Aha! I've finally gathered my ideas and set a goal to finish this fic. (No, I never forgot about it—I just got lazy.) I won't keep you waiting any longer: here is the final chapter of My Living Diary!

Disclaimer: I still don't own Tales of Symphonia nor its characters, although Rhea is the product of my own mind.

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Wearily, Sheena opened her eyes. Her mind was completely blank and she did not even register where she was as she reluctantly rose out of bed. Finally, she noted that this was not her home. A fleeting alertness pulsed through her body as she observed the unfamiliar surroundings... and then it all came back to her. She was at the abbey – Seles' home. Now she truly wanted to stay in bed. Glimpsing across the room, she noticed that Zelos had already gotten up.

Indistinct voices could be heard through the closed bedroom door, and Sheena could not make out what was being discussed. She forced herself to rise from the bed and curiously opened the door a smidgen to peek into the hallway. Further down – where the chapel area used to be – she saw Zelos and a woman whom she almost immediately recognized as Seles. It was not because of the woman's appearance that she could identify her; Seles, too, had changed a lot. Even though she was apparently still rather sickly, she did not look it: her skin had more colour, and even her hair that used to be a pale red was now nearly as bright as Zelos'. Sheena knew that it was Seles because of her attitude.

"You brought a woman here, Zelos! Honestly! Do you ever grow up!" Seles hollered, challenging her older brother.

Zelos did not seem at all fazed by Seles' anger; in fact, he appeared amused. "Yeah, yeah," he shrugged casually, a smirk on his face, "I'm just such a terrible person for letting an old friend spend the night here. We weren't even doing anything." Seles huffed, folding her arms in front of her chest and looking in the direction opposite of Zelos. The former Chosen's smirk widened, "What? I silenced you already?" he taunted, "Too easy. Now why don't you be a good mother and spend some time playing with Rhea? I mean, she's not my illegitimate love child."

Seles glared at her big brother before making her way outside, muttering, "Oh, as if you don't have any illegitimate love children..."

Zelos chuckled silently at his sister's comeback as the front door closed. Once Zelos was alone, Sheena finally felt it safe to exit the room that she had stayed in. The swordsman looked over to her, "Oh, hey. Good morning."

"Morning," Sheena returned the greeting, offering a smile. Zelos' mood was much more carefree than it had been the night before, and Sheena was grateful for it. It was always comforting when Zelos was in high spirits; when he was in low spirits, it was the most hopeless feeling that one could have. "I didn't cause any problems with Seles, did I?"

With a casual wave of his hand, Zelos replied, "Nah. She was probably just nervous, thinking that I'd become a ladies' man again. I guess she didn't remember you as that woman that she stalked and accused of being a witch." Sheena nodded in understanding, a light laugh escaping her throat. "So... I imagine that you're heading back to your village soon, huh?" Zelos asked.

Sheena's entire body froze—her village! It had completely slipped her mind that she had to return to her village! "Oh, crap! I can't believe that I let myself forget about the move!" Zelos stared pryingly at the summoner, realizing that if she had forgotten something as important as Mizuho, there must have been something even more significant occupying her thoughts. Fidgeting awkwardly under Zelos' gaze, Sheena managed to ask, "Zelos, would you mind talking for a bit before I go?"

"It'd be my pleasure!" the ex-Chosen responded cheerfully, "C'mon, let's go out back." Zelos led Sheena through a doorway located at the far end of the old abbey, and into the 'backyard'.

Outside, the abbey still held the image that it had during Sheena's past visits. The back of the house was faded; bricks were chipped away at and they were covered in vines that climbed up the walls like snakes. There were crates scattered about the grass—"Leftovers from the old supplies," Sheena guessed, recalling how the clutter that had been around the abbey when they had visited it during the journey of regeneration. Zelos took a seat on one of the larger boxes, and patted the spot next to him. Sheena sat down where he motioned, and for a moment they did not say anything. From the front of the house, they could hear laughter and playful cries coming from Seles and Rhea as they spent time together. Sheena saw that Zelos could not keep the smile on his face hidden as he heard their delight. "You have a good life, don't you?" Sheena piped up.

