Okay, I'm finally getting around to writing this chapter! And for the sake of randomness, I am going to say that my inspiration is the music video for 'Saskatchewan' by Les Trois Accords. Why? Because that music video is on the TV at the moment, and it's pretty damn funny... the only French band that I'll give credit to. Anyway... onward to the second-to-last chapter! (So close to the end...)
Zelos: Cooooooleeeeette! She really doesn't respond to anything.
Sheena: Hey! You aren't doing anything funny to her, are you?
Zelos: What! Of course not!
Sheena: Cause it wouldn't surprise me at all if you did something like that.
Zelos: What do you mean by that?
Sheena: You tried peeking at my in the shower before!
Zelos: That was just a natural curiosity towards the unknown.
Sheena: ...Oh, brother.
Disclaimer: Believe it if you will, but I don't own anything from Tales of Symphonia; although I do own good ol' Jean-Christophe, as well as Zen.
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The Quest for True Love/Chapter XI: Apparently – Altamira/
"Welcome to Altamira, the seaside paradise!"
Sheena shuddered as one of the resort's bunny girls greeted her and Zelos. On the other hand, Zelos was ecstatic with this welcome, "Why thank you, my hunny! I'm very happy to be here!" The bunny girl returned his enthusiasm with a bright smile. Sheena huffed, looking off into a direction away from Zelos and his flirtee; she knew that it was of her own free will that she was stuck with him, and yet his persona still bothered her. Within a few seconds, Zelos took notice of how distant Sheena was, "Is something bugging you, my voluptuous hunny?"
"Yes..." Sheena spoke through clenched teeth – being called his 'voluptuous hunny' did not liven her mood, "You're bugging me!"
"Okay, okay," Zelos caved, "No more fooling around on my part; let's get down to business!"
The summoner's eyes narrowed into the glare, "And by getting down to business, you mean fooling around with women." Zelos simply gave her a grin that said 'this was all your idea', and then strode towards the Altamira hotel. Heaving a loud sigh, Sheena followed him into the oversized building. "I'm going to take a wild guess here," Sheena stated, "We're going to the beach... right?"
Zelos gave an enthusiastic nod, "Yep! I even took the liberty of ordering swimsuits for both of us!"
"I'm scared to even find out..." murmured Sheena, imagining what flimsy costume Zelos could have possibly chosen for her this time. Her comment only made the Chosen grin again, motioning for her to follow him into the elevator. Once they arrived at the room that Zelos had reserved, he presented Sheena with her swimsuit. Scrutinizing the swimsuit, Sheena made her final judgment: not terrible. Not terrible at all... It was red, one piece, and the only real 'flimsy' part of it was that the lacing at the sides would reveal her sides... which really was not a big deal.
Judging by the slight smile on her face, Zelos could see that Sheena was content with his choice. "Glad you like it!" he exclaimed, "Well, I'm going to go and get changed—meet you at the beach!" With that, he scurried off to put on his own swimsuit.
Sheena waited a moment before getting changed, just to make sure that Zelos was not going to spontaneously pop in upon having 'left something behind'. He did not show up, and Sheena was impressed. "Maybe he's actually not going to try anything weird..." she thought while slipping into her swimsuit. Before leaving the hotel, Sheena summoned up Corrine, "Come on, let's go to the beach!" Corrine enjoyed the beach just as much as Sheena – which was surprisingly a lot. They both meandered down the resort's sandy region. The moment that they set foot on the beach they saw Zelos, and a mixture of amusement, fear, and utter traumatization washed over them. He was wearing a speedo... a purple one... and that was about all there was to cover him up. Holding back the laughter that the amusement was bringing on, Sheena forced herself to shout, "I don't know you!" to save herself from future embarrassment.
"Just as well," Zelos said lowering the sunglass that were on top of his head so that they covered his eyes, "It's hard to pick up chicks when you're already with one."
Sheena could only bring herself to shake her head slowly, wandering over to an empty spot. She dropped down onto the ground and lied down, sinking into the warmth of the sand. Sheena heaved a contended sigh, stretching out her arms above her head. "I love the beach," she mused, closing her eyes to shield them from the bright sun, "And that's saying a lot considering that it's the only thing in this resort that I can stand."
