As usual, I don't own anything. I'm just a fan writing some fiction. Please enjoy!

Dwarven Vow 84
Is fhearr fheuchainn na bhith san duil.
It's better to try than to hope.

6-

"Since she's still asleep, Zelos… can I ask you for some advice?"

Zelos shifted Adora into one arm so that he could pull his scarf down with the other. "Advice? From the person you just told to take responsibility like a man?"

"This is a serious matter. I want to ask you because I think you'd be the most likely to know."

Zelos thought about it for a moment and then shrugged his shoulders. "Alright, fine. Shoot. The Great Zelos' advice is free for all."

Sheena started to speak, but she choked on her words and had to pause. A glance down at the letter she still had in her pocket reassured her, and she tried again with more conviction. "Have you ever… had to give a message that you didn't agree with? Something important to people that you have a responsibility to, and don't want to let down, but at the same time something you just don't think is right? Something that might do more harm than good? Maybe I'm being too specific, but-"

"Did Colette tell you?" Zelos interrupted.

"Huh?"

"I asked her not to talk about it too much. She was pestering me last night, and I tried to assure her that everything was okay, but she knows me too well. But, really- I've made up my mind, and I've come to terms with it-"

"Zelos, what are you talking about?"

He stopped walking, noticing that Adora was beginning to stir, "Um, aren't you trying to get me to open up about my feelings on the speech?"

"What speech?" Sheena shot back. "I'm trying to get advice for my problems, not hear about yours-" She stopped herself as she recognized the look of concern on his face. He'd tried to hide it, paying attention to Adora, but it was still vaguely there. "...Zelos, is everything alright?"

"Yeah, everything's fine. You're still asking for advice, right? Ask away."

Sheena was silent again. "Honestly? I'm curious now. What's going on, Zelos? What speech are you talking about?"

Zelos laughed, prompting a curious coo from Adora. "Geez, I guess I walked into that one? I s'pose I've gotta come clean now, don't I?" He gave a weary sigh. "Colette and I are engaged. We're announcing our betrothal at the Unification Picnic this Sunday."

"Huh?" Sheena almost tripped over her own feet. "You're getting married? I didn't think that word was even in your vocabulary."

Zelos nudged her. "Laugh it up, why don't you? In the meantime, I'll be on a romantic honeymoon with my precious Colette while you and Lloyd keep playing your stupid games."

"Stupid games? Why you-"

"Anyway," Zelos interrupted, shaking his head, "since Meltokio is my territory, I'm going to be the one to make the announcement. And I've decided- with some very persuasive input- that I'm going to announce the wedding as the merging of Tethe'alla and Sylvarant's Chosen lineages. That, just like the two worlds reuniting into one, the legacy of the Chosens will now unite into one. I've got the speech all written and everything."

Sheena was silent for a moment. "Zelos, that's…"

"It sounds like an arranged marriage, doesn't it? I can almost hear the outcry from Meltokio's ladies- 'poor Zelos, being tied down to a woman he doesn't even love!'- and meanwhile Colette brings so much love into my life, I don't know what to do with it all."

"Then why don't you say that?" Sheena asked.

"I mean, I could add that, but that's not the part I'm most concerned about. It doesn't really matter whether or not they know I'm in love with Colette." Zelos shook his head. "The thing is, Colette and I aren't the Chosens anymore. That's what we've agreed. With no more declining worlds to save, there's no point in even having a line of Chosens. The world needs to just pack it up and leave it in the past. But that's not how people see things. They don't want a Chosen to save the world necessarily, they just want a Chosen to admire. To look up to and put on a pedestal for the world to see. It somehow makes them feel better. And if they need a Chosen, then how can Colette and I take that away from them? If we try to eradicate the concept of the Chosens, will it make the already fragile state of the world worse? There's already so much controversy going around about mana and the Alpha-Beta Hypothesis-"

"The what?"

"Professor Sage's project."