"I suppose you could call it that," Zelos agreed, "I'm happy – that's for sure. I love that Seles and I are really brother and sister now. Hell, we may have wasted a good portion of our lives as enemies, but as long as it ended up well..."

"I'm glad that it did. It was incredibly obvious that you two cared about each other, you know," Sheena teased. Zelos jokingly pouted, making Sheena laugh as she recalled his old personality. "Zelos..." the chief of Mizuho's tone suddenly grew serious as she mentally prepared herself for her apology.

Zelos turned his head to face her, his smile representing his affirmation, "Ready to finally tell me why you came all this way to see me?"

Sheena backed up slightly in surprise. "Wh-what gave you the idea that there was something that I needed to say?" she asked, casually crossing one leg over the other and planting the palms of her hands on the crate on either side of her. Her eyes were locked with Zelos', not shying away for a moment.

Sulking good-naturedly, Zelos lowered himself so that he lay on the crates, his hands folded behind his head to provide a form of cushioning. He looked up at Sheena, one eyebrow raised slightly in questioning. "Oh, gee, just a hunch," he responded sarcastically, "Y'know, a mixture of the spontaneously showing up after ten years, the travelling across the world for a petty visit, and... the obviousness. Face it," a smirk played on his lips, "You're the worst creator of excuses that I've ever seen."

Sheena's fingers unconsciously strummed on the wooden box that she sat on. "Okay, so I do have a reason," she admitted, her eyes narrowing into a glare, "But I'd appreciate it if you at least have the formality to have proper posture while I speak." Zelos groaned, sitting upright once again. He gave a half-nod to let her know that he was paying complete attention. "Listen, I already have an idea of what kind of response I'm going to get, but I'm going to get it off of my chest anyway." At least, Sheena hoped that she knew how he would react. Zelos moved closer to Sheena slightly, his gaze never wavering from hers. "Zelos, towards the end of the journey of reunification, you betrayed us and..." she paused, finding it to be so difficult not to turn away, "...and after that, I was... well, a bitch, to put it bluntly. I feel really terrible for it and just wanted to apologize. I know it's late, but..."

"That hurt me, you know," Zelos said suddenly. Sheena unsurely shifted further away; eyes cast downward and a reserved frown on her face. This was not the response that she was hoping for. "Still, you're bringing this up now, and it's a thing of the past!" the ex-Chosen said. Sheena lifted her head upward, her eyes widened in disbelief. He did not care. That was all that she had been anticipating, and he had just granted it to her. "You've matured a lot, Sheena. I can't believe that you'd let yourself be freaked out by something like that for this entire time."

"You've grown up, too, Zelos," Sheena smiled, "And I'm pretty disappointed in myself for getting so... whatever about this whole thing. It's ridiculous, but... Hell, I think I made myself miss you by reading that old diary—it reminded me that you were the only person that I could ever really talk to. I mean... I just bottle everything up now... I miss having you around."

Zelos let her words sink as the summoner impatiently watched him. It had been years since she was able to be so open with anyone; even in a short day, she had been much closer to Zelos than anyone else. Would he understand? She desired for him to assure her that he was still there, willing to be that discreetly considerate person that he always was. "Heeey... I remember that diary!" Zelos exclaimed at last, causing Sheena to sigh in what was a mixture of frustration and amusement. "So, you wrote about me, eh?" he had a teasing tone in his voice.

"Damnit, have you even changed at all?" Sheena snapped. Her rage was soothed, however, as Zelos unexpectedly gripped her in the same way that he had the previous night, before Rhea's interruption. Sheena's body was frozen as she stared at the former Chosen.

Zelos brought his hand up to the back of Sheena's head and tangled his fingers into her hair. "You're not married to Orochi or anything, are you?" he asked in a mumble.

