Disclaimer: I don't own tales of symphonia.

A. R. Russ: That's really nice of you to say, but me and books? I'd never know what to write about.

Phaidra13: Strong and mysterious…well it would work elsewhere but she's kind of suffering from running from Mizuho and everything. Eh, I'll try to fit it in where possible.

Anonymous Tos Luvah: yup, very bad Zelos.

Eliannora: Aw, well it's good you and sister good something good out of it :)

CopyCatShinobi: Not a problem with the "0's" and I sure hope comical was meant in a good way :P

jiri-chan: Wow, 1:15…now I feel bad for not updating for so long.

Hazumi Yoi: 2 weeks? 5 days? I completely forgot what I was talking about…eesh…I have to start updating faster.

Neko-Koorime: in that case I kinda let you down huh?

Torrid: you might see a glimpse of that in this chap.

Blissful Twilight: ooo, cookies! Yes, I'm sick of all the Shelloyds too. More Sheelos!

Bballstar42: oh, yeah. Totally.

Sheena Fujibayashi: Yeah, same here. I didn't originally didn't read TOS fics but I started reading this section (and writing this fic) before I got the game. Ugh, details were so hard to put in when you have nothing to refer to.

Krogstad: When I'm glad you liked it, but why would I bother continuing a story that no many people like? I have to be sure I'm writing for a reason :)

hellokitty888: Exactly, I can't imagine throwing up all day to be fun o.O

Suzu Fujibayashi: Yeah, sadly…Sheena will always be Sheena. Stubborn to the very end.

Scarlet Kratos: it's seems I'm not completely burdened with work so updates during weekends are possible.

lugiamania: headaches are horrible, can't think straight with them.

StrawberryEggs: heehee, not as many as you think.

azuma ninja14856:D it's always nice to hear that.

The mistakes we make

I dangled Corrine's bell from the tips of my fingers, I had to admit, I missed Mizuho. I missed waking up in the morning to the low wooden roofs. I missed the quiet buzz of morning activity. I missed getting up early only to fuss over what I had to cook for breakfast. But most of all I missed grandpa and Orochi, they were family to me and I longed to see them again. Though the reality of it all is that I can't return, not now…because of what I'd done and how I had handled it was a shameful thing indeed. The people of my village already hated me, just thinking of how they would react to my return frightened me to some extent. I shouldn't have ran, but I did.

The night air blew loudly around me, whipping my hair sharply against my face, Meltokio was so different. The people were different, the shops were strange and their manners blunt especially when addressing people without a title. People like me. I hated the way I stuck out in this city, but I had to get used to it.

Zelos was somewhere in the house, when I stopped by his room early in the evening I had heard him mumbling to himself, something to do with the handling of the Church of Martel. I didn't feel like disturbing him since I had nothing to say to him. I had just walked past his room and onto the balcony.

"Miss Sheena?"

I turned around already knowing who it was, "Yes, Sebastian?"

"It's awfully windy out there; you wouldn't want to get sick." he stepped out into the balcony as he said this, "You're going to have a terrible cough by tomorrow, you've been out here since evening."

"I'm fine, really. Nothing I'm not used to." I turned back around thinking of the cold Mizuho mornings I had to wake up and train shivering in my thin purple robes.

Sebastian didn't push me on that topic nor did he leave my side, it occurred to me he might be hesitating to say something. Not wanting to seem the least bit rude or scare him away I stayed silent and waited for him to start.

The only sounds for a long time after that were the howling wind and the noisy rustling of the leaves. I almost thought Sebastian had forgotten about saying anything and just stood there trying to enjoy the view of the very ugly trees.

"Miss Sheena, if it isn't too much to ask--" he paused glancing at me for approval to continue.

Alas I was wrong about my earlier prediction, "Go ahead Sebastian."

He nodded, "I mean it in no way imposing, just as a curious question—what were you doing in that room a few days ago?"

I knew what he was talking about but I wanted to delay the answer I was supposed to give, "What are you talking about?"

"The room in which you found the key." Sebastian smiled gently, "You do not have to worry, Master Zelos won't hear a word of this conversation from me."

That helped a bit, but I was pretty sure it's Sebastian's duty to remain faithful to Zelos, "Nothing really, I was just…looking around."

"Did you find what you were looking for Miss Sheena?" the butler asked in the most casual way possible.

I fumbled with my words, the things I found did me no good, "Ah…I wasn't really looking for anything in particular…just browsing."

"I see, it must have been hard with how messy the Study room was, I keep telling Master Zelos that I would clean it for him but sometimes I find he's just too picky about that room."

I gulped, hard, for an old man Sebastian sure was sharp, "Messy? It looked fine to me." in fact I had seen pig sty's kept in better condition.

The aged man shook his head, "Master Zelos should consider neatening it up, you never know when someone might stumble upon something meant to be kept hidden."

That statement was only too true, "I…agree."

Once again it was silent, uncomfortably so. I knew, without having him say it that he had some idea of what I had been up to that day. I almost wanted to ask him about what had been bugging me from the time I "broke into" Zelos' precious Study room. The one thing that had me feeling so confused everything that revolved around that self-centered redhead.

After a while of having the tip of my nose glow red with the cold I sighed and hoped I would receive an answer I wanted to hear, "There is this one thing…" I trailed of wondering if I really should ask, "But…it's kinda personal…so--"

"You have my word, what is said here is strictly confidential." Sebastian assured me.

