Disclaimer: Zelos, Sheena and their misadventures are not of my belonging.

Tales of Symphonia; Drama CD Anthology

Rodeo Ride Tour

A fanfiction adaptation by Winged Dancer

Track Three –

In the Evening

Birds chirped outside the house. The wind blew softly and the river ran along its course.

Normal morning sounds, only they were too damned noisy today. And there was someone making a complete racket in the kitchen, too.

With some difficulty, Zelos Wilder managed to get up from the couch and sit down. He blinked at the all-too bright room and briefly wondered where the hell he was. Just as he was remembering a sudden pang of pain crossed his head.

"Aaah, that hurts…" he muttered, massaging his forehead with his palm.

"Good morning, Zelos!" when had Lloyd gotten so close, he couldn't say.

"Gh – ah – cut out with your yelling, wont'cha?"

Lloyd smiled, undaunted by his friend's appearance. It made Zelos wonder – had he really drunk that much last night? Was he yelling on purpose? And how did Lloyd manage to be so Goddess-darned energetic in the morning?

"Hurry up and go wash your face!"

Zelos sighed, ruffling his hair and slowly stretching his arms. It was then he noticed there was someone missing.

"Aaah… huh?" It was almost bizarre to wake up without her being close by… for how long had they been traveling together so far? "Say… and Sheena…?"

"She went shopping to the village! She said she'll cook something special for today's dinner, heh!"

"…dinner?"

"Alright, done, done! I've prepared two lunches. Today you better get ready to do some work at the fields!"

Lloyd handed him a small box and quickly strode off towards the door, so he missed the redheaded looking down at his lunch and very quietly, even sadly, answer "…yeah."

"Eeh? So you are saying you are a guest at Lloyd's?"

Sheena grinned. She liked marketplaces such as this one: crowded and noisy but not enough to be tiring. People were just walking around the plaza, saying hello to one another, announcing the goods they were selling… it was almost as if someone had taken the entire place out of a picture and then made it real. In fact, scratch that: it wasn't noisy, it was rather cozy.

"Yes, yes! So, c'mon sir, I bet you can give me a discount or something?"

The man, obviously a farmer by the way he was built, smiled at her. "Well, I couldn't do any less for a friend of Lloyd's! He's helped us so much, you see. I'll let you get away with everything at 20 Gald, my little thief."

"Thanks!"

"Pasta, tomatoes, fish, vegetables… so you are making Pescatore for dinner then?"

"Just that!"

Again, the man smiled at her, still gathering the ingredients. "Miss Colette does this dish a lot as well! And no mistake, with what you are taking."

Sheena's smile froze in her face and her eyes fell towards the floor. Suddenly the idea of preparing Pescatore didn't seem so appealing.

"Say…" she called, the man was already tying up all of the ingredients together, "I'm sorry… but, could you take off the pasta and fish…?

In front of her a soup was boiling. Back at the market she had decided to try and improvise a recipe she had heard of before leaving Mizuho. So far, she was pleased with how things were turning out.

After adding a few clove leaves she took a sip out of the mix and smiled. "Mmh, good, good!" she smiled to herself, placed a lid over the pot and proceeded to cut some vegetables while humming. As the new leader of Mizuho, she didn't get many chances to cook… but it was something she enjoyed. Or at least something she enjoyed when she had someone to taste it and compliment it…

…perhaps she was more feminine that she had thought?

The sound of someone coughing in a rather strained way made Sheena jump a little, and she turned around.

Zelos was leaning on the frame of the door, his shoes and hands caked with dirt. His face and hair, too, showed some specks of mud here and there. Back when they were traveling as a group during the Journey of Unification (as people now called it), she would've, at least, made a commented on that if not right out mocked him – 'What, not enough hours in the morning for your daily toilette session?', or 'Your hair must be making you so anxious right now!' – but lately, she realized, she had gotten used to seeing him like that… and he hadn't complained once, too.

