~ Chapter 8: Night of Truth ~

Wir suchen die Wahrheit, finden wollen wir sie aber nur dort, wo es uns beliebt."

("We're searching for the truth, but we only want to find it where we like to.")

Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach (1830 – 1916)

:::

If your completely alone you're having many thoughts. Thoughts about life itself, about certain topics … Truth for example. What is truth actually? Is there absolute truth? How much truth can one person bear?

Truth is a very complex topic with many questions to which there are no answers. But still you never stop to think about it. What's the truth and what's a lie …

Is my existence perhaps also a lie? I don't know … I don't know about so many things anymore …

:::

"A … clone?" Sheena uttered unbelievingly. "You mean … a genetically identical copy … of Zelos?"

"That would at least explain everything. Professor Elytis and his men abducted Zelos and cloned his body and his memories. Then they implanted a personality conforming to their wishes into the clone. After that they made the clone take Zelos' place. That explains the sudden change of his personality," Yuan commented.

"It would also explain the disappearance of the bruise. Those people brought the real Zelos in his mansion that night and placed him in the study. However, he wasn't sleeping as Sebastian was assuming but probably unconscious. In the meantime, Zelos' clone could kill the king as if he had all the time in the world because he had apparently an alibi. He returned to the mansion later, and the real Zelos was taken again somewhere else," Raine added.

"I … I can't believe this! That would mean … that everything was just a lie … All this time …" Sheena was burying her face in her hands, sobbing. "Where … Where is the real Zelos?"

"We don't know yet. But we're certain that he's still alive. They probably don't want to kill him because they could need his organs if something happens to the clone," Yuan answered.

Sniffling, Sheena looked at Raine and Yuan. "There's one thing I don't quite understand if everything is as you say … Professor Elytis and his men belong to Infidelitas … Why didn't they kill Zelos but cloned him? And why was his clone then attacked by Infidelitas?"

"We also wondered about that. We came to the conclusion that Infidelitas don't just want to destroy the Church of Martel but also want to seize power over Tethe'alla. However, it would've been difficult to just topple the king because the people would've struggled against this new regiment. So they needed somebody the people knew and trusted," Raine explained.

"Why didn't they just clone the king or Princess Hilda then? Wouldn't that have been easier?" Sheena wanted to know.

Yuan nodded. "Theoretically yes. We're assuming that they didn't take the king because he was too old. So the clone wouldn't have had an all too long lifespan either. They probably didn't take Princess Hilda because she's a woman and many people are convinced that a woman shouldn't have power. Thus the next highest ranking person was Zelos."

"Regarding the assault on the clone by Infidelitas … It was presumably supposed to be a diversion. I think it didn't slip the clone's attention that we were watching him, and he wanted to confuse us by that," Raine uttered.

"And he was successful with that at the beginning," Yuan said. "In any case we have to act now carefully. Infidelitas is not an organization to be trifled with; they already proved to be rogue. Raine, you should stop working in the laboratories, it's too dangerous if you stay there any longer."

Raine shook her head. "If I resign now just like that Professor Elytis will become even more suspicious. He already seems to be wary of me anyway."

"Damn it …" Yuan cursed while folding his arms. "Fine, then we'll have to make the best of the situation. Maybe you can somehow find out where they're keeping Zelos. In the meantime, I will continue trying to find Princess Hilda. She's at the moment the only reason why Infidelitas didn't really start with their takeover yet."

"I don't understand that," Sheena remarked. "How does the princess hinder them from doing so?"

"As long as she's alive, she's the rightful heiress to the throne, and thus Zelos' clone doesn't have all the power yet because the people will always wait for the return of Princess Hilda. Furthermore, the princess could know something that's bad for Infidelitas," Raine explained.

"Then why don't they just claim that the princess is dead?" Sheena wanted to know.

"Without having a corpse or other proofs for it? The people would become suspicious then. Besides, Infidelitas can use the love of the people for their princess to find her. Zelos' clone appealed to the public to do so in his speech, do you remember?" Yuan asked.

Sheena nodded.

At that moment a yawning Genis came out of his sleeping room. "Huh? Yuan, Sheena, what are you …" He yawned again. "… doing here at this time?" He stretched himself. "Hm? Sheena, did you cry?"

She quickly wiped away the last tears and shook her head. "No, I …"

"Love problems with Zelos, what?" Genis said, sighing. "But what is Yuan doing here then?"

Raine looked at her brother with annoyance. "Genis, don't be so curious. I have also a private life, you know. And now you'll go to bed again like a good child."

"Wha … What? Does that mean you and Yuan …?"

"No comment," Raine sighed while shoving her brother to his sleeping room.

"But I'm your brother!" Genis objected.

"And I'm a caring sister who wants to make sure that her little brother gets enough sleep. Good night!" She shoved her brother in his room and closed the door. She turned to Yuan and Sheena. "You should go now. Genis won't sleep before that."

The two nodded and left the house. Sheena wished Yuan and Raine a good night and then flew home with her Rheaird, the thoughts spinning over in her head. However, she tried to push all of it back to be able to concentrate on the flight.

When she was eventually lying in her bed she let the thoughts cross her mind disorderly. Zelos a clone, the real Zelos somewhere trapped …

Once again tears were forming in her eyes. Everything had been a lie. Everything Zelos' clone had told her the last weeks. And she fell for him that easily! She didn't even wonder about Zelos' behavior being suddenly so different … She had really worn rose-colored glasses like Yuan had already said … She had been so blind.

She turned to the side while tears were running over her face. How could she ever warrant to Zelos that she had fallen in love with his clone while he was being trapped somewhere and suffering? She was hating herself for it.

What would she give now to see Zelos' presumptuous smirk that had always annoyed her so much … By now she could barely remember it … What would she give to hear one of his stupid pick-up lines that had always upset her … What would she give to just be with him …

She missed him … She missed the real Zelos … No matter how idiotic he sometimes acted, no matter how pretentious he sometimes was … He was real. And Sheena realized at this moment that his words had been real as well. He had never lied to her … Not even as she suspected him of stealing her underwear when they were in Palmacosta …

A new flush of big tears was rolling over her face. If only she had already known back then what was now so clear to her … If only she had already known back then that she loved him despite everything …

"Zelos … I'm so sorry … Please hang on … We'll find you, I promise …" She thought to feel something brush over her face. She smiled. She had the feeling that Zelos was with her.


Well, everything makes sense now, doesn't it? ^^

Aww, I like the scene with Genis. xDD There will be also another one that's even cooler. *grin*

Yeah, the end is somehow ... I don't know ... Sheena is a little bit OOC here again, I think. But I had to make her realize somehow that she loves the real Zelos ... That's more or less the weak point of this story because I didn't think about that in the beginning. xD I was so obsessed with the clone and Sheena falling in love with him that I forgot that she had to fall in love with the real Zelos as well. ^^"

But well, I hope you can forgive me for that. ^^

To be continued ...