Disclaimer: If you are silly enough to think I own this, let me ask you this one question. Shouldn't I be rich?
I know this has probably been done in some form or another, but perhaps this will be a fresh-ish twist.
SHEELOS! Need I say more?
Crimson SnowZelos shrugged on his jacket and trudged out of the Inn. It was freezing cold at this time of night in Flanoir, but he couldn't sleep and the stars were always a comfort to him on nights such as this. So, he'd thought, or hoped, that a short walk would clear his thoughts.
It was strange how cluttered his mind now seemed. Far more, in fact, than when he'd started his little walk.
Zelos stopped and stared at a snowman he'd seen several children building earlier that day when the gang had arrived. It was a well-built snowman in Zelos' opinion, though he'd only helped build one in his life and was therefore not the best of judges. It had coal for eyes with little pebbles used for a mouth and buttons. Two nearly identical sticks were used for the arms, but it was missing one thing. The carrot nose was missing, however, with all the falling snow it could've fallen off and been buried.
-It's missing a nose, Zelos hunny. Go on inside and get one, will you. -
The redhead looked around wildly, searching for the voice he'd heard. It sounded so familiar, the words, the tone, the voice. Nevertheless, there was no one there and Zelos pushed it out of his mind. Better not to think about it, he decided as he began to stare absently at the snowman.
Pale, white snowflakes fell through the clear skies to reach the ground while Zelos stood there and he found himself wondering if Celsius was having a good time making it a winter wonderland.
"Hey, Zelos, what are you doing out here? You'll catch a cold," Sheena called from behind him and, startled, Zelos jumped before turning around. "Are you ok? You've been out here for a long time."
"I have?" Zelos blinked in surprise and shook his head. "No way, I only just came out here maybe ten minute ago."
"Uh-uh," the violet haired Ninja gave him a curious look. "You woke me up when you shut the Inn door. I'm a light sleeper and it was just loud enough to get my attention. It was at least half-an-hour ago."
"Thirty minutes?" Zelos whispered. "Oh well, I guess I just lost track of time. I couldn't sleep, obviously, and a walk seemed like a good idea at the time."
"'At the time?' Meaning that it isn't any more?" Sheena found herself asking curiously.
"Not particularly," Zelos looked back at the snowman once more and then walked away from it. "Why, are you worried about me, my voluptuous hunny?"
"Of course not, you pervert," Sheena replied automatically. "I couldn't go back to sleep and decided to see what the ever so idiotic Chosen was up too."
"Well, seeing as neither of us seems capable of sleeping, perhaps we could finish this walk around the town together."
"I'm going to pass, unless your idea of a walk takes us the shortest route back to the Inn," Sheena brushed some snow off her hair. "I'm freezing out here. We'll both get colds if we stay out here for too long."
"Ok, Sheena." Zelos began to walk forward and, not suspecting anything, the ex-assassin turned around in order to start walking to the Inn. Grinning mischievously, the Chosen bent down, made a quick snowball, and pelted it right at her back. It hit her right in between the shoulder blades. "Score!" he shouted, thrusting his fist into the air victoriously.
Sheena whirled around, scooping snow off a nearby bench, and hurled a snowball right at Zelos' face.
Laughing through the snow on his face, he managed to say, "that was so not cool."
"Race you to the inn," she called and the twirled around again and took off.
Red hair flying, Zelos ran after Sheena and then froze as she tripped and fell into the snow.
-His mother lay still on the ground, surrounded by the red snow. Her lovely auburn hair was almost indistinguishable from the crimson surroundings. -
Zelos closed his eyes, violently pushing the memories out of his mind and then raced over to Sheena, dropping down by her side. "Sheena," he said, his voice sounding hoarse.
"I'm fine, don't worry," she muttered, sitting up and pulling her left hand across the snow; a smear of rose colored snow was left where her hand passed. "Oh, I guess I cut my hand on something. I didn't even feel it."
