(For disclaimer and author/story/series notes, see the Prologue.)
0~*~0
Day 7: The Alternates
For years, Sheena had suffered from recurring nightmares—the Volt tragedy, Corrine's death, her people's poisoning, and Orochi dying before her eyes being the main ones. She'd often dreaded trying to sleep at night, and many nights she'd found herself struggling with insomnia simply because of her fear of what awaited her when she closed her eyes.
But now, for the first time in years, she was actually sleeping peacefully, and she was dreaming surprisingly good dreams about a handsome redhead, dreams that were hazy yet beautiful and brought with them a sense of immense warmth, security, and hope. She couldn't pinpoint much, but he was there, and she was there, and they were walking together through a forest with a gorgeous blue sky overhead, and he was holding her hand, and he was just...he was smiling that smile, the one that told her he was truly happy, that she made him happy, and then he was wrapping his arm around her and pulling her close and brushing his fingers against her face and pressing his lips to hers...
Pound pound pound pound pound.
Her eyes flew open at the unexpected—and definitely unwanted—sound. Realizing she had been asleep, and that she was in Zelos's guest room, and that it was barely even light out, she mumbled to herself about the stupid noise level in his mansion, turned over onto her other side, and closed her eyes, eager to return to her dream.
Pound pound pound pound pound.
With a sigh, her eyes cracked open and darted at the window again...nope, she'd been right before: dawn had only just broken. Seriously, who would be knocking on her door at this hour, especially after it had taken her all night to fall asleep thanks to the previous night's excitement? Still unwilling to lose the pleasurable feelings from her dream, she grabbed a pillow, covered her head, and closed her eyes again. Thankfully, that time silence followed, and she was just about to drift off again when...
Pound pound pound pound pound.
And, even worse, that time Zelos's voice accompanied it. "Sheena? Sheena, are you up?"
She groaned into the pillow. Apparently her fantasy and the reality didn't match. "Le'me 'lone, Zel's. 'M sleep'ng."
"C'mon, sweetheart, you need to get up." She laid still, hoping if she was quiet long enough that he'd think she'd fallen back asleep and would leave her to her oh-so-sweet dreams. And just when she was becoming hopeful he'd given up...
Pound pound pound pound pound.
"Sheena?"
Agh, the man refused to give up, didn't he? With a frustrated growl, she threw the covers off of her, grabbed the robe she'd found in the room last night, slipped it on, and stomped toward the door, cracking it open. "Zelos, if during the past few years you've become one of those pesky, perky early birds who wants to go for a run at dawn or stroll through the empty streets singing at the top of your lungs, I'm gonna have to reconsider dating you."
His responding smirk in no way amused her, and his soft laugh as he said, "Good morning to you too, sweetheart," made her want to throttle him. But fortunately he caught the evil, unamused glare she shot him and his smirk quickly faltered. Clearing his throat, he held up a piece of paper, his face growing serious. "You need to read this."
"This better be damn good," she muttered, snatching the paper from him and turning it so the words were right side up, quickly skimming the page.
*~0~*
Hey guys,
I didn't want to bother you since you were both up so late last night and needed the sleep, so I headed back to Mizuho on my own, just in case the Rheaird back to my universe leaves from there first thing in the morning. So if I don't see you again, I just wanted to say 'Congratulations' and tell you how happy I am for you both. You've already overcome some horrible odds, and I can't help thinking if you've made it this far, then with a little work (and PATIENCE, Sheena—seriously, work on it), you'll be just fine.
Just no more wish tags, okay? I doubt my wife would be willing to lend me out like this again, especially after Kidlet #2 is born and our household workload doubles.
In all seriousness, though, I wish you both the best with wherever your new life takes you. And if you ever get a chance, drop us a line. I'm sure my wife would agree that we have a vested interest in your future.
Zelos
*~0~*
Zelos arched an eyebrow at her. "Still gonna beat me up or dump me for waking you?"
Sheena looked up at him, her heart melting. Of course not. In fact, she was extremely grateful that he'd woken her even when she'd resisted; he'd clearly recognized that she would want to see the other 'him' one last time before it was too late. Granted, it might still be too late, but at least there was still a chance—a better one than if he'd let her sleep another hour or two. "No. Let me get dressed and we can get out of here, see if we can catch him before he leaves." She handed him the note, headed back into her room, and threw on her clothes. Fifteen minutes later they were on their way to Mizuho in hopes of saying goodbye before he returned to his own life for good.
0~*~0
"Zelos?" Sheena called out as she burst into her home, looking around.
They had used Zelos's Rheaird to get to Mizuho in hopes of catching up with his alternate, but it quickly became obvious he wasn't there; even with his angel senses, Zelos couldn't hear anyone else in the house. His alternate's note had been left atop the chessboard and had been the first thing Zelos had seen when he'd headed downstairs earlier—he hadn't gotten as much sleep last night as he needed, what with his brain still operating on overdrive, but it had at least been some—but he had no way of knowing when the guy had left. Were they too late?
