Disclaimer: Not making any profit. Not claiming ownership over anything either.

Tales of Symphonia; Drama CD Anthology

Rodeo Ride Tour

A fanfiction adaptation by Winged Dancer

Track Three –

Where the Wind Goes

The Cathedral's bell rung six times amongst the city's noises. The day had ended now and all over Meltokio you could hear people waving each other good-bye, kids being dragged home by their mothers and teens leaving their afternoon classes to go hang out at the coliseum and the different café bars in the western side of the city.

Inside the Castle things were much calmer than the rest of the city. Only guards and the occasional maid traveled the corridors, all the courtesans were resting in their rooms preparing for dinner or finishing whatever private business they could have.

Most couriers' day wasn't over, though.

"Your Majesty, it would seem that Mizuho's representatives have arrived," the King's old chamberlain announced, head bowed down.

The sovereign nodded. "Show them in."

In one swift motion the door opened with a solid noise and the two couriers appeared at the door.

The leader, a black-haired girl wearing purple, crossed an arm over her chest. "Sheena Fujibayashi and Orochi, answering to the calling, we have arrived," she proclaimed.

"You are acknowledged. Step forward," the King ordered.

Bowing slightly, the two ninja strode up towards the throne, their steps sure and full of coincidence. They stopped a few feet in front of the Throne's stairs, dropping to one knee and crossing their arms the way the leader had done before.

"Your Majesty!" this time it was the leader's companion, Orochi, the one who spoke, "What is it you need, to call upon these lowly servants?"

"Yes," the monarch nodded, "First, there is something I believe I should tell you two. It has to do with the Bomb Incident from before."

Sheena lifted her eyes. "During the Carnival's night…?"

"Yes. It seems that man wasn't your usual madman."

"...eh?" Sheena couldn't stop her gasping in time. She was aware of Orochi glaring at her from the corner of his eye: above anyone else, in front of Tethe'alla's King she couldn't afford to show any weakness. Any humanity, for that matter.

"That man was being used," the King, however, had paid no heed to her. "It seems there were some others funding for the Mana-Canon Bomb's development."

Deep in the Castle's cells, the anonymous attacker (labeled 'Bomb Wizard' by Meltokio's population) was, in spite of the heavy chains that kept him down, moving restlessly from his place in the ground.

"I… I was chosen!" he would scream often, slamming his bindings against the floor and the wall, "As the one who would destroy the King of Evil… that cursed being which invites misery to this world, I was chosen to destroy it!" his struggling would get stronger, chains flaying wildly about him.

"It endangers all of our lives! Don't get in my way, I must destroy it!" and then he would calm down, breathing heavily while resting against the wall, glaring at whomever passed by, "Ah, well… it is not as if I was alone anyway… because there are still left many warriors who will fight to save this world! Heh…heheheh…Hahahahahaha!"

The Wizard's laugh did not unnerve the wardens anymore, nor did it bother the other recluses. It was a common, everyday thing by then, and the old man could always be silenced with a good kick or some sleeping potion.

But upstairs, people who had never even heard him laugh were worrying.

"…a cursed being… that invites misery to this world?" Orochi repeated the King's words, almost incredulous.

"As I was told," the King shook his head slowly. "As you know there are many beliefs around the world. All the evil and suffering exist because a cursed being is inviting them… there are those who believe that."

The ninja nodded. "Is this… related to a religion, perhaps?"

"Most probably. We have only begun to gather evidence that will point us to these people," for a few instants the ruler's eyes deviated from them and he seemed to be absorbed in his own thoughts, but soon enough he looked back at them and continued. "I wish to entrust you with an investigation. Will you undertake it?"

"Accepted!" was Orochi's quick, formal reply.

"Your Majesty!" Sheena, for the first time since the King had explained about the 'Wizard', spoke, "If you may… that 'cursed being'… just what…?"

The monarch sighed, and his eyes darted aside.

"Your Majesty…?"

The King looked down and breathed in. Whatever this 'cursed' thing was, thought Sheena, it was seemingly close to the King's heart.

"Tethe'alla's Chosen."

