Summary: Sheena finds herself thinking about how she and Zelos met and their other meetings over the years. Then she thinks about what happened a little over a year ago.
Author's note: a little look at Sheena's past. It has spoilers for a tiny bit of it, but it's mostly my fan-made version of how she met Zelos. I got my inspiration while browsing Photobucket. This happens while staying in the Flanoir one night before going to the ice temple.
Pairings: Zelos/Sheena if you look reaaaally close.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Tales of Symphonia! I only own Mr. Gress.
I think that's everything
Sheena sat on her bed in the inn. She had a lot on her mind. Everyone else was downstairs talking and she had decided to come to bed early. They were in Flanoir, resting before going to the temple of ice. Sheena was thinking about how she met Zelos for whatever reason. Oh well, it was something to think about.
Sheena: age 8
Sheena was patrolling the Gaoracchia forest when she heard a yell. She ran towards it to find a monster attacking a red haired boy. She quickly interfered and killed the monster.
"Are you ok," she asked the boy. He was probably a couple years older than her.
"Yeah," he said standing up.
"You have a wound on your shoulder," Sheena pointed out and pulled some healing supplies and a bandage out of her bag. She treated and bandaged up his shoulder.
"What's your name," he asked her.
"Sheena," she said, "and yours is?"
"I'm Zelos," he said proudly.
"You should get out of the forest, it's dangerous," Sheena told him, "Where are you from, I'll take you home."
"I'm from Meltokio," Zelos said.
"Then we need to go this way," she said.
They traveled for a while, Zelos ranting and Sheena not paying attention, until they came to a butler calling to Zelos.
"Oh there you are Master Zelos," the butler said. Zelos was probably one of those noble kids that were spoilt rotten.
"I guess you have a way home then," Sheena said, "Good bye."
"Bye, Sheena, Thanks for helping," Zelos said as she left.
She headed back to Mizuho and reported.
Sheena: age 10
"Sheena," the chief started, "I need you to take this to the king in Meltokio. We have too many other people out so can you do it?"
"Of course Grandpa," Sheena said, taking the letter and putting it in her bag, "I'm off!"
"Good luck Sheena," the chief said.
~*~*~*
When Sheena arrived in Meltokio, she noticed the red head from two years ago talking to a couple girls. She was thinking about what his name was, but figured it best to finish her mission before thinking anything else about the boy. She got to the castle and the guards let her in after she told them who she was.
"Here's a letter for you, your highness," Sheena told the king, giving him the letter.
"Why thank you," the king said, "You can go whenever you like."
"Thank you sir," Sheena said and left the castle. Now, she would find the red head. She found him right where he was before. She thought hard about what his name was and then gave up, only remembering that it started with a Z.
"Hi," Sheena said, getting the group's attention, "do you remember me from the Gaoracchia Forest? I'm Sheena." The girls looked at her with disgusted looks, but she ignored them.
"Oh yes! From two years ago," he said, "when you saved me from that monster! I thought I'd never meet you again! This is my friend Sheena." He introduced Sheena to the girls behind him.
"I'm sorry," Sheena said, "But I've forgotten your name."
"I can't believe her," one of the spoke up, "She can't even remember her friend's name. On top of that, she dresses like an urchin from the slums."
"I'm from Mizuho," Sheena exclaimed, "I'm no urchin! I bet you can't even fight!"
"Now, now ladies," the red head said, "Why can't we all just get along?"
"She started it," the first girl said.
"What?! What did I do," Sheena asked.
"Now, not meaning to pick on any one in particular," he said, "but what did Sheena do?"
"She couldn't remember you and wears terrible clothing," the second girl said.
"That's it," Sheena said, "I'm leaving!" With that, Sheena left to go home running into her cart-driving friend.
"Hi, Sheena," the man said.
"Hi, Mr. Gress," Sheena said.
"Need a ride back to Mizuho," Mr. Gress asked.
"That would be nice. Are you headed in that direction," Sheena asked.
"Yup, I am. Just making the usual rounds," he said. Mr. Gress was a farmer who took fresh fruit to Meltokio, Sybak, and Ozette every other day. He was also one of the few remaining people that traveled using a wooden, horse-drawn cart. Sheena had made friends with him and often rode home on the back of his cart and then helped him get to and from Ozette through the Gaoracchia Forest.