"No," she responded, desperately trying to prevent her lips from curving into a smile. Zelos gave a thoughtful 'hmm' as stared at Sheena even more intently. Sheena returned his intent stare with a mock-threatening glare. "You're not..." her phrase was never completed as Zelos jerked her head forward so that their lips lightly touched, barely even skimming over each other. "As bold as ever," Sheena thought. After that, Zelos pulled slightly away and watched her for a moment, awaiting an objection. None came. He tilted his head slightly so that their lips meshed together better as he kissed her again. This time, instead of remaining dazed, Sheena returned his affection. "Just this once," she convinced herself, moving even closer to the former Chosen until she was practically in his lap. She could feel Zelos' satisfied smile against her lips, and it made her want to grin, too. Zelos secured his arms around Sheena's waist and pulled her closer to him, their bodies melding together. As he pushed his chest against hers, Sheena could feel a cold against the area of her collarbone. She took no notice to it at first, but soon the iciness became difficult to ignore; it was the silver of the necklace that she had tucked away.

Instinctively, Sheena brought her hand up to Zelos' shoulder and closed her fingers tightly around it. The pain that shot through Zelos' arm as a result was enough of a hint that he should draw back. Aside from moving away, Zelos did not seem at all deterred by the summoner's sudden change of mood. She had always been one to avoid closeness, so in Zelos' mind it was only a matter of time before that trait of Sheena's resurfaced. "Is there a reason for this retreat, or are you just being yourself?"

"I don't even understand myself," Sheena exhaled in dismay, conspicuously moving herself away from Zelos. She reached into her wrap top and felt for the necklace that she was wearing. When she managed to clutch its chain, she pulled it out and held it in front of her as best she could. The heart pendant slowly rotated, and once Sheena saw that the heart's untouched side was facing her she kept it that way so that she was certain that Zelos could see the intentionally cracked side. "I don't understand why I felt so compelled to apologize to you for being so harsh, when really you fuelled the hatred by your selfish acts. You never even realized that not only did you set our group up for a horrible betrayal, but you set me up for a broken heart. It's like you deliberately—"

"Sheena..."

"—made me the happiest that I—"

"Sheena."

"—had been in a long time, only to ruin it—"

"Sheena!"

"—the next day!" Mizuho's chief took in a breath and then let it out in a sigh, "Why the hell do you keep saying my name?"

All of the tenseness that had been gathering in Zelos' posture as Sheena ranted seemed to visibly relax once she ceased speaking. He locked eyes with the summoner, daring her to stare back for as long as he didn't so much as waver; and as far as Sheena could tell, Zelos' gaze was unblinking. She bit her lower lip, lowering her gaze to avoid looking at Zelos. He was so intimidating when his eyes were so focussed on hers. She could not stand to look at them. "Sheena," Zelos spoke her name for the fourth time, his voice much more quiet than it had previously been. Something about his softened tone managed to reassure Sheena, and so she gathered her courage and returned his stare as he spoke. "How many years ago was that?"

Sheena could feel a warmth spreading from her nose out across her cheeks; "My face must be as red as his hair," she mused. He was making her blush like he had in the past, but this time he was doing it without the perverted comments. He was doing it by pointing out how impractical it was to hold a grudge over the span of ten years. It was as ridiculous as the women who refuse to speak to girls from their high school because they once said a snide remark behind everyone's backs. Time passes, people grow and mature—yet why do feelings of resentment rarely dissolve? "Ten," Sheena responded at last, "An entire decade ago." As soon as she uttered the word 'decade', she could feel laughs tickling at her throat. "And—" the laughs in her throat began to escape in snickers, "And I am still trying to tell myself that I'm angry with you? How pathetic!"

Zelos watched as the summoner broke into laughter that was directed at herself. He watched as she covered her mouth to suppress the snorts that resulted from overdoing the laughter, and he wondered why in the united worlds this was so hilarious to her. No words were exchanged until Sheena's outburst subdued, which prompted Zelos to remark, "Very pathetic."

"Oh, quiet!" Sheena nudged Zelos in the shoulder using the base of her palm with playful intention.

"Ohhh," Zelos whined in the childish tone of his twenties, "I thought you got past that hurting-Zelos phase."

