AngelCatGirl: Well, here's the third chapter and like I said, Zelos will make his first appearance here. There won't be much interaction between Sheena and him but it will come in the next chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own ToS or Hawksong but I love them both just the same! XD

Enjoy!

My stomach was in knots by the time we made our last minute preparations for the trip to Derris Kharlan. I was sure that even in neutral territory the nobles would somehow find a way to ambush us and take more friends and family away from me. In my sleep I fought against phantom enemies, when I was awake I fought against my growing fears. There was no rest for me waking or dreaming. But I must continue on if my people are to put their lives in my hands. I must not show my fear. But even with my impending responsibilities or resolves, I could not help but interrogate Orochi about the Temple's defenses while we were gone. He avoided me for two full weeks during the time we waited for the nobles to make their move.

We were sure that it was only a matter of time before the nobles showed their true colors and attempted to kill me or my grandfather.

Only a matter of time…

"Excuse me, Successor. We have a problem."

I tried my hardest not to send a glare at the young ninja. She was, after all, just a messenger. "Can this wait? We are just about to leave."

She shook her head, "I'm sorry, ma'am. But the Chief gave me precise instructions to inform you to talk to the Shinobi guard squad before you left. They are getting restless."

Flanked by my guards, I arrived at the training grounds in time to see a few guilty glances sent my way. That did not bode well with my mood. How can the nobles expect us to get to Derris Kharlan without some protest from our people? The leader of the squad was a woman by the name of Karla, she was a strong-headed woman when dealing with the nobles…but inside that hard, cold exterior she was as kind-hearted as any mother we had in our kingdom. Right now, I was not ready to deal with the woman's sharp tongue or her motherly scoldings.

"Is there a problem, Karla? I still have an important meeting to attend to." I told her, trying not to express the annoyance I felt at this little delay.

"It involves the deal with the nobles…my soldiers and myself are restless with this waiting. The orders are—"

Before she could finish explaining, another guard chirped in, "The orders are preposterous! Surely there's been some mistake made…some mix up…" he trailed off, refusing to believe that the next Chief could have issued such a command.

I closed my eyes wearily, "Your orders are to stay put and guard the Temple, yes?" This was definitely not good. At this rate we could have a rebellion on our hands and the bloodshed would never end. I could imagine all the havoc my ninjas could reek if they had decided to rebel while their leaders were away…it could send them all in a panic and our existence would eventually cease to exist. Panic is the root of all fear and fear inevitably leads to destruction. A lesson taught in all ninja schools is that when the predator smells its prey's fear…the hunt is over. The same is applied to all human situations with ninjas. That is why we've developed our reserve, perhaps it is our only means to hide our fear…mask our unfolding up the fact that we are scared of the unknown. Why else would we be stuck in our own seclusion? I pushed away all the thoughts as the soldier answered me.

"Yes, ma'am…" But… I heard that hesitation in his voice and knew he wanted to say more but fearing my temper, he kept his mouth shut.

Karla decided to continue his thought, seeing that she could end things a lot faster this way, "But sitting around here on our asses won't be of any good to us or our people if we're taken by surprise!" she argued. "I mean no disrespect when I say this, but nobles don't know the meaning of honor or peace. They only know the meaning of bloodshed."

I felt an icy chill crawl up my spine. Karla was voicing thoughts I had often worried about late at night. I really wondered if the nobles were trying to be decent or if they were capable of emotions other than hate. Goddess knows we are…but how can we tell with something that kills so effortlessly on the battlefield? Helios Wilder should have been sufficient evidence, but he was only one boy.

What if…?

I sighed, I was tired of questions that began with 'what if…' I wanted solid answers for the questions my people gave me.

"I am aware of your fears, Karla. These fears don't just dominate in you, but everyone in the entire kingdom. But it wouldn't be acceptable if we allowed ourselves to show this weakness to our enemy. If they were true to their word and really wanted to discuss such a thing as peace, it would be equally unacceptable to not show up. It's all in our choices...and my choice has already been made. We are going to Derris Kharlan to talk about peace. And you will stay here to guard the Temple. You will not move and you won't cause any trouble while we're away. Do you understand these orders, Karla?" I asked hotly. My temper always got the best of me whenever I got into situations like these. I've always been told it was one of my most…amusing…qualities by the men, but I have never seen why. Because of this admiration, I've tried to keep it in check whenever I could.

