Disclaimer: All appearing characters and places belong to Namco.

The O-dai themes belong to the Zeroshii-Wa, at http/deburu98249.jog. but written correctly. If you visit, don't steal!

Setting: During the game.

Warnings: Zelos. Some violence, but who cares about that? Oh, and ice. Nice, naughty ice. The ice may not be fit for young children! Some scenes can be interpreted in a very mature way, so read at your own risk.

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Normal Version,

#3 – Adventure

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Highway robberies were not very uncommon in Sylvarant.

Well, if you could call them that, Zelos said to himself, given that in Sylvarant there were no highways, just a few ways and lots of small mountain roads: exactly the kind of backwater road in where large groups of thieves could hide.

They had been heading towards Hima to rest at the Inn when they were intercepted by a group of six men and two women who, very creatively, demanded they gave them all of their money if they didn't want to get killed.

"Aaaah, and here I was thinking we'd get to sleep at a nice bed tonight!" Zelos whined, completely ignoring the glares the attackers were sending his way.

"I don't think that's what you should worry about," Raine sighed, but it was clear she wasn't very worried about the thieves either.

"But I'm tired, too..." Lloyd commented, half-messing his own hair.

"Not you too, Lloyd..."

Apparently tired of being ignored the leader of the thieves stepped forward, swinging a dagger in the air. "Stop talkin' if y'know what's good for ya!" he wasn't good at being threatening.

"Look," Sheena, the only one who had been on guard from the moment the men appeared, looked a little tired. Whether this was because of her companions of because of the thieves only she knew. "Look, if you want to get to the Inn then let's just hurry up and deal with those guys!"

"Hah!" one of the women laughed from the back-lines, "As if you brats could defeat us!"

Zelos heard Regal sigh and he guessed Raine was frowning. She was nearing her thirty and he was almost forty – hardly brats. And he didn't like being called like that neither.

"Fine, fine..." he muttered to himself while drawing his sword, "This sort of thing never happened to me in Tethe'alla!"

"That's because there's no merit in attacking such an obviouswuss..." Genis muttered (quite audibly), his kendama bouncing up and down in the air. Good thing about unconventional weapons – the enemy didn't know what you were doing with them.

"I'm so not a wuss! Road security is just better there!"

"You silly man," the other woman giggled, "How can there be roads on the moon?"

He blew a kiss at her. She wasn't pretty, but she had boobs, which made it all good. "Oh, I'd be glad to show them to you at any time, hunny."

The woman raised an eyebrow. "...what?"

That was time enough.

"Eruption!" called the boy in front of him and, as if on cue, the summoner, along with Lloyd, Colette and Presea all flew forward to attack.

"Heh," the (male) Chosen chuckled, absent-mindedly turning to the blue-haired man. "Guess that leaves us the back."

Genis was already chanting a new spell, and mana surrounded Raine as well.

"So it would seem," the 'prisoner' nodded, "Protect the spell casters."

"...I don't need to be told," he whined and then, without other warning, turned and impaled his sword into a nearby rock. "Super Lighting Blade!"

"R-agh! You bastard!" yelled the rock – or to be exact, a man that was supposedly hiding behind the rock, waiting at his chance to strike.

"Please, you think I didn't see you standing there?"

"Don't get distracted, Chosen!" Regal admonished, jumping and kicking a second man who had just emerged behind another boulder.

"Ah, yes, yes..."

It wasn't a difficult battle. Even if they were outnumbered the thieves' skill was no match for theirs – two fell before Presea's ax and Lloyd managed to knock out the leader with his first assault. Sheena, fast as usual, concentrated in attacking the two magic users, with Genis using various small spells to help her keep the two women off their feet. Raine kept the group's health up with her usual variety of support spells. In the back Zelos and Regal kept the three other men at bay with ease – the redheaded spinning, almost dancing, punctuating every few swipes with a fancy move; and the blue-haired business-man not stopping his flurry of kicks at any moment.

It was only a matter of minutes before the attackers went down.