A minute later, Sheena's face fell as she clearly reached the same disappointing conclusion he had, but despite that, she tried again anyway. "Zelos?"
Zelos followed her inside. He had never seen this place before; he hadn't visited her since the worlds were reunited, but he had at least heard she'd been given a house because she'd mentioned it at that last New Year's party when all hell had broken loose. Looking around, he found himself comforted—and amazed—by the fact that she was letting him inside now without any hesitation or warnings for him not to get any ideas. Positive the other 'him' wasn't here, he opted to wait in the living room, examining everything around him, while Sheena checked the other rooms to be sure. This place looked like her, he soon realized; it was a warm, homey, comfortable, simple space influenced by nature and her unique culture. He liked it. Heading toward the bookshelf near the door, his eye caught on something on the dining room table: a piece of paper with their names on it. Since Sheena hadn't noticed it, he figured it wouldn't hurt to check it out himself, so he picked it up.
"Ah, Sheena? You should see this."
She emerged from a nearby room and headed toward him. "What did you find?"
He held up the paper. "Looks like he left us a note talking about Minister Giannovio and Matthew Fenimore, apparently something they've been up to the past few years..." His jaw dropped as he read the first few bulleted points. "Wait a minute, those two are doing what to the Sylvaranti people?!"
Sheena's eyes narrowed as she took the note from him. "I don't know. He mentioned them a few times this past week...something about an illness hitting the Sylvaranti people?"
"That's the impression I got from what little I just read," Zelos muttered, taking it back from her. "If he's right that those two are responsible for that illness, then I am definitely going to have to look into it and have a little chat with the king." He skimmed the rest of the points. "Oh. Nice. He even told us how we can get rid of them. That's helpful."
"While I'm still not sure who Matthew Fenimore is, I'm all for getting rid of Giannovio," she murmured.
Zelos looked back down at the note, his eyes falling on a postscript at the end. "He also mentioned something about a kid named...Michi?"
Sheena's eyes widened in obvious surprise and snapped back to his. "What does it say about him?"
"It says he found him, alive and well. Didn't talk to him because the kid must not know him here, but he wanted you to know."
Without warning, Sheena snatched the note back from him, quickly rereading it, her lips parted and eyes still wide; she must have missed that bit the first time. "Sybak...it says Michi is a student at the academy there. He's...he's alive! But why is he there? Why didn't he ever come back here?!"
Zelos shrugged, glad to see Sheena's face briefly alight with happiness again. "Sorry, can't answer that. I don't even know who he is."
"I'll have to go see him, try to get him to come back...and tell him about everything that's happened here the past few years," she said, although her eyes darkened as she spoke. Whoever the kid was, he must not know about the sad state Mizuho was currently in, Zelos deduced—and chances were he wouldn't be happy about it. After a moment, she set the note back down on the table and turned around, looking around her home, her voice—and her face—falling further. "So we really did miss him, then."
Zelos looked up at her, his heart sinking at her disappointment. He was just about to apologize for not waking up sooner when the main door suddenly opened. "Miss who?"
And then there he was, waltzing through the door as if he owned the place—which Zelos supposed he kinda did. Instantly, Sheena's face lit up as she saw him and whispered his name—and Zelos was pretty sure he'd be jealous except he knew the guy was leaving soon and would pose no further threat to him and his budding relationship with the woman of his dreams. Not, of course, that his alternate would give up his wife for her...unless, of course, he wanted to be married to two different Sheenas. It was a thought Zelos couldn't help contemplating. That...really would be amazing, actually. Of course, two Sheenas could also cause him double the pain if they were to gang up against him, and the jealousy factor involved with having two violent banshees possessively trying to keep him for themselves was a bit deterring...okay, so maybe being married to two Sheenas really wasn't such a great idea after all.
But that was currently neither here nor there. Instead, Zelos was surprised—and, okay, maybe a little jealous, too—when Sheena hurried toward his alternate and threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. "I was afraid you'd already left," she said.
The other 'him' likewise seemed surprised by her action, but he quickly recovered and returned her hug. "Nah, not yet. I was just saying goodbye to Tiga and the villagers." She pulled back—fortunately, the hug didn't last overly long—and his alternate smiled first at her, then at him. "I wasn't expecting you two back here already. You were out late last night, so I figured you'd want to sleep in."
Sheena motioned at Zelos. "This guy found your note and woke me. We came here right away."
Zelos shrugged as Sheena stepped away from his alternate and, to his surprise, walked over to stand beside him. "I figured she'd want to see you one last time before you went home."