Yet, beyond my comprehension, Karla actually smiled at me. "I understand them perfectly, Successor. I will not do anything to disobey our future Chief." The soldiers around her nodded in agreement while trying to respectfully hide smiles of their own.

Maintaining my dignity, at least I hoped I was, I walked back to the Temple trying not to blush in front of my guards. Thankfully, we were intercepted by a blue-haired man coming to escort us to Derris Kharlan. To my amusement he seemed rather cross about being sent to usher us to the meeting place. The man briefly introduced himself as Yuan before he turned around and walked off without glancing to see if we followed. It would seem that he really didn't care if we gained our peace or not. Sighing again, my guards and I followed him to the front of the Temple where grandpa and Lloyd were waiting. As soon as we joined them, we disappeared into the surrounding forest without another sound.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The journey to Derris Kharlan was a difficult one. Even with a ninja's agile body and physical stamina, the trip still was as unpleasant as running through muck. Maybe it was merely exhaustion but I would've sworn that Yuan was taking us the long way just to tire us out. I shrugged it off; Orochi was right about one thing…people from Derris Kharlan don't tolerate wars on their territory. Yuan was most likely doing this as an extra precaution to make sure we don't plan to do something. I hate to admit it, but this was an excellent tactic. I just hoped that they were giving the same treatment to the nobles. I smiled a bit to think that they were having trouble keeping up.

"It's nice to see you find this trip somewhat amusing." Yuan muttered to me. "We're almost at the gates. Once I let you in I'll show you and your people to the reception hall. From there you will meet the rulers of Derris Kharlan and explain your…dilemma." He didn't wait for my reaction before he pushed aside some bushes and revealed a carefully hidden gate. Clever.

"The king and queen will see you now." called a young girl opening the gates. "This way." Yuan didn't hesitate to follow her through the gates so we trailed him quickly. Inside was much different than what I'd expected...the entire landscape was surrounded by a natural ring of high stones. The land inside was quite vast and housed many small clusters of buildings that I guessed served as houses for the villagers. Right in the heart of this seemingly quiet city was the most peculiar structure I've ever seen, it looked like a huge tower made completely of crystal that reflected the light to every possible corner of the kingdom. It was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. Though my amazement was cut a little short as we were suddenly surrounded by swordsmen on all sides; they relaxed, thankfully, when they recognized who we were. Right after that, we were ushered quickly to the crystal tower.

Most of the swordsmen stopped outside and allowed us to enter alone, but the girl we met at the gate appeared just at the last moment to push aside the silk curtains and reveal the splendor of the palace.

Stepping into that room made me feel that our own reception hall was quite shabby in comparison. The area was decorated in velvet that felt soft to the touch and the floor was a light colored stone that differed from the walls of the tower. Everything about this place screamed royalty…it really was a magnificent room. The warm red and gold colors were everywhere and showed how much love and care the person who decorated it took to make it look this fantastic. On either side of the rooms were burgundy cushions that lay around a single platform on the back. Seated there, on cushions of their own, were the king and queen of Derris Kharlan. It took me a minute to see Lloyd's features reflected on them. He got most of his looks from his mother, Anna, who had chocolate brown hair and eyes. But the structure of his face and the warm smile he had was inherited from his father, Kratos.

My thoughts stopped there though, as my attention was suddenly focused on the group who sat on the left of the platform. Seles smiled wryly at us from across the hall but I didn't return it as my gaze widened when I saw who else was there. Seated next to Seles was a woman with long, blond hair and piercing green eyes. As she turned to look at me I looked away, afraid of meeting her gaze or seeing the hatred embedded into them like in so many of my people. That was Athena Wilder, current ruler of the nobles. As a simple noblewoman, she might not be as deadly as the Chosen, but it is never good to underestimate someone like her.