"So you're not letting The Manwhore ruin your fun?" Corrine asked, from his seat next to Sheena. The summoner calmly nodded in reply. "That's good. You need to have a little relaxation sometimes."
"Tell me about it," Sheena agreed, exhaling loudly, "I feel like a mother that has to constantly survey her son's actions. It's getting to the point that it's just ridiculous." Corrine nodded in understanding. The summon spirit had only been hanging around the travelling companions for a couple of days, and already he could grasp what she meant. Sheena rolled onto her stomach, rested her head on folded elbows and looked towards Corrine, "But it's not all that bad," she murmured, "It gives me some excitement that you just can't get in Mizuho."
The tiny summon spirit grinned, "I'm really happy that you're having fun, Sheena."
Sheena jumped up to a sitting position at that statement, but quickly managed to regain her composure and object, "Wh-what? No, that isn't what I meant! It's not that I'm having fun, it's just... kinda enjoyable." Corrine merely sighed in frustration. "What!" Sheena snapped, staring down at him.
"Just admit it – this is fun! In a... weird kind of way... But it's fun!"
The summoner opened her mouth, prepared to deliver a long protest about the difference between having fun and what she was feeling. The speech never came however, as it was interrupted by a jovial male voice— "Oh, Sheena!" —and it was not Zelos'. But Sheena had heard it before... who was it? A clear, charming voice... "Please, don't ignore me! I came all this way to see you again! You must remember me, correct? 'Tis Jean! ...Jean-Christophe!" Jean-Christophe!
"Oh no..." Sheena murmured, looking at the noble, "Martel, Jizou... anyone, save me!"
She continued on with her prayers for a saviour as Jean approached her. "Please, please, do not ramble on like that!" Jean pleaded the moment that he arrived within three feet of Sheena, "I know that you most certainly do not desire to speak to me because... I offended you. I still do not comprehend how, but I did. And I am truly sorry for it." Sheena could simply glare at him. Glare at him in disgust. Glare at him... "Is something the matter?"
Sheena swiftly granted the nobleman a slap across the face. "You impudent jerk!" she shouted, attracting the attention of everyone on the beach, "You actually have the nerve to apologize when you don't even understand what it is that you did! Even Zelos has more dignity than that!"
Jean-Christophe opened his mouth to straight-up question what it was that he did wrong, but he froze in his place as a hand was placed on his shoulder from behind. He turned his body around to find himself facing none other than Tethe'alla's renowned Chosen. "I think it's in your best interest to leave this particular lady alone, Jean," Zelos advised, "I mean, I know that you're just trying to become as much of a ladies' man as I am, but you're not going to succeed in getting Sheena. She's even hands-off material for me."
Jean nodded his head slowly in understanding; the two men were clearly acquainted with one another. All the while, Sheena listened, a fiery fury blazing in her eyes, "'Hands-off material'! Damnit, Zelos, I'm not an object!"
"Relax," Zelos assured in a near-whisper, leaning closer so that only Sheena could hear his words, "Do you want me to get this guy out of your hair, or not?" The summoner looked at Zelos with a perplexed expression. Not caring whether or not her silence was consent, Zelos returned his gaze to Jean-Christophe. "Now, my friend," he said, tossing an arm about Jean's shoulders, "If you expect to have any hope when it comes to the ladies, you might wanna go for an easy target..." the Chosen's eyes scanned the perimeter, "...like pretty much any one of these bathing beauties. They're pretty much all up for grabs. Except for the ones who have boyfriends with them, of course," Zelos made sure to add.
"Oh, I see," Jean murmured, taking in this advice from whom he saw as his Master of All-Things-Women.
Zelos was still looking around the beach, "See, you could go for someone like her," he said, pointing to a random woman, "or her," he pointed to another one, "or her, or her, or..." Then, the Chosen paused as he caught sight of a girl who stood out from the rest. How did she stand out? First and foremost, she was wearing black leather coat that fell down to her ankles, covering a short, purple dress, and knee-high black boots... on a beach... in a paradise resort. On top of that, her hair was an extremely light blonde – almost white, and her eyes were a crimson shade. Zelos was intrigued. "Excuse me for a moment," he said to Jean before strutting across the beach and greeting the unknown. "Hello, my unique beauty!" Zelos beamed, standing behind the girl.
