A/N: Guess it's time again for me to update. I just wanna thank everyone who has reviewed this story so far. The Sheelos Community is so welcoming--I feel like everyone here and who reads and reviews my story are my good friends. XD This is so much fun, I just can't help but gush!
This chapter definitely is one of my favorites--it's a Sheena/Zelos 'when they were young' kind of thing; those types of stories are always my favorites, so I decided to take my own spin on it. It's probably not as detailed as it would have been had I made this a one-shot, but I wrote as well as I could without going over the top. I have the rest of the story to think about and didn't want to mull over the little things quite yet.
Please read and review! It really makes my day. Thank you! :)
Chapter Three: Tiger Lily
Why I was being forced into attending school outside of Mizuho made no sense to me. All the reasons that the Vice-Chief had provided me with were abortive in reaching the commonsensical area of my mind. I believed I had had enough hardships with the Research Institute while I learned and honed my summoning arts; being transferred to the Imperial Research Academy was squandering my valuable time. None of the other Mizuhoan youth would be present at the school, only those who could afford the tuition, obtained scholarships due to intelligence and the nobles of Meltokio, the capital city, who were privileged enough to be allowed in free of charge (mostly because their parents were generous benefactors). Either way, I had resigned myself to the thoughts of misery I did not doubt I would experience. Watching the uncensored highlights and panoramas of the noble metropolis managed to provoke incessant surges of anxiousness and indignation. Sybak, in contrast, was visibly harmless, yet the school that was satiated with Meltokian prepubescents would incontrovertibly bring those same emotions back into play.
The Vice-Chief had permitted Orochi to shepherd me to the front gate of the academy on my first day. Things would have been a lot easier for me had Vice-Chief sent Orochi to school as well. I would have at least known one person, although Orochi and I would have been separated by grade due to the fact he was sixteen and I thirteen. Prior to my admission, Vice-Chief and Grandpa had educated me with strong math and reading dexterity. There was a likely chance I could have qualified for a higher ranking –I would be finding out my evaluation scores when I went to the Dean's office— which would have meant Orochi and I have ended up together no matter what. Sadly, however, Vice-Chief confessed that Orochi couldn't keep me company because of the lack of funds and my friend's overt desire to focus on his proficiency as a ninja of Mizuho and not a scholar; meek, vulnerable Little Sheena Fujibayashi would be going it alone.
...To some extent.
It didn't take long for me to favor Sybak over Meltokio. Sybak was nowhere near as daunting as Meltokio in grandeur or in population. Where the royal city had carried a certain musky odor of expensive perfumes, fine wine and fresh foods, there were also the smells of dirt, rotting meat and sour milk from the throngs of the fruitless, downtrodden inhabitants of the slums (I felt as though the hearts of Mizuhoans and those that lived in the less lavish parts of the city were entwined as one; we were both heavily overlooked by the aristocracy and deemed as wretched and filthy by everyone else. There were nights that I spent at the institute where I would pray for the Goddess to bless "my people"—the unseen and the destitute— and to lend them her strength for the coming days of hardship); another disparity between Meltokio and the town of scholastic devotion. Not a one of them wore any article of clothing that was not flawless from head to toe in the required uniforms. Scuff-less shoes and cuff links, to boot. In my opinion, they were much more refined then the community that roamed the noble city streets (though the mainstream of the students were possibly of Meltokain derivation). Fragrances of unopened books and shoe polish fluttered in the clear breeze that toyed with the hanging locks of my ponytail; there was no putrid or grimy whiffs as far as my nose could tell. An overall contented atmosphere; miles from what Meltokio could say.
My friend and I kept our steps in harmony trekking from beginning to end the town. Each pound of our feet on the cobblestones meant we were that much closer to the school building, and Orochi was that much closer to leaving my side. Peering from behind a strand of hair that dangled by my peripheral vision, the expression on his face exhibited perturbation and puzzlement. Seeing him in such a state didn't help to allay my restlessness from rising. The stiffness of his posture, vacant, hard eyes; there was positively something out of place, and I needed to know what if I was ever going to be able to walk inside that gigantic edifice single-handedly.
"What's wrong...Orochi?" I croaked, my throat dry.
He bit his lower lip at my question.
"I...I don't think this is right,"
I snorted. "How do you think I feel? I know this isn't right. I'm not smart enough to be in the Imperial—"
"That's not what I meant!" Orochi hissed. "I-I...you shouldn't be here without anyone else from the village. It's dangerous."
'...Wow...Orochi and I are on the same page...for once...'