She smiled a little at him before turning back to the vegetables. "Don't you go surprising me like that! So when did you come back?" she took off the lid and stirred the soup within the pot, "You worked the fields today, right? I bet you were just lazing around though…!"

Zelos crossed his arms and looked at the spread-out ingredients that were laid out on the table. He sounded a little tired as he spoke, or so it seemed to her. "Dinner, huh?"

She ignored his question and kept cutting vegetables. It was almost four o'clock, wasn't it obvious enough?

Zelos, however, asked again. "So you're preparing dinner, huh."

Something in the Chosen's tone made her angry, but she clenched her teeth, started slicing a carrot and forced her voice to come out as normal as possible. "Yeah, that's right. Any problem with that?"

Behind her Zelos took a few steps closer, standing by the table. "So how many nights are you planning to stay here?" again, she didn't answer, taking a small container labeled "Red Satay" and shook it as if to check whether there was any left. "We don't know when those stupid terrorist might come to attack. We had agreed we wouldn't stay anywhere for more than one night… that was a rule, remember?"

Sheena busied herself washing some potatoes. She didn't want to hear him… she didn't want to wonder why he sounded so serious. So she concentrated on the potatoes and shushed that little voice in the back of her mind that kept making her remember that time when he had promised to help Mizuho, or that time at the Tower of Salvation when she thought he was leaving forever…

"Aaah, c'mon already!" to her relief, he started sounding a little more like his usual self now, "I may be the one at fault for making bad jokes yesterday, but you should give that up already!"

"...give what up?" her voice had gone cold, but she didn't mind. There was anger gnawing at her stomach right now and she didn't feel like trying to control it for much longer.

"As if you had to ask," there was no bitterness in Zelos' voice, but now she allowed herself to remember all those times he had lied, and how he masked his feelings on that day he visited Mizuho.

She glared briefly at him over her shoulder. "I don't know what you are talking about…"

"I'd like you to be clear with me before I go clean up, y'see," he didn't move from his place but again his voice sounded tired, "If people end up misreading things, the only one who's gonna end up dejected is gonna be you, you know. And it's not as if you've got much chance, anyway!"

Tense silence filled the room. He was staring at her and she was staring down at her soup, slightly leaning onto the stove, resting on her hands. Just two seconds, two short seconds were enough to turn the mood upside down.

So when Zelos started, once more in his everyday voice, "Whaaat? If this is just about boys, I bet you have as many as you wish, right? Heh, yeah! If ya ever need someone, just ask and the Great I will help find som -"

…she exploded. "You shouldn't - !" her hands slapped down on the kitchen counter and she turned to face the redheaded, "You… you shouldn't thing everybody is as frivolous as you."

Slowly, his smile diminished and became a small, forced grin. "…what did you say?"

"If this one's no good, then that one. If that one's no good, the other! Maybe someone like you can't understand, you know, actually liking someone – !"

His fists clenched and his smile was now gone. "Saying that, as if you even - !"

"Well isn't it the truth, anyway!"

"Stop joking around!" Zelos roared.

"You, too!"

They glared at each other in silence. Somewhere in her mind Sheena realized this was the first time she had seen Zelos angry... the always cool, collected Chosen who even in his 'betrayal' was sardonic but not irate was now gone: his chest moved quickly, his brow was furrowed and he had, for the first time ever since they had met, yelled at her.

But none of this was really registered as she was too busy being angry as well.

Finally, Zelos brushed his hair back in evident frustration. "If we just sit here forever…" he started, his voice strained, "Something could happen to this village, and we wouldn't even know when."

She hugged herself, her face slightly downcast but her eyes remaining on him. "The one being targeted is you, isn't it?"

It's not an easy feat to catch the exact moment when a person's feelings are hurt. Especially not with someone as 'skilled' as Zelos, who had lived amongst nobles for most of his life. But she saw it. In his face, for just a second, she saw that those last words had cut deeper than any other thing she had said ever before.

