Well, here I am again with the next chapter. I hope you'll all like this one as well! Now here there will be another interaction between Sheena and Zelos...a bit interesting really.

Disclaimer: I do not own ToS or Hawksong though I really wish I did.

Though I was angry for our sudden departure and missed opportunity to make peace, I could understand why my grandfather protested accepting the proposal of the Queen. In our society, the women were often promised to her future husband right after birth. They would grow up together and eventually build a trust between them. The male raised to be a protector and guide while the female would developed an unwavering trust in him. He would be a complete gentleman, accepting her own strength yet protecting her from the harshest in our world at the same time.

Batoushi had been the son of two well respected shinobi in our village. By his position as my husband, I was closer to him that anyone else. I wished he were here right now…he could have helped me figure out a way to stop this war.

I tried not to think about the things I could not change while I prepared to take my rightful position in less than two months. During the first two weeks I went to my lessons and trained with the Anbu unit. I had always used Orochi's excuse for my learning to defend myself as an explanation for my long absences from the Temple. Though I was not as good as the others, I could still surprise them with some alternations with my fighting style. While the others usually practiced hand-to-hand combat and sword practice, I practiced less on swords and more on fighting physically and with my cards. The cards were my own invention of fighting style. I used my chakra, or my physical and spiritual energy, to make them float and swing with the motion of my hands. The soldiers often find it amusing to see me practice with such a unique style, though they believe that this kind of technique should only be used for entertaining children.

My grandfather always approved of my learning to fight but he disapproved of my going into the battlefields because of the dwindling number of his grandchildren. He wanted to watch them grow up…not die in his arms.

Half a month went by before I was approached by a young girl. She was slender and well built with two pink pigtails sticking out from either side of her head. The anger in her blue eyes was the only emotion visible in this girl and it told me why she had come to meet me. I assumed something horrible had happened to her family to cause this "emptiness" about her…if this were true, she wouldn't be the first.

"Miss Fujibayashi." she greeted me monotonously. She half curtsied before she continued. "My name is Presea Combatir, milady. I spoke to the Chief earlier today and he referred me to you. With your permission, I would like to join the Anbu unit."

I gazed at her sadly, not surprised. Many warriors about her age have come to me and asked to join. They were all about this age when they went into battle…and when they died. Such is a ninja's way, living for the battle and little else.

"Do you have any training, Presea?" I inquired.

"A little, milady." the girl responded. As we talked some more, I sized her up, noting that the training she had didn't include the formal posture of a ninja who was ready for anything to happen. "My sister taught me what she could." The words before she died hung after the sentence like a cloud.

I sighed; many soldiers had joined the Anbu unit for reasons very much like Presea's. "Follow me, and you'll present yourself to the leader for evaluation. If your skills prove to be adequate enough, he will assign your position in the group." I eyed the giant metal axe she held in her hand, her choice of weapons was odd indeed. Normally, an axe isn't among the armaments that ninjas take into battle. Swinging a weapon like that would cost valuable time in the battlefield…time she couldn't afford to waste because it couldn't compete with a noble's speed. I hoped that when she used that against Orochi…she was prepared for disappointment. However, if she proved to be good enough still, there was a chance that she could join one of the other groups.

I escorted her to the training grounds where the squad was training on hand-to-hand combat. As Orochi noticed my entrance, he walked over while examining the girl beside me.

"Are you looking for me, milady?" he asked.

"Yes…Presea Combatir would like to join the Anbu unit if you have a position open for her." I told him, gesturing for her to move forward.

When he took in her pink hair and blue eyes his brow scrunched up as if he were trying to recall a memory. "Combatir…? I believe I've had the pleasure of meeting your sister Alicia."

Presea smiled, though it did not reach her eyes. It was a sad smile, one that told me that even if she accepted the fact that her sister was gone, she would never let it go. She ran purely on revenge and it wouldn't be settled until she had killed every last noble on earth. "You saved her life once. She was quite fond of that memory. I'm surprised you remembered."

"She is quite a little soldier. Quick on her feet." Orochi mused.