"Hey! Sheena," the red head boy called to her. When he got to her, he continued, "I forgot to remind you what my name was. It's Zelos! And don't worry about those girls, they don't know that we only met once and that was two years ago."
"Is this a friend of yours, Sheena," Mr. Gress asked.
"Yes, I met him two years ago," Sheena said.
"Can I go with you," Zelos asked, "I rarely get to travel."
"Most definitely not," Sheena said, "I can't take you to Mizuho."
"I can always bring him back afterwards," Mr. Gress said, "I come past Meltokio on my way home anyways." This made Zelos look hopeful.
"Fine, but I can come back with you," Sheena said, hoping that nothing would go wrong.
"Hop on the back and we'll be off," Mr. Gress said. The two kids got on the back and they were off. Zelos and Sheena talked about what had happened since they last met and then Zelos asked a question.
"Why does this person use a cart? Why doesn't he use an EC," Zelos asked.
"He prefers it because he says it makes him feel like he's connected to the past. He likes olden day things and such," Sheena said as they arrived in Sybak, "Besides, EC's can't get through the Gaoracchia Forest and Mr. Gress is getting old and can't walk as much. The cart is easier for him."
"I see," Zelos said.
The kids helped Mr. Gress with his deliveries and then hoped back on the cart. When they got to the forest, they hoped off.
"Ride in the front with Mr. Gress for now," Sheena told Zelos and he got on the front with Mr. Gress. Sheena led them through the forest and out the Ozette end. The kids got back on the back. They helped Mr. Gress in Ozette and then headed back through the forest in the same fashion as before Zelos and Mr. Gress on the front of the cart and Sheena leading on foot in front of them.
Afterwards, Sheena said good-bye and headed back to the village to give her report.
Sheena: one year before the events of the game.
Zelos came to the Gaoracchia Forest every now and then with Mr. Gress and talked with Sheena on the back of the cart. They kept in contact as friends, though whenever she went to Meltokio, she got dirty looks from some of the girls.
"Sheena, I have a new mission for you," the chief said.
"What is it," Sheena asked.
"It's an escort mission that you were specifically requested for," The chief said, "you're to escort the Chosen safely wherever he wishes to go."
"Who requested me? His butler," Sheena asked.
"Actually, it was the Chosen himself," the chief said, "He said that he would have no one else, though others weren't too impressed because of your age."
"I can do it just fine," Sheena said, "What's the Chosen's name?"
"Zelos Wilder," the chief said. Sheena almost fell over. That was Zelos' full name, he had told her himself, but he had never, ever said that he was the Chosen.
"Zelos," she asked, shocked.
"Yes, is something wrong," the chief asked her.
"No, nothing," Sheena said, "I'll leave right now for Meltokio."
"Good luck," the chief told her, and she left. Everyone knew that the Chosen was from Meltokio, but no one had ever told her that he was the Chosen.
~*~*~*
Sheena was just in time to run into Mr. Gress on his way back home with his escort and hitched a ride to Meltokio. She thanked Mr. Gress and went off to find her friend and give him a piece of her mind. She never liked it when people kept secrets from her like this that were important. Found him at his house and found him waiting for her.
"Why didn't you tell me," Sheena demanded from the red head.
"I didn't want you to run off, thinking that you weren't good enough to be my friend or something," Zelos said.
Sheena sighed, "I hate it when people keep secrets like this from me," she said. She never thought that she would be escorting her friend like this.
"Where to first," she asked, annoyed.
"How about Altamira," Zelos said. Going to Altamira meant that they would have to go all the way to the dock past Ozette. Then they would have to travel by boat.
"Do you have a boat at the dock near Ozette," Sheena asked.
"Yup! Let's go," Zelos said. Sheena sighed. It was going to be a long time before she got home, she knew it.
Even though several guards insisted on coming, Zelos convinced them that they would be fine by themselves. They didn't talk much on the way to Sybak, where they stayed the night and continued on to the forest.
"Here's the Gaoracchia forest," Zelos said, "Where we first met years ago."
"Yeah, seems like forever ago," Sheena agreed, "but we don't have time for recollections or monsters will catch us off guard. Let's keep moving."
"You take your job too seriously," Zelos said.
