Prescript: This was inspired by a fluffy one-shot by Rose-Wisteria and some serious holy cow-age from The Zelda Master, as well as a certain quote that I can't tell you, otherwise it'd ruin the whole story!
Setting: After getting the Mana Leaf Herb from Latheon Gorge.
Warnings: Guest-appearances by Kathy Gonzalez and Lesley Moralez (some girls in my algebra class who caught me writing during the lecture and insisted on being in the story or they'd tattle on me), Sheelos fluff, and minor Zelos-angst.
Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Symphonia or . . . anything that isn't mine. 0o;
XOXOXOXO
X (Till the Last One Dies) X
XOXOXOXO
It couldn't have been a more peaceful day. The sun was bright, the sky was clear, fluffy white clouds chugged through the sky, and just within Iselia Forest, a picnic was taking place. Birds twittered and flew overhead, landing in a tree near the gathering, content with the low-tones the picnickers were maintaining.
That is, until a sound like a gunshot sprang forth, the startled birds scattering away as a familiar angry voice snapped, "Zelos, you idiot!"
"Can't blame me for trying!" Zelos grumbled, withdrawing his hand from Sheena's chest area and covering his red cheek with it, instead.
"Must you ruin every outing?" Raine admonished him, giving Sheena the standard, "I pity you" look. This was met with the summoner's "save me" expression.
The others — Lloyd, Genis, and Presea — stayed quiet, knowing that telling the redhead off wouldn't do any good. You could yell at him for hours, and five minutes later he'd be at it again.
Sheena crammed an entire sandwich in her mouth and glared daggers at Zelos. Just when they'd finally begun to have a decent conversation, he goes and harasses her again.
"Hi, hunny," Zelos said with a grin, waving at her until she looked away. Once she did, he heaved a heavy sigh. His luck with the "violent banshee" was certainly declining.
When Lloyd finished eating what must have been his twentieth sandwich, he stood up. "Let's go back to the village. Zelos ruined the good mood we had out here."
Everyone other than Zelos himself seemed to agree, and they made their way back to Iselia Village.
XOXOXOXO
"There are more hunnies than ever before!" Zelos observed, rushing up to the first two girls he saw. "Hey gorgeous! What's your name?"
The girl he was addressing gave him a blank look, as if he were crazy, and pushed her long brown ponytail over her shoulder. "Kathy," she answered, then motioned toward her friend. "And this is Lesley."
Zelos flashed them his charismatic grin. "Such beautiful names! You two are the epitome of — OW!"
"The epitome of ow?" Lesley questioned, raising one eyebrow as she stared at Zelos. The redhead had gotten smacked by Sheena and was being dragged away from the two girls at a steady pace.
"Don't mind him. He's a pervert!" Sheena called over her shoulder to Kathy and Lesley, dragging Zelos by the back of his shirt all the way to Colette's house.
XOXOXOXO
With some assistance from Lloyd, Sheena succeeded in putting Zelos in a corner, punishing him with a good old-fashioned time out. They left him alone and went up to Colette's room to check on her and hang around (and let the redhead "think about what he'd done").
"She's the most jealous and possessive hunny of all," Zelos griped, resting his forehead against the wall. He'd been getting into trouble far more often lately, and half the time, he hadn't even done anything wrong. "I can't talk to any other girl but her, it seems!"
Talking to himself was something he did well — right up there with flirting and ritzing and lying — since he'd been doing it ever since he was able to speak. He dared to turn away from the corner his perfect face had been pushed into and look around Colette's quaint living room. Baskets of flowers littered the entire room; daises and poinsettias, tulips, lilies, daffodils, chrysanthemums, and . . . roses. Deep red, velvety roses.
"Ooh . . . " the Chosen murmured to himself, tiptoeing over to the flowers and touching the delicate petals. Tints of powdery pink danced across his cheeks as he tilted his head upward and thought about . . . things only he could understand. He began taking the roses and making a bouquet out of them, then paused.
"She's gotta have . . . " Zelos mumbled, his sentence unfinished as he snooped through Colette's bathroom. Soon enough, he found it — essence of rose in a pretty perfume bottle. Next, he procured an artificial rose that somewhat matched the real ones, and drenched it in the scent. This he added to the bouquet, and set the whole thing on the table.
Now for his grand presentation. "Oh, Sheeeeeeeeeenaaaaa! Come see what I have!"
"Oh, no," Sheena grumbled, looking 'round at her circle of friends. "Should I go?"
"He might come and drag you down if you don't," Genis pointed out.
Sheena sighed and met Zelos at the foot of the stairs.
"Pick a hand," Zelos prompted. He shook his head as she pointed to his left, then his right.
"You idiot!" the summoner snapped. She started to turn and leave, but Zelos reached behind her and pulled the bouquet out of thin air.
"Presto! These are for you." He displayed his most charming smile, knowing this offering was worth at least a hug or two, and a gracious smile to boot.
"Oh . . . " Sheena gasped, accepting the roses and inhaling their sweet smell. "Thanks, Zelos!"
For once, the redhead looked sincere, and placed his hands on either of Sheena's shoulders. "I'll love you 'till the last one dies."
"Ah . . . I . . . " Sheena looked down. "Thank you . . . "
"You're welcome! Now let's go sleep togeth—" He didn't have time to finish before her fist became acquainted with the side of his head.
XOXOXOXO
Quite a long time later, Zelos had turned traitor on them all. "You would do this, even after what we've been through?" Sheena asked, outraged.
"If it means getting to have a real life for once . . . then yes," Zelos admitted with a slow shake of his head. He revealed a pair of orange wings and drew his sword, clashing against Lloyd's twin blades as he, Genis, Raine, and Presea duked it out.
Sheena stood in awe, watching blades fly wildy, fireballs and Aqua Edges being fired across the room, and something like a strobe light flashing as Raine cast her own spells. She wanted to be included in this battle, but then again, didn't want to feel guilty for bringing harm to Zelos. After all . . . over the few days that had passed, the two of them had finally begun to get close. And now this?
How could he do this? Sheena asked herself mentally, folding her arms and turning away from the scene. Zelos had always seemed so happy and content with life. Now he was practically begging to be killed by his own friends. Though, who was to say if the feeling was mutual, this friendship.
When the summoner got up the nerve to look up again, she yelped and jumped backwards. Presea pivoted on her heels, swinging her massive axe in a wide arc, the blade just missing the tip of Sheena's nose. Zelos dodged this, too, only to back up into Raine and get smacked in the head with a surprisingly heavy staff.
The Chosen reeled in a zigzag pattern, stunned, and that gave Presea the opportunity to strike him to the ground and pin him. Zelos gagged and lay still, his breathing shallow and coming out in short, shuddery bursts.
"No! Stop it!" Sheena cried, elbowing Presea away and dropping to the ground beside him. "You can't die, you idiot! You just can't . . . "
"S-sorry . . . hunny," Zelos lied. In reality, he couldn't be happier; this moment couldn't have come sooner. He was suddenly feeling very cold and sleepy, Sheena's image blurring in his eyes. He was too numb to realize they were tears, but what did he care? Now he could finally get what he'd wanted for years.
The summoner looked away, tears of her own forming in the corners of her eyes. "But the last rose hasn't wilted yet . . . " she pleaded.
Zelos offered her a wry smile, allowing his eyes to close — the aforementioned tears running down his cheeks as a result — and breathed a final sentence with the last of his strength: "And it never will."