Behind Seles and Athena stood two silver-haired guards, one male and the other female. Judging by the features I guessed that they were siblings. They looked at us with the same blue eyes and cold features of dislike. A little apart from the group sat a man and a woman. There was no mistaking the red-head…this was Zelos Wilder.

He was lounged casually on the cushion with his back leaning against the wall. His arm lingered around the shoulders of the blonde next to him as she stared at him lovingly. He didn't bother to look in our direction as he whispered something into her ear that made her giggle madly. Zelos had the build of a man that rivaled any of our fittest ninjas and the…pink…silk shirt he wore was pulled taunt across his chest, just revealing the ruby red Cruxis crystal attached to the base of his neck.

I shook my head quickly to disperse those thoughts but that slight movement from me froze him for a second before he turned his gaze in my direction. The dark, ocean-blue eyes caught my purple ones instantly. I felt as if I was being drawn in by them…mesmerized by them. Those eyes...much colder than Seles, held me in my place for what seemed like an eternity. Only when he broke the contact did I realize that I had held my breath as I walked. My face heated instantly when I realized that he only broke his gaze to scan my figure. Orochi caught that and automatically moved to block him from my view as he escorted me to my seat.

'I have to make peace with that?' I thought frantically. If he could affect me that strongly from across the room, how will I ever talk to him face-to-face? I would probably slap him if he tried that again…and end all possibility of peace in the process.

The queen held her hand up for silence, a gesture that dragged my attention away from Zelos.

"I know this won't be easy on the two of you," Anna began. "But we are here to make this peace work and for that to happen we need both sides willing to make an effort to be civil."

Orochi grumbled next to me and I shot a look that instantly quieted him. Zelos and Seles did the same for their guards.

The queen turned first to the nobles, "Athena, are you the noble's current ruler?"

Athena nodded but added aloud, "Yes, but my husband is dead. My people won't listen to someone who isn't directly a Chosen. You should address Zelos as our leader."

The chocolate-brown eyes turned to him, "Do you have a wife, Zelos?" she asked while glancing at the woman next to him. The blonde looked pleased that the queen thought as much.

"No, having one would sentence them to death in this war. It's dangerous for a woman to be bound to the Chosen of the nobles. I've already learned that no one is safe if they have a connection to me." he answered, eyes becoming colder than before. I inwardly shivered…an angry noble is not one I would like to be in the same room with. Even if he looked calm, I could still see the anger in his eyes and a bit of something else…sadness? No, that can't be. I must have been mistaken.

Anna nodded sadly, accepting his explanation. Kratos held her hand comfortingly. She turned to my grandfather next. "And you, Saitou? Do you still rule as Chief or is your granddaughter in charge?"

"I am still Chief. But I plan to allow my granddaughter inherit her rightful throne on her nineteenth birthday. You should address her as Chief now." Igaguri said solemnly. He sighed, "She was originally meant to become Chief when she married…but her husband was killed in this war. She still has faith in peace and because of that I think she should be our leader."

Anna nodded again and looked at Zelos and me. "Sheena, Zelos, you both came here for peace. Why did you come in need of our help?"

I spoke out first, "This war has been going on far too long for my people to want to trust the nobles. All they ever think about is war; they've grown accustomed to bloodshed and treachery that they think nothing of peace. Even during these past two weeks we've had difficulty controlling our armies. They would want to revolt if we forced them to accept peace as it is right now."

I was surprised but Zelos agreed on most of the stuff I said, "Even if we all wanted peace, our people would rather fight than be caught off guard. They don't believe ninjas to be anything but liars," I felt Orochi tense beside me, "and even some of my people don't understand why I want this peace."

Anna sighed and looked over at Kratos. They talked quietly for a few minutes before the king spoke to both of us.

"You are saying that your people doubt your sincerity and the other side's sincerity," he paraphrased. "If you set an example that shows you are both willing to make this peace your people will eventually follow you. The question is, how much are you willing to give for this peace?" Kratos asked fixing me with his gaze.

My mind raced through the battlefields, the faces of my dead friends, my family, the crimson blood, Helios and how he died, Haku…all were memories I would not want another child to be tainted with. I did not want the next generation to remember the bloodshed, the suffering, or the lost. I want them to be happy. I want them to live so that I would never again hold another dead child in my arms.