"I think so too," I beamed, laughing. "But...well...maybe...I guess Vice-Chief thinks I should be on my own, you know?
"You're...still a child..." he grumbled, not meeting my gaze.
"Hey, that's not fair!" I bleated. "I'm a teenager! I'm thirteen! And I'm a ninja now, just like you!"
"No, now you're a student," His pitch was condescending. "You won't be a ninja until you've finished school."
"Whatever," I rolled my eyes. "I'm only going for—what—a year, right?"
Orochi's nose twitched. "That's what Vice-Chief says..."
"So after a year's up, I'll begin my ninja training!"
"...Mmhmm..." was his answer.
"That's better, right?" I teased.
"...I suppose so..."
That was the part of Orochi that left me in a state of constant mystification. Whatever fork was placed before me on the road of my life, he'd end up peeved with both of my options. My studious path irritated him, and the prospect of my ninja career—from what I gathered by his body language and tone of voice—didn't sit well with him either. Orochi couldn't be pleased.
'...Well, what does it matter what he thinks, anyway...'
Orochi could remain unsatisfied with my life as far I as I was concerned. I loved my friend dearly, but I, not he, held the master control of my destiny; I was free to do as I wished. Being a ninja was my lifetime goal, and I wasn't about to let anything, not even a year of school in Sybak, thwart that vision.
After the next corner turned, a huge, ornate building that could rival that of the Church of Martel in bravura and reverence standing unashamedly exposed at the last section of Sybak. Trying to debate that this could not be the building seemed futile to me; it was grand to the point of being fairly ostentatious—again, like the Church of Martel in Meltokio—and, of course, the other boys and girls that were walking inside of the thing sported the same uniform as mine. Go figure. It immediately came to my attention that they were all incredibly attractive young people, mostly blonde with lovely round eyes of a light color—usually light green or a sandy brown. I had never felt so out of place with my dark hair and sharply curved orbs of amber. Half-elves had dominated the labs at the Elemental Research Labs, so fretting about the bigoted minds of humans hadn't transpired. Half-elves were respectable people if their kindheartedness was returned, yet these individuals would look upon them with scorn. I knew I would share the same fate, for my people were treated equally with half-elves—we were rejected.
Surprisingly enough, it didn't bother me as much as it used to.
Orochi grabbed my arm as we came to a halt at the front gate, a few teenagers passing us on the way. He spun me around so that we were locked in a stare that I could not escape from. The seriousness in his eyes was absolutely unsettling, but if I turned away or tried to get him to turn me loose, he'd only hold me tighter with that obdurate resolution.
"Don't even think about them," he whispered; I could barely hear him. "You're here to learn; it doesn't matter what they say about you. I want you to remember that, you hear me?"
I couldn't help but feel a bit cosseted by the way he'd spoken to me; as if I didn't know what I was getting into. Granted, there was no way I could fully comprehend my situation, but I had received enough experience from the labs to have a vague idea. He had no place to follow me on my heels like I couldn't tell left from right. Orochi's presence was no longer necessary for me to swallow my pride and walk forward. I was beginning to feel glad that he wasn't coming with me. If anything, I could prove to him once more that I could take care of myself.
I rolled my shoulders to get him to let me go, turning my nose up to show my pride. "I'll be fine. I know better; don't worry so much! You know what they say—worrying gives your stomach ulcers and your face early wrinkles."
He grinned, but it was obvious by his contorted face that he was endeavoring to keep our conversation staid.
"...I just...I want you to know that people are cruel, especially the upper class. They may say things—"
"Then I'll brush it right off," I winked, crossing my arms to show him my self-assurance, though there wasn't as much there as I made it out to be. "Nobles can be nobles. I'll be better than them; I'll be Mizuhoan!"
Orochi laughed lightly, ruffling my hair like he would always do when I spoke with strength.
"I'm proud of you, Sheena. I know you'll be fine. I'll be right here to pick you up after school. Have a good day..."
He hugged me once, and I hugged him back, patting his shoulders lovingly as to get him to move faster. After a few more seconds of staring, he turned his back and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
"Here we go," I mumbled to myself, tightening my arms around the bundle of books I had been carrying.
'I'll be Mizuhoan?' That was a bit corny, Sheena.
"Shut it, or I'll stuff you in a trash can for the whole day," I spat at the voice coming from the invisible animal on my shoulder.
Sorry, sorry! I was just trying to make you feel better...
"I know—I know...thanks for coming with me..."
I'll never leave your side, Sheena! You know that.
"I do...you're awesome, Corrine..."