"She was." came the monotonous reply.

"Ah, I'm sorry for your loss." he said, bringing that topic to a close. "Come this way and we will test your skills." Presea followed him silently to the weapons rack.

As he reached for two blunt swords, Presea stopped him by saying, "Excuse me, but with your permission, I would like to use my own weapon." She held up that giant axe I saw earlier and presented it to Orochi. He briefly inspected it and looked at her skeptically, probably thinking the same I had earlier.

"I know my disadvantages, sir. With a weapon like this, my chances look to be less than 20 percent. But I'd prefer to use this above all else." Presea said, looking at him steadily with those blue eyes. "This is my sister's memento to me…I want to be able to remember her when I fight on the battlefield."

Orochi sighed, "If you wish…" He picked up a blade for himself. "But if you become a warrior you must remember that you have a duty to protect your Chief. If by using this weapon you endanger them even more I suggest you forget about joining this unit. You are a warrior and you will eventually go onto the field to kill another person, I hope you are prepared."

Presea lowered her eyes, but I don't think it was from the prospect of murder. "I apologize, but I can hardly call these nobles people."

Orochi nodded without argument. It wasn't unusual to get someone with this way of thinking. Our whole educational system was set up so that hate for the nobles was the basic framework for all soldiers—adult or children. But as a leader, Orochi still had to ask, "If I ordered you to retreat from the battlefield, will you retreat?" Presea stared at him coldly, anger seeping into her eyes once again. "I cannot allow you to join this unit if you insist on defying my orders." he told her sternly.

"Does this unit usually retreat?" she asked icily. I could almost feel that deadly hatred being unleashed, though I suspected it was all mostly anger or disgust at the very idea of running away.

Orochi turned to look at me quickly before answering, "Our main priority is to protect the Chief and his heirs. If a battle becomes too dangerous, it is our task to get them out of enemy sights…even if it means leaving. We serve no purpose for the Chief if we die for our own pride. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir." Presea responded, the anger draining from her eyes. She was not caught off guard though as Orochi brought his blade up. She had responded to his move by swinging her axe quicker than I would have imagined, narrowly missing his exposed throat. He only just saved himself by leaning back.

Coming around for a second swing, Presea caught the edge of his blade. After a few minutes of struggling for control, Presea reached behind her back and pulled out a much smaller axe. She swung it at Orochi and forced him to jump back, leaving both her weapons free to attack. Presea charged in and soon they were involved in a flurry of activity…almost too fast to follow.

Presea was much quicker with that giant axe than her slight, petite figure suggested. It was shocking that such a young girl could control the weight of her weapon to her advantage and keep up with the excellent speed Orochi was setting for her. I could tell right away that he was using more effort than he normally would with beginners. I glanced around me and noted the number of onlookers gazing admiringly at the fight. It was incredible indeed.

The fighting in front of me stopped as Presea and Orochi stood facing each other from opposite ends of the "ring." A second later, she threw her smaller axe straight at his head…hitting him right between the eyes. The crowd gasped and Presea stood there shocked.

"That wasn't my intention…" she started, but the figure of Orochi in front of her blew up in a puff of smoke and a block of wood fell to the ground in his place. Presea tensed and pivoted…all in time to have a blunt blade pressed against her throat.

"You're dead, Presea." Orochi stated calmly. "You have some good moves. Next time, don't be fooled by the art of substitution…the enemy might not have this ability but you need to be prepared for any surprises. Care to try this again?"

She smiled wearily. "Yes, sir."

Sparring again, Orochi was careful to assess Presea's offensive and defensive combat skills. I knew she was in good hands as evening fell, so I excused myself and headed to the second-level court.

The market, like the rest of the kingdom, was bursting with gossip over the noble's latest attempts at peace. Ballads, speeches, and embellished stories were buzzing all around the square, attempting to provide an explanation for this "madness" the nobles had tried to convince us of. The idea that they were actually honest was never even considered.

