Chapter 6: Ice
(Not sure when this is. Sometime after the game, I guess. Only a few chapters left. Like, four after this. Or something. Not good with math. :P Whoa, and did you know that the dood who voices Shadow also plays Cosmo from the Fairly Odd Parents? And Rodyle? Rodyle and Cosmo sound a little similar, but SHADOW and Cosmo? Nuh uh.)
"I'm sorry to tell you this, Sebastian, but I'm not leaving the house today, and there's no way in Tethe'alla that you can force me."
The Chosen was sitting cross-legged on his bed, his head tilted slightly to the side with his hair cascading down on the right, where he proceeded to brush it thoroughly. He could tell that his announcement irritated the butler slightly, but he also knew that Sebastian had the sense not to say anything, for it could cost his job if he did. Not that Zelos could live without him, but that's a different matter.
"What has caused your aversion to the outside world today, Master Zelos?" Prompted the butler, his voice carefully even.
"Oh, nothing really. I just don't feel like being tailed everywhere by a bunch of mindless noblewomen today, that's all," offered Zelos, but after a moment, he amended his words to make them more Zeloslike. "I mean, I don't think I can handle that much female essence without dying and going to heaven. You wouldn't want me to do that, now would you?"
As much as Sebastian wanted to say 'yes, actually, I very well would', he knew that wouldn't be altogether true, so he shook his head. "As you wish, Master Zelos. I'm assuming you wish that any 'female essence' that shows up at your doorstep be sent away?"
"Please, if you would."
In Zelos-speak, that means 'if you don't I'll whine, complain, and make you braid my hair'. And they both knew it. Nonetheless, Sebastian nodded, and exited the room. And Zelos continued to brush his hair, stroke after stroke after stroke. When he finally finished, he set his brush on the nightstand beside his bed and looked around his room. It had been a while since he'd stayed home for a day; what was there to do? His eyes roamed over his closet, then his dresser, then finally his bookcase.
"I might as well read, if I'm gonna be bored all day. A man as sexy as myself can't go around all illiterate and such," he announced to himself, rising smoothly to his feet and strolling over to his bookcase. If one were a psychologist, they could look at his habit of talking to himself almost constantly, and conclude that he was lonely. But since none who read this will likely be a psychologist, they may just think that Zelos has finally cracked. Which is prone to happen, to those with no true company. But anyways, back to the story.
He slipped a book entitled 'Zelos Wilder: Chosen, Nobleman, Ladies Man' from an upper shelf, flipping idly through the pages. Pictures of him in his childhood, pictures of him as an adult surrounded by hunnies, pictures of him with random famous people, all with text in between, no doubt talking about him. The redhead flipped back to the beginning, looking more closely at each of the photos. He was playing with toys while Sebastian watched over, then he was eating dinner with the Princess, then he was receiving his Cruxis Crystal from the church. Not one of the ten or so pictures had either of his parents in it. Sure, he'd never been very close to his dad, the man being busy with Seles' mother and all, but for the first eight or ten years of his life he'd been quite attached to his mother. Until his dad's mistress killed her, of course…
A heavy thump on the window shocked him out of his melancholic recollections, causing him to jump in alarm and drop his book. Yet Zelos didn't pick it back up, and so it would sit for the rest of the day, splayed open on the plush rug. He hastily sidled over to the sliding glass door, the one that revealed his balcony, and drew open the curtains. There, standing on his balcony, leaning against the railing with her arms crossed, was Sheena Fujibayashi, a smirk on her face. Zelos grinned, glad for a distraction from his memories, especially one so curvy, voluptuous, and, well, Sheena-like. The remainders of a snowball was sliding down a window, and in that moment Zelos noticed the white blanketing Meltokio. It had snowed in the night. He recoiled, his grin fading to a look of poorly masked horror. Zelos hated snow. No, hated was the wrong word. He feared it. For nearly ten years, the Chosen had spent the winters in Altamira, where the weather was always warm and rain was nearly nonexistent.
