear view of the mountains that lied to the south. Colette felt content, her free hand pressing against the bark, where the mana of the earth flowed through, while the other still lay in Lloyd’s palm.

“I saw Blippy today,” she finally mentioned, the color of his wings reminding her of that white fur.

“Oh! So he’s doing good?” Lloyd asked. She heard the little eagerness in his tone. “I think it’s been almost a year since I’ve seen him.”

“Yeah, he’s doing really good! Father loves having him around. He’s taking good care of him.”

Lloyd smiled at that. Before they had given Blippy to Frank, she would often find the kitten in Lloyd’s arms as he slept, positioned in a way to not put more weight on his wings.

After only a short while, Lloyd then gave such a great yawn that his jawbone audibly cracked from the effort. His wings fluffed a bit at the action, and his back stretched. “This place always makes me so sleepy…”

“If you want, you could sleep right now. I’ll watch over you.”

“I haven’t really mastered how to sleep on a branch without falling down though,” Lloyd answered, then winced slightly. “Also, I think I slept on my wings the other night. They’re a little achy.”

That only made Colette move closer so she could press her fingers into his wingspan. Feathers shifted at her touch, and she watched Lloyd’s eyes flutter shut at her massage. “Maybe I accidentally rolled onto them again…” she admitted.

“Aw, well, I like having them around you though.” He sighed happily, feeling her kneading touch. “Like…extra arms… or something.”

Colette smiled, her wings still out and illuminating his feathers with a gentle and familiar glow. “I also stayed a bit late when I was home, and I got worried I wouldn’t make it in time to see you, especially for today.”

Lloyd opened his eyes again. “Huh… Why’s today so important?”

Ah, Colette thought. She stuck out her tongue at him playfully. “Because,” she started with a little dramatic flair. “It’s today!”

Lloyd blinked, one of his wings curving around her once the aches went away. “You’re so dorky sometimes. Seriously, what’s so special about to… Uh…” He froze.

Colette found his shocked expression so cute that she had to cover up her giggles with a hand. “Did you forget again—?”

“I didn’t!” He paused, his face colored in tomato-red, just a shade brighter than his clothes. “Really! I knew your birthday was coming, just…not today… But I really didn’t forget! Promise!”

Teasing Lloyd was always a fun hobby of hers, but she tried to show him some mercy. “It’s okay, Lloyd. I really don’t mind at all! Especially when there’s been so much going on lately.”

“No, Colette, I’m really serious!” Lloyd leaned forward, taking her other hand in his. “I already have your birthday present!”

Now it was her turn to be speechless. The wind pushed aside her hair, the leaves of the Great Tree whispering all around her.

“Er, well, what I mean is… I made it ahead of time.” Lloyd threaded his fingers with hers, switching from looking at their hands and back to her face in intervals. “I really didn’t want you to not have a birthday present this year. Especially since…this is the first year that we’ve been…

Colette’s breath was caught when Lloyd took her hand in his—the hand that held the ring he had made for her. He touched that ring gently, biting his lip.

“So, I didn’t forget! Kind of, anyway. But, to give you your birthday present, I’m gonna need this for a second.”

Colette hadn’t expected it. She was still for a good solid moment until a distant bird call brought her back to reality. “Oh! But, how come?”

Through his flush, and the stray locks of hair she wanted to touch, he said, “Hey, trust me. I promise it’ll be good.”

She had no reason to deny that. And so, she held out her hand closer to him. He had been the one to first put it on her, after all.

Lloyd delicately slipped the ring from her finger. Even from their height, she knew he wouldn’t drop it. If it had been her, it could have slipped off her finger and fallen to the ground below, lost among the bushes. But instead, it stayed safe in Lloyd’s hold, looking small within his palm. The topaz that he embedded into the silver band glittered, along with the engraving of Sylvaranti letters alongside it.

She had read it so, so many times, yet it never failed to make her heart clench.

Lloyd was so adept with his hands, that his steadiness didn’t falter at all when he reached for a small box that he had within a hidden pocket in his jacket. It was several inches long, lengthwise, and made from oak that Lloyd must have carved himself. She remembered those few days when he had gone back to Dirk’s home a month ago. Was that when he had…?

He opened it, and inside it was a golden chain.

“Lloyd…” she whispered, watching eagerly as he picked it up. And with his deft fingers, he had opened the clasp to slide her ring onto that same chain.