As if a hole had opened under her feet, Sheena felt herself falling. Something gripped her heart, her mouth opened in a silent gasp and she froze in a terrible, cold surprise.

"How…!" Orochi exclaimed next to her.

"…Zelos…" she whispered.

The King's eyes were somber. "Yes… Zelos Wilder is being targeted."

"What is it?"

She didn't answer. Perhaps she didn't hear it at all.

"You have been silent since we left the Castle."

She heard it. She could hear Orochi's voice and the sound of her feet upon the grass and the sound of the wind blowing, but there were no words in her mind.

"Sheena… it's your heart that hurts, right?"

She looked at him, but her gaze was lost and quickly dropped towards a nearby river. "Yes," she nodded, stopping at the waterside.

Zelos' words - his last words perhaps? - kept replaying in her mind.

Won't you come traveling with me?

A band of birds took flight from a nearby tree and her mind was back to Mizuho's 'everyday morning', that morning when peace had been broken by the loudest holy man the world had ever known.

"Well, even if I say 'traveling' is not as if we'll have any schedule! For the moment, I was thinking of heading north and from then, following the wind, with nothing on our back warm ourselves up at some hot-springs, eat some fresh fish near the coast, drink local wine's 'till we die! Be sure not to miss a meal… and well, that kinda thing, I was thinking let's just go have some fun! That's what I had decided so far. So? Wanna come along, Sheena?"

He wasn't trying to sound charming or tempting. In his sing-along voice she could only hear what he was saying, no undertones. It was a little bit scary.

" 'Sides, if you are around I feel my heart grows stronger!" Zelos had continued, his usual bright smile plastered on his face. "This poor man… far from home with no one close…"

Sheena had stared at him.

Orochi had stared at him.

They couldn't really believe what they were listening. Wasn't Zelos aware that Sheena was now Mizuho's leader? That she couldn't be expected to just get up and leave with a man just because he happened to be the Chosen? Even if they had been partners during the World Uniting quest, she had responsibilities to attend to. And a reputation to keep.

Didn't he understand any of that? Was he as shallow as gossip made him out to be, leaving on a journey just because he 'felt tired'?

But of course Zelos wasn't aware of what was going through the two ninja's mind. Like a boy eager to receive a price he was almost bouncing while sitting on the floor. Not a second after registering Sheena's vacant expression (he didn't bother to look at Orochi, of course), he grinned.

"Whaaaat! C'mon, it ain't like yourself to get all shy at things like –"

"I shall have your leave!" Orochi had gotten up from his face, anger evident in his eyes, and yet none was revealed in the ninja's voice, which remained calm and collected even as he continued. "Chosen One! I would like you to leave."

It was a stark contrast with Zelos, who, again looking more like a teen, turned to face the man without getting up. "Oi, oi! What's the matter? Have any problem! You're real jumpy, ain't you?"

His adversary narrowed his eyes and his voice grew louder as he spoke. "Mizuho's chief, unlike some others, has a strong sense of responsibility!"

"Hah? Strong sense of responsibility?" Now it was obvious that Zelos, too, was getting quite riled up. "Big deal! Oi! Even if you didn't come and tell me that, I know Sheena from peak to peak!"

At this, out of the blue, a pair of knives appeared in Orochi's hands. "I will not allow you to speak of Sheena like that!"

Zelos, too, started to get up, hand on sword's hilt, his voice an angry whisper. "Just perfect… so showing your real colors now, you -!"

"Stop that!" Sheena's voice had not been pleading nor desperate, it had been a leader's voice, a voice people obeyed at the very least because of the shock.

The two men glared at each other for a while, still ready to use their weapons at any moment. Orochi was the first to put his daggers away, although Zelos still kept his hand on the hilt.

"Zelos," it wasn't until Sheena called him that the Chosen stopped glaring at the ninja and turned to face her, "What you told me… I understood all of it."

A smile spread over the red-headed's face and he laughed. "Alright! So, we are set then!"

But she didn't allow him to talk much more. "You… you still call yourself a man!"

Very, very obviously surprised, Zelos barely managed to squeak out "…eh?"

