A/N: The dialogue here is from . A thank you to the author who took the time to write it out. It helps to give background to the piece I've created, Her Reasoning. Hope you all enjoy.
Kuchinawa: My chance to avenge my parents' deaths has finally arrived.
The Papal Knights and Kuchinawa surround Lloyd's group.
Sheena: …Avenge your parents? Kuchinawa: Correct. You will die for killing my parents along with countless others of our village when you failed to control Volt. Sheena: …Wh...What?! Lloyd: That was an accident! Why are you doing this now? Kuchinawa: Accident? I could have accepted things if she just failed to make a pact with a Summon Spirit. But then, she failed to assassinate the Chosen of Sylvarant, thereby placing Mizuho in danger. Yet look at her now. She's made pacts with Summon Spirits just like that. Colette: You have it all wrong! Kuchinawa: Do I?! I think she wasn't really trying during the first pact-making! Because of that, she killed my parents and our people. Sheena: I did the best I could…
Kuchinawa: Enough excuses!
Lloyd's group fights 3 Papal Knights. After Lloyd's group defeats them, the other Papal Knights approach Lloyd's group, and they are surrounded.
Lloyd: Damn, there's too many of them!
Sheena: Kuchinawa! Please! Don't drag them into this! I'm the one you despise, right? Then I'm the only one you need to kill!
Lloyd: Sheena, stop talking like that!
Sheena: It's okay. Kuchinawa…please.
Kuchinawa: Fine.
Just as Sheena approaches Kuchinawa, a light from the moon shoots toward the Otherworldy Gate. The gate activates.
Zelos: …You've got to be kiddin' me! Enough of this, Sheena!
Zelos grabs Sheena's arm.
Sheena: Ahh!
Zelos: Lloyd! Come on!
Zelos drags Sheena and quickly runs to the gate. They teleport to Sylvarant.
Lloyd: Everybody, into the gate!
The entire group ends up in Sylvarant. After making plans, the group decides to rest and camp for the night. Everyone is sound asleep except for a certain ninja…
Her Reasoning
Sheena threw another log on the dimming fire. As the flames grew in stature, she could discern Lloyd's sleeping figure. His covers usually consumed him, though his hair always managed to stick out in brown, limping spikes. The sight made Sheena smile and she thought about how she'd have to kick him awake in the morning -a typical routine. She wished, however, for those kicks to be sweet caresses, a gentle prompting to awaken his boyish charms and rambunctious antics. Sheena then eyed Colette who lay peacefully in the fetal position. Adorable, sweet-natured Colette, with her beautiful blond hair and wide blue eyes. Colette, who—
"Can't sleep, either?"
Sheena stiffened and looked across the fire pit to see Zelos emerging from his sleeping bag, his disheveled red hair surrounding his face like a lion's mane. He sat by Sheena, not too close, as he usually did, but at an appropriate distance which surprised the ninja.
"No. No sleep tonight."
"I can guess why."
"Can you?"
Zelos squinted in annoyance.
"You're forgiving to everyone but yourself, you know that?"
His tone was sober, and she eyed him as he poked the fire with a stray stick.
"I miss the green of Tethe'alla already," he digressed. "This place is so barren, so brown."
"It doesn't compare to your castle grounds, does it?" Sheena asked grouchily.
"Down, hunny. I don't miss my extravagant lifestyle. Not as much as you'd think."
"Why's that?"
"No, I'm not going into that. I wallow in self-pity in private. You are the subject at hand."
"No, thanks."
"What were you thinking?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Your take on sacrificial lamb."
Sheena was silent. Zelos' penetrating eyes bothered her.
"We can't lose you," Zelos said.
"I failed the pact."
"And I'm only important because I'm the Chosen. Who cares."
"You didn't destroy lives."
"You didn't mean to do that."
"It doesn't matter."
"It DOES matter."
"If I want to die, that's MY decision, Zelos!" Sheena seethed.
"It doesn't mean it's the right decision," Zelos countered. "You're hurting. What happened was awful. But look at you now! You're on a journey to save two worlds, both populated with millions of lives. You're on the right path!"
Tears. Sheena hated them, yet they fell from her eyes. She covered her face with her hands and stifled a frustrated sob. Zelos scooched closer to the ninja and gently placed his slender hand on her back. It was possibly the first instance Zelos chose to touch her in a non-sexualized manner, and it surprised Sheena. Her instinct was to shove off his hand, but as she peeked at the Chosen's composure, she perceived his sincerity and relaxed her potential to stiffen.
"Sheena, you're a good person."
"I know. I know that deep down."
"You shouldn't have to travel that far," Zelos smirked. "I, on the other hand,…that would take some major digging."
Sheena eyed him, "You're a pervert, but not a bad person, Zelos."
"It's more complicated than my womanizing tendencies," he muttered.
Sheena sighed and Zelos removed his hand from her. She watched it slowly glide to his side and couldn't help but place her own hand on his. Zelos shot a quick look at Sheena's smiling face and then smiled himself. They sat a while together in that position until their companions were roused from sleep by the rising sun. Sheena rose, and Zelos noticed the escaping warmth of her touch. She rose, but beamed at him.
The rest of the day, they shared secret, innocent glances, glad at their experience and blooming friendship.