Chapter 2: Wind

(This is something I thought up at whim. I hope it turns out good...)

All was still and serene. It was a cool spring day, yet not too cool. In all respects, the day was perfect. A soft breeze blew, causing the ninja's raven bangs to sway slightly, yet that was the only movement she made. Her hazel eyes were hidden behind creamy eyelids as she rested on her back among the emerald grasses of the field just outside Meltokio. Most days, she would be alert and on the lookout for thieves or monsters, but not this day. This day was too perfect, and she somehow knew that no harm would come to her. The traffic into and out of the city was a constant rumble on the dirt road, traders and tourists alike, yet that faint, distant rumbling didn't bother Sheena. For in her world, all was well. At least, for a while.

Though her lids were shut against the world, a sign of her relaxation, she could still clearly see the blue sky in her minds eye, complete with puffy white clouds floating carelessly across the sky. The summoner envied those clouds, and how effortlessly they floated across the clear blue. She had always loved heights and the thrill they gave her, so to be able to float like the clouds and fly like the birds had always been her fancy. She'd watched Colette soar with a pang of jealousy, for, though she knew how rough the blonde's life was at the moment, she wished she could take her place, just for the sole purpose of flight. Sheena would give near anything to be able to fly, even if only for a few minutes.

The young woman heard it clearly as a figure came and laid down beside her, her ninja senses made sure of that, yet her eyes remained closed. In fact, at first she didn't even acknowledge the other's presence. After a moment though, her soft voice broke the silence.

"Hello, Zelos." She softly greeted, and she sensed his surprise the moment she spoke.

"How'd you know it was me?" He questioned in surprise. The ninja smiled softly, yet her eyes still remained closed.

"Who else would come sit by me?" She replied, though her question was rhetorical. Obviously, Zelos didn't see it as such.

"Well… uh… maybe… Okay, you're right. So, whatcha doing out here all alone?" Even the loudmouthed Chosen had softened his voice, the serenity of the scene having gotten to him.

"Relaxing, or trying too. And thinking." Sheena murmured in response.

"Thinking? About what?"

"Oh, everything. Yet at the same time, nothing really." There came no response from the redhead. Obviously her riddled tongue had confused him. She smiled slightly, but after a moment that smile faded. There was a silence between them, yet not an awkward one, nor was it lengthy. At last the summoner's hazel eyes slid open, and she turned her head to look at the Chosen, who was laying surprisingly close beside her. Their shoulders were a mere six inches apart. Yet, whether she had grown accustomed to his presence or it was just too peaceful a scene to end up in a fight, she did not speak of his close proximity, or even feel truly alarmed by it. Instead, her question was one of serious curiosity.

"Zelos, have you ever wondered how it feels to fly?" She inquired, though after a moment she remembered that he too had a pair of wings, fiery orange ones that were so fine a pair of wings that she was surprised she'd forgotten them for even a moment. The ninja softly shook her head in withdrawal of her question. "No, of course you haven't, how stupid of me. I forgot for a moment that you had wings as well." Zelos nodded slightly, dismissing her forgetfulness like it didn't matter. After a moment, Sheena decided that, in truth, it really didn't matter at all.

"It's amazing, Sheena. When I fly, I feel so free, like nothing could bring me down. Like I'm in my own little world, and even if I were to die the next day, it wouldn't truly matter anyways… Am I making any sense?"

"Perfect sense." She reassured, though her voice was filled with longing. He turned his head to face her then, his eyes alight with realization.

"I have an idea." He announced softly, rising to his feet and offering her a hand. She took it, accepting his aid, and he helped her rise as well. "Now turn around and close your eyes."

"This had better not hurt. And if you touch me, you'll regret it." She threatened, yet her warning was half-hearted, and she immediately obliged to his request, turning her back on the Chosen and closing her eyes once more. She heard him mumbling slightly under his breath, though his words were so soft and so hastily spoken that she couldn't make any sense of the mumblings. After a few moments more, the mumbling ceased, and his voice rang out once more.

"Alright, now fall back." He urged, and her eyes snapped open in surprise.

"Zelos, what the hell are you-"

"Trust me." And whatever doubt had held Sheena before melted away with those two words, so sincere and honest a phrase rarely spoken by the redhead. She closed her eyes once more, and slowly she leaned back, falling slowly to the ground. She continued to let herself fall, even past the level at which she could catch herself if he was bluffing. For she trusted him. For some idiot reason, she trusted him. Mere inches from the ground, she felt something catch her. Yet it was not a pair of hands that caught her. No, it felt more like a soft, supple pillow. The ninja relaxed into it's embrace, feeling as light as a feather. After a few moments, she heard his voice come once more.

"Open your eyes." His voice seemed… off. Echoic, like it came from below. She opened her eyes, looking to her left at Zelos. Yet Zelos wasn't there. He was ten feet below her, grinning madly. She cried out slightly in shock, flailing around a moment, and in that moment she felt herself start to fall, then lose her height altogether. She fell the few feet to the ground below, and into the waiting arms of the Chosen. He put her down, keeping a hand on her shoulder to steady her as she regained her balance.