"Oh. Right." Sheena blushed and looked down at her feet. "I suppose that's all true. But if you're not willing to be the Chosen for everyone, is it really worth it trying to act that way?"

"That's a decent question, I suppose," Zelos laughed. "I guess I do have to think about it that way, don't I? I have to figure out what the personal cost to me is for making my status more prominent, versus what the societal cost would be to eradicating my Chosen status altogether. If it's a lose-lose situation anyway, which one is a more worthwhile trade? For the good of the united world, am I willing to keep putting up with this shit-?"

"Zelos!" Sheena hissed. "Language! Colette would be horrified if she knew you were cursing in front of Adora."

"Oh, come on. She was talking about ten-year-olds earlier. They repeat everything they hear. But a baby? She won't remember any of this."

"That's not-"

Zelos ignored her, leaning closer to Adora as he continued. "You're not gonna remember this, are you sweetie~?" he cooed. "No you're not~. No you're fucking not-"

"ZELOS!"

If he hadn't been holding a baby, Sheena would've punched him.

She changed the subject instead. "Anyway, I guess what you said about it being a lose-lose situation is pretty spot-on. The frustration of having to choose between going against your ideals or betraying the people you love-"

"Are we still talking about me?" Zelos broke in. "Because I've already made a decision, and this isn't exactly helping my confidence."

"Oh?" Sheena elbowed him. "You're telling me that the great Zelos isn't always confident?"

"I am confident! Didn't I say that?!"

Before they could start squabbling again, they were interrupted by the familiar sound of a dog barking and a voice they recognized from the other side of the fence.

"N-no, dear, I can't play with you right now. No, I have to go. Colette will be home soon, I promise. Put the ball down-"

"Hey, Hazel!" Zelos stepped up to the gate that separated the street from the Wilder mansion's back garden. "Toss the ball to Sheena. She'll play with him."

Hazel opened the gate just a crack to allow the two to enter, but her gaze lingered on the baby in Zelos' arms. As Sheena grabbed the ball and tossed it for the eager pup, Hazel placed a hand on Zelos' arm.

"Whose… child is that?"

"Oh, uh, Colette is babysitting, and I'm filling in for her while she's at school," Zelos stammered, shifting Adora's weight in his arms. "It's just temporary, don't worry. We're not bothering Seles. Were you visiting her? She was asleep when I left earlier-"

"She was asleep. I simply dropped off some flowers."

"You didn't stay to chat with her when she woke up?"

Hazel looked away, focusing on where Sheena was playing, surrounded by a fluffy white blur. "Ms. Veronica said that it was probably best that I not. You know how difficult Seles has had it lately."

"Yeah, but you should at least say hi to her! She's been so lonely lately, you couldn't just-?"His voice cut off as Hazel turned away, stepping back outside the gate. "-listen to me, woman! Seles needs you! You can't let your own feelings of guilt keep you from-"

It was no use. She was already halfway down the street.

"Ugh!" Zelos groaned, closing his eyes. "I can't stand her sometimes!"

"…what exactly happened to Seles?" Sheena asked, returning to Zelos' side with the ball in her hands again. The dog was still jumping up and down at her side, but she nudged him aside with a whispered 'settle down, boy.' "What's got Hazel so upset?"

Zelos sighed. "Appendicitis," he answered. "The doctors said that Seles' appendix got inflamed because of a viral infection. And the only place she could've picked up a virus like that would've been from Hazel visiting her after working at the hospital. So of course now Seles is down one appendix and Hazel blames herself." He stopped and rolled his eyes. "What can you do?"

"I never heard about that. I mean, I'd heard that Seles was sick, but I never heard it was so serious-"

"The serious part was everybody debating whether or not they should operate on her. It was awful." Zelos continued through the garden with a huff, expecting Sheena to follow or be left behind. "It didn't matter what the surgery entailed- without it she'd have died. If there's something inside her body that's going to kill her, you need to remove that shit. It's common sense."

Sheena was surprised by his sudden movement and had to run to catch up. The dog followed along at her heels until she tossed the ball his way and he ran off to play with it. "Zelos!" she hissed, pointing to Adora. "The baby."