Suddenly, Sheena was gone, and so was his window, his curtains, his room. He was in the snow in front of his mansion, rolling a ball for a snowman. His thick gloves made it difficult to work with the snow as he wished, but he was determined, so he managed. The blonde-framed, smiling face of his mother, Mylene Wilder, hovered just above him, and her hands gave his snowball a push whenever he needed help. Her smile was a little strained, but sincere nonetheless. Zelos was chilled to the bone, yet he couldn't stop smiling. Snow fascinated him and entertained him more than any book or puzzle could, a fact that confused the woman to no end. Yet, being the devoted mother that she was, Mylene took Zelos out in the snow nearly every day of the winter months so he could play in it, an act which the child never grew tired of.
"Here, Zelos, let me help," she softly obliged, and leaned closer to give the snowball an extra push to free it from it's semi-stuck position.
Yet her hand never made it that far.
Before the young Chosen knew it, a fountain of blood sprayed his face, clothes, and surrounding snow, and with an agonized gasp, the woman fell to the ground.
"M-Mommy!?" Zelos whimpered, dropping to his knees beside his fallen mother. He was too young to understand why it had happened, but from the accusing look in Mylene Wilder's eyes, he knew it was his fault.
"You should never have been born."
That was all she said before the life faded from her eyes, but it echoed in his head, over and over, for the rest of his life. Whenever he was feeling down, whenever he took off his carefree mask, it was there.
'You should never have been born.'
"Zelos? I didn't know I was that fearsome." The teasing voice of Sheena echoed into his childhood, and almost immediately his surroundings faded. He was back in his room, though still shaking uncontrollably. Looking about in confusion, he realized what had happened. It had been his imagination, it was all in his head. He was still on his knees, but no longer in the snow. Leaning back against his bed, he closed his eyes, trying to recover.
There was a metallic hiss, one which Zelos had come to associate with the opening of the glass door, and soon he could feel someone crouched beside him.
"Zelos?! Are you okay?" Her voice was concerned. Surprisingly. Sure, they'd been on good enough terms, but it was enough of a surprise that she'd showed up on his balcony, let alone that she cared enough to hold such concern in her voice. The Chosen just couldn't say no. It took strength he didn't have to admit that he was a wreck to the one who'd for the longest time ridiculed his every mistake. So he heaved a shaky breath, collected himself, opened his eyes, and smiled.
"Of course, why wouldn't I be?" He grinned, a grin that was flawlessly realistic. She'd never tell the difference. He hoped. She gazed at him a moment in appraisal, apparently deciding whether to take his word for it or not.
"Perhaps because you looked like you'd just seen a ghost, then practically collapsed on the floor and started shaking?" She offered skeptically.
"Ah. That."
The Chosen was backed into a corner. The only way out was the truth.
"I just... don't like the snow, that's all."
Sheena looked about to question him further, but decided against it. She opened her mouth to continue, but then a look of realization came over her face, and she adopted a crestfallen façade.
"Then I suppose you don't want to come have a snowball fight with me?" She asked, slightly disappointed.
"You came all the way to the city of Meltokio, even though you hate it, all the way through the nobles section, even though you hate them, and all the way up onto my balcony, even though you hate me, ask for a snowball fight?" Zelos clarified, raising an eyebrow skeptically. The ninja scowled defensively.
"Well… Yeah. Yeah I did," she admitted, followed closely by an indignant, "and I don't hate you, so quit saying that."
"Heh, you could've fooled me."
"I only slap you when you deserve it."
"And when the hell do I deserve it?"
"Well, when you attempt to handle, touch, or stare at any areas you shouldn't. Like now," she added, raising a hand in warning. His eyes promptly lifted back to her face.
"Just kidding, my voluptuous hunny. Though if I may be spared from your wrath for a moment, I'd like to put in word that it's hard not to stare at something that's waved so invitingly in my face."
She crossed her arms across her chest defensively, and he smirked.
Downstairs, Sebastian was enjoying a cup of Meltokio's Finest Green Tea and he heard a loud 'SMACK' resound through the halls.
"Ah, I see Miss Sheena's dropped by. I do hope she comes down to say hello before she leaves; I've always liked her more than the others," he mused to himself.
Back upstairs, Zelos was hastily pulling himself backwards away from the ninja with widened eyes, a hand on his cheek where a red handprint branded the skin, bleeding slightly at the ends where her nails had caught him. Sheena was smoothing out her hair in a dignified fashion, clearly feeling he deserved every bit of it.
"What was th-"
"You know full well what that was for, pervert." She cut him off, not even glancing his way. He sighed in defeat.
