This Time You Have Friends

"No," I said. "I won't give in. I have to finish this."

But the world seemed to rest on my shoulders. At this point, if I didn't have it in me to defeat Volt, I never would. Everyone had so much faith in me that I was crushed inside. Lloyd had even looked me in the eye and told me, "Sheena, I know you can do this."

I smiled and said, "Thanks, Lloyd," but I didn't really believe him.

I couldn't do this.

But I had to.

I stood alone on a bridge a little way away from camp. I could see Volt's lair looming in the distance, only it didn't seem so far. We were resting tonight, but in the morning we would enter.

I sighed and rested my elbows on the bridge railing. Below me, the water rippled gently in the breeze. Electricity crackled in the air, though, so we couldn't touch the stream. We were too close to the temple. We would get shocked and then could never form a pact with Volt.

The crunch of approaching footsteps cut through my wandering mind, and I looked up to see--ugh--Zelos coming up to me.

"What do you want, Zelos?" I asked warily. "I don't feel like playing games right now."

"Relax, Sheena," he said. "I'm not here to bite."

He seemed frustrated. He ran his fingers through his thick red hair.

"Sheena," he said. "Stop beating yourself up."

I scowled and lowered my head.

"I shouldn't even be here, Zelos," I said. "I should have died more than ten years ago, but I didn't."

"That's right," he said. "You didn't."

He seemed to be challenging me. I stood up straight and rounded on him.

"Zelos, I don't need to deal with your crap right now," I warned him. "I don't want to add any more stress."

He looked at me in disbelief.

"You think you're the only one who has stress?" he asked. "Take a look at that camp over there."

He gestured toward our friends.

"What about it?" I asked.

Zelos took my face into his hands. They were warm and calloused. I was forced to meet his blue gaze. It was honest and sincere.

"Look harder, Sheena," he said.

He dropped my face, and I fell silent as my eyes swept over our nightly establishment. Genis and Raine were sitting in one spot, holding books, but I could see that they weren't really studying. Noishe was carrying a branch, but despite his whines, Lloyd ignored him. And even Colette seemed to be down. She sat in the dirt, contemplating something hard.

My fire cooled. I looked up at Zelos.

"They're all down," I said.

"That's right," he said. "They're sad, Sheena, because they're worried about you. Because you're worried."

I turned back to the railing and leaned over it once again. Zelos followed me, settling beside me.

"Zelos, I killed all those people," I whispered. "Maybe this is my retribution. If I die tomorrow, I'll have deserved it. It's payment."

"No, Sheena," Zelos promised. "You're doing a good thing now. You won't die. I won't let you."

"How?" I asked. "Lloyd told me I could do it, that I would win, but he doesn't know me, Zelos. He doesn't know the kind of mistakes I've made. I always mess up. I hurt people. And I'm not strong enough to fight Volt."

"I think you can do it, Sheena," Zelos speculated.

I looked at him sadly.

"Why?" I asked.

"You're not a little kid anymore, honey," he said. "You've grown so much, and now you're stronger. And you have us. This time, you won't be alone."

I looked down and gulped.

"I hope so," I said.

Zelos grasped my upper arms.

"I know so," he said. "You can do it."

A painful tear slipped out of one eye. Zelos saw it and pulled me into a warm hug. My face fit nicely into the nape of his neck.

"Thank you, Zelos," I said.

I sniffed, and my long-time friend rubbed my back.

"Remember, Sheena," he said. "This time you have friends."

Author's Note: Wow. It's been a really long time, but I got inspiration and wrote this little thing. It's okay if no one reviews it. I kind of wrote it to get back in the Sheelos mood. I miss writing it and want to keep going with stories.

Thanks for reading, if you did.

SC