Zelos stared weakly at the red snow. –Red Snow covered the backyard, the snowman melting from the fireball that had hit it. - No, no, no, nononononononononononono…
"Zelos, what's wrong?" Sheena waved her right hand in front of Zelos' pale face. "Tethe'alla to Zelos Wilder. Come in, please?"
Zelos blinked and looked around. The snow was all white again, but hadn't it all been red moments ago? Oh, he thought, looking back down, there's the red snow. I wonder where I am now, though. "Uh, where am I?"
"You're in front of the inn, silly," Sheena said in an annoyed tone.
"It doesn't look like it," Zelos said slowly. "This doesn't look like home at all."
"What are you talking about Zelos?"
"I was just making a snowman with Mommy and there was an accident. The snow got all red; Mommy said… well I think she's mad at me, but I don't see her anymore. I can't apologize," he was whispering now.
Sheena was at a loss for words. Oh dear Martel, should I get Regal? I don't know what to do.
"Please, Miss, won't you help me find my Mommy?"
Sheena felt her heart break. "Yes Zelos, but you need to tell me some things first. What was the accident?"
"Mommy sent me inside to get a carrot to be the nose for the snowman," Zelos said in a child-like voice. "I did that and went right back out to her, but there had been fireballs. Someone had attacked us and Mommy was laying on the ground. There was all this red snow around her. I went over to her and she said… that isn't important. I think she's mad at me, I have to find her and say I'm sorry. I have to."
Sheena closed her eyes and commanded herself to think. He's reliving his mother's death, sort of. I guess that between the snowman and the blood in the snow he's had a flashback to that traumatizing time. I wonder why he won't say what his mother told him. "Zelos, what did your mother tell you?"
"She said that…I…" Zelos trailed off, tears racing down his face. "She said I shouldn't have been born."
"She's wrong, Zelos," Sheena pulled the Chosen into a hug. "Sweet Martel, Zelos. Your wonderful and helpful and you've saved my life so many times already, of course you deserved to have been born." Zelos put his head against her shoulder, not speaking, just crying silently with his eyes squeezed shut.
For a moment it seemed as if he was asleep and then, as if struck, Zelos pulled away. "Oh, by Martel, Sheena. I can't believe I just freaked on you like that," I couldn't even remember where I was. What just happened? Why couldn't I remember that it has been years since mom died?
"Hey, it's ok, Zelos," Sheena replied, tears in her eyes as she kept her hands on his shoulders. "It's ok. You just… what happened to you back then was traumatic, I mean seeing your mother die like that and telling you…" Sheena couldn't bring herself to repeat it. "She had no right to say that to you."
"Didn't she?" Zelos asked softly. "I'm her son. She ought to know if I should've been born or not. Now you understand why my life has been a joke."
"You are not a joke, Zelos! You can be such an idiot sometimes, but I still love you. Whatever her problem was, your mother should've loved you. She was wrong, not you. Not you!"
"Sheena," Zelos spoke after a few moments of silence.
"Yes."
"Do you really mean all that?"
"Yes."
"I love you, too. I have for a long time now."
Sheena blushed. I did say that I love him. I mean it, too. I guess I just wasn't letting myself see it before. "There's only one problem, I'm supposed to be the next Chief of Mizuho. You're the Chosen."
Zelos smiled and kissed Sheena on both cheeks. "I won't be Chosen much longer. When we return the world to how it belongs, the Church of Martel will be destroyed. I'll go anywhere you are when that happens."
Sheena smiled and stood, pulling Zelos up with her. "Lets go inside to the fire, ok?"
"Ok, my lovely one," Zelos replied, taking one last look at the crimson snow below him. Then he walked away, leaving the pain of the memories behind him with the snow.
A/N You like? I hope so. Zelos' little mental backstep is something that happens to people when their mind can't take to many reminders of a painful childhood experience. But since his mind is strong, he snapped back quickly. Yeah, for Sheelos!