You're just figuring this out now?
"...You're pushing it again..."
Sorry! ...
I couldn't remember a time when I'd been so grateful that Corrine could hide himself from the world; something I wished I could have done at certain points of my life. Ever since the moment I had stolen him from the Elemental Research Lab, he and I had been joined at the hip almost as much as Orochi and I were. Corrine had refused to let me spend my hours at the Imperial Academy without him, and I didn't have much of craving to tell him no, so we agreed that he would spend the day on my shoulder, hidden from the naked eye; another reason why I wasn't too concerned about Orochi leaving me behind. If Corrine was by my side, I could do anything.
I kept my eyes forward and refused to let them drift from the sight of the creaking doors that allowed entrance to the foyer. I could already feel the heat of petty glances and curious glimpses, and seeing them myself would only cause me excess distress. There was a giggle from a gaggle of girls to my left; I wasn't sure if it was meant for me or if someone had said something humorous. Corrine said nothing about it—had he done so, I would have known for sure it was me—so I blocked it out. As soon as I crossed the threshold into the lobby, I was swathed by immense wonder without delay. Fighting the urge to touch the dinosaur skeleton in the middle of the lobby was just as problematical as fighting the urge to scream and test for an echo. The light from the sun through the windows shone upon the polished wood, making it glow as if it were metal. Velvet red stairs, neoclassical architecture—if I hadn't known any better, I would have said it was the Church of Martel.
Snazzy, huh?
"Yeah..." I breathed.
"Can I help you?" the voice of a woman withdrew me from my state of awe.
Rotating my head to the side, I caught the lady who had called for me. A thin, pasty white woman who wore a blonde bun in her hair had positioned her body to face me directly, her hands folded over where her lap should have been, her mouth a grim slash.
"Ye-yes!" I called out a bit too loud, running to the desk she stood behind.
On the bright side, I heard the echo.
"My...I'm Sheena. Sheena Fujibayashi. ...I was signed up to start school today..."
The woman picked up a large stack of papers, flipping through each one meticulously. Not once did she seem to be the least bit delighted to lend a hand.
Her bun is tied too tight, don't you think?
I audibly choked back a laugh, which caused her to look up from her paperwork.
"Is something funny?" She was cantankerous.
"Oh-oh, n-n-no ma'am!" I faked a cough. "I-I-I just...I coughed. I'm sorry. Excuse me..."
"Hmph, you're excused," she wrinkled her nose as if she had smelt a foul stench.
A few more seconds of rummaging went by, and she finally plucked and single sheet and handed it to me by pinching the end of it; almost like it was dirty.
"Fujibayashi, Sheena. You've been placed in grade three math and language arts, and grade two Magitechnology and Tethe'allan history. Break periods are at noon and last until one. I guess you could call it 'lunch.' Please obey the rules set by our directors and by our professors."
"...What class do I go too now?" I asked meekly.
The secretary took in a deep breath.
"It's ten o'clock. You're lower classes will start first, as said so on the sheet I just gave you. You have Tethe'allan history first, then your Magitechnology, language arts, and math at the end of the day. You're break period is at twelve, so that's after your science class, you'll stay for an hour on break—do you understand where I'm going with this?"
'Orochi was right; they do say unkind things...'
"Ye-Yes. Thank you, ma'am...where would the rooms—"
"There are room numbers that match your class on the schedule I just gave you."
"Oh. Thank you ma'am."
She said nothing more, only took a seat and started to scrawl on another piece of paper. I didn't delay my exit to observe.
'Do you understand where I'm going with this?' Corrine mocked her.
I coughed to veil my laugh.
{{{{{{{{{{
My feelings were mixed about the first half of the day. Though I didn't know much about Magitechnology –Mizuhoan culture was exceedingly conservative— and Tethe'allan history was weak for me, learning had not been an issue, for I took pleasure in broadening my education. Youth that had become my classmates were making the experience less gratifying. Most of the students—and I bet Corrine everything I owned they were all from Meltokio—were brash and uncouth to the poor instructor who was only trying to do his job. Unfortunately for me, my plans of staying unspoken and disregarded went up in a cloud of smoke after that; the woman who was teaching the Magitechnology called me up to the front of the classroom and told everyone my obviously foreign name. I fell prey to obnoxious stares, repulsed sneers and petty sniggers for the rest of the day. Never in my life had I been so appreciative of Corrine's uplifting words. Had he not reminded me that a sign of being a better person inside was refusing to lash out at those that degrade you, I would have said some very hurtful things to them and not felt one drop of regret.