"Well, I'm glad you did," his doppelganger said. "I just didn't want to take any chances, seeing as Verius didn't indicate when or where my ride home would leave." He grinned and motioned at them. "Anyway, like I was telling this guy last night, I'm glad to see you two worked everything out."
Instantly, Sheena smiled and nodded, glancing shyly—yet excitedly—at Zelos. It was a look of pure happiness that he'd never expected to see from her, and yet he now wanted to see it again and again, especially since it meant she was as excited as he was that they were now a couple. "Yeah, we did," she said, the softness in her voice making his heart skip a beat. "We're gonna give it a try and see what happens."
"Maybe it'll work; maybe it won't," Zelos said, returning her smile. "But I'm looking forward to finding out."
"Me, too," she murmured.
His alternate's grin broadened. "I'm happy for you guys. I guarantee it'll take a lot of hard work, but it's still the most amazing, rewarding thing that's ever happened to me. Hopefully the same will hold true for you. Just remember: open and honest communication is key. Well, that and patience, understanding, and the ability to look at an issue through your partner's eyes and find a way to compromise to the point where, even if you don't both get exactly what you wanted, you're still satisfied with the outcome. If you don't do that, you're setting yourself up for the really big problems. And—"
But before he could finish, he was cut off by a sudden flash of light originating from the doorway to a room Zelos assumed was Sheena's bedroom. Everyone lifted their hands to shield their eyes from the glare, but a second later it vanished, gone as quickly as it had come. And once it was gone...
Zelos's eyes widened. His initial thought had been that Verius had arrived to escort his alternate home, but instead what he saw was another Sheena—one he quickly realized was heavily pregnant. And beside her, holding her hand tightly, was...oh, Martel. Beside her was the most precious little girl Zelos had ever seen. Her hair was long, black, and wavy; her face was almost an exact replica of Sheena's, only younger and fairer in coloring; and she had bright blue eyes that looked exactly like his own—only sleepier, as if she'd just woken up.
...It was love at first sight.
The girl's eyes widened as she looked around the room, taking in everything, but the instant she spotted Zelos's alternate, her face lit up with unbridled excitement. It was the most beautiful smile Zelos had ever seen, and his heart leapt and tugged at the sight. And suddenly it hit him: this beautiful, amazing little girl was his daughter. Well, kind of.
"Daddy!" the girl exclaimed, tugging her hand from her mother's and running—well, toddling—over to him.
The other Zelos's face likewise lit up with pure happiness. "Hey there!" And then he scooped her up in his arms with a soft, "C'mere, my little butterfly," and pulled her into a tight hug, squeezing his eyes shut as she latched her little arms around him. "Oh, sweetie, I missed you so much!" Pulling back just a little, he gave her a kiss on her cheek, and then resumed hugging her.
"Miss you, Daddy," the girl murmured against his chest.
Zelos's eyes darted at the other Sheena as the father and daughter hugged. She was smiling softly as she headed toward them, carrying a baby bag, likely to keep her daughter entertained, meaning she'd expected to come here; it looked like a struggle for her to move considering how pregnant she was. She looked a bit older and more dignified than 'his' Sheena, her face slightly fuller and her dark hair pulled loosely behind her, a platinum necklace with a ring with a purple flower on it looped through it hanging from her neck—undoubtedly her wedding ring, he figured—but there was one thing in particular about her that Zelos couldn't help noticing and marveling over: whether it was the pregnancy or just her, she was absolutely radiant. She was glowing. It was incredibly beautiful—and, well, incredibly hot when he considered whose child she was pregnant with.
Finally breaking the hug, Zelos's alternate looked down at his daughter, still beaming and holding her close to him. "So have you been good for Mommy this past week?"
"I good!" the little girl said, nodding brightly.
The other 'Zelos' watched her a moment closely, love and adoration in his gaze that Zelos completely understood, but then his eyes narrowed a bit. "Hmm...maybe I should ask Mommy that question instead." His eyes finally lifted to 'his' Sheena's, still shining with love, and he arched a prompting eyebrow at her.
The other Sheena chuckled. "Yeah, she's been good...mostly."
"Aw, yeah, that's what Daddy likes to hear!" her husband said, his face brightening even further as he kissed the girl's cheek again.
The girl giggled again. "Daddy silly!"
"You have no idea how right you are about that, sweetie," the other Sheena said, but there was unmistakable love in her voice as she looked at the two.
The other Zelos's eyes lifted to his wife's. "Hi."
She returned his smile warmly. "Hi."
Still holding the little girl close to him, the other Zelos wrapped his other arm around his wife and pulled her close for a brief but sweet kiss, followed by a hug. "I missed you, too," he whispered, holding her to him, so softly that Zelos barely heard him. "So, so much."
"Same here," she replied, just as softly.