"A-haHA! Man, was I great or what? 'You think I didn't see you standing there?' Hah!"

Sheena sighed. "Weren't you complaining about being so tired?"

"Yes, but the fight got me all energetic now!"

"Yeah! I don't feel like sleeping now either!"

"Not you too, Lloyd..."

"What? Don't you feel better after a fight, Genis?"

"Lloyd, magic users use a lot more mana than fighters, so we tire much more during the fights..."

"Whaddaya mean? I get tired sometimes, too!"

"...magic is a condensed form of mana. Magic users therefore take their own mana and mix it with the one found in the surrounding area to transform it into attack and support magic."

"Ye-yeah, um, like Presea said... you're always right, Pre-presea..."

"Ah, so that's why the Professor always gets a headache after the fights?"

"Yes, exactly that Colette. Just like now. So can we hurry onwards now? I'd like to get there before it gets much darker..."

"Yes, it'll get colder, too!"

Colette had barely said that when, a few steps later, she tripped. The group would've sighed and exclaimed something like 'What, again?' if it wasn't because they quickly noticed there was something different.

She hadn't tripped. She had been tripped.

The thieves' leader, whom everyone had though to be knocked out if not dead, had taken a hold of the blonde girl's leg and, getting up, had taken hold of her, knife pointing to her throat.

"Now the tables turn!" the man exclaimed, and this time they took him a little more seriously, "Ok... hand the money now. The girl dies! Not kidding!"

"...we just killed most of your friends," started to sayRaine, slowly, "Don't you care at the least about that?"

"They weren't no friends! Juss associates! Money! Now!"

Lloyd was glaring at the man as if he was about to kill him, which he probably was. In fact, if it wasn't because there was a very pointy object near Colettes jugular the bandit would've been dead by now.

"No sudden moves! Brat, leave the kendama alone!"

"Calm down, now´... we're going to get the money, yes? Will five thousand be enough?" the group all half-glared at Raine, surprised. Was she going to negotiate over Colette's life?

They failed, however, to see that Sheena and Zelos had managed to signal each other and were now creeping behind the man, who was too busy yelling at the half-elf.

"Are ya kiddin'? Fifty big, or blondie here gets her clothes red!"

"You surely don't believe we carry that amount of money, do you?" Raine kept talking, very aware of her friend's moves Zelos was barely two feet away from the man – shee needed to keep him distracted. "We'll give you ten thousand, at most."

"Wha? You b-!" before the thief could finish his sentence he found his knife-hand jerked back and firmly held by the redheaded while the ninja punched him and got the blonde away from his grasp.

"Colette!" Lloyd cried.

"Tsk, tsk…" said Zelos, "You shouldn't be waving sharp objects like that!"

The man at first looked around, confused. And then, seeing he had been denied of his plan, with an agility that surprised Zelos he managed to turn around, set himself free and slash at the redheaded, opening a gash at his chest.

"Agh - HEY!" the Chosen cried in pain, quickly trying to control the bleeding with a hand, "I liked this shirt!"

"...Demonic Thrust!" the man, however, didn't live enough to heard Zelos' shirt epitaph. "Zelos! Are you alright?"

"Yeah, yeah... just a flesh wound. Nothing my cool beauty can't heal."

"Heal yourself, Chosen. I have a headache."

"You didn't seem to be lacking mana during the fight, Zelos," Sheena playfully bonked the redhead's head, "Don't tire the healer."

"...ch, fine, fine..."

"...all wounds should be inspected for risk of infections and/or poisoning..."

"Aww, see? My little rosebud cares!"

"N-no she doesn't! She - she'd say so for anyone, right Presea?"

"But she's right, Zelos! You should check your wounds properly!"

"Aw, you don't have to worry about him, Colette. Remember, he's the type that just won't die."

"Ah, I feel so loved..." the Chosen muttered and, ignoring the fact that Colette kept making puppy-faces at him, gathered mana around himself. "First Aid! There, all new."

"Fine then. Let us get going before night settles in," Regal and Raine were both already ahead of the group and didn't even wait for an answer before turning around and starting to walk.