"I don't give a f-"

She didn't let him finish. "I'm sure they were just concerned about Seles' weak constitution. Medical procedures are always dangerous when anesthesia is involved."

"…even so, when the alternative is so clear…" Zelos closed his eyes and sighed, shifting Adora's weight in his arms as he heard her begin to whine. "Never mind. Seles is okay now. If I keep stewing over it, I'll be just as bad as Hazel."

He was going to continue, but before he could, Adora's whines intensified into a series of guttural cries that punctuated in a high pitched squeal. Zelos almost stumbled, trying to hold her out away from his face.

"Adora? Hey, kid, what's the matter? What's wrong? Will you quit crying? Hey!" He looked to Sheena in panic. "What's wrong with her? She was so content just now!"

"I-I don't know!" Sheena flinched. "Is she hungry?"

"I don't think so. Colette said that she grabs at people's clothes when she's hungry."

"Maybe she's in pain?"

"How? She's been in my arms this whole time!" Zelos shook his head. "Nothing could've happened to-"

Sheena cut him off. "Do you think she needs her diaper changed?"

Adora kept crying, but Zelos paused. "Uh…" He held the baby out a short distance from him, examining the expression on her face. "You might be right. I have a bad feeling about this…"

"Well, don't just stand there." Sheena stepped in front of him, opening the door and motioning him inside. "Take her inside and get her cleaned up. You can do that, right?"

"O-of course I can!" Zelos defended, rushing inside and closing the door behind him. "I know exactly what to do. Sebastian?!"

Sheena frowned as she watched Sebastian approaching from the other room. Zelos, however, seemed unfazed by the whole situation.

"Sebastian? Can you call Veronica in here, please? I need her help. It's, uh-" Zelos glanced down at the crying infant in his arms. "-urgent."

"Right away, Master Zelos."

Sheena narrowed her eyes and elbowed him in the side. "What are you doing, calling on other people for help? Can't you change a diaper on your own?"

A look of disgust passed over Zelos' face. "It's not a question of can I, my dear Sheena. The fact is that I don't have to. I mean, why should I when she's not even my kid to begin with and I have people to do that for me?"

Satisfied with his answer, he moved to sit on a cushioned bench in one corner, still rocking Adora back and forth to distract her. Sheena walked over beside him, but didn't sit down.

"Okay, fine. But what'll happen when you have kids of your own? I know Colette wants them. Are you going to foist your own child on someone else too?"

"Sheena, relax." Zelos rolled his eyes. "The Wilders are an aristocratic family. If you think either of my parents touched a single one of my dirty diapers when I was a baby, you're sorely mistaken."

There was a pause as Sheena sighed, speaking again with a pointed glare. "Really? So that's the kind of parent you want to be, huh?"

It only took a second for the implication of what she'd said to sink in. Zelos stiffened, looking up at her with an angry glint in his eyes.

"Why you-"

"Zelos, darling? You called for me?"

The figure of a spindly, older woman appeared at the top of the stairs. Sheena hadn't met Seles' current nurse before, but she'd heard enough from Colette to know that this had to be her. Zelos shifted Adora into one hand so that he could wave with the other. "Hey! Can you get me some supplies for Adora? I need some clean diapers, some baby powder, disinfectant, a face mask, rubber gloves, and some alcohol."

"Right away, dear," Veronica chirped with a smile. "You mean, uh, rubbing alcohol?"

"Well, actually I was thinking more along the lines of a shot of vodka. But at this point, I'm really not picky."

The woman disappeared around the corner, laughing as though she didn't think he was serious, but Sheena knew otherwise. "You are a bad role-model," she hissed.

Zelos replied with just a shrug of his shoulders. "I said that the Great Zelos' advice is free to all. I didn't say you had to agree with it." He paused to laugh a little and then sighed as he turned his gaze back toward Adora. "Do you still need advice, by the way? I never did get to hear your side of the story- all I did was talk about myself. I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay." Sheena shook her head. "It actually gave me a good perspective on things. I've decided what I'm going to do now."