He held her another moment before releasing her, giving her another oh-so-happy smile, and then placing his free hand on her protruding abdomen. "And how are you two doing?"
His wife sighed, but Zelos's heart skipped a beat as he saw her cover her husband's hand with hers. "We're okay. I'm more than ready to be done with this pregnancy thing, though. My back and hips are killing me; I can't wait to get you home so I can get a massage."
He nodded. "I will be happy to oblige once we're home."
"Yeah, thought you might," she murmured. "Oh, and your son has decided that midnight is the best time to practice his fancy dance steps. The past four nights in a row he's been completely restless and is constantly waking me up. I think he's as ready to be born as I am for him to be born."
Zelos's alternate smirked. "You mean she, right? Our soon-to-be-born daughter?"
She rolled her eyes. "How many times do I have to tell you, dear? It's gonna be a boy."
"And I keep telling you I want another precious little girl like this one!" he countered, giving his daughter another kiss on her cheek, eliciting another giggle from her. "I want to be surrounded by an entire brood of beautiful girls who look exactly like their mother!"
"Just because it's what you want doesn't mean it's going to happen, y'know." She gave him a vaguely irritated—yet definitely amused—glare. "And for the record, that never stops sounding creepy coming from you."
Her husband ignored that, choosing instead to arch an unconvinced eyebrow. "Have you run any tests yet to find out for certain it'll be a boy? Nooooooo, didn't think so."
She scowled. "I don't have to! I just know!"
But as Zelos expected he would've done in the situation—because getting a rise out of Sheena always had been immensely entertaining—his alternate just smirked again. "You keep telling yourself that, sweetheart."
She rolled her eyes again, but that didn't mask the fact that her smile was broadening and she was obviously trying to hold back her laughter at his antics. "Well, I guess you'll find out soon, won't you? And besides, what are you going to do if it's not a girl? Give him up for adoption?"
His smirk softened. "Of course not. I will love him just as much as I love this little one." He grinned down at his daughter before kissing her cheek again, making her squeal in delight; she must be ticklish there, Zelos deduced.
"Yeah, that's what I thought," the other Sheena replied, her voice likewise softening.
Zelos's alternate observed the little girl another moment, still smiling sappily, before looking back at his wife, his face suddenly scrutinizing. "So seriously, you guys are all okay?"
She smiled. "We're fine, Zelos. Really. Verius took good care of us. I would never trade you for him, but he filled in nicely."
The little girl began bouncing in her father's arms. "Ver-Ver! Ver-Ver!"
The other Zelos's eyes, which had softened at his wife's surprisingly direct statement, suddenly sparkled with amusement as he looked down at his daughter. "'Ver-Ver'?"
The alternate Sheena chuckled. "She really liked him."
"Oh, yeah, big shocker there: a colorful, talking summon spirit fox mesmerizing our easily entranced daughter," he muttered, grinning wryly. "Nothing like that has ever happened before."
"I think she's going to miss having him around all the time."
"We'll have to see if we can get her a stuffed animal that looks like him or else I suspect we'll never hear the end of her pleadings for him to come back."
She nodded curtly. "I was thinking the same."
Zelos's alternate eyed his daughter another moment before looking back up at his wife. "So what are you guys doing here? I'm definitely not complaining, but I was expecting Verius to show up and take me home, not for you guys to come get me."
The other Sheena smiled and shrugged. "I asked if we could come see you here before he brought you back. He agreed, thinking it might be helpful if I had a chance to talk with the...um...other versions of us."
"Ah," her husband replied, his smirk returning. "In other words, you wanted to check out my handiwork here, eh?"
Her eyes, for perhaps the first time since she had arrived, finally jumped to Sheena, and then to Zelos. She folded her arms to her chest and mirrored her husband's smirk. "Handiwork. Riiiight. I should've known you'd hook me up with you again in this world. I just can't escape you, can I?"
The other Zelos lifted his free hand, feigning offense. "Oh, c'mon, it's not like I was my first choice here! I still think you would've been more deserving of someone far better than me. But I had a week here; that's not exactly enough time to interview every guy on the planet to find a suitable replacement."
She snorted softly. "No, I suppose not."
He shrugged. "Besides, 'Ver-Ver' made it very clear you were happy with me, so despite my very definite, very legitimate reservations, I went with the one person I knew at least loved you as much as I did and would give anything in the world for you." He lifted his eyes to Zelos's and smirked again. "Granted, he was even more messed up than I ever was..."
...Wait, what? He'd thought they were on the same side here! Zelos gave him an affronted look. "Hey!"
His alternate shrugged innocently. "Sorry, but you were. I'm not gonna sugarcoat it. Besides, it's nothing that a few months of being with Sheena can't fix."