But it was just a second, and then Zelos frowned and turned around. "Just do as you please," he spat before walking out of the room, slamming the door closed as he left.

She stared at the door for a few instants before turning around towards the stove, where she proceeded to stare into the soup instead. She wasn't feeling angry. She wasn't feeling sad. She wasn't satisfied nor disappointed… she was feeling all mixed up and yet strangely empty. The confusion she had felt just the night before, standing alone by the river, swelled up and pushed all thoughts out of her mind.

She couldn't think. And she wasn't sure she could feel, at least not right now. She was empty.

How long did she remain like that?

The door opened again, but she didn't turn around.

"Er, did something happen…?" Lloyd's voice asked, and she heard him walk towards her. "Just now I saw Zelos looking really angry…"

She didn't answer and instead glared at the soup. Somehow the emptiness she had been feeling started to clear up a little.

"Did you two have a fight, or something?"

"…no, it was nothing," she shrugged.

"Right," she hadn't tried to fool Lloyd. She was too drained to even try… and perhaps it was better if he believed she and Zelos had fought. "Er… you – you two should make up! A messenger came today from the village, you know? He said Colette's coming back tonight! So let's have a party like yesterday, the four of us! Right?"

Or perhaps not.

Suddenly she knew what she had to do, what she wanted to do… even if it didn't make her completely, absolutely and madly happy. Because that kind of thing happened only in fairy tales, right? In real life… in real life even joys could taste bitter, right?

"I'm sorry, Lloyd," she took off the apron she had mended that very morning, leaving it on the nearby table, "I must go."

"…eh?"

"This…" she pointed vaguely at the pot and the vegetables, "It's basically all done now, so you just have to warm it up a little…" she started speaking faster and faster, "The soup might taste better if you add some salt later, but – "

"Wait a minute!" Lloyd interrupted with genuine confusion on his face, "What's wrong, so suddenly? Did I… did I do anything to make you angry?"

She would've laughed if it hadn't been such a bittersweet thing to hear. "No… you didn't do anything wrong at all."

He stared at her, still confused and, she thought, somewhat hurt.

"Say… Lloyd…"

"…huh?"

Sheena looked up at the man and then down, blushing a little. She took one step, and then another and one more and hugged the swordsman, allowing her head to rest on his chest for just a second.

"…it was fun. Thank you."

"…Sheena…?"

He didn't say anything when she appeared at his side; in fact he didn't even look at her for more than a second before letting his eyes fall down to the floor again.

She did the same, because she didn't know what to say.

She wasn't angry, and she could see that neither was he. But he didn't look happy either, which made her feel even more melancholic than before.

…because, she thought, if he had only received her with a joke, if he had perhaps tried to make a pass at her, then she would've yelled and he would've laughed and things would go back to the way they were meant to be…

…but it seemed even Zelos could, sometimes, grow tired of those frivolous (if oddly satisfying) games. Perhaps a change was in order. Perhaps not. It had been silly to think he hadn't matured.

"Hey," said the two at the same time, their eyes meeting for a few instants before again looking down at the ground. In the rays of the setting sun the only sound around them was that of their own footsteps.

"You start," said Zelos, red hair almost hiding his face.

She moved her gaze away."…no, you go first."

He didn't stop walking nor did he raise his head. "…I'm sorry. I… talked too much," at this he finally looked up at her, his face serious but not condemning, "But, you know, I don't think what I said was wrong – "

"You weren't wrong," she interrupted, "I was the wrong one. Sorry."

"…it's fine. Just… don't worry."

Once more they just stared at the brown soil beneath their feet, colored red and golden by many fallen leaves, and covering all behind them their shadows grew long as the sun continued its race downwards, its rays softly piercing across the remaining foliage, making figures on the ground.

"Say…!" said the two at the same time, again looking at each other before turning away. In other situation she would've laughed, perhaps even blushed, but right now… it almost made her feel worse.