I entered the courts after most of the younger members had retired for the evening and sat down close to the back. I wanted to listen to all the gossip that the wiser members of our clan were not comfortable speaking about with younger ears around. Orochi would usually come in at this time and draw attention to me so that I may not hear conversation deemed inappropriate for my ears. To my satisfaction, he was late in coming and soon people began to forget I was there since I was not seated at the head of the table.

I began to hear tidbits of information about our visit to Derris Kharlan coming in slow strings on my end of the court. They discussed how scandalous it was that Zelos was able to kiss me in front of two ninja warriors without being stopped. My cheeks flushed upon hearing that and though speculations about his motives and the slowness of the Anbu unit's response were a bit strong, I realized that most of the details of that night were in fact accurate. It made me wonder how many other stories were true…

"Sheena."

I jumped at Orochi's voice behind me. I was so engrossed with the murmur of conversation that I did not hear him sneak up behind me.

"Considering how early you rise in the morning, I would be thoughtless not to point out how late it is getting." In other words, he had no authority to force or order me from the court but he had no intention of letting me stay here and fill my head with meaningless banter either.

So, not wanting to vex him, I allowed him to escort me to my room. Walking down the hall, I glanced at all the empty rooms surrounding mine. These had once housed all of my family: my grandfather, grandmother, my parents, my sister, and my brother. Now, they hung heavy in silence…a constant reminder of my loneliness.

I bid Orochi goodnight; then my mind drifted to Zelos' speech again, as it has been doing ever since we came from Derris Kharlan. Is it possible he was honest? I could not help fearing him for being the Chosen for the reason that his gaze made my blood chill and his Cruxis crystal gave him power beyond human comprehension. It's a wonder we survived this long. Yet, despite all these dangers, I hoped desperately that he really wanted peace.

I slipped out of the slacks and purple robe I had worn for the evening, and slipped into my favorite white nightgown. The material itself made me feel as if I lay in a cloud…it was a small comfort, but I needed it.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Dreams slid into my mind so slowly that I had no recollection of ever falling asleep.

Nightmare chased nightmare, and eventually I found myself lying in the blood covered dirt of a battlefield. I was being restrained by two guards as I fought desperately to go over to my sister's side. They tried to soothe me, but I brushed off their kindness and only focused on my injured sister.

I was dreaming, I realized.

My sister had died long ago, when I was barely ten years old.

Still, the smell of blood was so strong…

I struggled to wake, but only succeeded in throwing myself into another cursed nightmare. I felt a noble's sword bite into my shoulder; I saw an eleven year old Orochi—armed with only a bloody dagger from his father's hand—protect my eight year old self…I screamed, trying to throw myself at the approaching noble and change history, though in reality, he already bore the sword scars on his skin.

This time, instead of being knocked out, I was stabbed in the gut by the enemy's blade. I fell, moaning in pain, but at the last moment Batoushi caught my hand and dragged me back to my feet. I looked up, and saw past the cold exterior to glimpse the concern and affection in his eyes.

I loved him, but I knew this was all a dream. I missed Batoushi so much that it felt good to see him, even if it wasn't real…

Then, he pushed me behind him, twisting around so he took the knife aimed at me.

After that, Helios Wilder lay in front of me dying slowly, with Orochi comforting him as I had done. I stood up as I had not done in real life and walked away. The dream phantom called after me, telling me to stay, but I couldn't see all my loved ones dying. Not again.

And then Zelos Wilder appeared, sapphire eyes pinning me in place. "Please don't scream." he pleaded.

Was I ever going to wake up?

I never could have done so in real life, but in the dream I pushed him away and nearly shouted, "What do you want?"

Zelos winced and his gaze flickered over to the door. "I should think you would know the answer to that." he stated simply.

This was ridiculous. In every dream I ever had, it always reverted to violence and pain; I wondered when the killing would start. It was not unusual for my dreams to tread this path; it had been like this for years. One lucid nightmare would always be followed by another one until morning, but up till now they had always ended when Zelos Wilder appeared. Now that I had seen him, spoken to him, my mind had more ammunition for nocturnal torments.

Zelos watched me quietly, his expression wary.

