Wisteria Flower
By Tenshi no Hoshi
A/N: Wow I typed alot! So proud of myself! Please on flames on this one! I worked to hard for this! My best story yet! I think... next to my previous one. For those who don't know...
This story is a sequel to Forget Me Not.
Go to my profile for props to this story including the song that started it all and a pic.
Enjoy the long story!
"The hardest people to forget leave an image behind, but if you look down deeper, there is more to find." Tenshi no Hoshi
Imagine a world where snow is the only thing you'll ever see in your life. Live a life surrounded in a blanket of white crystal flakes. You can only find a place like that in the heart of a lonely being. I was once subdued in a world where snow was inevitable. I once thought that there was no purpose for me to live. My family, the only people I thought I could ever love, left me for granted. Was there anyone in this world who could melt away the snow in my heart?
Sheena probably could.
She was the one who offered her hand to me and lifted me out of my loneliness. She melted away the snow in the depths of my heart. After Seles was taken away, she became my new family. She became my little sister.
Both of us looked nothing alike, but some of the folks in Meltokio thought we were siblings. I could understand why. We stuck together 24/7. Sheena and I loved to explore. We could never stay still! We often visited the poorer area of Meltokio, where we would practice our fighting skills. I was to become the Chosen soon, and that was something I could not avoid. But it was something I wished I could keep to myself. I dared not tell Sheena about my title, for if I did, she may have thought differently about me from now on.
Sheena still stuck with me and even helped me practice every night. Rain or shine, sleet or snow. Maybe even hail. No matter what was happening, we would always have fun. Time passed by as if yesterday never happened whenever I was Sheena. Soon, the summer sun already started to beat down on Meltokio.
I remember one starry night; we decided to take a break from practice. That evening, it was said that shooting stars would glide through the night sky. I've never seen a shooting star in my life, and neither had Sheena. That's when I realized that we hardly knew anything about each other, yet we still acted close enough to be siblings. I wanted to get to know her, so that night, I decided to ask her a few questions.
"Zelos, let's hurry! We're going to miss the falling stars!" Sheena called after the red haired boy.
Both of the, climbed up to the tallest of buildings in the poor side of Meltokio. Unlike its counterpart, the atmosphere had an air of silence, yet suspense. Both Sheena and Zelos had never gazed upon shooting stars, so their first moments of this event would feel special to them because they were doing it together.
"Did it start yet?" Zelos asked as he climbed to the roof of the building.
Sheena, who already made it to the roof, shook her head. "Not yet. But it's pretty exciting; waiting for something that never seen or done." She tilted her head towards the sky, never shifting her glance towards anything else.
Zelos finally reached the rooftop, placing himself next to this friend. He, too, looked up at the sky and searched for the shooting stars. He felt the urge to ask her questions, but she already had answers.
"You know, my 14th birthday is coming up, so I'll make a wish on the first star I spot." Sheena sparkled as if they were one of the stars in the sky. "Don' worry, I'll make a wish for you too."
Zelos let out a tiny chuckle. "It's okay, don't waste your wish on me." He placed his arm around her shoulder as she leaned on his. "As long as I have you here, I won't need another wish," he whispered in her ear.
Sheena slightly smiled to herself. "You'll still need another wish," she said to herself in a small voice. She took his free hand and placed it within her own. "Wish for us to stay together… forever."
Her notions to keep them together touched him. "I will, I promise," he told Sheena.
"But…don't you think it's strange? How we became so close? I mean, the more I think about it, we hardly even know each other," Sheena stated.
Zelos had a surprised expression on his face. How could she have had the same exact feelings and thoughts as he did?
He reverted his gaze towards the little girl. "That's why we'll get to know each other better." He looked up at the sky once again. "Someone once told me that you can really get to know others better by learning their dreams, or goals in life. We can start now while waiting if you'd like."
Sheena thought to herself for a moment. "My dream is to become a successful summoner who can summon the spirits of Tethe'alla. Maybe if I keep on practicing my ninja skills, I could become one sooner.
Zelos' jaw dropped. "You mean, you can summon? And you know the ancient ninja arts? Sheena, you're amazing! I could never do anything like that!"
Sheena blushed, her face turning beet red. "I'm Mizuho's successor in becoming Chief. It's my duty to learn these skills."
Zelos was bewildered. "So…you aren't from Meltokio, aren't you?" He asked, disappointed that she didn't live in Melotkio.
Sheena shook her head, sensing her his despair. "I'm staying here for awhile, though. Don't know how long yet." She looked up at Zelos. "How 'bout you? What do you want to be when you grow up?"