"Because you were burdened with the title of Chosen One… up 'till now, which things have you had to endure because of that, I won't say that I comprehend all of that, but I'm trying to understand at least a little. I can't at least understand the feeling of wanting to throw it away.

But you know, even now you, as the Chosen, are an existence that is needed by everyone! How long will you be hesitating to do what you were supposed to from way before? If you call yourself a man, then have some guts, realize your position, face your fate and try to get a hold of your future already!"

For a few instants Zelos stared at her, his eyes open wide. Internally, she smiled: maybe, just maybe, she had finally gotten through that thick skull of his and he'd start taking things more seriously.

But that hope crumbled as she saw him lower his head and start laughing again. "Heheh… my bad!" he stretched his arms over his head, "Hahahah, just one hit and I was done for! I was SO un-cool, eh?" she couldn't believe it. He was trying to sound cute. He was amused. Amused!

"I'll be on my way then!" he continued, making his was to the door. "I'll bring you a souvenir, so keep your eyes open for me!"

"A souvenir… you think that'll -?" she couldn't really carry on. She was… disappointed. Not so much angry as… saddened. She thought she had matured thanks to the journey they had made with Lloyd… hadn't he gone through the same ordeals? Hadn't he been forced to face his mistakes?

…why hadn't he changed then?

"It's just 'cause I have no guts, you see!" he smirked one last time. "Well then. Do your best."

She had huffed. "I do it even without being told, you know," and at her worst, she had added, looking away: "I'm not like you."

And once more he had snickered, not turning back and barely raising his arm. "Bye then."

The birds had not flown very far. Funny how people's brain could, in but a second, remember an entire conversation, an entire meeting… an entire person.

"The Chosen One… Zelos…" Orochi's voice didn't startle her. After all, memories were quick to come and quick to leave her with a feeling of sad emptiness in her chest. "He is being targeted by a group of fanatics and, at this rate, if he were to remain in one spot, he'd end up involving many innocent people… knowing that, he decided to leave Meltokio and so he set on a journey."

Her eyes still fixated on the stream, Sheena barely nodded.

...Sides, it's better if I… well, in return, many things will just go better, I think…

Why hadn't she seen it then? That, for all he said, he wasn't being himself?

"There's no possibility of it being an easy journey. Knowing he's left the city, the fanatics will assault whenever possible…"

"…by doing so he might be trying to lure the attackers away from the city."

"And yet he took not a single companion," the ninja stepped next to her, head turned to the sky. "…why is that?"

In spite of herself, she chuckled. "Because he's an idiot. An idiot. He's just gotten used to that. To be alone all the time… if he can live like that, that's the best thing to do," her eyes were beginning to wet, and she blinked in a vain effort to vanish her tears. "He's just gotten used to that way of living. But you know?" her nose was threatening to start dripping now and she had to use her sleeve to clean her face, "That guy…! Whatever he says he can't get used to behaving like a cat…!"

Her cheeks were now completely wet, sobs racked her body. Whatever he said, whatever he did, the Chosen didn't like being alone, didn't like having many owners…

…and he had come and asked her…

…and she had refused him when he needed her the most.

And Zelos' words…

…'Sides, if you are around I feel my heart grows stronger!

Just perfect… so showing your real colors now, you -!

…blended in her mind.

"But… but he just keeps pretending he's like that!" again, she laughed, "He's got to be cool 'till the end… really, so stupid… so un-cool…"

Sheena hugged herself, completely oblivious to Orochi turning and staring. Had she turned, in his eyes she would've seen sadness, loneliness and yet a serene acceptance. He jumped backwards, distancing himself from his leader, and with an arm pointed towards the now-setting sun.

"Go!"

The kunoichi's head snapped towards him. "…eeh?" her voice was weak, almost a whisper.

"Leave the village to me. You go."

"But…"

"The request entrusted to us by the King… the investigation regarding the fanatics, too, you can leave it to me!"

She cleaned her eyes, and he could see hope in them even as she again said "But-!", and even her voice had gotten stronger. He could see he had made the right decision.