"You don't look dangerous enough to have my grandfather drag me out of Derris Kharlan in the middle of the night." I commented to the specter.

The real Zelos Wilder scared me, but this one, the simple phantom of my dream, did not intimidate me nearly as much. He reminded me of Batoushi; they had both worn a mask that was emotionless and numb to pain, but beneath it I suspected lay a fragile warrior who was merely tired of the war.

"I don't?" Zelos purred, a glint of amusement shining in his sapphire eyes.

I ignored him as I got up and paced. I wondered if I screamed, would Orochi come and wake me up? Or would this nightmare slow and mock me until I choked on the silence?

"Sheena, are you alright?" Zelos asked, the first hint of concern showing from the frown he now wore. He stood up and watched helplessly as I continued to pace.

"Is there a reason I should be?" I spat angrily. "All I want is sleep. I don't want to dream, because all I see are the people I've lost. I don't want to smell the stench of death and decay and rotten blood. I don't want to hear the wet sputter of someone trying to breathe past pain. I don't want to see dying children whenever I close my eyes.

"But I am the next Chief," I said quietly, deflating after my little bout of anger, "and once I am, that will be my entire life. War. Death. Pain. And I don't know how to stop it."

For a brief moment the arrogance was gone from his expression as he regarded me with something that looked like respect.

"If I knew how to grant that wish," he finally said, voice soft, "I would have done it long ago before I lost my family, lovers, and friends. I would have done everything in my power to save them if I could. And now we both want peace; I can't believe there isn't a way to manage something."

I caught him sizing me up, gaze flickering up and down my form. My cheeks burned. "Perhaps there is more to you than what I see, Sheena." he mused aloud. "Much more than that emotionless ninja who hides behind her reserve and resists my charm..."

Then Zelos reached out to me and gently caressed my cheek. Soon his hand threaded its way through my hair and the other around my waist as he kissed me, this time not hesitant in the face of my recoil or hurried to avoid a kunai from the Anbu unit.

The sensation of his lips lingering over mine was startling; the light pressure of his body as he held me against himself was unexpected. He broke the kiss at the same time he pressed something into my hand.

"Tomorrow evening, I'll make sure to post guards at my door who are loyal to me and will let you in safely." Zelos said intensely. I was barely able to follow him as I felt myself beginning to slip into the next dream; I cringed from the prospect, I knew it would be much bloodier than this one. "We can't meet like this in the open—your guards are already prepared to kill me as it is—but I have enough control over my castle that we can make plans there…if you'll come."

I nodded, closing my fingers over the object he had given me.

He held my hand up to his cheek and kissed it, before he crossed my room and headed over to the balcony. I had a vague picture of him spreading his wings and flying away.

Then I sat down to look at what Zelos had pressed into my hand, but before I could finish uncurling my fingers, the scene changed and I was once again engulfed in nightmares.

Okay, how did ya' like it? Oh, and before I forget...I heard that we weren't supposed to respond to the reviews in our stories anymore but I looked at the main page and it doesn't mention anything about it. I dunno what's going on. So I guess this'll be my last response to you guys. If I'm wrong, would somebody please notify me? Thanks.

lugiamania- Hehehe, well he is restrained isn't he? Heh, I tried my best to capture some of his personality while mixing it with the character from the book but it turned out a lot more serious that I wanted. Oh well. We need a few more "serious" Zelos stories. :) Thanks for your support!

Winged Dancer- lol. I always stop reviewing for stories, too. It's just that I run out of compliments to give them when I'm sure their bored to death from hearing the same things over and over again. Hehe, I'll take your advice. I like the idea of them being more open once they get "married"...it would actually fit into the plot really nicely. So I'm going to have to give credit to you when I write that part. Thanks so much for everything! XD

Sheena Fujibayashi- Heh, I know how you feel about being in band camp and going without a computer for a week. I was in it for a day and even that was a little much. I'm just so happpy that you really like this story! It's really gratifying to know that people out there actually read and like my stories this much! I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations as well. Thank you for reading my fic! XD