Zelos flinched at her question. He didn't know whether or not he should reveal to Sheena that he was the future Chosen. What would she think of him?
"Uh… I can't really say I've had any goals I life," he thought to himself for a moment. "Maybe all this time, I wanted to live a normal life. You know, a life without any worries to drag me down. Heh, but my past was so screwed up." He smiled to himself. "But I don't really think there is any way I can change my past."
Suddenly, the sky lit up as the tiny sparkling stars flew past the sky before their eyes. Sheena's eyes widen with excitement and amazement. The trail of the stars still lingered in the sky, leaving behind a stream of colors.
Sheena pointed up the sky. "Did you see that? IT was amazing!"
Zelos nodded in agreement. "Did you make your wish?"
"Off course I did! Did you?" Sheena replied sweetly.
Zelos gave her a suspicious smile. "Hmm…maybe…" he said.
Sheena gave him a light shove in return. "You should've made one!" Sheena protested loudly.
Zelos ruffled her hair as she slapped his had away. "Lighten up, off course I did," he said as they continued gazing up at the sky.
Ever since that night, we promised to stay true to each other and try to get to know each other better. Every time she would tell me a story of her childhood past or tell me a secret no one else knew, I would always feel the weight of guilt sinking my heart. I was such a coward back then not to tell her that I was Tethe'alla's chosen. Was I afraid of what she would say? Was I afraid of what would change after she knew?
Maybe I was afraid she would stop being my little sister.
These past years, she gave me everything Seles couldn't. She willingly became my little sister so that I wouldn't have to lament over the loss of my little sister. She was so carefree and innocent, yet stubborn and willful. Sheena was the perfect little sister.
But the feelings I had for her were not the same feelings I once shared with Seles. I had more than a liking for Sheena. Feelings that can only be acted out, but never described.
I realized that I was in love with Sheena.
I finally understood why I felt the way I felt. With her by my side, my heartbeat would always speed up, racing against itself. Whenever she would take my hand, my face would feel flushed and turn as red as my hair.
It always bothered me that I didn't know how she felt about me. Was I still her big brother, or was I something more? I had to find out, but how? You can't just go up to a girl and ask whether or not they like you.
Just when I have given up hope, Sheena introduced me to Mizuho's tradition of the Wisteria Flower.
The autumn sun started setting on the city of Meltokio as dusk approached, trailing colors of deep red and purple.
Zelos and Sheena walked hand in hand as they strolled along the King's garden. These brought back memories of Seles: both painful and joyful. The breeze swayed the flowers back and forth. IT felt nice to feel the wind rush by.
Sheena stopped walking and bent down to take a closer look at all the flowers "These must bring back memories, huh?" she asked Zelos sadly.
Zelos said nothing. He didn't want to be reminded of the past. The past is over, and thoughts of it will only drag you down.
Sheena didn't bother asking him again. She, too, understood that the past should be left in the past. She stood up straight and pointed to the castle wall, infested with tangled vines clinging on and spreading like virus. Along with the vines, tiny flower buds colored with a vivid purple covered the castle.
"Can you see those purple flower buds?" Sheena asked as she pointed to the castle. "In Mizuho, they say that if a boy gives a girl that flower, their relationship will be successful."
Zelos' eyes widened. "What's the name of that flower?" He asked with curiosity. He finally found a way to express his feelings for Sheena.
Sheena laughed at him. "What, you aren't going to give it to someone, right?"
Zelos felt his face flush. "What? What makes you say that?" He stammered.
Sheena grinned at Zelos. "It's a Wisteria Flower. They grow all over Mizuho." She clapped her hands together. "They're my favorite flowers in the world! I wish someone would give it to me," she whined.
Zelos gave her a confused look. "Wait, you mean, no one has ever given you a flower before? Why not? I mean, you are such and amazing person! And you are going to become the Chief of Mizuho, so why wouldn't anyone want to give you one?"
Sheena stared at the floor, trying harder no to meet his eyes. "My people…hold a grudge against me for something I did when I was only a small child," she said sadly. "More than three quarters of my people were killed because of me. I once tried to summon Volt, the thunder spirit. I couldn't control him. All of this…was my fault," Sheena stammered, holding back her tears.
Zelos stood quietly as she pulled herself together. "So… the reason you came to Meltokio, was to escape from your people," he whispered to himself. "I get it now."
Sheena sat cross-legged on the grass. "Don't worry about it. After all the past is past. Sooner or later, I'll have to face my people. Until I'm ready, I'll stay with you in Meltokio." Sheena lay on her back and watched the last clouds of the day pass slowly by.