So I answered, "Everything."

A breath later, Zelos echoed my reply with, "Anything."

Anna took over at this point, "When you have hatred, you need to start with the heart to mend it. Similarly, when there is a rift between people, the only way to bridge the two is to start at the center." She looked over all of us sadly.

I glanced quickly at Zelos to see if he understood what she meant. His eyes narrowed slightly but that was all.

"You came to us for advice and all we can give you is this: The only way to mend a rift is to sew the two sides together, into one. Sheena, Zelos, you both claim to be willing to give up everything, anything, to stop this war. Never ask your people to do something you would never have the courage to do." She looked at Zelos for a long while. "If you want peace, start between the two of you."

"The best advice we can offer you is: Join the royal families. If you are willing to trust each other then Sheena, take Zelos as your husband. Zelos, take Sheena as your wife." Kratos said aloud for the whole hall to hear.

The blonde next to Zelos and Orochi were the first to jump up and protest. My grandfather, Athena, and Seles shouted out a heartbeat after. But only Zelos' voice stood above the others shouting, "This is an absurd idea!"

My own voice failed me as I tried to make my objections. My hands instinctively clutched my purple dress as I tried to clear my head. How could they suggest such a thing? Ninjas and nobles were just too different…how could they think we would tolerate one another's company much less convince our people that this was not forced?

Kratos held up his hand for silence as the servants tried to calm us down. They had to coax Athena and Orochi to sit back down.

Anna's voice was soft, almost sad, as she asked, "If you are unwilling to make amends, then how can you expect your people to do so? As I said, set an example." There was a brief pause, "Stay the night and think about our words. Dismissed…all of you." she said wearily.

"But, wait please—"

Just like that, we were barred from the hall. Lloyd, of course, stayed behind to talk to his parents about his upbringing at our kingdom. He at least, wouldn't be left unsatisfied by the visit. Guards ringed us on all sides and gave us no other option than to follow them docilely to our rooms. I was glad when I learned I would have one all to myself. I needed some time to be alone right now…I did not want to dwell on the prospect of marrying that noble, but if doing so would end this gruesome war, wouldn't the sacrifice be worth it? I never thought of myself as a naturally selfish person but not taking the queen's advice and choosing to discard it carelessly is beyond selfish, lower than it in fact. She was right; if I truly wanted this peace I would have to set an example for my people, I couldn't be selfish now.

My thoughts were interrupted once by Orochi checking up on me. Only after making sure I was fine did he calm down.

"Are you sure you're alright with this arrangement?" he asked.

I nodded, fearing my voice would waver if I tried to answer.

He sighed, like a defeated man, "I'm sorry for the outburst earlier today…it's just that I don't think they really see how different our clans are. You know I care about you…I mean, your safety." he added hastily not meeting my eyes, "I always have and I would hate for that noble to get anywhere near you. So please be careful." A pause and then, "Goodnight, Sheena." before he closed the door.

"Goodnight, Orochi." I called softly.

I knew he wouldn't go far though, even with Derris Kharlan's guards positioning themselves in front of my door, he would stay by my side until the end. I hoped it would never come to that.

I laid on the bed the king and queen provided me with and stared at the candle next to me…mesmerized by the glow of the flame. 'Would a union fan the flames of hatred or quench it?' I mused to myself and sighed. 'Only time will tell…'

ACG: Well did ya' like it? Oh, just so you know...that blonde with Zelos is going to end up being Hilda. But I repeat: no matter what pairing it may seem at first, this story is going to be Sheelos. Heh, my sister suggested I remind you every chappy but I'll spare your senses and do it every so often!

SharinganNinja: Sorry! But :P to you anyway:D

Katandshadow: THANK YOU! Hehehehe, I'm so glad you reviewed! XD

Luigi III: Hehe, I'm glad you think this is great! Thank you so much for your review! I hope you continue reading! (tell your friends! .:wink wink:.) :D

Well after today I won't be here quite so often since I'm going on vacation this week and then school starts right after...bummer. I hope to get a lot of reviews for this story, so please contribute! Please? Well...laters!