Zelos didn't blush easily, but he could feel his face growing warm at that—and beside him he could see Sheena's cheeks likewise blossoming a vibrant red, although her smile indicated that while she was embarrassed, she wouldn't argue it, either. The alternate Sheena chuckled and shook her head. "Well, Verius has already told me quite a bit of it, but I still want to hear your take on everything that happened here when we get home." She looked back at her husband. "And you think there's hope for them?"
The other 'him' smiled—sincerely smiled—as he looked from Zelos to Sheena and then back again. "I know there is. I mean, the other 'you' is already letting him touch her and kiss her without beating him to a bloody pulp. That's huge improvement from where they were when I first got here."
His wife's face sank a little. "I take it things really were that bad between them, eh? I had hoped Verius had been exaggerating about that."
"You have no idea." His eyes darted at her. "Remind me later to tell you how much I love you and how glad I am that we never had to go through what they did."
She gave her husband an appreciative smile, but before she could say anything, Sheena folded her arms to her chest, clearly growing irritated with their conversation. "Y'know, guys, we're standing right here." Zelos was surprised—and actually impressed—that she didn't try to defend why she always used to punish him like that, not that he would try to justify everything he'd done to her. If these two weren't them, he'd be uncomfortable having someone else know so much about his personal life and all the dumb decisions he'd made, but they were essentially the same people and so he'd have to just grin and bear it.
Zelos's alternate gave her a sheepish smile. "Sorry." He opened his mouth to say more, but before he could, his daughter, who was now staring across the room at Zelos and Sheena, her blue eyes wide, suddenly started tugging on his shirt. He looked down at her curiously. "What is it, baby girl?"
She leaned further into him and pointed at them. "Who dat?"
Her father smiled. "It's okay. They're friends. Family, actually. I know, it's weird that they look just like Mommy and Daddy, but they're not us. Your mother and I are right here. You can trust these people; they won't hurt you." His eyebrows rose as she looked up at him questioningly, yet with a level of pure trust in her eyes that made Zelos's heart ache, hoping one day he might have a child look at him like that. "Do you want to go say 'hi'?"
The little girl quickly shook her head and buried her face against his chest, though, peering warily at her parents' look-alikes. Her mother gave them an apologetic smile. "Don't take it personally; she's always been extremely shy around strangers." She tilted her head, reconsidering that. "Well, at least she is until she gets to know them and becomes comfortable with them, and then she turns into a chatterbox, just like her father. It'll probably take her a bit with you guys seeing as...well, you two look exactly like us."
Sheena smiled faintly, observing the little girl as if she was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen...a sentiment Zelos shared. "It's okay," she said. "I'm sure this must be confusing for her, having two sets of people here who look exactly like her parents."
The alternate Zelos grinned. "Give her a few minutes; I'm sure she'll warm up to you soon. Until then, though...do I need to introduce everyone?"
"I don't think that'll be necessary," Sheena said, shaking her head. She turned to her alternate and smiled. "It's nice to finally meet you. I've heard a lot about you...and about how similar and different we apparently are."
The other Sheena returned her smile. "Same here. Verius has told me a lot about you." Her eyes snapped to Zelos. "That applies to you, too, Zelos."
And suddenly, Zelos found himself speechless, uncertain what to say or how to feel about everything that was happening, about the little girl in his doppelganger's arms, about this woman who essentially was Sheena who looked so calm and happy and was pregnant with his child. He hadn't even figured out how to greet her yet when, without warning, the words popped out of his mouth, voicing a nagging doubt he'd been struggling with for days now. "So...you two really have been married almost six years now, eh?"
"Yeah, we have," she said with a curt nod, then motioned at her husband. "I don't know how much this guy's told you, but whatever it is, it's true. Impossible as it might seem."
"It's not as impossible as I thought when he first got here," Sheena murmured, giving Zelos a sheepish smile.
The other 'her' smiled. "I can only imagine how weird that must've been for you."
"'Weird' is one way of putting it. But I think I'm finally getting used to the idea."
Zelos returned her smile, but then he shrugged. "I don't know, you may be getting used to the idea, sweetheart, but I'm still rather amazed by it." His eyes snapped back to the other Sheena and trailed down her pregnant body. This was a dumb comment to make, but saying dumb things was a natural reaction for him when he was confused and uncomfortable and was trying to hide his feelings, intentionally or not. "Although I have to say, Sheena, you are really hot when you're pregnant."
In the blink of an eye, both Sheenas looked sharply at him, zero amusement in their eyes. Next to him, Sheena smacked his arm, hard, in a way that brought back a whole lot of painful memories, and the alternate Sheena motioned at him. "Mind throwing in one for me, too?"
"Gladly."
"Ow, hey!" Zelos said, pulling his arm away from her and giving her an affronted look. "What?! That's a compliment! I'm not being facetious!" He motioned at his alternate. If anyone here would support him, it would be him. "Oh, c'mon, tell me you weren't thinking the same!"