"I'll wait until I receive a Wisteria Flower. Off course, I could always get it myself, but I'll never see it bloom," she said dreamily.
"Why is that?" Zelos asked as he placed himself down next to her.
Sheena chuckled and let out a faint smile. "They don't bloom for just anyone. It's a flower that leaves an image behind in your mind, making it impossible to forget. In your heart, you'll forever yearn to gaze at its purple petals and wait until it blooms for you." Sheena closed her eyes and sighed. "It'll only bloom for people who are willing to wait."
"Have you ever seen one in bloom?" Zelos asked, picturing how the Wisteria Flower would look like in his mind.
Sheena shook her head. "Nope, but I'm willing to wait. I'll be patient so that I could see the flower with its true colors. After all, beauty is only shallow. Maybe if I look deeper, I'll find something more."
Zelos nodded; his eyes full of determination. "If you'll wait, I'll wait too. Someone is bound to give you one sooner or later."
He smiled to himself. "I'm sure of it."
I kept my words, and secretly promised her that I would be the one to give her a Wisteria Flower. It was only a question of how.
The only places where the flower grew were on the vines covering the walls of the King's castle. Extreme times call for extreme measures. I planned to raid the His Majesty's secret garden.
I can't really say it was hard or challenging, but it was pretty cool. I've never done anything so sneaky in my entire life, but it was the least I could do for my little sis.
Besides, if I didn't, I'd be letting the past repeat itself. When I think about it now, doing this was a way to amend my past. This was a way to forgive myself for not giving Seles something for everything she's done for me.
I crawled under the massive gates encircling the castle. IT would be almost impossible for me to be seen or caught, because believe it or not, he doesn't keep guards all around the castle! It's not like he'll mind if I take one itsy bitsy flower bud. He'll never miss it. At least, I didn't' think so. Taking it from the vine was easy enough, however. I just took it, and ran faster than the morning breeze. Now that I had the Wisteria Flower in my possession, I could finally express my true feelings for Sheena, and find out how she felt about me.
But I never got to tell her how I felt. I never gave her the flower. The next morning, she announced her departure from Meltokio. She would leave that evening, and probably never return.
I remember the shock she inflicted on me that day. It shattered my heart, but I didn't let her see the tears. I had to continue to be strong, so Sheena and Seles will no longer worry about me.
The evening she departed, I was the only one there to send her off. The ground was drenched with rain as it came down that night. I was thankful for the rain, because then Sheena wouldn't be able to se the many tears that streamed down my face.
But yet, she knew I was crying.
"Stop crying, Zelos," Sheena said sternly, showing no emotion to him. Her hand reached up to wipe his tear stained face.
Zelos placed his had over hers and shook his head. "I won't. I won't stop," he said quietly. He shut his eyes and took a deep breath. "Not until you come back."
Sheena smiled as tears also spilled out. "I'll come back. I'll come back one day," she assured. Sheena wrapped her arms around him and felt his heart beat against her cheek.
"Wait for me. Please… don't forget me."
Sheena disappeared from my life, just like that. As the days passed by, I felt like I was slowly dying. I was being drained of my life. At one point, I fell ill with a high fever, and slept for three days without awakening. I thought to myself, and I wondered I there was a way to release myself from this pain.
I was suffocating by the grasp of loneliness once again. All of this felt so familiar. Being taken away from the people I care for. How long will this keep going? My destiny will have me repeat my past over again.
The only way to end this all is by death.
As my mother once told me, my life is worthless. I was brought upon this world by mistake. Cruxis must have mistaken my identity. I don't deserve to live.
But why did I still choose to keep going? Maybe I felt condemned to the promises I made with Sheena and Seles. Maybe because of the, I decided to keep on living. They would tell me that my life is worth living. There are people depending on me to save the world when the time comes. And there are people who would miss my existence. Not only have they made me feel accepted in this world, they made me feel like I was needed too.
These are my reasons to keep on living.
When I was able to get out of bed, there were already many Meltokio women waiting on my doorstep. At first, I was in a state of confusion. Who wouldn't be? But then I realized tat all these years, these people were watching me from afar. Secretly admiring me. The only person who blocked me from reaching them was…Sheena. Now that she was gone, all of them had a chance.
What I did those following years was probably the most shameful thing I have ever done. Even more shameful than raiding royal territory.
I cheated on Sheena. In my heart, I cheated on her with every woman in Melotkio. I was selfish for my own reasons. They wanted my company, and I wanted to feel accepted, so I hung out with them.
