A/N: Sorry this took forever! I will admit, this was partly my fault. I missed school due to illness, and then I got Dawn of the New World and was ready to start that. . But I swore that I would update this today, so I did! ^_^
I wanted to say a few things about Dawn of The New World, but after further thought, I decided to condense it. I recommend playing it, but be ready for a let down. It was ok, but I ended up digging for my GameCube in my closet and playing the first game twice to make me feel better.
Lol. I'm probably gonna get flamed or something, but I just wanna say that I absolutely loathe both Emil and Marta.
Anyway, I'll be ranting about Dawn of the New World more on my profile.
I wasn't happy with this chapter, but I guess it's the best I have. Please read and reveiw! Anything helps!!!! Thank you! :3
Chapter Two: Not Forgotten
"Open mine first!!" Colette cheered, trusting a present into my palms. "Please, Sheena?"
We had ended up in a circle; all eight of us, including my grandfather and the Vice-Chief. Colette was to my right, Grandfather to my left—he'd decided to situate himself between Zelos and I after his proclamation of desiring payment for throwing me a party later tonight; I found it absolutely entertaining, yet somewhat annoying—Lloyd beside Colette, then Genis, then Regal, Presea, Raine, Vice-Chief, and, lastly, Zelos.
"You guys..." I sighed in resignation. "I feel bad for—...you didn't have to get me gifts! I...I don't have anything to give—"
"Knock it off, Sheena," Lloyd said lightheartedly. "We didn't expect you to! Isn't that the point of a surprise?"
"We appreciate your sentiments, Sheena, but it was our intention to have gifts," Raine said a bit more logically than Lloyd.
"Some of us have more than enough money to spend," Regal made note, making eye contact with Zelos.
"And a few of us were able to make gifts." Presea announced.
I bit down gently on my lip. While they're words were accurate and made sense, they weren't enough to drive the indignity away from my heart. Their countless sacrifices, their encouraging outlooks, their affectionate words...it was more than I had ever asked for from anyone. Looking at Colette, who sported her carefree, smile, then back to the small package in my hands, I surrendered to their arguments and began to unwrap the gift. Under the paper was a cylindrical metal container with a lid. Hesitantly, I enclose my hand around the top and pulled. With the tin open, I peered inside.
"Oh, Colette," I said with calm shock. "Thank you so much!"
A spherical glass bottle with a wooded stopper of purple fluid—I assumed lavender petals that had been crushed so finely into liquid—was nestled in a bed of parchment at the bottom. Taking care not to break the glass, I tipped the metal container with my left hand and let the bottle fall into my right, eyeing it with wonder. The scent of lavender was utterly intoxicating as it radiated from the now empty cylinder, and it's meaning—which Colette was definitely unaware of—filled me with sanguinity.
"Colette," I spoke as though I was gossiping with a girl friend. "Do you know what the lavender flower is supposed to symbolize?"
Her eyes widened with interest. "Flowers mean something?!"
I nodded feverishly. "They do in Mizuho! Lavender is a way of telling someone good luck...and best wishes."
"Oh!" She exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "Then I wish you the best of luck, Sheena!"
'Goodness knows, I sure do need it, Colette...'
"I'll put this on every day, I promise," candor laced my vow.
"I will too!"
"Okay, mine next!!!" Lloyd tossed a slightly bigger box in my direction.
Lloyd's gift hitting my hands caused my face to flood with red. I opened it with great care, not ripping the covering any more than I needed to. Under the paper was a cardboard rectangle, my name scrawled with messy print across the top in black ink. I shook it once, hearing a solid clinking sound; it had to be a necklace or a bracelet—hopefully handmade. The memory of Lloyd giving Colette wearing Lloyd's handmade necklace always filled me with envy; I had wanted one ever since. Hurriedly, I broke the seal on the bottom of the cardboard, letting its contents fall into my lap.
It was a bracelet; a bracelet of rainbow-colored leather with a tie so it could be easily removed. My heart thumped so loudly in my ears I was sure everyone else could hear it without a doubt. Fumbling with the tie, I managed to loosen the knot and get it around my right wrist, securing it with a tighter bind than before.
"I'm never taking this off," I held my right arm to my heart, looking at him with my widest smile. "I love it. Thank you!"
"Thanks, heh..." he mumbled shyly. "I liked the rainbow. I thought you might too..."
"Of course!"
"You need to open mine," Genis chuckled, sliding his actual box in my direction.
"Why?" I was timorous as I took hold his present. "Is it alive?"
"No, it isn't alive...but you probably should open it now. I want to know if it got damaged when it hit Raine..."
"I'm sorry!" Colette buried her face in her hands while Raine affectionately rubbed the bruise on her forehead.