Cautiously, she turned to face him, "Are you... referring to me?" she asked unsurely. Zelos gave an enthusiastic nod in reply. The girl blinked, continuing to stare at Zelos for a moment until... she broke into laughter.
"Hey, what are you laughing at?" Zelos enquired, blatant surprise in his voice as he took a step backwards.
Gasping for air between chuckles, the girl was finally able to silence herself. She took in a final deep breath before exhaling with satisfaction. "I just... you're actually being serious?" Zelos nodded warily. "Wow, and here I thought that guys hitting on random women only happened in really crappy books."
Tethe'alla's Chosen eyed her sceptically. "Really? Hmm... I suppose tales of my womanizing skills haven't quite reached every corner of the world yet," he mused, "Now, hunny, what might your name be? And where are you from to have never heard of the Chosen's ways?"
"Oh, you're the Chosen!" she exclaimed, coming to an understanding, "I didn't realize that you were actually a pickup artist. I assumed that those were only rumours. Anyway, my name's Zenya. Call me 'Zen' if you will; it sounds cooler. And as for where I'm from..." Zen paused, "...can't say."
"Can't say, hm? Well, fair enough. I could care less about where a person's from," Zelos grinned at her before stated proudly, "After all, I've been searching every existing nation for an interesting chick."
Zen looked at Zelos, her head tilted slightly. Her stance matched the confidence in her eyes – one hand planted on her hip, the over arm falling loosely at her side. "Travelling the world for romance, eh?" she questioned, "Sounds exciting. Why don't we head somewhere else and you can recount your adventures to me? I'd love to 'em."
Without a moment's contemplation, Zelos replied, "Sure! C'mon, we can go and talk in isolation at the hotel, or amusement park or something!" Zen nodded in affirmation, taking Zelos' hand in hers and smiling at him flirtatiously. "Ah... but the hotel first. My clothes are there."
His newfound lady friend looked the Chosen up and down, noting his man-slutty appearance. "Yeah. Hotel first. Definitely." And then, the two hurriedly left the beach.
"So much for saving me from Jean-Christophe, Zelos!" Sheena screamed at the Chosen after long remaining mute; but Zelos was already out of earshot. Heaving an exasperated sigh, Sheena glanced around the beach to see if even Jean was still around. He was – although he seemed to have taken Zelos' advice to heart, and was hitting on some of the 'easy targets'. "Damnit, everyone is a pervert nowadays!" the summoner huffed, storming towards the main area of the city. "May as well keep tabs on Zelos, then. The beach was always the one thing about Altamira that I enjoyed, and that was just ruined." And so, 'keep tabs' on Zelos, she did...
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
Zelos and Zen went to the amusement park and had a blast! They went on the teacups, the ferris wheel, and the roller coaster. After Zelos went on the roller coaster – which he was hesitant to go on in the first place – he vowed never to "ride that demonic thing again". Zen merely laughed at him... and forced him onto it another time, after which he kicked one of the roller coaster's support beams and severely injured his toe. Considering how used to luxury Zelos was, he persisted that first aid was necessary; therefore, he and Zen went to the amusement park's first aid tent.
All the while, a figure talked them from the shadows. A voluptuous figure—indeed, it was Sheena. She observed as they amused themselves on the teacups, eavesdropped on their conversations on the ferris wheel, and simply laughed uncontrollably at Zelos on the roller coaster. And at that particular moment, she was spying as Zelos had his (apparently) broken toe tended to.
"I don't think I'm up for any more activity today," Zelos announced dramatically, his voice laden with regret. Sheena gave a discreet, relieved sigh; finally she could return to the hotel and get some rest.
For some reason, Zen did not look at all disappointed. In fact, she was smirking. "It's getting dark. Wanna ride the ferris wheel one more time and then head for the casino?"