"Of course I was thinking it," the other him replied with a shrug. "Sheena is, and always will be, the hottest woman I've ever met. I've just learned that sometimes keeping my mouth shut when it comes to thoughts like those results in an awful lot less pain for me." He looked at his wife and smirked. "Besides, she knows very well what I think of her."
The alternate Sheena blushed and gave him a warning glare tinged with shyness. "Yes, I do." He grinned before giving her a brief kiss that she didn't refuse. "A...anyway, dear," she quickly went on, clearing her throat, "Verius recommended that I bring you something." She bent down, rummaged through her bag for a moment, and then pulled out a set of clothes.
His eyes widened with delight as he took them from her. "Oh, finally! I can start feeling normal again!"
"Yeah, thought you'd like that." She stood again and motioned at his attire. "It's been awhile since I've seen you looking like this."
"I kinda...borrowed...this from the other 'me' the past week." His eyes snapped to Zelos's. "Thanks again for that, by the way. I know I didn't give you a choice, but I'm grateful for it anyway. Now that I have my real clothes again, you'll get these back."
Zelos nodded. Sure, he'd been pissed at first about this guy stealing his clothes, but now...well, now he'd actually forgotten those were his clothes. "They were a small price to pay for everything that came of it."
His alternate gave him an appreciative smile, then looked down at his daughter and set her on her feet, despite her protests and pleas for him to pick her up again. "Sorry, sweetie, I have to go change. Can you stay here with Mommy? I'll be back in a minute. Okay?"
She eyed him a moment unhappily, but then she nodded and latched onto her mother's leg, giving Zelos and Sheena another uncertain look. The alternate Sheena's hand immediately drifted down to stroke the girl's hair comfortingly as her father gave her one last smile and then headed into an adjacent room.
Sheena watched the alternate Zelos vanish inside before turning back to the other 'her'. "Um, I'm gonna follow him...if you don't mind? I've already seen him dressed in less, and...well, I was hoping to talk to him before you left."
Her alternate smiled. "Go ahead. I actually wanted to talk to this guy," she motioned at Zelos, "for a minute anyway."
For a moment, Zelos just watched her, his eyes widening in surprise, but then he looked at 'his' Sheena as she nodded and headed toward the bedroom. He wasn't entirely sure he was happy about her entering a room in which another guy was changing, not to mention finding out she'd already seen him half naked...whenever that had happened. He knew he had no reason to be jealous, but again he could feel the inklings of it. But then, if the guy's wife didn't mind, and if the guy was technically him...agh, this whole thing was so damn confusing. There were just too many versions of everybody! Hopefully things would make more sense once their alternates had left.
Sheena, thankfully not privy to his confused thoughts, knocked on the door frame, whispered, "Zelos, can I come in?" and then, hearing his response, stepped inside.
At that point the remaining Sheena looked at him, smiled, and stepped closer to him, urging her daughter to do the same—which the girl did, eyeing Zelos warily. And suddenly Zelos wasn't sure he wanted to be alone with this woman. He didn't know her, but she knew him...it was weird, and creepy, and, in a way, pretty damn hot, too, because she really was glowing. She was Sheena, but she wasn't. She looked the same—mostly—but she held herself differently. She seemed softer, more dignified, confident, happy, and peaceful. He liked it, but it was weird, too, because he wasn't sure what to say to her; his usual methods of dealing with her no longer applied. This must be how Sheena had felt with his alternate the past few days. This woman knew him in ways only a wife knew her husband, and yet she didn't know him or everything he'd been through.
And then there was the little girl clinging to her who he was having trouble not staring at. She was the most amazing, beautiful, precious girl he'd ever seen, and he couldn't help wondering if he was looking at a picture of his own future. If he and Sheena made it to the point these two had, would they one day have a dark-haired angel who looked like this, a mirror image of them both? It amazed him how much he wanted it; he had never given much thought to being a parent before, other than making a point to prevent it with his hunnies, but everything was different now. Now, looking at this little girl, he wanted her in his life, desperately, to watch her grow and teach her everything she needed to know.
"Your daughter is beautiful," he finally said, his eyes darting up at Sheena's.
Her smile softened as she looked down at the girl. "Thanks."
And suddenly he couldn't help himself. While he'd never been enamored of children, he'd never minded them, either, and experience had shown they didn't mind him, either. He knelt down in front of her, keeping enough distance between them so he wouldn't scare or intimidate her. After all, as Sheena had said, having two sets of her parents around was probably weird and confusing for her; there was no need to aggravate that. And fortunately, while the little girl's eyes widened as she looked at him, she didn't back away. "What's your name?" he asked her.
Sheena's eyebrows flew upward. "He never told you?"