"Can't you take a joke?"
With this little grumble, he sidled back over to sit by her again, his hands up portraying innocent intentions and his eyes carefully held various places above her collarbone.
They sat there for a few moments in silence. The redhead glanced over to his bookshelf, for the first time noticing the book he'd dropped, but he didn't bother to pick it up. When he looked back at the raven-haired ninja, she was gazing longingly out the window at the untouched snow. Zelos suppressed a shudder, but rose to his feet, offering a hand to help her rise.
"I guess if you really want to, we can go play in the snow," the Chosen slowly offered, and if he'd ever seen Sheena's face light up faster, then he was an Altamiran hooker. The look of glee on her face was absolutely priceless, enough so that, even though he dreaded the task to come with every fiber of his being, he grinned as well. She accepted his aid in rising, and they exited the glass door, immediately greeted with that same sunny chill that Zelos had avoided for years now. He winced, but continued before she noticed his hesitation. The ninja, on the other hand, didn't hesitate a moment. In fact, before he had even finished closing the door, she was standing on the railing, with her back to the rest of Meltokio. A mischievous smirk slowly formed at the corners of her mouth, and without a word, Sheena slowly fell backwards off the balcony.
"SHEENA!" Zelos called in alarm, bounding over and leaning over the railing, to see her falling spread-eagled toward the ground. He summoned up his wings, climbing up to dive down after her, but just before she hit the snow, she called out.
"Celsius!"
Suddenly, a cloud of snow formed beneath her, slowing her descent, until she at last hovered in midair. Then, to Zelos's surprise, the ninja slowly rose back up to his height. She took one look at his semi-panicked state and laughed.
"Come on, I'm not that stupid, jumping without anything to catch me. Chill, Zelos." With a snort of amusement at her pun, she grabbed him by the wrist, and before he could think to resist, he was pulled off the balcony railing. Yet he didn't fall. Instead, the two slowly sank back to the ground, and the snow cloud dissipated.
Though Sheena was obviously enjoying herself, Zelos had never been more tense in his life. He was fighting his memories and his fears back with inhumane fervency, knowing that if he didn't they'd overwhelm him again. Instead, he merely looked about him uneasily. The ninja looked disappointed.
"Zelos, if you really don't want to do this, you can go back inside," she softly offered. He gazed at her a moment, but shook his head.
"Nah, I'm fine. It's just been a while, that's all. I'm not used to all this white powdery stuff." Zelos attempted to reassure her, and after a moment she nodded.
"Then come on." She crouched down, grabbing a huge handful of snow in one hand, and his wrist in the other. She placed the handful of snow in his hand. "This is raw snowball-making material. Also known as snow. You grab it like this, then you pack it into a snowball," —she grabbed his other wrist and put that hand on top of the snow, pushing them together to pack it into a semi-solid object— "like this."
She grinned, and after a distrustful glance at the snow, he managed a grin as well.
"Jeez, Sheena. The way you described it like that, you'd think I was some sort of retard or something."
"Nah, more like 'snowball-challenged'." She teased, and he snorted.
"Wow, that's so much less insulting. How would you like it if I called you 'socially challenged' just because you don't enjoy the presence of the high society?" He shot back, and it was her turn to snort.
"I'd say 'damn straight' and nail you with a snowball."
"Hmm, sounds kinky."
And before you could say 'snowball-challenged Chosen who claims he doesn't have herpes', a snowball the size of Derris-Kharlan exploded on the side of his face, leaving a freezing, painful, yet strangely invigorating tingle in its wake.
"Y'know what!?" He stepped toward her, getting 'all up in her face' as if he intended to pick a fight.
"What!?" She replied, stepping forward to meet the challenge.
"This." And without a second's hesitation, he'd shoved his snowball into her open mouth. Her eyes widened, and she spit it out, before smirking.
"And you somehow claim that was proper vengeance?" She questioned skeptically.
"Yeah," he grinned like a guilty toddler boy. "I licked it."
She cursed and spat in the snow, bringing her sleeve up to wipe the Zelos off of her tongue, before stopping, glancing at him suspiciously. He was still grinning guiltily.
"You didn't really lick it, did you?"
"Nope."
They both burst out laughing at this, and Sheena sat down in the snow. Zelos followed almost without hesitation.