Unlike Lloyd and Colette, Genis had not wrapped his gift; it was just a pale white parcel. Wary, I tugged the two flaps apart, gaining full view of what exactly he had been talking about.
I smirked.
"Genis, I can't believe I forgot to remember how much I missed your cooking!"
"I'm glad I was able to remind you," he sounded sarcastic.
Cupcakes. Genis' cupcakes. My mouth watered—no second thoughts about conduct or discourtesy. The aroma that exuded off the pastries as unseen vapor filled the room, reminding me of the way I used to stare outside of the bakeries as a child whenever I left the village for school or for an assignment. Each one was individually surrounded by clear parchment paper, chocolate icing made apparent because of their lucent casings. Amazingly enough, none of the treats had received any type of injury because of the mishap moments ago. Colette's inelegant disposition truly was blessed. The only difference from what Genis had made and the displays of the stores I gawked at were proportion.
"Genis, there's...there's no way I can eat all of these! There are like thirty of them!!!"
"You always overdo it, don't you...?" Raine chided him with a sigh.
Genis' defense was discomfited laughter.
"That's why we're here!!" Zelos spoke for the first time in what seemed like hours.
Thinking that knocked me for six. He'd always managed to yell about something perverted every now and again, or at least pretend to insult me. He could have commented about the way I'd fawned over my bracelet, or how I needed the lavender perfume—something along those lines—yet Zelos had remained silent; he had deviated from the norm once more.
Just like Orochi had done for the last few months.
I was not content with it.
"Since you finally feel like talking, why don't you go next?" I suggested with tension.
'Ah—ah—ah!" I wagged his finger at me. "Save the best for last, hunny! Think of it as showing an example of one of the many ways I can blow your mind."
I glowered at him from blazing rage, realizing that I had been a hypocrite. This was what I wanted, and I got it.
"I don't think I'll be taking you up on that offer any time soon."
He merely put his hand up. "Wait until my turn, sweetie. Then we'll see."
"Perhaps I should end this unneeded quarreling," Regal cleared his throat. "I will give my gift to Sheena."
"Thank you," Genis said tersely in Zelos' direction.
I got the feeling his tone was for our redheaded friend, but the gratitude was conveniently not.
Regal walked with a kingly stride across the room in my direction, handing me a package of yellow speckled with purple flowers. I could tell it had been handed with the kind of care only those few opulent fellows could afford, which caused me profound regret at the thought of turning it to ruin. Shaking it once, hearing a heavy thud, I explained to myself as kindly as I could that the box was meant to be opened in such a manner, swearing on Corrine's bell that I would save the remnants. With quavering fingers, I tore the end of the wrapping away, setting it aside in the same stack as my other gifts. Because the one end was fully exposed, I was able to easily glide the package out from its attractive shield.
"Are you gonna save the paper too?" Zelos was frivolous as he asked.
"I think it's pretty," was my sturdy rejoinder.
"Country people are so easily amused..." he laughed, grinning towards the ceiling.
"And what, may I ask, amuses you Chosen One?" the Vice-Chief inquired of him.
'Ahhh...sweet vengeance...'
"Not wrapping paper," Zelos snorted.
"You, who hold yourself in high regard because of your luxury, have had the opportunities to see that which Sheena, who was raised in exile and unable to leave her village without escort, has not."
"You know nothing of what it means to find pleasure in the simple things." My grandfather added.
"Well, I'll admit you're dead on there," Zelos began, flipping his long tresses from his eyes. "I have held myself higher than others. But I happen to be separate between those who are born into wealth and those who aren't. If you fully asses both situations, considering now what we know about the Church of Martel, I shouldn't have the things I have and I shouldn't have experienced what I have experienced. So, all things considered, it's my luck that's given me this luxury. "
'...He's right....'
"That may be true, Zelos," Raine interjected herself into the dispute. "But making a mockery of what you understand is utterly more shameful than if you were to do the same with something you are unknowledgeable of."
"I don't know what it means to be impoverished. I don't know what it means to live the way the people of Mizuho or the people of Sylvarant have."
"Maybe you should try," Lloyd told him frankly.
"...Maybe I don't want to," Zelos' smile faded.
Genis jumped to his feat. "You selfish—"
'No...!'
"Stop!" I shouted with irritation. "I don't want this to turn into some heated, ugly debate! I hoped this could be a peaceful event..."
"Sheena's right," Colette aided me in my plight. "We didn't come here to fight! We came here because we wanted to see each other after such a long time."
"We should be grateful that we're here not for saving the world from peril, but merely because we care for one another." Regal supported Colette's statement.
"I agree," Presea said softly. "Why do we not just ignore our animosity...for Sheena."