"You have?"

"Yeah. First I have a job to do. But tomorrow, when I have some free time… I think I'm going to go visit Luin."

A sly smile spread across Zelos' face. "Oho! There's something in Luin that you'd like to do, I presume?"

"Yeah. I'm going to-"

"-or someone, I mean…?"

Sheena's face flashed red as she realized that she'd walked right into that. "Y-you-! Forget it! I don't need to tell you my plans anyway!" She turned around with a huff, heading back toward the door with little more than a cursory wave. Honestly, she didn't expect him to continue the conversation, so she was surprised when he spoke again.

"Hey, Sheena?"

The change in tone of his voice caught her attention, and she turned back to look at him. "What?"

"Remember, you're a strong woman," Zelos stated matter-of-factly. "If you want a piece of him, you go get it."

Sheena turned her face away to hide the redness in her cheeks- and the smile on her lips. "Have fun changing diapers, dad."

"Call me 'dad' one more time and I'll barf on your shoes."

Satisfied with his answer, Sheena offered a more sincere wave. "As long as you don't call me 'hunny."

"It's a deal."

Kratos pushed the door to the little shop open, listening to the way the bells chimed as it closed behind him. He glanced around, still unfamiliar with the way the gallery was set up. Porcelain pieces of various designs and colors were on display in every corner, on tables, pedestals, and the floor. They so crowded the room that Kratos felt a sudden rush of claustrophobia, and shuffled his way carefully to the counter on the opposite wall.

"All prices are listed on the descriptions with the piece. Custom orders can be arranged if you place your name and contact information in the book to your right." Yuan didn't even look up from his book as he gave his rehearsed spiel, leaning one elbow against the countertop. "Seriously. Take some of these of my hands, will you?"

"Yuan, why are you working at a pottery shop if you hate pottery so much?"

The voice broke through to catch Yuan's attention, and he sat up straight. "Kratos?" He shoved a bookmark onto the page he was reading and slammed the book onto the counter. "What are you doing here? Last time I checked, you don't exactly like pottery either."

"I was in town taking care of some details for the contract work the militia is doing next week." Kratos motioned to the bag he had slung over his shoulder. "I figured I should stop by and visit my friend. Is that a bad thing?"

Yuan frowned and raised one eyebrow. "What do you want?"

"Nothing. I just came to say hi. If you don't want to see me, I'll go." Kratos turned around, shaking his head. "I was thinking about you yesterday, is all. Sorry for caring."

"It's just because Song was visiting you, wasn't it? He said you chased him out. It wouldn't kill you to be nice to him once in a while-"

Kratos swiveled back around to cut him off. He wanted to wave one hand to punctuate his thoughts, but the room was so crowded with fragile porcelain, he wouldn't risk it. "It wasn't that. Colette visited and she was babysitting a half-elf kid who had fringed-blue eyes. I thought you'd want to know that was making a comeback, is all." He turned again and headed for the door. "I'll be working, so I won't be able to celebrate. Have a good picnic or whatever-"

"Kratos, wait."

He was already reaching for the door when he heard Yuan's response. Curious, he turned around to see Yuan standing behind the counter with a stern expression on his face. "What's wrong?" Kratos asked.

"What did you say?" Yuan asked. "Colette? Babysitting a half-elf kid?"

"Yes. I thought I should tell you. Is there a problem-?"

Yuan stepped out from behind the counter and weaved around some of the displays to approach Kratos. With a grin, he roped one arm around Kratos' shoulders, pulling him away from the door. "You came here to chat with me, right? What kind of friend would I be to refuse your welcome? Let's go back in the kitchen and have some tea."

Kratos frowned and dug his heels into the floor. "Is it okay for you to leave the shop? Won't Song get mad at you?"

"Don't worry so much. He can deal with it." Yuan shook his head. "Now, about Colette…"