"Bastard." The ninja snorted, and the redhead grinned.
"You love me anyways."
"I'll get back to you on that one." She replied with a smirk. They both leaned back to lay down in the snow, and they both gazed up at the blue sky in silence for a few moments.
"Hey Sheena?"
"Yeah?"
"Have you figured out your answer?" He quipped, and she was silent a moment.
"Yeah, I have."
His eyes widened; Sheena's voice was neither malicious, nor mocking. It seemed... caring. He'd only been joking, but… What if she hadn't?
"What is it?" He prompted, trying to keep his voice joking.
"This."
And before he could ask for an explanation to her one-word answer, the ninja was on top of him force-feeding him as much snow as she could grab. Zelos laughed, half at his stupid hopes that she may have been serious, and half at the 'battle' at hand. He thrashed his head back and forth, trying to escape from Sheena's icy wrath, but it just kept coming. All of a sudden, he was aware that she was sitting on his torso, one leg on either side for balance, a position he'd only dreamed of her willingly enduring. Now, however, she put herself in it all on her own, though he knew her intentions were nothing more intimate than force-feeding his precious Chosen mouth snow and laughing at his plight. Not that he minded. Especially when she realized his mouth was as full as she could get it, and she stopped her assault, merely sitting there and laughing. He was laughing as well, mind you; it's hard not to when such a situation as this arises, especially when it catches you off guard.
Slowly Zelos swallowed the frigid snow, piece by piece, until finally his mouth was clear. They gazed at each other a moment, until Sheena seemed to realize she was still sitting on him. Cramming one more handful of snow in his mouth as an excuse, she stood up, stretching her legs a second, and plopping down cross-legged beside him.
"Hey Zelos?"
"Hmm?" He replied, still finishing off his icy breakfast.
"Why don't you like the snow?"
A lump formed in his throat. He'd hoped she wouldn't ask. Up until she'd asked, he'd managed to push it to the back of his mind. Now, however, it came flooding back like water through a fractured dam.
Sheena saw the troubled look in his eye, and hastily shook her head.
"Nevermind, forget I asked."
"No, it's fine," he murmured, but at that very moment the face of Sheena beside him flickered to that of his mother. Smiling, yet her smile was strained.
"Zelos, why are you looking at me like that?" She asked, but her voice was different. It wasn't deep enough... It was as if her voice was combined with another, even more familiar.
Sheena.
'This isn't real, this can't be real, she's dead, I saw her die!' He shut his eyes, pushed it away with all his strength. And when he opened them, Sheena was back.
He smiled, relieved beyond mortal words that she hadn't seen him go to pieces again.
"My mother…" He started, to answer her first question. "She was forced to marry my father. Arranged marriage, as have had all descendants of the Mana linage. Dear old Dad had a mistress. Hence Seles. She wanted her daughter to be Chosen. So she tried to kill me. My mother was caught in the crossfire."
Though his voice was carefully emotionless, maybe too much so, the pain in his eyes told Sheena more than a sorrowed voice ever could. She sat in stunned silence a moment, unable to think of anything she could say to help. After that moment, however, she scooted closer, wrapping her arms around him comfortingly. He tensed up in surprise, apparently expecting some sort of pain to come of it. But none did. She just sat there and held him in a comforting embrace. And, after a minute or so, he slowly slid his arm around her waist, hugging her back. After a moment, she looked up at him.
"Y'know what? You're not that bad, when you're not being a skirt-chasing womanizing idiotic pervert."
He grinned. "I suppose I should take that as a compliment?"
She nodded. "It's probably the closest you're gonna get to one anytime soon."
Zelos paused.
"Any more hugs, by any chance?"
"That's a possibility, if you don't try and grope me anytime soon."
"Can I look but not touch?" He questioned, jokingly hopeful.
"No."
"...Fair enough."
The rest of the day went by in a blur of fun, fluff, and snowball fights. But not once did Zelos see his mother die, nor would it plague him ever again. Instead, he'd get swept up in memories of Sheena, her snowball fights, her force-feeding, her hug, and when the memory reel played to the very end of the day, her kiss.
(No, Zelos doesn't really have herpes. Wanted to see how many of you reached the end and the first thing you intended to put on your review was "ZELOS HAS HERPES!?" XD Read and review, PLEASE? I beg of you. :P)