“Hold on,” he said, seeing how she was about to speak. He grinned. “I’m not done yet.”

Using his teeth, Lloyd pulled at his right glove. The leather came off, and there, on his ring finger, was a golden band that matched hers, but with ruby for its jewel. The red matched his clothes, matched the blushes he would give when embarrassed, matched the passion she would feel from him in their kisses.

He took off that ring, slid it onto the same chain, and then shut the clasp. Both of their rings clinked against each other, the setting sun reflecting off the cut jewels, making them shine even more.

Lloyd offered the necklace to her. “Is it alright if I…?”

Colette didn’t hesitate this time. She nodded rapidly, then quickly turned around, lifting her hair so that no strands would get caught. Her wings were out, still, but they moved through him, her mana mixing with his. It sent soft warmth across her neck at the sensation.

She still wore the necklace he had first given her years ago; a birthday present given late, fashioned and re-fashioned numerous times, so that it could counter the once crystal sickness that had run rampant on her skin. The runes inscribed onto it had faded a bit with time, the golden surface of it scratched from so much use. After so long wearing it, Altessa had told them that any threat from her disease should no longer be a reality. She would not revert to her soulless state, especially now that she could better control her angelic artes and senses.

Yet, Colette still wore the necklace. Nothing else had been more precious.

But she trusted Lloyd when he unclasped that childhood necklace, to be replaced by the new one. She felt the rings bounce against her dress, the chain cool on her skin. Lloyd’s fingers, both gloved and ungloved, brushed her skin as he fixed the clasp.

“Dad helped me out with the chain,” Lloyd said. “He made sure it still had the runes on it, just in case.” She heard him clear his throat, caught the white patch of a wing near her side. “I know you were worried about losing your ring, so… I thought this would help! And necklaces are harder to miss…”

Colette turned back to him, finding that same red flush on his cheeks that she had always known. Her fingers reached to clutch at their wedding rings, both of them, and how close they were to her heart. “This is so… But, now that I have yours, too…”

“Heh, about that… I made another! See?” He went ahead and pulled off his other red glove, wiggling his fingers to show off a similarly-crafted ring, with the same design of the ruby and inscription on the band. “I thought it would be cool if I had two of them! And then when I thought of your necklace, I figured I could use one of them for it. But I still get to wear this one!

He cleared his throat again, as if just hearing how silly that all was when said out loud. “A-anyway, I really wanted it to be special. Oh, and,” he held out the carved box that the chain had been in, putting in the older necklace in its confines. “If you still want to keep this one or wear it again, it’s here. But… I really hope you like this new one I made.”

And with another shaky breath, his nervousness both endearing and wonderful, Lloyd told her, “Happy birthday.”

Maybe it was the way it was said in the setting sun, or maybe it was how his wings caught the light, reflecting so many colors just then. Was it the closeness of the Great Tree? The mana that existed all around them, but could be seen in their wings? She thought he had never looked so beautiful then.

Well, except once.

So it was this time that Colette rushed to him in a sudden hug, laughing happily, and kissing his lips when she could. “Thank you, Lloyd! I love you!”

And if they happened to have fallen off the branch and knocked aside some leaves before finding their balance in the air, that was okay too. She was sure Martel would forgive them.

When Colette and Lloyd got married, Dirk had helped fashion the groom’s clothes, for Lloyd could not just go to any regular tailor. His wings made it difficult just to wear most things, but his father was all too happy to make the clothes special for his son. For he could invoke all his love in every stitch, all his pride in the chosen fabric color.

Colette remembered how Lloyd’s wings that day were so grand, how their white color matched her own dress. She could barely pay attention to much else at all, to their friends, to their families, to anything else. Just Lloyd’s wonderful smile, and the way their hands linked together.

“Hey,” he had whispered to her once it was over. Her lips were still tingling from their kiss, just now catching her breath. “I love you.”

His wings seemed to catch colors then. Maybe it had been from the setting sun, for the feathers tinged with orange, or maybe it had been from her wings, for the feathers were painted violet. Yet, she thought there was more, an array of colors from cerulean to ruby, from silver to gold.

She reached out to touch them, whispering her love to him as she stroked those feathers, as she watched his wings curl around her. He's beautiful, she thought, melting in his hold.

For Colette had always loved every part of Lloyd.

#tales of symphonia #lloyd irving #colette brunel #frank brunel #colloydweek2023 #colloyd #fanfiction #multi chapter

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