Zelos shrugged. "It never came up, and I never asked."
"Ah." Reaching down, she gently urged the girl toward him, giving her a reassuring smile. "It's okay, you can tell him. Go on."
The girl looked up at her, then down at Zelos, and then suddenly she grasped onto her mother tighter. "Sophia," she mumbled, her mouth half-buried against Sheena's leg.
...His heart stopped. For a moment Zelos could only gape at her, stunned, wondering if he'd heard her correctly. Once he realized he had, though, his eyes widened and darted up Sheena, who just smiled knowingly, and he slowly stood up again. "Sophia was my—"
She nodded. "I know. I thought it appropriate to name the first Wilder child born into a life of freedom after the woman who'd indirectly helped shape you into the man you are. You may never have met her, but she still influenced you to seek that freedom, not just for yourself, but for your entire family. Besides, I know how much she meant to you."
Oh, Martel. Not only had they named their daughter after a woman he'd always wished he could have met, but she was saying she had chosen that name for her. He swallowed hard, fighting back a sudden, unexpected wave of tears. "She would've liked that," he whispered.
Sheena gave him another warm smile. "I expect she would have, considering everything my husband's told me about her."
Zelos looked back down at the girl, who was still watching him carefully but not shrinking away from him as much as she had been a bit ago, but then he returned his eyes to her mother's. "Heh. I still can't believe you married an idiot like me. And that you're actually happy with me."
She pulled a face. "Why are you so surprised by that?"
...Huh? Had she really expected him to not be surprised by that? "How can I not be? I'm not exactly the greatest catch. Your husband was right: you deserve better than me."
Sheena sighed, her smile falling. "You always have sold yourself short, even in my world. Or at least my husband used to, although he's definitely gotten better about that. And the thing is, you shouldn't doubt yourself or your worth so much, because there's no reason for it. I know you have self-esteem issues—we all do, my husband, me, and I'm sure your version of me, too—but if there's one thing I've learned about you these past few years, Zelos, it's that you are capable of so much more than you think you are."
Zelos gave her a sardonic grin. "That's easy for you to say. Your husband was never as 'messed up' as I am. You obviously haven't heard everything I did to my Sheena here. If you had, I somehow doubt you'd be saying that."
"You're right, I haven't heard everything, but Verius told me enough," she replied. "And yes, you messed up pretty badly here. But that doesn't erase the fact that you're a good man, Zelos, and you have a good heart. I saw that years ago, back when we first met, and while you did some questionable things after that that made me back away from you, the fact is that you did them because you had a good heart, because you loved me and wanted me to find the best life I could. You just didn't think that 'best life' could include you, which is where you were wrong. Once I saw that, it changed my entire way of looking at you. I haven't doubted you or your intentions since. You may not have handled every situation the best, but you realized you hadn't, and you worked to change it, and...well, need I remind you that I married you? Or at least my 'you'?"
He smiled faintly—no, he supposed he really couldn't forget that, could he?—but she went on before he could reply to that. "No matter what you did here, I have no doubt that your version of me has already recognized the same that I did. Have some faith in yourself. Regardless of what you think of yourself now, you are a good man. I'm not just saying that; I know it, because I've seen it, time and time again. You're capable of so much love and goodness you don't even realize you are, probably because you've never been in a situation where you could see it in yourself the way I have. My husband must have seen something similar or he never would've involved you in this, considering how possessive and protective he is of me. It's impossible for you to have changed so drastically the past few years that you're no longer the man you used to be, the man I fell in love with. And that means you are him, Zelos. We may have just met, but I have no doubt about that."
His face was warm; his head was spinning; his heart was pounding. She meant that. Her faith in him was astounding, and inspiring, and he couldn't help but be touched by it—and hopeful that she was right. He had no idea how to respond to that other than a shy smile and a murmured, "Thanks."
Her smile briefly broadened, but then she gave him a pointed look. "Just be sure you let her see the real you, okay? I can't emphasize that enough. Let down your mask with her; don't hide behind it or be afraid to be yourself. Tell her about your past, about Shirley, about your parents, about your upbringing and how the Church used to treat you, about what your mother's death did to you...tell her all of it. Trust her. Please. I fell in love with the real Zelos Wilder, not the mask. It'll be the same for her. In fact, I expect it's already started happening if she's giving you this chance. So keep it up. People will like you for who you are. Just ask my husband. He has real friends in Mizuho, and that only happened because he took some chances and was himself with the villagers. And knowing someone accepted him for who he was, not who he always pretended to be, helped him come to terms with and accept himself. I want you to have that, too. I know it's hard; it certainly was for him. He struggled with it at times, and it took him awhile to find a balance, especially with our friends. But the fact that he was constantly trying and taking steps forward made all the difference to me since I knew he was doing it, no matter how hard it was, because he knew I wanted to see it."