"Right now I'm on a mission to escort the Chosen, not traveling with a friend," Sheena said. She heard him sigh. They continued on for a while when a monster attacked from behind. They both took it out, Sheena with her cards and Zelos with his sword. Sheena remembered when Zelos had showed her what he had learnt about sword fighting. It was somewhere close that he had showed her. There was still a mark on the tree from that day.
A monster all of a suddenly jumped out of the bushes and attacked Sheena from behind. Zelos took it out and went over to Sheena.
"Are you ok," Zelos asked her.
"I'm fine," she said, getting up and falling back down again. Great, that secret attack had gotten her an injured leg. "I can't believe I was so careless," she muttered.
"Get on," Zelos said, crouching down so that she could get on his back.
"What," Sheena said. Doing that would be terrible, asking the client to help 'escort' her instead of vice versa, but then again, staying here would be more dangerous. She climbed onto his back and he stood up.
"We are never talking about this again," Sheena said.
"We should probably rest in Ozette though," Zelos said. Sheena couldn't argue with that even though some one would probably tell someone else from Mizuho, but oh well. Even though the thought wasn't pleasant, at least she could rest safely and without putting the Chosen in danger. She should've paid more attention.
They traveled in silence until they got into a room at the Ozette inn. Sheena could hear a couple people whisper and glared at them, making them silent.
Zelos set her down on one of the two beds and she pulled out some healing supplies. Before she could treat herself, Zelos had cast first aid on her. Her leg was already better.
"You can use magic. I thought only elves and half elves could do that," she said amazed.
"I can because I'm the Chosen," he said.
Then, a thought set in.
"Why didn't you use magic back in the forest," she asked him.
"Well, it actually completely slipped my mind," he said.
Sheena laid down, "We might as well stay the night," she said. She didn't hear and answer and took that as an agreement and went to sleep.
~*~*~*
In the morning, Sheena was the first one up. She looked at the sleeping Zelos and saw how peaceful he looked. She thought that he looked more like a child then his actual age.
She checked over her leg and made sure that she could stand and such on it, afterwards, leaving to get some supplies.
When she got back, Zelos was awake and sat on his bed.
"Good morning," he said.
"Time to go," Sheena told him and he got up. They left for the dock and, luckily, didn't get attacked on the way. They set off to sea straight away and spent that day, night, and the next day on the boat.
Upon getting to Altamira, they checked into the hotel and went straight to bed.
Sheena was glad to finally be there. She had been exhausted from Zelos. Who knew that he had that much energy? She had been kept awake until midnight by his babbling and was woken up at seven by the restless Chosen. At least she got her own room now. She fell asleep right as her head hit the pillow.
~*~*~*
In the morning, she heard a knock at the door. Why the heck is room service here this early?! The knock came again, this time with a call.
"Sheena, wake up," Zelos said through the door, "Sheena!"
Sheena got up and kicked the door. Afterwards, she got changed in peaceful silence. When she opened the door, Zelos was still there waiting.
"Let's go down to the beach," he said, pulling her along. Whee, no she had to play with the one she was supposed to be babysitting. At the beach, she spoke her mind.
"Look Zelos, I'm supposed to escort you safely, not hang out and have fun," Sheena said.
"Aw, come on," Zelos said, "I wanted you to do the "escort" because I wanted to hang out with my friend more. That's why I wouldn't let anyone else "escort" me." Sheena gave in.
"Fine, but it's your fault if I get in trouble," Sheena said.
"Yay," Zelos said, and they had a day of fun.
~*~*~*
Though she had a good time, Sheena was glad the day was finally over. She retired to the shower. During her shower, she heard the door creak open slightly. Luckily, the curtain concealed her and she looked around it so only her head showed. There was Zelos, trying to look at her in the shower.
"Perverted Chosen," She yelled and threw a bar of soap, barely missing him as he ran off, "When I get my hands on you you're dead meat!"
Present day
Sheena remembered what happened afterwards. She showed him a piece of her mind and took him home the next day. She would have nothing to do with him for another year when they would join up to save the world. Though he tried to visit her, she would completely avoid him.
Someone knocked on the door. She quietly laid herself down and pretended to be asleep. The door creaked open but she had her back to the door and couldn't see who it was. The door closed again and no one returned until the next day.
Author's Comment: I hope you enjoyed it! I thought that this would be fun to write, seeing as Sheena seems to almost always yell at Zelos for one thing or another. I wonder if anyone can guess who it was at the door at the end...