The sky was colored deep purple when the lights of Hima appeared in a hill not far from them. In the horizon the sun could still be seen, burning bright red and orange.

"Ah!" sighed Raine, "Finally, there's Hima."

"Mmmh, I'm happy we'll get to sleep in beds tonight!" Colette chirped happily, her brush with death all forgotten (well, she had had a lot of those anyway).

Lloyd stretched his arms behind his back. "Yeah! I'm so tired of sleeping in the open all the time..."

"And bathing in rivers..." Sheena pulled at her hair, trying to see whether it was greasy or not. "The water is cold and slimy and there are some perverts to make it worse."

"Now, now! If you go around announcing you'll be taking your clothes off, you can't expect me not to... whoa!" Zelos stopped suddenly and leaned against the rock-wall for support. "What the... is it just me or did the earth trembled or something just now?"

The group stopped, looked at Zelos, looked at each other and shook their heads.

"So it's just me then. Er... uhm, why are you all so blurry?"

"...Zelos?"

He didn't register who it was who called his name because he was suddenly feeling very very nauseous. "Oh man... this isn..." he threw up and fainted.

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He opened his eyes and grunted. He then tried to move his arm and found it extremely heavy. His throat was dry and felt bloated, so talking was out of the question for at least a few seconds.

Where was he? Things were too damned blurry but he was aware of some sort of softness around him. He still felt like crap though.

"Zelos! You awake now?" a voice called from his side. He tried to move his head but when he did it felt as if the bed had tried to run away. "Don't move, the Professor said you still have some poison in you."

"...Lloyd?" whoa, was that his voice? He sounded terrible.

"Yeah. How are you feeling now?"

"Like crap. Water."

"Crap water?"

...Goddess, he sometimes hated that idiot. "Gimme water."

"Ah, yes..." a hand propped his head up and got a small plate to his lips. He drank the water and felt a little better – his throat cleared up and his sight got a little better. He wasn't feeling as heavy as before, too.

"Aaah... what the hell happened?"

"Seems the dagger was poisoned after all. Don't move, the Professor told me to call her if you woke up."

Before Zelos could say anything else (and man was he itching to complain) the red-clad boy got up from his chair and left the room. He was back a few moments later, followed by Raine and, he thought, Sheena, but his view was quickly obstructed by Raine standing next to him.

"So you're awake now? Mmmh..." the half-elven woman eyed him critically. "I cleaned most of the poison out, but since you closed your wound it complicated things..." she sighed, "I think we'll have to stay here for one or two days."

He didn't say anything. There wasn't much to say. He saw Raine place his staff over him and then the magic washed over his body, easing the pain and dizziness.

"Try to sleep a little," said the woman before leaving the room.

From the door he could hear another dialogue. "Are you sure?" said Lloyd's voice, "I don't mind staying awake tonight."

"Its fine," answered someone who sounded like Sheena, "It's late already and you've been watching him for three hours or so. I can take care of him, you go get some sleep."

"...thanks Sheena!" said Lloyd and the door closed.

So it was Sheena then.

The woman walked to the bed-side and sat on the nearby chair. "You feeling better now?"

"...yeah. Kinda. Actually, I still feel like crap."

"You look like crap, too."

"...was that necessary?"

"Perhaps not, but it's true. You kind of look like... a dead fish."

"Some kindness for the sick man, please?"

"Fine," she pretended to think, "If it makes you feel better, you don't look like a dead fish all of the time. Just every now and then."

"Ha-ha-ha."

"Aw, where's your sense of humor?"

"I left it with half my stomach," he shivered, "I'll just make myself believe you actually said 'Zelos, you look like crap right now but you usually look so gorgeously hot I can barely restrain myself.' "

Sheena snorted and grabbed the water plate that Lloyd had used before. "As if I would ever say something like that! You can't be that sick if you talk like that."

"...it's my only defense..." again his body shook slightly but he drank the water she offered him anyway. "What time is it?"

"Around three in the morning. You were out for like eight hours! Had us all worried sick, you stupid Chosen."

