Author's Notes
I do not own Tales of Symphonia, and there is a MASSIVE SPOILER WARNING for those who haven't beaten the game.
I apologize in advance for the long set of notes.
The last chapter. Well, as a simple request, PLEASE review! I'd like any input you could give me about the story, and just so you know, you don't have to have an account to review! Just click the button at the bottom. If you leave an e-mail, I will reply. If not, I'll survive somehow ;D . What were your likes/dislikes? There are no real plans of a sequel's sequel here, unless I get inspired later in life. Was the plot line interesting? Were Julianna, Trevor, and Zach unnecessary? Were the flashbacks a good effect? Was the ending appropriate? Any of those questions, and any other things you'd like to comment upon, I'd appreciate if you did.
Thanks for everyone who ever reviewed, especially Minnie and Ark Navy, for being here from the start! (Although that was only a month ago, can you believe it?) Thanks for the encouragement and support!
Also, thanks to Lyrikkal and SailorThunder, who put me on their favorites list! Hooray! Also, you can find this fiction in the C2 Sheelos Lovers of Fanfiction run by Minnie and her team! Can you believe it?
Well, onto the last chapter; enjoy! Or cry, whatever works…
ONE MORE DAY
Chapter 4: The Girl
Rain still poured onto the streets on Meltokio, as the Chosen of Mana walked its course, looking for the girl of Mizuho, his Sheena. She had to be somewhere, and he was bound to find her sometime. Drenched, annoyed, and concerned, he had finally been everywhere but the slums.
"What happened to you child?" Julianna asked now. Sheena took a deep breath.
"I was asked to spend the night in the Chosen's manor. I'm not permitted to explain the circumstance, but the following morning—he touched me," she replied, red. Why was it so hard to say he groped her? Nonetheless, Julianna appeared concerned and Trevor looked at though a pin of bulls wouldn't be able to keep him from killing the Chosen of Mana. "Although, Sir Trevor, I have a question for you, since I'm sure you've been to his manor."
"Yes, I've seen every room extensively. For a pervert's home it is quite immaculate," Trevor noted, sounding angry again.
"There is a phrase on the ceiling of a blue guest room on the second floor. It says 'I wish I could love—but love never comes to the damned' written in some sort of pen. It was odd to me."
"I've never seen that before," he replied, looking down.
"So you didn't write the saying on the ceiling?" she asked.
"No, I did not, although you are right. It is an odd thing indeed," Trevor said, handing her a blue umbrella. "You need to get to your friends, right? I'm assuming you ran away from his manor after the incident."
Sheena looked down, red and nodding. Julianna giggled.
"Good job!" she said wholeheartedly. "Not too many have the strength to run from something like that."
"Especially not in this city," Trevor grumbled under his breath. Sheena pretended she hadn't heard that. She sensed she was unwelcome in this home now, as she bid her farewells, and rushed out of the door.
"Thank you!" she said one last time, as she stepped back out into the rain, this time with an umbrella. As she looked out, she saw a man walked despondently in the rain. Rushing towards him, she felt the desire to help this man, to repay the couple for their kindness by giving kindness to another. Upon seeing the unruly red curls, she stopped, her heart failing her. The Chosen of Mana? Had he come into the rain after her? To look for her?
No words were spoken when their eyes met. He walked towards her, and she was frozen, a deer in the headlights, the umbrella splashing in a puddle. When he came close enough, the two were drenched, staring at one another.
After a moment of standing before the Mizuho girl, Zelos wrapped his arms around her in a warm, wet embrace.
"Please don't ever do that to me again, Sheena."
Those words slipped from his mouth before he could catch himself. He tightened his hold, vowing to never let this girl of Mizuho go. He would never leave her. He would run away. He would escape from Cruxis. He would give it all up—wouldn't he?
Sheena felt the raindrops fade, as the sun fell upon the pair that day. In his arms, she felt warm, safe, and relaxed. She stood there, as he continued to gingerly hold her in his arms, as if he never wished to let go. His hands and body never moved in the perverted sense she had thought he would, and Sheena could begin to feel the tinge in her cheeks. What was this? What had the rain done to the Chosen of Mana?
"You're soaking wet," she finally said, as the Chosen of Mana released her.
"You're right," he said softly. Looking at one another, they laughed. She wondered to herself as she walked with the Chosen back to his manor. Was he truly that concerned about her, even after such an act of lechery? Did he really mean what he said? And if so, could he have been the one to write that phrase? What did this mean about the man who was a pervert? Was he more of a guardian—no, she wiped that thought from her mind. He was not that, nothing like that at all.
She sighed inwardly. A day wasted upon rain and such trivial concerns was not good for her mission. The people of Mizuho would be disappointed if she returned with such news. Alas, she was sure Orochi or Kuchinawa were already on top of it, sending information about her day as she stepped lightly to the nobles' quarters once more. As they arrived to his manor, the sun was setting, and they were greeted by the leader of the Renegades, Botta. He had placed himself at the doorstep, and was looking more amused with each step they brought towards him.
"Are you ready to go?" Botta asked, looking directly at her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the scowl that crossed the Chosen's face. She saw the pain in his eyes. A curse escaped his lips. Sheena was sure that only last night they were acting like best friends. What had happened? "Are you ready to complete your mission—Sheena Fujibayashi of Mizuho?"
"Yes," Sheena said, bringing herself to reality. She started to head towards Botta, as he stopped her.
"Maybe you should change first. I'm sure the Chosen has spare attire that you can borrow until those are dry."
Remembering the closet, Sheena looked back to the Chosen, who waved her off dismissively, as she went inside to have the butler help her pick an effective outfit.
Zelos scowled again as he looked at Botta.
"So he said no?" he asked.
"Yuan said that he was certain you could do enough damage in one day. One more was unnecessary. And considering how you're dressed, I'm inclined to agree with him."
Zelos looked at the ground, pissed. Yuan was taking her away, but he would do nothing to stop him. His mind reminded him of his earlier desires to run, but the question was, where to, and would she go? In the end, he decided he wanted her bad enough, that he would become that man that Sheena felt respect for. That man named Trevor. Sure, he didn't want her to know he could hear her voice, that voice that parted the heavens. After he had arrived in the slums, he heard her talking to them, about their past, and how she came to be there. He had frozen at Trevor's voice, for he didn't want to have him see the Chosen of Mana, all washed up and searching for "the child of Mizuho" in the rain. He wouldn't give him that glory, not for what he said.
However, he seemed to have made some impression on Sheena, since she had left their home happy, even if she was ousted the moment the two wanted one another. He could hear her now, her heavenly voice talking with his butler about the clothes in the closet, about how each one of them were meant for his "hunnies," and not for an assassin.
He wanted to chuckle, but Botta was there, and even though Botta wasn't an angel, he was sure that the man would cause him hell if he knew the truth—but didn't he know already? Yuan was sending her away—far away from him. Too much thinking for Zelos' preferences, especially after all his worrying earlier that day.
Finally, it hit him that he probably would never see her again. She was taking a suicide mission. The people of Sylvarant would kill her the moment she killed their precious Chosen of Mana, something his people would never do for him. He knew she could do it. He had only wished he wasn't forced to play with her heart to ensure that she would. To ensure her own death.
"Oh Martel, I wish I could love her," he whispered, his eyes looking up to the heavens. "But love never comes to the damned."