"For this past year," he interrupted his friend, "You have been living as Mizuho's Leader. "If every now and then you return to live as Sheena Fujibayashi I know none who will complain."

"Orochi…"

"Go!"

Her eyes once more looked about to water but she broke into a smile and bowed low, her hands clutched to her chest. "Thanks. Thanks!" getting back up and sniffling, she turned around and started running.

He could still hear her muffled "I'm sorry!", and he once more looked up at the colored sky, sighing. He knew he had made the right decision.

He hadn't thought it'd hurt so much.

"Ah… well, well."

Kilometers away from Meltokio, in the middle of an old, forgotten highway, a man was walking completely alone. There was almost no sunlight left in the sky, but he didn't seem to be concerned by that.

Zelos Wilder was almost unrecognizable. His clothes were dusty, his shoes were muddy, even his face showed a few dirty specs and his long, wild hair had been weaved in a long, if rather sloppy, braid.

With an easy-going sigh he eased his step as he neared an intersection.

"Well, well!" he spoke in a rather royal-like voice, to particularly no one, "And immediately now it does seem that the road splits into two," stopping he put down on the floor a heavy-looking rucksack and dusted his hands off before starting to point the two roads alternately, all royal-ness lost in his voice as he sung: "Whi-ich ro-ad sha-all we ta-ake. It sha-all be as the Ki-ing of – "

"Hea-aven tells us…" he stopped short as a second voice joined in the chant, and turned just slightly to see a black-haired girl wearing purple resting against a tree smiling at him in what he thought was the kindest, prettiest smile he had seen in a while.

Turning away from her he crouched on the ground, a hand on his traveling pack. The wind was blowing in his ears and there was no hope for finding anywhere to sleep that night, but he still smiled wistfully at the sky.

"…we sha-all do-o," the Chosen finished with the tune in a murmur, still smiling to himself and almost not wanting to look back, afraid maybe she wouldn't be there anymore, or her smile would've disappeared…

…but he knew that wasn't the case. ""Heh. But at any rate, I was thinking of taking the path to my right. Does that girl standing by the shade of the tree have any problem with it?"

Even without looking he had the feeling she had giggled at him. "Not one."

So he laughed too. "Okay, okay!" in one movement he was up at his feet, placing the bag back on his shoulders. "Off we go!" and finally he turned to face the girl, who was calmly making her way towards him.

And so, as the wind blows, with nothing on my back… so began my journey, Sheena was thinking as she joined Zelos' side. They didn't speak anything, even if there was so much they wanted to say. In silence, they turned and walked down the right-most road. Along with a good-for-nothing, wild horse… I've been dragged into a rodeo-ride tour.

"Although I think I may just regret it, heh."

"Ah?"

"Nothing in particular. Well then! On our way!"

Notes: So here's the third track. It was my favorite, but then I heard track 4. Isn't it cute? You can't possibly tell me it isn't. I personally think Sheena was in the middle of her days, though. But that doesn't diminish its cuteness.

So how did she catch up to Zelos if he had was like, I don't know, at least a day ahead of her? The answer is simple: she's a ninja. Ninja can do anything. Repeat after me: anything.

In the first ToS Drama CD, called "A Long Time Ago" we first learn that there are still some idiots who follow Yddgrassil and are trying to convince random people to turn into angels so… I don't know what they want to do, Lloyd and Colette stop the bad guy too soon and he doesn't even explain his evil plans. At any rate it means that the Colloyd team is still searching for Expheres.

Thanks a lot for the people who stopped reading Harry Potter (was good, wasn't it?) for long enough to read this and review. Thanks, thanks, thanks! I'm very happy people are liking the story (even if I didn't write it) and the adaptation I'm doing. It'll be up to you to decide – from my point of view, the most OMG chapters are yet to come. Next time I'll post Tracks 4 and 5 because 4 is just a rather sweet monologue from Sheena's POV.

Hope you liked this "track", and do review,

- WDR

Track 4 – Yubiwa

Yubiwa.

Yubiwa wo katta.

Onajiku yopparatteita Zelos wa midori-iro no yubiwa erande-katte atashi ni kureta…