"Was I-…?" She started, and the Chosen nodded excitedly. "How?"

"I don't know, exactly. It had something to do with Air Thrust and Healing Wind, 'cause I kinda mixed those two spells to do it… I wasn't sure it would work, but I hoped it would 'cause if it didn't you'd probably beat my face in." Strangely, Sheena was okay with the fact that she'd just been used as a guinea pig for his little spell experiment. It had been amazing, floating like she had, even though it wasn't truly flight.

"Can you… do it again?" She asked tentatively. He furrowed his brow in thought.

"Err, actually, I don't remember what I said to get it to work. But I can do better. Hold that pose, my voluptuous hunny." With that he stepped back, hastily murmuring yet another spell. "Angel Feathers!"

Sheena's eyes widened, and she raised her arms to deflect the blow that those words would deal. Yet no blow came. She waited a moment in confusion before slowly lowering her arms. Zelos was before her, his wings flapping gently in the breeze. As were her own. Her eyes widened slightly as she spotted a pair of soft violet and lavender wings extending from her own back. She gazed with rounded eyes at the seraphim before her.

"They're only temporary. A half hour at max. Sorry, that's as good as I could do, since your flight draws off my power like mine does." He shrugged helplessly, yet she was too dumbstruck to think of anything but what that half hour could hold.

"Then what are we sitting around here for!" She cried as she leaped into the air, her wings catching her mid-leap and carrying her higher and higher still. The wind at this higher altitude was much stronger, forcefully pushing her bangs back from her face, yet it was more of a help than a nuisance. It wasn't long before Zelos pulled up beside her, his wings making half as many strokes yet carrying him twice as fast.

"Practice." He shrugged, noticing her slightly rounded eyes. She nodded. Of course he'd be better at this. He was an angel, after all. Sheena snickered slightly to herself. She'd never met an angel who was less angelic than Zelos. Most of the time, at least.

After a short while, the newly-winged ninja got tired of flying up and up. Time to go down. Time to dive. With no warning whatsoever, she tucked her wings into her sides and plunged into a dive, gaining speed at a startling rate as she headed toward the emerald grasses once more. Zelos called after her in alarm, diving after her, yet his dive was a joke compared to hers, for his wings were still fully extended and fighting the downward motion. After a while he gave up on his dive, pulling up and watching her fall to her death. Wait, would she die? Surely she would. That sort of fall is impossible to endure, unless you're an angel, and Sheena wasn't even close to pure angel.

The ninja heard his cry of alarm and for a moment she was confused. What was wrong?…. Oooooh, did he think she was truly falling? Oops. She spread her wings to catch the air once more, just to prove she was fine… Wait, but something truly was wrong. With all the wind resistance pushing her wings to her sides, Sheena found herself unable to spread her wings to catch herself. Now she too was getting worried, for the ground loomed ever-closer and her landing would surely kill her.

Suddenly, an orange and pink blur sped by her, downward through the sky at a rate near twice as fast as her own. Zelos had realized that she truly couldn't catch herself, and he wasn't about to let his love interest die. Besides, it'd be his fault anyways, for giving her wings to begin with. He couldn't deal with that burden to his conscience, not for as long as it would linger. When he hit the ground, a crack came soon to follow, as well as a near blinding pain from the arm he landed on. Broken. But broken limbs can heal, and broken Sheenas cannot. With this thought he leapt to his feet, positioning himself just under the plummeting ninja. And he wasn't a moment too soon, for within two seconds time the ninja had fallen into his good arm with a force to send them both rolling across the grass. Zelos rose to his feet, and for a moment his only thought was the pain in his arm, which had only intensified with all the rolling about. He heard Sheena rise shakily behind him, brushing herself off from the landing. And he knew she'd be mad. Really mad. Mad for nearly getting her killed.

"Zelos." Her voice broke the quiet, and he knew that the moment he turned around he'd be slapped or beaten upside the head with her evil shocky card. But he turned around anyways, eyes closed, bracing himself. Yet no slap came. Instead came something much less painful.

"Thank you!" The ninja threw her arms around the Chosen, hugging him tightly in gratitude. His eyes snapped open and widened in shock.

"Uh… you're welcome, I guess. Not to question my good fortune, but what exactly am I being thanked for?"

"Zelos, I flew." Zelos decided not to mention that she nearly fell to her doom along with it. "How could I ever thank you for this?"

"A kiss would do nicely." He replied without skipping a beat, despite the fact that the pain from his arm was near blinding as he cradled it to his chest.

"Oh really? Well close your eyes." She replied in a slightly seductive tone. Surprised, he did as she told, amazed he was getting a kiss so easily or even at all. "Ready?" He nodded. Suddenly, something distinctly hand-shaped struck him across the cheek.

"Owwwww…. Sheeenaaaaa…" He whined, his good hand coming up to nurse his painful cheek.

"How many times do I have to slap you before you learn not to push your luck?" Her voice was no longer seductive, though it wasn't exactly angry either.

"Many, many more, my voluptuous hunny."

"Good. 'Cause maybe one of those times, it might work."

(I don't exactly like the ending, but… oh well. Pfft. Who cares. lol Read and Review. )