Sealed Fates
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A/N: I apologize for the extremely long wait! The original version was completed quite some time ago, but upon typing it up I found a huge amount of plot holes so decided to redo the entire chapter. I think I got 'em all, but if there's something that— :falls into a plot hole: …I feel like Sheena at the Ossa Trail…
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Searching... Searching... (Beep) Signal has been located at coordinates: Zero north, zero east.
"Zero, zero," Genis repeated, "Isn't that where the Tower of Salvation is?"
"Well, that would certainly make sense," Colette chirped, smiling optimistically.
Regal pressed a few buttons which brought up a grip map of their world that pinpointed their location at twenty-one north, eighty west. He frowned, "No, this is different now that the worlds are together. Previously, Meltokio was the zero-zero of Tethe'alla. I'm surprised they've managed to accurately update their system cartography so quickly..."
"So where's zero-zero now?" Genis blurted impatiently, their lack of seriousness was beginning to drive him over the edge.
"If we are here," said Presea, pointing to the stationary black dot on the screen and following the dashed line with her finger until she reached the blinking dot. "Then this should be... the Mana Tree."
"Why would they be there! That's on the opposite side of the world from where they sho—"
"—Because they are being held there against their will. They did not intentionally travel to the other side of the planet and come to us in the form of an apparition for naught." Presea cut in sharply, "I understand you're worried for you sister and everyone else, Genis, but becoming agitated with your friends will bring nothing but unnecessary dilemma."
Colette nodded solemnly, placing her hand placidly on her half-elven friend's shoulder. "She's right. Even though I don't like the idea that we're fighting against our friend, but if what's we're doing is for the best, then we must keep fighting—together."
He looked over to Presea sheepishly. "I'm sorry,"
She acknowledged his apology with a small nod before saying, "Let's get going,"
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"Amazing... truly magnificent! So this is how the..." her previously stable 'floor' developed a steep incline with a foreboding snap. "Mana... Tree..." Raine looked beneath her to see the branch holding her about to snap. She squeaked in shock before hurriedly latching her hands onto the nearest branch above her, narrowly avoiding plummeting to the ground.
She sighed in relief, looking downward. Apparently the ground wasn't as far as she'd first thought, and so she hesitantly dropped down onto the earthy floor. Only a few precious moments of solitude passed before another limb overhead snapped, following it was Sheena descending the tree branch by branch with great poise and agility. After landing just next to Raine, she smiled reassuringly.
Not so agile, was Zelos, but only at the start. He could be heard rattling around in the bushy heights of the tree; tumbling like a marble down a staircase. As soon as he neared the ground however, all traces of his past clumsiness vanished, grabbing hold of the closest limb and swinging himself down in a fashion similar to Sheena's.
She, in turn, blinked in surprise at his dismount, "Impressive," she commented off-handedly, "Was that the Saru-style by any chance?"
"Could've been," he replied a bit coldly, brushing the twigs from his attire.
She just frowned and looked over to Raine, then at herself. "Well, it looks like we all turned out okay, and we succeeded in close up the seal for the while."
Raine nodded in agreement, "Yes. We should contact Lloyd and tell him, and ask him if there's anything else to be done." The two then looked to Zelos. When he failed to respond, Raine repeated, "I said, we should contact Lloyd, Zelos. You're the only one who can do that."
He just gazed out into the distance absently, "So?"
Sheena tightened her hands into compact fists at her side, "So? So, contact him!"
He still continued to stare beyond with a glazed look. "Why?" he finally said, "It's not of my concern what happens to you, though… Mm, maybe…" He trailed off.
Despite her slight height disadvantage compared to Zelos, Sheena angrily grabbed the collar of his shirt. "Are you turning on us? Are you going to try and betray us again? What is with you, you—"
"Sheena! Zelos! Raine!"
They turned to see a pair of Rheairds dock awkwardly on the ground as Colette and Genis practically bounced off theirs and dashed over to the three. Regal and Presea quickly trailed them, much more solemn and grave than the first.