I guess that's when I started to develop my "attitude." Being with so many girls, watching them flirt with me in spite to get my attention: it grew to me. At least being with them made me feel accepted. I wouldn't ever be lonely again. So I started to flirt with them too. I was never serious with them, but I didn't want to lose my popularity. I didn't want to feel the lsting ache of loneliness again.
As the years flew by, I began to feel as if Sheena and Seles never existed I my life. I no longer wished for them to be by my side. I was already used to my life the way it was set.
Three years after she left for Mizuho, Sheena returned to Melotkio, just like she promised. At first, I didn't suspect anything to happen that day, but the sky above seemed awfully brighter and more cheerful than it usually did. The wind blew around the snow left on the ground. That 's right, it snowed the day before, and meeting her would have been like the day we first met.
When I first saw her approach me, I didn't recognize her. She wasn't the same sheena I know three years ago. The sweet, gentle, protective yet caring little girl was no more.
But when she talked to me, I know Sheena no longer existed. She caught me with other girls, or my "hunnies."
I still remember her expression as she ran off while I chased her. In her eyes I could tell she was horrified, but looking deeper, she was heartbroken. I lost her through the crowds of people and maze of buildings. The guilt resurfaced after all these years.
Back at home, I thought about the promise we made to each other. I promised her that I would wait for her to come back, and she promised to return. How could I be so selfish as to break that pact? I'm a real idiot. Perhaps this is why I don't deserve to live.
But after those years, I still kept the proof of our promise. I still cared for the Wisteria Flower I stole from the garden. Even after all this time, it wouldn't bloom for me. It wouldn't show its true self to me. Why was that? What am I doing wrong? Sheena would probably know.
But Sheena wasn't with me. She wasn't willing to talk to me. Actually, I think she wouldn't be even willing to face me. But I had to talk to her. I had to explain to her everything that has happened while she was absent. But…how?
That's when an idea came in mind. It took a lot of planning, but it was worth it. I would invite her to a dance party under the name of the Chosen. I couldn't believe after all of this time, I didn't have the guts to even tell her my true identity. The night of the party, I would tell her right then and there the feelings, which I kept bottled up for s long. I would give her the Wisteria Flower she has deserved for so long.
The King himself held the dance party, and I actually got his consent to invite my dear childhood friend. Having Sheena vanish from my life was a nightmare I hoped never come true.
The night of the party, I freaked out. I haven't been so nervous in my entire life. I swear, saw my heart pump form my chest. Why was I so apprehensive? Well, Sheena didn't even know how the Chosen looked like in the first place, and in my head, I was technically proposing my love to her. Who wouldn't be nervous?
By the door, I remember patiently waiting for Sheena to arrive. Couples entered the hall two by two. This was pure torture, waiting for her to arrive like this. The longer I waited, the more I convinced myself that she wasn't coming. Finally after what seemed like a thousand years of waiting, Sheena showed up, with her dress, flowering around her like the ocean sunrise as the moonlight put her in the spotlight. She dressed like the ice queen. No, more like the summon spirit Celsius. But what caught my eye was her hair. She let her hair flow in the winter wind: something not often seen from Sheena.
Seeing me stand in front of here must have been shocking. That moment, the words that spilled from her mouth were hurtful, but sounded as if she wished to forgive me.
There was an air of silence surrounding the two. Zelos held his breath, pretending to act calm. Sheena, on the other hand, radiated a sense of rage, which filled her dark eyes.
"Zelos, what's going on?" She screamed in his face.
"You're looking for the Chosen, right? Look no further," he answered as calmly as he could. "Please let me explain –"
"I no longer have any interest in what you have to say," she darkly replied.
Another wind of silence fell over them. Zelos looked into the depths of her dark eyes. Somewhere down there, the true Sheena is there. What could he possibly do to open her eyes? What could he possibly do to open her heart?
"But the reason I invited you here… was to hear what you have to say," he said with no emotion.
Before Sheena could answer, the noise from inside the ballroom drowned in silence as the King called forth the Chosen to come forth inside.
Zelos faintly smiled at Sheena. "Just trust me," he pleaded as he took her hand and cuddled against it. "It'll be like old times. Tell me I'm not the only one who misses that."
Sheena felt hesitant to follow him, but the reminiscence of their childhood may have been enough to forgive him. Perhaps the past isn't always meant to stay in the past. Sometimes, its presence is expected to appear in the near future.
As both of them entered the ballroom, a thousand pairs of eyes were watching them like hawks. Five hundred pairs were keeping an eye on the Chosen. As they bowed in front of the king, the King nodded his head, signaling the Chosen to recite his speech.
