Title: Go Back To Sleep
Day/Theme: July 28 - loneliness is anger given a better name
Series: Tales of Symphonia
Character/Pairing: Colette, someone... else. /hit
Rating: PG-13
Note: Erm, watch me abuse a character by queenie_z. Ahaha. And fail at being creepy again.


"Please step away from that window," he whispered, hush, into her ears. "You're safe here. Here with me."

Colette had to force back a sob as she felt his arms close around her again. This was wrong, this was so wrong. She wanted to escape. She tried to reach out towards the window, frantic in trying to reach for that elusive outside. But he just captured that hand with his own, holding it gently and chuckling in her ear. He was amused.

She turned towards that face, that horrible, twisted face of the man she thought she had loved. That face with the horrible red eyes. That face with the smile he must think was loving, but was instead terrifying. "Pl-please," she said, quietly. "Can't I go home?"

He just smiled all the wider, as if he was amused by something she said. "But you are home, silly. The home I built for the both of us."

She shuddered. Maybe it was how close he was, or just how he was, but she couldn't stand him. She felt utterly revolted by the man holding her. But, Colette knew there was little escape at the moment. She'd tried before, but he just caught her. Caught her every time she tried to escape, and brought her back here to him. Always to him. Back to the prison he'd made for the two of them.

But, he was holding her so gently, petting her hair as if she was something about to break. Which she felt like she was, even in the light hold. "I'm so happy you're here with me finally. So happy. I was so lonely for so long," he said, his breath becoming uneven as he continued to pet her. "I felt so angry at the world for what they've done to you. To us."

Colette felt that shudder again. He was growing more aggravated, and she knew what would happen if he were to grow more and more angered. Even if he was perfectly gentle and sweet to her, she knew what he was like. This horrid man was terrifying when he was angry. He'd done things, horrible and cruel things, to the people he had once called their friends. She couldn't have that happen again.

So, she turned around in his hold to face him, trying to still the queasy feeling in her stomach as she smiled at him. "B-but you don't have to be angry anymore! I'm here!" she stressed. Please don't hurt anyone else, please don't hurt anyone else-

But he still frowned. "But the world will still come after us, even here. They're always after you. Always after you."

Colette let out a light sob. "N-no! You're protecting me! Please, you don't have to do anything more for me, I promise! I swear!"

His smile was back. That horrible loving smile. "But I'm always going to protect you. From all of those liars. From all of the world," he said, holding her even tighter. "That's why I can't have you leave me again."

Colette couldn't stop the tears this time. What had happened to him? What had happened?

But, he just stood there, petting her and cooing to her, even as the night fell. "No one will ever hurt you. No one will ever hurt you again, Colette."

Lloyd sang that one lullaby, over and over again, even as she fell asleep in his arms, still crying in fear, even in her sleep.

"I won't let them hurt you ever again."