Sheena gave Zelos a threatening glare out of the corner of her eye before gruffly releasing him and waving curtly. "What're you doing here?"
"That is what we would like to know," Regal said suspiciously, "Weren't you supposed to be at the Tower of Salvation?"
"Yes," Presea blinked, "And Zelos, what about you? What were you trying to tell us?"
He seemed preoccupied. "…When?"
Before Presea could answer, Colette pointed out by placing a hand on Sheena and Raine's shoulders. "But they're alive, at least! If they were a hologram or a spirit, then my hand would go right through them!"
Presea and Regal alike couldn't deny that evidence while Genis decided to test it further by nearly tackling his sister in a hug. "Raine! I'm so glad you're safe! What happened to you?"
His sister smiled, returning his hug, then glanced hesitantly over to Sheena wondering what to say. Sheena gave her a look suggesting the same line that ran through her head, "Uuh, long story."
"Then why don't we head back?" Regal suggested. Secretly, he was still very skeptical to believe the integrity this situation, but if they had something to say, then he'd certainly listen. Presea, on the other hand, just seemed relieved to find their friends safe and sound.
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"So what happened?" Colette blurted as soon as they entered Zelos' mansion. "Tell us everything!"
"Well, there is a, uh, lot to tell, so why don't we go sit down?" Raine proposed, heading the opposite way saying, "I'm awfully thirsty, I'll get you all a drink. Sheena, come help me,"
"Okay," Sheena replied, a bit puzzled with her odd request and tentative behavior. She followed Raine into the kitchen before asking in a low voice, "What's going on?"
"What am I supposed to say?" she hissed, making sure no one was around to hear them. "Obviously we can't tell them the truth…"
"Just make up something!"
"But what if it doesn't fit? How am I supposed to explain how we got from the Tower of Salvation to the Mana Tree?"
Sheena paused to think, starting slowly. "Well, Kratos said he was going to investigate at the Mana Tree after doing some inquiry work else where… Just say we found something out of place at the Tower and decided to find Kratos and tell him."
Raine shook her head, thinking everything through logically. "But we don't have any Rheairds! It'd be impossible to make it halfway across the world by foot in under a day, much less two hours…"
She cringed; Raine was right. "Then we… uh," they were both a bit panicked, she had to think of something. "We… summoned Aska to take us there… and Zelos flew."
Though she didn't seem at all taken, she took a deep breath to calm herself. "…Alright, it'll have to do. Now, help me get seven glasses of water. I'll take four, you take three…"
The two returned to the living room and dispatched a glass to each person. Raine gave hers to Presea, Genis and Regal and sat down with her own, mentally bracing herself for any question they could throw her way.
Just as Sheena handed Zelos a glass, he grabbed her wrist and whispered in her ear, "Can I talk to you on the balcony for a minute?"
"Sure…" she replied with a puzzled look. He was being completely solemn, a bit regretful even. "Um, excuse us for a second…" she quickly added as they left the room for the stairs.
They reached the balcony in silence, something uncommon around Zelos normally. Naturally she noticed something was up with the former Chosen, but decided to let things unravel themselves.
He took a small sip from his glass, looking out over the city despondently. A while passed before he finally choked out, "Sheena… what happened?"
She looked to him with great curiosity. "What happened when?"
"Did he try to kill you too, or justa… just the people of Mizuho?"
"Who?"
He held down his impatience, seething, "Volt,"
She frowned; something was definitely going on. It wasn't like Zelos to brood on events in the past—and of all times now? "Why? What does it matter?"
"'What does it matter?'" He nearly exclaimed, his brown eyes flaring with anger. "You really are a shameless wench!"
Immediately, Zelos' eyes flashed back to their normal blue. "Go find Lloyd!" his voice sounded like an echo, filled with panic and fear. "He's near the Fooji Mountains! Tell him—"
His eyes flashed back to brown and he withdrew a knife from his pocket. "—You're going to pay for your shamelessness, summoner!"