There was no possible way of conveying how I truly felt without humiliating myself when the professor sent us away for our lunch break. A wide courtyard with marble tables and a few oak trees at each corner had been built for the purpose of relaxation during our dismissal. The Imperial Research Academy did not do us the honor of providing a meal, and I had not packed food from home, so I decided to take my obscure summon spirit and a thick novel to read and settle under a tree for the hour. Though the book appeared interesting by the cover, I ended up leaving it unopened; Corrine and I merely people-watched.
They all look so phony, he whined.
"I'm sure some of them are good," I said, but I could hear my voice falter.
How would you know?
"I don't. But you don't know if they're all phony, do you? Huh?"
...Well...yeah...
"See!"
But did you see the way they looked at you?! On the outside, they look nice, but they're really evil on the inside...
"Orochi warned me about that already, Corrine. I'm not going to let it bother me. Besides, they didn't all give me nasty looks."
...I still don't trust them...
"You don't trust anyone."
I trust you!
"Other than me?"
...
I beamed. "Thought so."
The discussion was over.
There was a small horde of boys that gathered underneath the tree to the northwest, a couple under the tree to the southwest, a few more people by the one to the northeast, and Corrine and I occupied the last tree on the southeast. Others were spread out across the grass, and there was a group that had more children than all the others who huddled in the middle. I figured them to be the "popular" crowd (a.k.a, the kids who were the richest and the best looking). They were the ones I observed the most. There were pretty girls and fine-looking gentleman, all amused and talking with smugness as well as jollity. As a flight of fancy, I started to covet the thought of being able to join them in their cheery romp, but I was smart enough to know that would never happen. I was an outcast, and they were loved by the entire world. It just wouldn't work that way.
"They...sure look happy..." I cast my eyes away mumbled, feeling a tad dejected.
'Oh, look at me, I'm rich and I get whatever I want!'
"Corrine—"
That's why their happy Sheena; you know it.
"Yeah, but—"
Corrine's yip interrupted my complaint.
"Hey, why are all the girls in that circle?"
"Wh-what?"
Acting on reflexes, I shot my head up and searched every speck of the area I could see to find my target. Sure enough, Corrine was correct. All of the females that had once been spread out now congregated a little south of where they had previously assembled, and their numbers were growing. Excitement and confusion intermingled throughout my body, sending quakes up and down my arms and legs. Some force, I presumed, was gushing off of whatever was around the mass, and it was drawing me in also; some sort of trap for women. Moments crawled by like hours, and with each passing minute, my shuddering increased in magnitude. Ultimately, the young women began to part—I guessed to let the thing move or get some air—leaving a gap between the bodies, one figure sticking out from the multitude.
'...Oh...'
And that was the first time I saw him.
He was gorgeous, to say the least. Where all of the other students had been blonde or a frail brunette, this teenage boy had curling, vibrant red hair that fell to the center of his back, the top by his forehead parted in an adorable fashion to the left. His eyes had a slit like mine, but there were some spherical qualities to them. The size and shape seemed irrelevant to the richness of the color—a luminous cerulean blue that could stop a heartbeat in record time. As he spoke, the words rolled from his lips smoother than a bow sliding over a note on a cello. His school attire was flamboyantly one of a kind; he wore a plain white button up shirt— sleeves rolled to the elbow and tucked in neatly and for that dash of class— and a loosely knotted tie of black with matching slacks. Shining teeth, unblemished skin; every inch of him was perfect. Yet, I could not shake the feeling that there was something peculiar about him; something...inhuman. His ability to allure performed at a proficiency level that was much too mature for his age. Schoolgirls flocked to his faultlessness like naive moths to hungry flames, and this awesome energy threatened to swallow me right along with them. He couldn't have been from this world...from this cosmos. I was convinced he must have been...an angel. That was the only justification I could deem credible. I wanted to reach out and touch him, just to make sure he wasn't a mirage; some fantasy induced by exhaustion.
My heart soared at the pace of a hummingbird's wings, and my stomach fluttered with butterflies. Heat traveled from the back of my neck to my cheeks and ears, drowning them in a sea of red. Inhaling and exhaling became complex. I couldn't look away. I had to stare at him, for I was afraid that if I didn't ogle, he would fade, and I'd never see him again. I had by no means ever felt a feeling like this prior to that moment, and I would have not traded it for anything. One by one, every other mortal being vanished like dust in the wind, and my world became simply he and I.
And I loved it.
I fell in love with him.
"...Oh..." I thought I said, but I wasn't sure. All the other sounds including the ones I made all sounded muffled as I strained to concentrate on him and him alone.