"Residents of Meltokio, I have come here upon celebrating the return of my dear childhood friend, Sheena of Mizuho. But the real reason for me standing up here," Zelos announced as he turned to Sheena, "is to disclose a lifelong secret to the one I have been holding it from for so long."
Sheena's eyed widened, expecting what was to come. "Wh-what –"
Zelos revealed the Wisteria Flower bud he has been waiting for so long and handed it to her. Sheena, showing her true nature, showed her tears and held her breath. She slowly took it into her own hands and realized why he brought her to the party.
He wanted to unleash the feelings he kept bottled up all this time.
I was relieved the hard stuff was over. The remaining time of the party we spent dancing and catching up on everything we've been missing out on each other's lives. The way we talked that night was as if we've never been apart. We laughed together as if everything was a thing of the past.
But we know now that isn't true.
The past will always arise from its place every now and then. The past must be there for a reason. No matter what, the past will keep repeating itself. As long as there are souls willing to change the never-ending flow, the future will change, and become a happier place.
After the party, we retreated to the place we used to practice our mortal combat skills. The place we also sought to seek our wishes come true. The place where we first glanced up at the sky to see stars falling before us.
Reminiscing our past was like looking at ourselves in the future. Could everything happen all over again? Not if we try our hardest to keep things the way they are. If I haven't acted upon my guilt and tried to fix what was wrong, I would be sitting in this spot by myself, pondering my thoughts of guilt.
Even after what I've done to her, she forgave me. I'm so glad that in this lifetime, I'm able to meet someone who could look down inside you and take a glance at who you really are. Sheena taught me that through patience, anything is bound to happen.
But there was one thing she forgot to mention.
Through patience comes hope. Without hope, patience will not pay off. And without patience, hope will not persevere alone.
Perhaps that's why the Wisteria Flower would not blossom for us. No matter how long we waited, we lost hope in each other. We thought that reuniting was only possible in our dreams. Once we are able to overcome our fears and our past, maybe the flower will bloom for us.
The silver moon and the twinkling stars illuminated the night sky, exactly like the first time they looked at the shooting stars together. The past was repeating itself once again, but there were a few things they hoped to change.
"…Zelos?" Sheena asked nervously, breaking the silence they shared.
Zelos looked up at her. "Hmm? Is there something wrong?"
Sheena thought for a moment to herself, and then slowly nodded her head. "How long have you been planning to give that Wisteria Flower?"
Zelos blushed, but then laughed at her question. "Do you really want me to tell you?" He turned her head towards him and leaned in close to her face. "I've been wanting to give you that flower since the day I met you."
Sheena blushed, but she seemed to be mad at him. "I'm serious! How long has it been?"
Zelos looked hurt. "You don't have to be so harsh, do you? Even when I'm telling you the truth," he raised his voice, which he never did.
Suddenly, the stars up above flashed in different colors of the rainbow. Stars flew pass them once again, just like the day they first saw them.
"Remember the day we first saw the shooting stars? Looks like the past is repeating itself, huh?" Sheena asked as she looked up to see the stars once more.
"There are some things I wish I did differently back then, though," he said, also looking up at the stars. "I wish I had the courage to tell you that I was the Chosen. I wish I trusted you more. I wish I didn't give up on your return to Meltokio." He paused, and then looked down at his feet. "I wished I could have told you that I loved you."
Sheena's eyes widened, and filled with glittering tears, sparkling like the falling stars. "I wish I could have told you the same thing," she answered back. She took him in her embrace and buried her face in his clothes, trying in vain to hide the tears she would cry.
But the in the end, the clothes would become tear stained, leaving behind the evidence of Sheena's weakness.
Waiting in what we thought was vain for the return of our loved ones is not true. Eventually, however, our love sank to the depths of regret. What could have sparked us to continue traveling forward? It's a little thing we like to call hope.
When we get the chance to look at ourselves in the mirror, what can we find? Mirrors have the ability not only to reflect what is in standing in front of you, but they have the ability to let you look deeper into yourself. What did I really want to happen in the end? Is this how I want this all to end?
The Wisteria Flower is a very interesting flower, blooming for those who only have patience to wait for it. Maybe it was a present from the Goddess Martel, sent down to help love flourish. Maybe inside, the flower died for a while, after losing hope of ever finding each other. It was nourished with the hope we gave it after all these years, once we forgave each other, and ourselves. Our love bloomed along with the Wisteria Flower.
Or maybe all this time, our love existed inside of…
…The Wisteria Flower…