"I'm – I'm moved, hunny... is this Hi-hima? I d-don't really reme-mm-ber getting here..."

Slowly, the girl raised an eyebrow. "Are you alright? You're trembling."

"I'm... cold," he managed to say in between tremors, "C-can you get me a bl-blanket? Please?"

"...I don't think so. You're flushed." Sheena got up and yanked the covers off him. "We thought you might get a fever, so..." from the night-table she took a small crystal tube, "Raise your arm. Raise your arm I'm telling you! Oh, fine..." she got his arm and fixed the thermometer at his armpit. "Don't move you arm. I'll be back," and flew out of the room.

Zelos blinked and then shivered some more. Why the hell had she taken his blankets off when he had asked for another? He realized now, too, that someone had taken his shirt off and bandaged his chest. Had the wound re-opened then?

Sheena came back after a few short minutes with two bowls in her hands and looked at the thermometer. "...Zelos?"

"Y-yes, hunny?"

"You're burning."

"I'm – I'm always that h-ho-"

"Don't joke, idiot! You have a fever," she set the two bowls on the table: one was filled with water. "And very high, too... I call upon the disciple of everlasting ice. Celsius!" the second bowl was filled with ice.

"T-talk about abusing Su-summon Spirits..."

"Shut up!" the girl grumbled, taking a few ice chunks and dropping them into the water, then dipping two handkerchiefs into the bowl as well.

"I – I though they used to treat fever with he-e-at in Mi-mizuho?

"Yes, but I learned this method at Meltokio, and I like it better," she shrugged and took one of the hankies, folded it in four and placed it upon the Chosen's forehead.

"Aaaaah, nooo! I-I want the Mizu-zuho meth-odd! Co-cold, take it offff!"

"Don't whine! Stay still, you idiot!"

"But i-its so c-co-colddd..."

"Zelos, you have almost forty degrees celsius. I need to get your fever down quickly," she explained and laid the second handkerchief on his stomach, making him squirm once more. "This is much faster than my village's method."

"B-but it's...!"

"Cold, yes, I know," the girl sighed and took a small chunk of ice in her fingers, "Honestly, you act like a kid," she placed the ice on his forehead and moved it over the cloth.

He didn't answer at first because he was too busy trying to control the goose-bumps that ran all over his body. "C-ca-an't you c-all R-ra-raine?"

"What for? Magic can't make fevers disappear."

"Aaa-aw-ww man..." he closed his eyes and sighed. The ice didn't feel that bad on his forehead, he though, or perhaps his skin was getting numb.

He felt her take the two hankies off and dip them into the water before placing the two on top of his skin again. And then he felt something that he wasn't expecting.

Again, ice against his skin. Only this time it was over his stomach and abdomen.

He yelped and shot his hips upwards at the surprise. "What the hell are you doing!" he cried.

Sheena glared at him. "I told you not to move! Ice works much better on the abdomen, so lie back!" she didn't wait though, and pushed him down and once more stroked his skin with the ice.

Zelos yelped again. "Cooooooold."

"Yeah, yeah, I know..."

"B-but, you know..." even with his teeth chattering, he smiled at her, "This - this'd be so sexy if I wasn't ill!"

The girl's face turned crimson. "Wh-what?"

"Yeah! It d-doesn't feel bad at all, now that I think of it this way! G-get it a little lower, pass my bellybutton..."

"You – you! How dare you! I'm trying to get you better and yet...!"

"I'm ju-just being honest!"

Sheena glared at him and then sighed. "Zelos?"

"Yes, hu-hun-nny?"

"Do yourself a favor and shut up. You're trying too stupidly hard."

"Wh-what do you mean?"

"You're shivering and poisoned. You can relax and stop the jokes now."

"I-I never j-j-jok-ke about th-that..."

"Yeah right. Let me rephrase that. You will relax and stop the jokes or I will make you stop them."

Instead of answering he shivered audibly and then sighed. In silence, Sheena took the wet clothes off and submerged them into the water, dried his skin, and then replaed the handkerchiefs.