The ninja narrowed her eyes and leaned closer to him, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. "That isn't a phase," she stated proudly, poking the former Chosen in the sternum, "It's the philosophy that I live my life by. It's been painful not to follow my practice for the past ten years."

"Well, it's been pleasantly unpainful for me," Zelos responded, which simply urged Sheena's grin to widen in pride. The summoner shifted closer to her old friend and propped her back against his left shoulder. She brought both of her legs onto the crate and bent her knees so that her feet could rest comfortably on the surface. They were enveloped in silence once more, but it brought serenity. Sheena closed her eyes and breathed out silently, contentedly. Everything that had needed to be said had been said, and it had also been dismissed. Zelos had never lost his ability to be comforting or to say the perfect words to make a situation tranquil; or even more so, to make Sheena tranquil. "Are you heading back to Mizuho?" Zelos asked tentatively, unsure of whether or not Sheena had actually fallen asleep while leaning on him.

"...In a minute," she answered, however it was not a literal 'in a minute'. It was more of a teenager's response when asked when they will begin studying for a test at school; 'in a minute' could easily become well over an hour.

Zelos glanced down at the woman at his side; although with the way that she was acting, she was more of a stubborn young girl than a woman. As much as he desired to savour the bliss of that moment, the former Chosen recognized that Sheena needed to be with her village on that day. "Besides," he thought to himself as he stood up, leaving Sheena without anything to lean on. The summoner teetered over as a result. "Something tells me that it won't be another ten years before we see each other again."

"Hey! What are you doing?" Sheena jolted back up to a proper sitting position. Zelos snickered as the ninja tried to regain her dignified composure. "Why—you—" she stammered, searching for the correct question, "Haven't you learned how to treat a lady yet!" Her voice made it sound as though she were scolding him.

Zelos casually waved his hand at her as though brushing her inquiry away. "Well, yeah. I learned that ages ago! It's just difficult for me to consider you, of all people, a lady."

Mizuho's chief crossed her arms over her chest and stared defiantly up at Zelos. It only took a few seconds for her to realize that as long as she were sitting and he was standing, her stare would not serve as much of a threat. And so, she stood up and attempted her intimidating gaze once more. Zelos merely raised an eyebrow at her, the corner of his mouth curving upwards to scoff her. "Fine," Sheena lowered her arms and turned away from her friend, "I'll be leaving, then." She began doing just that, making her way around the house to the front yard. Although her intention was joking when she said 'I'll be leaving, then', her words would prove to be true because it was time that she returned to her village. Zelos followed her to the front without any objection.

When they found themselves standing by the Rheaird that Sheena had piloted to the abbey, neither ninja nor noble could find words to say. With the quiet between them, attention was again directed towards Seles and Rhea. The mother and daughter were running around the front lawn, chasing one another with smiles on their faces. Seles had to stop occasionally, catching her breath and clearing her head of dizziness, but Rhea displayed the patience that a parent tends to show their child. As Zelos watched his sister and niece together, words flowed out of his throat without consciousness, "I think I may end up staying here, with them," he mused. Sheena gave him a look of approval, in complete agreement with the statement that he had just made. "Once Mizuho has settled in Tethe'alla again, will you come and visit me?"

"Of course I will," Sheena answered. Goodbyes were avoided until, practically at the same time, Sheena and Zelos threw their arms around each other in a hug; somehow 'goodbye' was not appropriate.

VIVIVIVIVIVIVIVIVIV

Dear Diary,

It's been a long time. And I think that after this entry, you may never hear from me again.

I have a new diary. A better diary. A loving diary that listens well and can even speak back to me and give me advice. Yes, that's what he is: my living diary.

And I will never in a thousand years make the mistake of letting him out of my life again.

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Done, done! And thankfully I am happy with the way that I ended it. Now that I have at long last completed this three-chapter fic, I will move on to work on Just Tell Me some more. Ideas are coming! You should expect lots of updates from me once summer comes. Thank you to all of my loyal readers and reviewers! (Especially those of you that were very patient with the ending of this story.) Love!