Chapter 4: Electricity
(Sorry it's been so long since I updated. I know this is the second chapter I've started like this, but... Meh. I have other things to do, and I'm in the middle of planning two fics, as well as writing a couple on my other account which shall not be named, so… yeah. Here goes my first attempt at Sheelos in quite a while.)
"How is electricity made?"
It had only been six hours since the group had reunited in Iselia, and already Lloyd was asking questions. Nobody minded though; everybody was too excited to see each other again to mind much of anything. It had been a year since they'd all been together like this, even though when they parted ways they'd vowed to keep in touch. One thing led to another, one letter unanswered, one visit neglected, and all of a sudden they had forgotten the vows they made. Or at least deemed them unimportant. One of those things you'll 'get to eventually' but never do.
So here everybody was, together at last, all lounging around at Dirk's house. The red-clad swordsman mentioned earlier was seated comfortably on the bottom step of the stairs up to his room, Zelos sprawled lengthwise across one closer to the top, relaxing with his back against the wall and one foot dangling over the edge of the stairs. Raine was seated at the table on the wooden area by the stairs, and beside her sat Sheena, in the chair with her back to the stairs. Presea sat on Raine's other side, and Regal sat cross-legged on the dirt floor, completely ignoring the fact that an open chair remained. Colette and Genis were seated on the dirt near Lloyd, Colette cross-legged as well with her back to the wall and Genis sitting on the wooden ledge beside the stairs. The trio rubbed Noishe's stomach vigorously, and the protozan wriggled in joy.
"Boys, Colette, I don't think Noishe is supposed to be in the house," warned Raine, and when the three paused to direct their attention at the Professor, the Noishe in question whimpered slightly.
"Come on, Professor... He'd be so lonely out there all alone with nobody to scratch his belly for him." Colette pleaded, and at mention of belly scratching she once more began doing just that. Satisfied, Noishe relaxed, panting joyously.
"Yeah, Dirk doesn't mind," chimed in Genis, resuming the rubbing as well.
"If you say so..." Sighed Raine, though she highly doubted that the animal belonged in the house. Not that she hadn't grown somewhat fond of the beast along the journey, but she never had really liked Noishe.
Sheena watched this scene with vague interest. She was too busy basking in the presence of her friends to mind if Noishe was in or out, though if the presence of the protozan made the three happy, then he deserved to stay.
"Guys, how is electricity made?" Lloyd questioned again. Sheena chuckled slightly. Lloyd had always had a childlike curiosity and a craving for knowledge... When he wasn't supposed to be learning, of course.
"Mana, silly!" Giggled the tiny angel, but Lloyd seemed unsatisfied. He looked to Regal, who shrugged.
"My father decided I didn't need school and pulled me out in my fifth year, giving me a high-up position at the Lezorano Company instead. When he passed on, I became president." Regal explained semi-apologetically. Lloyd didn't reply, his curious gaze shifting to Presea.
"Electricity is a certain sort of mana. Mana is made up of mana atoms," supplied Presea, but it seemed to Sheena that Lloyd was even more confused now than before.
"Mana atoms?" The swordsman inquired, looking to Genis, who shrugged helplessly.
"I've heard of them, but I've never really had time to learn about them," the mage informed him shamefully. Lloyd then looked to the Professor, who took a breath.
"Mana atoms are-" she began, but another unexpected voice cut her off.
"Mana atoms are tiny pieces of matter. Atoms make up everything there is, but mana atoms are specially charged to be used as mana. An atom is so small, it couldn't fuel an insect for more than a second, and that's why there are a lot of them. A mana atom is made up of two parts: the nucleus and the electron cloud. The nucleus is positively charged, and it stays in the center of the electron cloud at all times. The electron cloud is a bunch of negatively charged electrons going around in circles around the nucleus. It may be tiny, but if an atom is split, even a non-mana atom, the result is a devastating explosion."
What surprised Sheena was that it wasn't the Professor that gave this answer. What surprised her more still was that it was, in fact, Zelos.
Everyone stared at him, dumbstruck.
"How did you know something Genis didn't know? Genis knows everything, even his name sounds like genius!" Objected Lloyd, and Zelos smirked.
"Actually, it reminds me more of 'penis'." The redhead shot back, and Lloyd erupted with laughter, while the Professor glared at said redhead and Colette restrained Genis from pounding Zelos's face in. The rest of the day was spent in similar conversations, but Sheena paid no mind to most of them. She was too busy pondering what had occurred, and more importantly, Zelos.
The ex-Chosen had, during the course of the day, shifted positions, and now was laying on his stomach across the stair he was resting on, one arm folded with his chin resting on it, the other arm dangling over the step. How could the ninja tell? Every so often, his fingers would brush across her hair. It always seemed to be when her mind had found a new topic to think about, and it always seemed to bring her thoughts back to the redhead and his surprising show of intelligence. But she didn't mind. For she and Zelos had kept in touch while the others had not and, though they showed no hint of it to the others, a bond had developed between them. So she would not move away when he brushed his fingers against her hair, but instead she would relish the feel.
'Y'know, me and Zelos are kind of like an atom. I'm the nucleus in the center, and he's the negatively charged electron, always buzzing around me, being a pervert, annoying me to pieces, and being a general negative point in my life. But even though we're charged opposite ways, if something tried to seperate us, the result would be devastating.'
(I... am not sure I like this one. It probably is way too short and makes no sense. I just felt so bad not updating. I've gotta get back into the swing of Sheelos. The next one will be so much better, I promise.)