She placed the ice against his forehead this time. "It's your own fault you're like this, you know."

"Uh?"

"You just had to say something witty instead of concentrating. Idiot."

"C-coooold…"

"Stop complaining already!" she slapped him lightly and turned to get some more ice when he reached up and, taking her hand, lead it back to his cheek.

"Aaaah..."

Her face again grew hot as she tried to break free. "Wh-what are you doing? Let me go!"

"But your hand's fresh and feels nice!" Zelos answered, not releasing.

"If – if you want fresh, I can give you some ice. Just... let go."

"D-don't want ice."

"...it'll do you better than my hand."

"B-but yours is s-softer."

At that moment Sheena wished she was more like Colette. The blonde would have smiled and thanked him for his words and thinkno more of it.She, however, only managed to stay still for a few seconds,saying nothingand thinking too much,before finally yanking her hand away.

"I need to change the cloth again," she muttered as an excuse. The Chosen, however, didn't answer. His breathing was becoming even, his shivers were stopping and he was starting to look a little sleepy.

"Are you feeling better?" she asked him.

"...yeah. The room ain't spinning any more."

"Good. Maybe you'll remember not to get so cocky when handling a moron with a knife."

Zelos chuckled lightly. "You're angry. I'm moved."

"My being angry is hardly a reason to be moved."

"But it is...! You're angry 'cause you're jealous."

"...of you?"

"Are you?"

She changed the cloths and once more put some ice on his belly. He quivered a little.

"I'm not into getting poisoned for my own stupidity."

"Thought as much. No, no... you're jealous of Colette."

"Now that's stupid."

"You're jealous I got hurt protecting her and not you."

"...I don't particularly care about –"

"But don't worry, Sheena," he took her hand again and smiled goofily, "I promise to get hurt for you one day."

"...thanks. But I'd like it better if you didn't throw up on me again."

"...I'll... keep that in mind."

A few minutes later his eyes closed and his chest started moving up and down evenly. He was asleep.

Carefully Sheena removed the wet handkerchiefs and dried his skin, allowing her hands to linger on his face – just to check whether he was still feverish, she told herself. But it was all gone.

In silence she covered him with the blanket she had discarded before and sat at the chair by his side. When Raine came to check a few hours later she found the ninja had literally fallen asleep from the chair and onto the Chosen's bed.

Nice nurse, she thought, falling asleep on top of her patient. But she didn't say anything. After all, Zelos, who was half-awake by then, didn't look to be unhappy at all.

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Notes: Whoa, a five pages-long introduction just to get them in a room with some ice. Regarding that – I'm betting that, when it comes to getting fevers under control, Sheena would use the Japanese method: lots of blankets, keep the patient very warm and make him sweat the fever off. However I decided to go with a "method" my mother always used on my family... ice. I don't know if its effective, but its supposedly faster then the blankets, but it can be a little cruel because of the cold... hey, at least Sheena didn't shove Zelos into a bathtub with 60 percent ice. Mom did that once and it was horrible.

Er, yeah. cough Ignore the rant.

I had fun writing this one. I had originally planned for Zelos to get hurt saving/protecting Sheena, but that didn't strike me as correct, and so he saved Colette and got a chance to annoy Sheena by telling her she was jealous.

Regarding last chapter – reviewer Tamerlane kindly sent me a link with the Proof (thanks!), and guess what – it does say that Zelos and Sheena have a "former lover" relationship. It's really hard to read and it doesn't say anything else though... just something like "He's got a former lover relationship with Sheena because he likes girls with nice body". That's it. Would've been nice if they had explained something during the game – a skit or two, you know?

Anyway, thanks so much for reading to StrawberryEggs, Eliannora, DarkNite109, Urby, AmaDono, Suzu Fujibayashi, Tamerlane, The Zelda Master, lugiamania, TUF STUFF, MindTricks and Selkie. I hope you'll enjoy the next one as well!

WDR

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Coming Next

#5 – Together

(so yeah, fluff's coming your way, at some degree or other)