Sheena?
'...Corrine...that was him, right...?'
Hey, Sheena!
"..."
Hey! Hey! What's going on, what are you—Oh. That guy with the red hair?
"...Uh-Uh huh..."
Who is he?
"...I don't know..." I dreamily sighed, finally acknowledging my friend. "...But I want to..."
I'll do it, Sheena! I'll find out who he is for you!
"I-I-I...I don't know, Corrine....he-he—augh..."
Tear-jerking reality smacked me brutally and unremittingly. This heavenly being had no idea that I lived, let alone I'd fallen head over heels for him in a split second. Moreover, to challenge that the redhead could not have belonged to the royal family or a branch in close proximity would have been desperately inane. And the icing on the cake was this; I was not only a commoner, but Mizuhoan—a race and culture that had been spurned from the land of the prosperous in the distant past. He would think I was garbage; a disgusting lowlife; fouler than dirt under nails...he would hate me, reject me, and break my heart into irreparable fragments, for he was of the high-born, and I at the bottom of the chain. I would do best to forget him entirely and move on...I could never be with a man so grandiose; so dazzling.
Nonetheless, my heart would not set me free.
The accumulation of truths swirled before me like a thunderous tempest...but diving into the profound blue pool of his eyes, the yearning to know the sensation of his saccharine breath on my face, the curiosity of what the texture of his hands would be if they were to cradle my own...the musings that came from the sentiments of my spirit—which were anything but spurious— would annihilate the bitter facts of our placement in society in its inexorable grip. I didn't care that he was a noble. I didn't care if he loathed the sight of me. What I felt was real—I wanted it to be real—and if he never even gave me the time of day, I would sit there content. I knew that. All I needed was his name, and I could die right then; happier than I had ever been in months.
'...I...don't know...who you are...'
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my tiny Corrine slip out into the throng of people that I chose not to identify.
'...I...don't know...if you can hear me...'
In a cloud of smoke, Corrine concealed himself.
'...I...don't even know...if you're really there...'
Time declined into nothingness.
'...I...know that you...probably won't listen...'
I just wanted his name.
'...to the song my heart is singing...'
And I would have no regrets if death were to follow me at that instant.
'...to the words my lips are mouthing...'
His merry smile sent my pulse racing.
'...But...that's alright...'
All of a sudden, Corrine came back into view.
'...If it means...you won't wither...'
And he scampered, undetected, in my direction.
'...You...can overlook me...'
I could see something in his mouth; paper of some sort.
'...I'll...remain in the shadows...'
But I never once peeled my main focus from him; my angel.
'...and love you from afar...'
Sheena! Look! I stole a paper from one of his books. I think it has his name at the top.
'...all I ask...'
Corrine gently placed the sheet in my hands.
'...is for one favor...'
At a snail's pace, I bent my head to see the name that my summon spirit spoke of.
'...please...
And I read the name aloud, savoring each syllable on my tongue.
'...grant my new wish...'
"...Zelos...Wilder..."
' ...a name...'
{{{{{{{{{{
The remains of my school hours were spent within my reveries. When my Zelos Wilder departed from my presence, I did not consent to his divine image following suit. Somehow, a mental barrier had shaped around the likeness that became a memory faster than I had thought, and it wasn't allowing anything in or out. Fortuitously, my language class had recently begun a study of a novel I had read a handful of years ago, Romeo and Juliet—one of my favorites—so my mind's eye meandered within the blockade without leaving me to fret over mislaid information. I decided after the professor dismissed us for our last class that it would be in my best interest if I were to re-read the play at my home in Mizuho; however, my homework came first.
Mathematics was a whole other story.
Lost did not even begin to describe what happened to me while I was searching for the room number that would be where I would learn advanced arithmetic. I had rushed up and down the three flights of stairs more times than I could count, and, I was beginning to take into consideration that I could not tell between right and left anymore. The directions on the slip that the insensible woman behind the desk shoved in my hands told me in black, bold letters 'C-one-zero-three.' I had found section A and B easily; section C must have been nonexistent, for I had eventually wound up in section D. Time had gone by quickly, for I was unaccompanied in the elaborate, portentous hallways. Cursing myself for being a coward and not asking for directions, the contemptuous witch who had acted in such an appalled behavior and even Corrine for leading me down a path that I found out had led to the laboratories where the half-elves toiled.
Did you even see section C? Corrine questioned for the umpteenth time.
"I told you I never saw it!" I spat, biting down on my bottom lip.