"Do I ever!" Zelos beamed, bounding up from his seat as though in no pain whatsoever. Zen snickered and rose to her feet. Exchanging no more words, Zelos and Zen left the first aid tent and made their way to the ferris wheel. Agitated, Sheena followed them and boarded the ride, conveniently fairly near to Zelos and Zen, so she was able to eavesdrop with ease. There was hardly anything to overhear, though – giggles, inaudible whispers and senseless remarks. Sheena sighed, lifting up one of her legs and resting her foot on the seat opposite the one that she was on. She let her arms hang out of the isolated space, feeling the breeze as the wheel continued to leisurely turn round and round. Sheen closed her eyes and simply let herself enjoy the relaxation that the ride was meant to bring. Suddenly, a voice drifted into her ears, "Sheena! Yo, Sheena!" The summoner slowly fluttered her eyelids open and looked forward to see Zelos looking at her from his place on the ferris wheel, shouting loud enough for everyone to hear, "You coming with us to the casino?"
Sheena's cheeks burned with a red that was a mixture of anger and humiliation. On reflex, she jumped up with clenched fists, prepared to yell at Zelos for: one, even asking if she desired to go, and two, being aware of her presence in the amusement park. She never got the chance. "Ma'am, I must ask that you remain seated while the pathetically slowly ride is in motion," the man running the ferris wheel droned.
"Ah... right." Sheena sat down again and listened to Zelos and his ladylove laugh at her. Finally, she shouted, "There's no chance that I'm going to the casino with you two!"
"Suit yourself," Zelos said calmly with a shrug, "It's your loss."
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
That night, Sheena had managed to fall asleep in the room that she and Zelos were meant to share. Of course, since she and Zelos were sharing that room, Zelos would be entering it. (Logical?) And when he did, he put no particular into being silent so that he would not wake Sheena. "Oh, man! We're in the money! I can't believe how lucky I got tonight!"
"You don't even know the depths of your luckiness." Zen's voice joined the conversation, the tone in her voice suggesting... something. Clearly annoyed, Sheena's eyes snapped open and she automatically sat up, sending a glare in the direction of the voices, only to find Zelos and Zen already engaged in a makeout session.
"You... you're so despicable!" Sheena shrieked, immediately making her way out of the room.
The (apparently) lovers momentarily parted. "What's that girl's problem?" Zen asked. Zelos gave a shrug in reply, kissing Zen again.
Sheena wandered through the hotel, trying to find some place where she could sleep. Eventually she resorted to going to the lobby and finding out if they had a spare room. Thankfully, they did. "As for paying," Sheena said before leaving for her room, "The Chosen will take care of it tomorrow morning," her sarcastic exaggeration of the word 'Chosen' rivalled that of Seles.
The following morning when Sheena left her room and went to Zelos', she was astounded to find the swordsman alone. "Where's Zen?" she enquired bitterly.
"Left," Zelos' response was simple, "She told me last night that she would be leaving the second she woke up. She's a pretty weird girl..." Sheena rolled her eyes in a 'gee, ya think?' manner. "Ah well. It was enjoyable while it lasted."
"So..." Sheena began, a hint of mischievous in her voice, "Did you get what you wanted?"
Zelos pondered for a moment, wondering what it was that she meant. "If you mean true love, then no," he replied, and then added with a sigh, "If you mean getting laid, then also no. We just fooled around..."
Sheena slowly shook her head to herself, "This is just getting constantly sadder. Anyway, ah... You're going to have to pay for the room that I stayed in last night."
"Very well, very well," Zelos easily gave in, reaching into his pocket for some gald, only to find that... there was none! "What the–?" he continued searching his pocket in hopes that some magical force would make his gald reappear. Naturally, it did not reappear, although he did find a piece of paper and he swiftly pulled it out. "What is this?" He looked at the folded paper that had some writing on it. Zelos read aloud: "Hey, babe! I know you're rich and all, so I didn't think it'd hurt if I took a little bit of gald; I'm a bit strapped for cash. Thanks lots! –Zen."
Zelos gaped at the note in his hand, while Sheena struggled to stifle back laughter. Finally, she broke out into sniggers, "Ha! She's just like a prostitute! She gave you what you wanted, and then took your money like it was nothing!" Zelos let out a whimper, now staring sadly at the piece of paper. Sheena sighed, "Zelos, you really have a way of getting a person to pity you."