An awkward silence bubbled up between all of us. Zelos had refused to stare anyone in the face; he kept his face straight to the right of our circle. Raine, heaving a great sigh, held her gaze downward at the floor, giving the impression of deep thought, which I did not doubt was genuine. Lloyd and Genis, in tandem, folded their arms across their chests in a juvenile fashion, the small half-elf eventually returning to his original position instead of standing. I could still sense the lengthened ire that had not stabilized in the middle of our quiet, so, acting as peacemaker, I hurriedly tore at the flaps of the box that Regal had given me, praying that whatever was inside would lighten the moods of my comrades.
Little by little, I lifted a beautifully carved wooden box of some kind. A large, intricate emblem of a letter 'S' colored in green and gold was proudly embossed on the lid of the box. My olfactory senses were instantly filled with the sharp scent of mahogany; crisp and tranquil. Upon lifting the lid, which made no sound, I saw a neat stack of stationary; sifting through the pile, I discovered each was also embossed with a faint letter 'S' of the same nature as on the top. Things of that sort were usually reserved for the ladies of the Royal Court, and they were pricey as they were good-looking.
"This must have cost you..." I mumbled, inattentive.
"On the contrary. My company makes these for even the king himself. Even so, as I stated earlier, some of us have more than enough money to spend."
"Sheena does need practice on her letter writing," My grandfather's lip tremble as he did his best to stifle a chuckle.
My façade tightened and contorted at his statement, which made everyone else guffaw.
"It's so-so...so...ugh! There hasn't been a word created to really describe how bad it is!"
"What about 'vile'?" Genis recommended.
"I favor 'repugnant.'" Regal spoke with a distant grin; as if he were remembering something from precedent times.
"More like 'odious.'" Zelos put his two cents in.
'...I don't even know what that word means!'
As if reading my mind, Lloyd suddenly took hold of his head with his hands and loudly moaned: "I've never even heard of any of these words before!!"
The sound level of our laughing rose up by a hefty amount of decibels.
"Vile. Causing disgust or abhorrence, wicked, unpleasant and worthless," Presea explained monotonously. "Repugnant. Offensive and unacceptable; making someone feel physically repelled. Odious. Inspiring hatred, contempt or disgust."
"Thank you, Human Dictionary," Zelos saluted her.
Presea's head tilted, blatantly bewildered.
"Is that a bad thing?"
"No, Presea," Regal placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's Zelos' way of saying that you have a broad vocabulary. He is complementing you."
"Oh, I see," she then smiled in the redhead's direction. "Thank you, Zelos."
"You are very welcome, my cute, little Presea."
"Yeah, yeah! We get it, already!" Genis brusquely ceased the conversation; everyone already knew why. "Who's next?"
"I am," Presea said with a slightly chipper tone, walking to me and handing me her gift as robotically as I had seen her in ages. "This is for you, Sheena. I hope you...enjoy it."
"Of course I will," I beamed at her as I took the package from her diminuitive hands.
On those precious occasions when Presea would bear her pearly whites out of pure delight, I found myself being drawn in to that joyful spirit that had been locked away when I had first encountered her. I could only imagine the kind of person she was previous to her ghastly exsphere incident; the people who must have called her their own personal sun who lit the dreary days with brightness...I regretted not meeting Presea during that time so much that it made my heart ache, and I made up my mind that I would stick to my decision for as long as I lived every time I saw her in a state of glee.
When she could tell I had run out of things to say, she speedily scurried back to her spot between Regal and the Vice-Chief. Her gift was the most minuscule of them all; I could hold the dumpy box in one palm without fear of it falling to the floor. I couldn't put my finger on it, but, strangely enough, I took pleasure in that the other presents that had beaten Presea's in the size category. One of the many sayings of my grandfather that I had based my life around was the classic: "Big things come in small packages." That, too, let thoughts of Presea blossom inside my head. That was her no hands down.
Presea had given me one of her homemade charms; a long-winged butterfly that had been christened with my colors; purple, pink and black. The charm was something I truly appreciated because there was no doubt that this came from the raw heart of Presea, yet I felt dismayed. The thoughts of her slaving to make something special for me, and here I stood, empty handed, my only reply—'Thank you'—lacking the substance that could equal the magnificence of her handiwork.
"Presea..." I choked.
"...Do you not like it?" she was not distressed, but inquisitive.
"I—no! I-I mean, yes! Presea, I love it. I do, honest."
Presea's smile did not falter, and my entity was packed to the brim with warmth.
"Thank you very much, Sheena."
"You're the best Presea," I stared at her with rigid fervor. "You are."