Fine! I'm trying to help!
"...I hate it here..." I said, disdainfully, my voice cracking while trying to fight the tears.
With no will left to prolong my voyage, I slunk to my keens in the end corner of the section B corridor. It took me a minute to finally realize that I was crying; more often than not, there would be sobbing involved when I did weep, but strange noises had yet to emerge from my gullet. Warm water trickled from my long eyelashes, cascading down the slope of my somewhat pink cheeks, rounding out on my chin, the remnants of the drip falling into my lap, staining the dark blue skirt of my uniform with a damp, dark dot. They quickly multiplied, and with each new tear, I grew slightly more disorientated. I didn't even know why I was crying. I'd gotten lost in the Gaoracchia Forest at least once a week during my lessons at the Elemental Research Laboratory, and not once had I ever cried because I couldn't find my way, yet here I was, bawling over a few wrong turns in a school; no threat of me being killed here legitimately subsisted, contrasting that perverse jungle of trees. Perhaps the reason could have been that I was less familiar with this area than Gaoracchia. Or it could have been that I was out of the region of Mizuho. Maybe it was that I had no comfort of knowing that there was more than one escape route.
They were excellent excuses.
I didn't want to admit reality.
I didn't want to say I was afraid because there was no one to save me.
I didn't want to accept my weakness.
Don't cry Sheena! Everything'll be fine; don't worry. I promise to save you! Corrine vainly attempted to incite my fictional bravery.
"For-for...just forget it, Corrine..." I sniffled. "I-I'm fine...I-I-I-I don't even...even know why I'm crying..."
Do you want me to go off on my own—
"No!" I murmured uneasily. "I'll-I'll be more upset if-if I'm...you know...by myself."
But how are you—
"I'll find a-a way, ok?" I could hear my fatigue as I spoke.
...Ok, Sheena. Corrine obsequiously whispered.
I shut my eyes as tightly as possible to bring the tears to a standstill, leaning my head against the wall of the corner so that my face was held upright.
"Now...if I just knew where to go..." I breathed a ragged sigh.
"...Now this isn't something I like to stumble upon on such a pleasant day."
Sh-Sheena! Corrine garbled in astonishment.
But I was already two steps ahead of him.
I had heard that voice before...only in my daydreams.
'...the voice...smoother than a bow sliding over a note on a cello...'
It was my red-haired angel, hovering over my slumped, sobbing form, blue eyes gleaming with benevolence.
My Zelos Wilder.
"...I don't believe I've had the pleasure of meeting you before...have I?"
My mouth tried to move, but the mere sight of him was so assiduously overpowering, my brain had clumsily lost control of its gearshift, leaving me speechless, wide-eyed and confused.
"...I'll take the silence as a no," he chuckled, extending his hand to lift me off the ground.
Sheena, this is the Zelos guy! Say something!
I nodded vaguely to let Corrine know I had heeded his statement.
"...N-No...we...I...that is to say...I just...I know-um-I saw..."
"You're words are kind of muddled, hunny..." One of his eyebrows lowered.
"...I-I...I'm sorry!" I said a little too loudly. "I-I...I'm lost..."
"Ah, so you are new here!" He took my hand and lifted me off the floor himself. "I knew you must have been. I would have definitely remembered a girl as pretty as you."
Zelos' hand was warm, inviting and affectionate as it held mine in its gentle grip—exactly what I had expected. Red suffused my pale cheeks at his flattering words, and I wasn't sure about what else to say to him. Fiddling away the time in my language arts with the thoughts of what I could and what I would speak with him about if the opportunity had ever presented itself had forsaken me, so I stood before him a dribbling imbecile.
I saw him smirk at my nervousness.
"...So where are you headed, sweetie? Maybe I can be of some assistance?"
"...Well, I-I-I...I was trying to-uh-um-trying to find...se-se-section-uh...section C?"
His eyes sparkled with excitement; like sunlight on the waving ocean. I swooned.
"Oh really now? Well, that's no problem at all, hunny! I'm headed that way myself. What class room?"
"Um...C...C one-zero-three. It-It's um...math...yeah..."
Since when are you such a stutterer, Sheena? Huh? Huh?
'...You are so going in that trash can now...'
"No kidding!? That's where I'm going!" He winked; my heart melted. "Looks like we're gonna be classmates."
"That-that's great!" I cheered a bit too enthusiastically. "...Does..um...uh-uh...n-never mind, hahahaha..."
Zelos' head slanted in interest. "Does what?"
"Does it mean...um...we're...friends?"