I nodded bluntly and continued, "There was one thing that stuck out when I was in…there. Who—who is Hanna?"

"…I thought as much." Sebastian turned to me with a knowing smile, "She was once a close acquaintance to master Zelos."

"I got that from the letters…" I mumbled under my breath.

"Her father Charles is a brother to the current King and his daughter, Hanna, in turn is related to Princess Hilda…that was how she came to meet master Zelos. As you know, him being the Chosen he is required to take part in meetings held at the castle—where Charles and his family were staying—and obviously they were to meet sometime or the other seeing as Hanna was always around Princess Hilda."

"And let me guess—like every other woman Zelos had to make her one of his 'hunnies'" I grumbled softly.

"This one was different, sure in the beginning it was no more than physical attraction, but it soon came to be much, much more."

I don't know why I did it, but I scowled bitterly and spat, "Ngh! Zelos ever thinking of settling down with one woman? That's a first."

Sebastian kindly disregarded my rude outburst, "Oh but he did, and it lasted for quite some time, even though she had to leave Meltokio to go back home every so often, somehow master Zelos made sure it worked out."

My heart seemed to freeze in its spot, I knew this was a thing of the past because Zelos is currently single but still I couldn't help that automatic reaction, "…oh…"

He started up again, "And the rest—what happened in during the following year is up to master Zelos himself to tell you, it would not be proper for me to speak of the rest."

I practically choked after hearing that, "W-What? You can't just start something and not finish it!" I didn't care if I was yelling, it wasn't fair, "And I can't ask Zelos either!"

Sebastian shook his head in apology, "I'm truly sorry Miss Sheena but I do not think it would be wise to tell you more without my master's approval. After all, that following year he refused to speak about Hanna any more. She was merely a thing of the past."

With that he bowed and left, saying dinner would be ready in a while. I shouldn't have expected him to actually tell me everything. A butler's got his boundaries. Still, I had a nagging feeling tugging at my chest; if I ever wanted to know how unhappily this romantic escapade ended I would have to ask the one person in the middle of it all. The question was, how would I even begin?

I should have known I wouldn't like the butler's answer, my gut instincts are usually always correct. Up until recently I had convinced myself I hated the one they call Zelos Wilder, I was so sure I had this extreme revulsion towards him I blocked of the possibility of anything else away with silly excuses even I found hard to believe at times.

Hence, I was not prepared for this sudden wave of loneliness that struck me almost as harshly as the fact that I was probably banned Mizuho. Maybe I was only lonely because Corrine was no longer with me, or maybe because in running from my home I no longer have the kind people who took me in as their own. Or perhaps it was because I sometimes yearn for a partner to fall back on. Thinking about Zelos and how he had found that special someone once before made me wonder if I ever will.

Hearing the distant sound of footsteps in the hall I slipped Corrine's bell back into my robe pocket, thinking it was only Sebastian coming to inform me that dinner was ready. But it wasn't Sebastian; it was the one person I wasn't prepared to talk to at this moment.

"Sebastian told me you were out here." Zelos walked in and stood at the other end of the small terrace, "And he's right about the wind speed, you're going to catch a cold if you're not careful."

"I'm fine." I stated plainly.

"Alright but let me warn you, the nights in Meltokio aren't like those back in Mizuho." Zelos eyed me from his corner, "But I'm sure you know that already."

"I do." I muttered hoping he would go away, I needed to sort out my thoughts and he certainly wasn't helping.

"I see. So what were you up to all day? I don't think I've seen your pretty little face since breakfast." he was failing at making a conversation.

"Nothing." I answered, when would he leave?

Zelos shifted his footing, "Now you know how much I hate to see a lady upset, so come on, what's on your mind?"

"Nothing." I straightened up, "Really."

It was dark but I still saw him frown, "Now I know something's wrong. Spill it Sheena, I won't bite."

I threw him a sarcastic look at that comment, "I was just thinking, that's all."

"About me?"

He had asked it so suddenly I almost blurted out a 'yes', "I wouldn't be caught dead thinking about you of all people."

"Oh hunny, am I really that revolting?" Zelos teased, slipping his hands behind his head.

"You don't know the half of it." I smirked at his stumped reaction, "Why'd you ask?"

"Ah…just wondering." he grinned devilishly, "I mean, who doesn't dream of the great Zelos and his mighty charm?"

I raised an amused brow, "What charm you philanderer?"

"The one that has the knees of all women buckling, the one that no female can resist--"

"Get over yourself." I interrupted his fake speech, "Some women—those with taste—are immune to this 'charm' you possess."

"Oh?" he pretended to be greatly surprised by this, "The entire world's hunnies are destined to become mine. Believe me dearest, no one can escape my manly charm."

I snorted but the rest was meant to be inaudible, "Obviously not."

But Zelos heard, "What was that?"

Unfazed I let out a frustrated breath, "You weren't always that good with the ladies, now were you Zelos?"

He shrugged out of habit, "The great Zelos has never lost a single woman."

"Except for Hanna." The minute the words left my lips I instantly regretted it. They weren't meant to slip out, one second I was thinking about it and the next I had said it, before I could stop myself. I saw Zelos' jaw visibly tighten; I had without a doubt, struck him hard.

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I know…it's been forever since I last updated. I guess I was concentrating a bit too much on my newest Sheelos fic I completely forgot about the rest, so much I didn't know where I was going with this fic anymore. But, not to worry, I'm back and another update shouldn't be too far away. :)

Q.Q I hope none of you have given up on this, please review.