That was the first time I ever saw Presea blush; it was adorable to say the least. The eternally pallid face of hers was shot full of a substantial scarlet without any delay. Shifting eyes, twitching fingers; the petite adult was justifiably embarrassed. I was so amazed, I could tell my jaw had gone slack.
And I wasn't the only one stunned.
"Wow, Presea, I didn't know you're face could get that red!" Lloyd announced at the top of his voice.
"Aww," Zelos crooned. "You've got such a cute blush, Presea!"
"I-I-I-I th-think so too!" Genis agreed, sporting a blush of his own.
"...Hmm..." was all Presea could hum; she didn't look at any of us, just kept her eyes to the stable ground below her.
"Ok, Zelos," I said, casting my gaze towards the former Tethe'allan Chosen. "Let's see it."
That victorious smirk snuck onto his lips; he could tell I was eager. That was something I didn't want him to ascertain. Give Zelos Wilder an inch, and he'd take a mile.
But I couldn't deny it to myself that I was not excited about this present that he had claimed to be the best.
"As you command, my Violent Demonic Ban—"
"Just give me the gift, you Stupid Chosen..."
"Geez, Sheena. Touchy, touchy. And I went to all this trouble—"
I could feel the heat rising up to my collar as he continued to prolong my suffering.
'He's trying to get a rise out of you...you know him well enough...just be calm. ...Calm...Calm...I am calm...'
Watching him with an unblinking stare, I watched him remove a lean, although elongated, tan leather fold from his peachy vest. Eyeing me suggestively, he waved the folded piece of material in front of my eyes for a minute or so, eventually skimming it across the short distance towards me.
"What in the world is this?" I partially snapped, turning the leather fold over thrice before stopping.
"You have to open it, hunny," he spoke as if I were hard at hearing, which did not help to quell my fury.
"I kinda figured out that part!"
"Did you?"
"Yes!"
"So? What are you waiting for? Open it!"
I digested his words; nevertheless, my hands did not immediately open the fold. I was too interested in actually pondering what could be within this uncanny device. I hadn't seen anything that looked like it could even belong to the same family of cases prior to this. It was all entirely baffling.
"C'mon Sheena, I want to see too!" Lloyd whined, running his hands through his hair in anticipation; he seemed just as—if not more—animated than I.
Stealing one last glimpse at Zelos, who was boastfully sprawled out in his personal space, making a gesture with his hand to unfold the thing, I inhaled deeply, spreading apart the fold as if the thing that it held were going to bite me if I made the wrong move.
Once I saw it, it took the majority of my willpower not to drop what was in my hands.
There, hanging within the fold, was a bell—Corrine's bell, to be precise, shined and cleaned so thoroughly that the sun's bright waves shimmering through the windows hit it, sending speckles of yellow and white as far as they could reach, strung on a flat chain of gold. Further inspecting the chain, I noticed a subtle inscription that was halved on either side of the bell. It was absolutely breathtaking.
"You voice will ring...within my heart forever..." I read aloud, but I wasn't sure if anyone else could hear me.
"I kind of borrowed it," Zelos confessed, fumbling with his hair between his fingers. "I hope you don't mind."
Tears began to well in my eyes as I let the sight of the necklace of his soak in, periodically gawking back at Zelos, who seemed a tad embarrassed as well.
A special, familiar sensation began to fly through the course of the body I had.
No other sound but a racing beat reached my ear, shallow breathing following promptly afterwards.
...It was sensation...
...I hadn't felt in such a long time...
It was bringing everything back...
'...Zelos...I-I...I can't believe it...'
"Oh, Zelos, that's gorgeous!" Colette exclaimed, peering over my shoulder. "Who came up with the words?"
'You have no idea...do you?
"Uh...I actually kind of did that on a whim. I-I mean, I wanted it to be something about a bell, so I just wrote that down and said to engrave it on the necklace..."
'You don't know...'
"Wow, bet it was a ton of money," Lloyd said.
'... how this makes me feel...'
"Nah. I've got too much money." Zelos chortled, rolling his eyes.
'You don't understand what it means....'
"Both of us do," Regal concurred.
'....when you're the one that makes my heart flutter...'
The rest of the evening vanished.
'...You've done it before...'
One by one they took their leave.
' When my world wasn't so big...'
Lloyd, Colette, Genis and Raine headed home for Iselia.
'...when you weren't really sure if I was real...'
Regal and Presea ventured on to Altamira.
'...Or a ghost...'
And Zelos departed for Meltokio.
'When we were both...'
And as I watched him leave.
'...a little bit younger...'
And I was thrown into a whirlwind of the past.
'...and it was our world...'
I spent the rest of the night dreaming.
'...a world I still keep under lock and key...'
I dreamt of the days when Zelos and I first met.
'...a world...I never really forgot...'