Something happened in his face then that I thought was quite uncharacteristic of the Zelos I had seen earlier on. His eyes squinted, his expression tightened—his dimples became shy, and his frown lines lucid. I affiliated it with the appearance of a person who had been reading a lingo that they believed to be incongruous. His stare became progressively more intense as mine became more baffled and chapfallen.
"...That's...all?" he hesitated.
What the heck does that mean?
"I-I...I don't follow...?"
"...That's...all you want? You just...want to be friends? Nothing...more?"
Frankly, my actions would have been incredibly supine had he suggested being more than friends, but because of my proper heritage and the instinctive craving to merely be at his side—no matter what we felt for one another—had me ready for anything.
"...If...If you want to be friends...that's all...all I want..."
An unpretentious smile blossomed on Zelos' face; he squeezed my hand tightly—in gratitude, it seemed—and it sent my heart aflutter.
'...What you have done...'
"Of course! I'd want nothing more to be just friends with you, umm...hahaha...what's your name?"
'..by simply...'
"Sheena," I said bashfully; faintly proud. "My name is Sheena Fujibayashi."
'...holding my hand...'
"Wow, that's a tongue twister. I think I'll just call you Sheena."
'...by simply...'
"That's fine!" I swallowed the lump in my throat. "Sheena is fine!"
'...calling my name...'
"Hahaha, good," He pulled my hand forward, leading me down the stairs. "My name is—
'...by simply...'
"Z-Z-Zelos! I-I..know your name...it-it's...Zelos...Wilder..."
'...being my guide...'
His face fell, then. "...You...know who I am..."
'...is that...you've shown me...'
I fingered a stray hair beside my temple. "...I-um-acutally...just know y-your name...haha..."
'...there is...'
Then his face perked. "Great! Let's go then."
'...such a thing as...'
I would have followed him to the end of the earth and back.
'...a caring heart here...'
{{{{{{{{{{
Gravity as I knew it had shifted, and now my life—my world, my universe—had begun to revolve around this boy.
He had become my sun.
My light.
My air.
He had...become my life itself.
Thus, we were inseparable.
Zelos Wilder was not seen without Sheena Fujibayashi by his side, and vice versa. Some went as far as to spread rumors that the sixteen year old Zelos and the thirteen year old Sheena were passionate lovers, we were betrothed in an arranged marriage to make peace between the King of Tethe'alla and my village, that he and I were actually distant relatives, or that he bought me as a personal servant from the Vice-Chief in Mizuho. He and I had shared many a furtive joke about the commotion we had birthed, but had snubbed it as ineffectual prattle. We were together, that was really all we needed. We'd become so congenial, I had begun to call him my Tiger Lily, a flower based of a Mizuhoan legend that symbolized eternal friendship, but it also stood for wealth and prosperity—something Zelos had that I did not. I decided that I would tell him that I had picked this nickname for him on my last day of the academy. Until then, it was my secret.
Orochi was not thrilled about our platonic closeness—which was putting it nicely. The day I came home raving about Zelos to the Vice-Chief and the Azumi brothers, they all showed their own feelings in their own particular way. Vice-Chief showed the largest part of the gladness, saying that it was good for me to make friends outside the village, for I would never know when I would find myself away from the thoughtful arms of Mizuho and would require an abettor. Kuchinawa did not say much, but came clean and wished me luck in a friendship with a Meltokian. Orochi stridently declared that I should not be correlated with the posh and the haughty. My reply to my friend was, in less civil terms, was that I valued Zelos' friendship in measurements he couldn't even dream of comprehending, and if our relationship disconcerted him, he would just have to learn to cope.
Massive amounts of our spare time were spent jointly—I'd snuck out of my room and night and traveled all the way to Meltokio once when I'd had a nightmare, sneaking in his room and lying beside him until the sun was half way raised. We'd swim and catch fish with our bare hands in the creek near the village, but far enough away so that Zelos could stay without fear of chastisement on my part, make shapes from clouds out in the sunny open fields and count stars at in darkness. Swiftly, I learned that Zelos was exceptionally popular among the ladies at the Imperial Research Academy (I could understand why.), and had received many a threat against my personal safety. I wasn't too vexed; he never failed to take my side of the squabble.
Zelos and I told each other everything; I don't think there wasn't anything I kept from him...putting aside the instantaneous way I had become smitten. I confessed the accident with Volt and what it had done to Grandfather, my time at the Elemental Research Labs, my fears of failure, the unavoidable seclusion that would manifest where ever I would roam, and my desire to be loved unconditionally. In turn, he revealed to me the sobering death of his feeble mother, his uncontrollable urge to put on a face for everyone to accept him so he would not be deserted once again, and the unexpected announcement that he was, as a matter of fact, not like the rest humanity.