She didn't wait for him to talk, though. "Wine…" from a bag she kept under her shoulder, she produced a bottle full of the liquor, "I brought one bottle with me. Let's call it a date tonight."

He snorted. "Not much else to do with that."

She was a little surprised he didn't cheer up. But only a little.

"Mmmh… ah, this is so tasty!" the girl grinned, holding a spoonin her hand and looking at her comanion at the other side of the table." ...is there anything wrong, Lloyd?"

The swordsman looked up from his plate and into Colette's worried eyes and managed to give her a half-hearted smile.

"Heh… it's nothing. Yeah, it's nothing, Colette…"

"The destination, I don't know, hi-ho! Hi-ho! But I've mounted my steed! Hi-ho! Hi-ho! I don't know the ends of the world, but -! Even then, tomorrow will still come! It'-ll come straight to my home! Aw, you sing too, c'moooon!"

Zelos wasn't drunk but he had finally dropped his morose attitude and, after they were finished with their simple dinner and had decided to hit the road again,had started to sing that silly old song and dance in the most boisterous way possible.

Sheena wasn't really in the mood to sing and dance while walking; even if she had been the one to suggest the 'date' dinner idea. After all that had happened in just one day she was still feeling a little melancholic.

"I'll pass," she had almost snapped, looking aside.

"C'mon, sing!" he had insisted, taking her shoulders and smiling in that goofy, silly smile she had gotten used to. By now she could tell the Chosen's mood just by looking at it: if it was forced or sincere, if it was cynical or hopeful or amused or mocking…

"The destination, I don't know, hi-ho! Hi-ho!" Zelos re-started, 'dancing' (walking, more than that) backwards with long, dramatic strides. "But I've mounted my steed…?"

She sighed as a smile started to tug at the corners of her mouth, and in her worst possible voice, said: "Hi-ho, hi-ho."

"Alriiiiight! I don't know the ends of the world, but -! Even then, tomorrow will still come…!"

Looking completely stupid… an incurable sentimentalist… an unredeemable idiot… so was Zelos dancing while walking just in front of me…

And the people we found on the road, all of them looked at Zelos and sneered at him, but…

But even then, Zelos continued… always, dancing and walking just in front of me.

Notes: I have so many things I'd like to say here today, but I'll try to kept things short. First, I like this chapter. Sure they fight but they make up and once more Sheena decides to follow Zelos, and Zelos shows a part of him one usually doesn't get to see… although one has to say, though, "Yes Zelos, you are the one at fault for making stupid jokes yesterday". I know the fight might have been a little confusing and/or vague, but that's the way they had it in Japanese: they never really say clearly what are they talking about, or at least that's what Ithink I understood.

Also, from my point of view there are two possible translations for what Zelos says ("I'd like you to be clear…"). Since I'm not sure, I present you now the alternative line:

"Look, if you wanna part with me you should be clear about it. If we misunderstand things the only one who's gonna end up sad will be you. There are no winners in this kind of fight, anyway…"

In the end I chose the other one because it made a little more sense, but this one is kinda… more dramatic.

I don't know what to say about what went on with Lloyd and Sheena… that pairing is possibly the one I dislike the most (man, I'd rather read Raine/Lloyd). I can see where it comes from, of course, but I don't like it at all. We can at least now say that Sheena has decidedly picked Zelos over Lloyd though, and I can't see Lloyd leaving Colette for any reason in the world.

Also, I'll be warning you from now on… this is ending soon. I, sadly, have no control over the number of tracks, so I can only say it won't last much longer. At all. The end is coming O-O

I said I'd be short so I'll leave it here. Oh, and for those who asked via review and e-mail – no, the manga I talked about is not the Comic Anthology. That one is a four-tome collection of short stories, mostly humorous, involving all of the cast. This is a manga (graphic novel) adaptation of the game itself.

Hope you enjoyed as much as I enjoyed writing it-

WDR