Half-heartedly, Zelos pawed at the note left by Zen until it was unfolded, revealing a second message inside. A hope shimmered in his eyes as he scanned the page, reading silently: You didn't think I'd just take your money for nothing, did you? I'm not that cruel! Zelos, I'm leaving you with some advice, because from the way that you spoke, I can tell that you really do hope to someday find true love... Stop forcing it on yourself, man! Live your life the way that you want, and if you're destined to find a love (which I'm sure you are), then you'll find one. Take my word for it. Chin up! Continue your search for love!
"You really do hope to someday find true love, don't you?" Sheena's voice broke into Zelos' thoughts. She had recited the exact same thing that Zen had said in her letter. "I'll tell you what... Even though you lost the bet, you can keep on hitting on me. But through words only! No touching!"
Zelos gave Sheena a grin, "Really?" The Mizuho native nodded. "Hmm... I'm going to have to reject that offer." Sheena's eyes widened in surprise; had Zelos changed? Did he no longer desire to hit on woman irresponsibly? "You see, our bet's not over! I can still win!" So much for that thought. "Even when you go back to your village, my search will continue. I can't just force love on myself! It's gonna come, and when it does, you have to show me your body!"
A light twitch was present in Sheena's left eye as she glared at the Great Zelos Wilder, Chosen of Tethe'alla. It seemed that 'the quest for true love' was over, but Zelos was still the same person that he always was... "You pervert!" Slap!
"Oww! You pain me, Sheena!"
Some things never seem to change... but on the other hand, some things do change. Would the day ever come for Zelos to settle down with a single woman and understand the meaning of 'true love'? That was a question that would not be answered for several years...
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Now, upon finishing this chapter, I would also like to give inspiration credit to the movie Bride & Prejudice, because I just saw it today and it was really weird and they randomly broke into song a lot. o.0 Just had to say that.
In case you can't guess, the next chapter takes place years later—after this setting, after the journey of regeneration. Perhaps some people will prefer to stop reading this story here, left with a sense of wondering what will happen next. Then again, if you want to know how Zelos' life ends up, read the next chapter when a post it! (smile) It's already written, actually... but I want to fix some stuff first, and build up suspense for you all. Mwahaha. Time to respond to reviews!
To Rose-Wisteria – Whoops, typos. After this fic is all done, I should go back and fix those careless mistakes. Next chapter, all shall be made clear regarding pairings, and uh... Well, that's all that really matters, isn't it? XD
To Justin T. Melanson – Thanks so much for your reviews throughout this story! It's always nice to hear that I can get a laugh out of someone—especially throughout an entire story.
To Adriatic – Well, I told you that it was a bad idea to get Kratos back into your party. And yes, Corrine is a boy. He's always referred to as 'he' in ToS. Hmm... you really do have to wonder about how they're not killed when wearing swimsuits into battle... o.0 I'm just going to say magic.
To SweetMisery430 – Heh. I'm a Sheena/Zelos fan, too, but I'm not about to say whether or not this story's going to end up with that pairing. You'll need to keep reading to find out! (smile)
To Freakyleaf – Woohoo! I succeeded in getting you into one of those crack-up, painful sides, laughing sessions! (feels very, very proud of herself)
To Zaki – Write a fanfiction about this fanfiction, eh? o.0 That's a strange urge to have.
To ObviousMan – (can merely stare at you with a confused expression, because she finds it strange that you were talking like Yoda)
To TetsuoTsubushi – Ack! I hate those "The statement below is false; the above statement is true" things! I totally overthink them and hurt my head...
To CerseLiminara – GASP! How could you have missed a chapter? For shame! Heh... Just kidding. It's good to see that you're continuing to read this.
To sunny-san – Wow! I... I'm magic? Cool! Now I'm really excited and have the sudden urge to try and conjure up some magic spell. o.0 Thank you very much for your review! It really made my day!
To Shadowed Fear – Oh, there are many Zelos pairings out there. Sheelos and (shudder) Zelloyd are just the common ones. You can never tell who can get paired with whom. Nyaha!