He was the Chosen One of Tethe'alla.
He was the descendant of angels.
Of course, this was no news to me. I'd known he was an angel from the start.
I still loved him with the same quantity of dedication; it was really no big deal.
I'd cried the whole night and far into the morning hours when I discovered I was finally being withdrawn from the school in Sybak. My year had gone by so quickly with him at my side, and now we would have to depart. Zelos was as saddened as I was about it. He was much more gallant than I was, however; he didn't shed one tear, but the way I saw his eyes dim at my news made me feel like he wanted to, he just wasn't able to. Class went by in a downcast blink, and I was given permission to walk with Zelos down to the end of the Grand Tethe'alla Bridge, but had to leave promptly. We started our journey with cheery attitudes, but as the gap between the two ends little by little became smaller, our pace slowed and our speech grew meaningful.
"...When I first met you," Zelos said despondently. "...I...I didn't want to tell you I was the Chosen..."
"Why didn't want you tell me?" I asked him earnestly.
"...I...I don't like being the Chosen..."
My eyebrows lifted from surprise.
"...You...don't like being an angel?"
He didn't look at me.
"...I...I just want to be normal. I don't want to have to act all angelic all the time just to please everyone else. I don't want everyone to love me because I'm the Chosen. I...I want someone to love me for...being me. I want to be liked for Zelos Wilder, not the Chosen One."
"I'll always like you for being Zelos..." I mumbled, chewing on the inside of my cheek.
He turned up to me then, that untainted smile that I adored festooned on his lips.
"...That's...why I like you, Sheena."
I threw my blood suffused complexion away from his as he spoke.
"...Because you were the first person who wanted to be my friend; you didn't even know I was the Chosen, but you still stood by me...you're everything I've always prayed for..."
I couldn't say or do anything. I just nodded and walked.
When we reached the end of the bridge, the now seventeen year old Zelos clutched my now fourteen year old forearm in his arm, forcing me to stare up at his stupefying orbs of effervescent blue with a subtle tinge of grey. Both soles of my feet dissolved, gluing me to the spot where they had stopped, rendering me motionless. The slate color burning with a type of passion I hadn't seen come from him in our months as companions; I had no idea what I was supposed to do.
"...Sheena..." he whispered vehemently. "...I...I need you in my life. Please...come back...come back to me..."
My heart was pounding so frantically I was sure that he could hear it as clearly as I could. Zelos wanted reassurance, and I didn't shilly-shally to give it to him. I would have given him anything to have him look at me that way.
"Of course, Zelos," I wrapped my arms around his neck as a gesture of devotion. "I'll...I'll return to see you again...no matter what..."
"...You promise?" His voice was desperate.
"Y-Yes..." I began to sob. "I-I promise! I don't-don't care h-how long it takes! Zelos Wilder, you're my Tiger Lily, and I—"
"I'm you're what?" He pulled me back from our embrace; I was left feeling empty all over.
"Uh...my-my...Tiger Lily...I called you my Tiger Lily."
He blinked.
"What does that mean?"
"There's...there's this old story in Mizuho. A man who could use magic saved a wounded tiger, and the tiger...asked him to use his powers and allow their friendship to last even in death..."
At my pause, Zelos cupped my face in one hand, planting a chaste kiss on my forehead; I felt goose-bumps travel from the spot of the kiss down to the edges of my shoulders.
"...The man agreed to the tiger's wish," I continued, trying to prolong our departure. "...And when the tiger died...he became the Tiger Lily. One day, the man accidently drowned...and now...the Tiger Lily spreads everywhere...searching for his friend..."
"...Will you search for me, Sheena?" he stroked my hair fondly; something I had gotten used to. "...Will we find each other again?"
Tears staining my face, I shook my head to let him know that I thought so; if I would have spoken again, it would have come out as a broken sob.
'...Haven't you...'
Zelos' face inclined to mine—our lips were so close, I could feel them brush against each other as he spoke.
'...figured it out yet...'
"...Then...I'll be waiting..."
'...my Tiger Lily...?'
And he kissed me; the single most exhilarating moment of my teenage life.
'...I will...'
So I watched him become a red dot on the horizon.
'...follow...
He returned to his world, and I returned to mine.
'...your voice...'
With our days as one--that had seemed not too long ago--mere memories.
'...all you have to do...'
But only for a little while.
'...is shout...'