Zelos swallowed hard. His chest was getting tight. So...the other 'him' had been right about that, eh? Incredibly enough, it really had had an impact on Sheena. Well, then, he had no choice, did he? "Yeah, he pretty much told me the same. I'll work on it."
She nodded curtly. "Good. And by all means, be patient with her. She has a lot of issues, too. I sure do. As much as I hate to admit it, my husband's usual assessment of me is right: I'm stubborn, and bossy, and I'm not always good at controlling my temper, and I probably try to be more independent than I should. I've messed up a lot; I've made assumptions that hurt us both. There were a lot of things I should've said and done differently, things I should've told him instead of trying to hide them and handle them myself. To this day it amazes me that he's stuck with me after some of the things I've done. When we first got married, we tried to set up rules for ourselves, to keep us focused on what was important and what we both wanted, and while they've helped us through some tough times, they don't always work, because in the heat of the moment, it's easy to forget about them. But the bottom line is, even though we have issues and always will, we work on them. We've learned how to listen to each other—really listen—and compromise. And we know we're good together. We're happy in a way we'd never be otherwise. Hearing about everything you and the other 'me' has been through has only strengthened my belief in that. We both want the same things, and we're working together for a common cause." She looked down at Sophia, who had begun looking around the room, growing antsy and fidgeting with her mother's robe, and stroked her fine black hair, smiling softly. "And even if we didn't love each other so much, Sophia is more than enough reason for us to keep trying until we figure it out."
He had no idea how to respond to that, but he did appreciate the advice. And the way Sheena looked at her daughter, with the kind of love and adoration that every child deserved from their parents...it made his heart skip a beat. This woman was a good mother. A child couldn't ask for more than to have two parents who loved them that much...it was what he'd always wished he'd had, and he suddenly knew, if he and his Sheena made it that far, this was how she would be with their child. It told him everything he needed to know about her, and so he would take this woman's advice and use it to get him and his Sheena to that same point.
"I'll keep all of that in mind," he said. "Thanks."
Sophia suddenly began tugging on Sheena's robe, and Sheena looked down at her daughter questioningly. "What is it, Sophia?"
The little girl looked up at her with wide blue eyes. "Momma, home soon?"
Sheena gave her a warm smile. "We'll go home in a little bit." Suddenly, her face lit up and she reached into the bag, pulling out an adorable teddy bear and handing it to the girl. "Hey, why don't you show your bear to this nice man who looks like Daddy?"
Sophia took the bear from her mother, then watched Zelos a moment uncertainly before walking toward him and holding it up, her face lighting up. "Kuma-san!"
...If he'd been an ice cube, he would've just melted. He couldn't help grinning as he knelt down and took the bear from her. "Kuma-san, huh?" he said, his eyes darting up at Sheena, who mouthed, 'Mister Bear,' mirroring his grin. Ah, so that was what the name meant. He looked back down at the girl. "This is a really cute teddy bear you've got here, Sophia. Where did you get him?"
"Daddy present!" the little girl replied brightly. "'Tokio!"
Ah, so his counterpart had bought it for her in Meltokio, he interpreted. Now that he thought about it, he did remember seeing similar toys on sale there a year or two ago. But before he could comment on it, Sheena motioned at him. "You might want to be careful not to get too close to her. Sophia loves long, curly red hair. More than that, though, she loves pulling long, curly red hair. Hard. Just ask her father."
"...Ah." Zelos's eyes widened and he quickly rose to his feet as Sophia reached for a hanging lock of his hair. He'd had plenty of people over the years, of all ages, pull his hair, and few things in life made him cringe more. "That...explains a lot, actually."
"What, you really thought I cut my hair this short for no good reason?" Zelos's alternate suddenly said as he and Sheena emerged from the bedroom.
"Daddy!" Sophia exclaimed, running over to him and holding up her arms, the bear temporarily forgotten in Zelos's hands.
Her father grinned and picked her up again. "Someone took after her mother when it came to inflicting pain on me. Didn't you, baby girl?" She giggled and nodded proudly as he showered her face with kisses. "Oh, and these go back to the other 'me,' if you would, please," he added, handing Sheena the clothes he'd been wearing. She nodded and set them on the couch where Zelos was leaning. "Thanks again for letting me borrow them."
Zelos nodded, but he couldn't respond beyond that because he'd been caught off guard by his alternate's new attire. They were ninja clothes, but they looked far, far better on him than the drab set he'd seen the guy wearing a few days ago. They were a mix of blue and black, but with enough lighter colored patches scattered throughout it to give it some brighter highlights. Huh. He liked them. It was no wonder the other 'him' looked right at home in them; they were attractive but appeared to be comfortable and functional, too, especially if he really did spend his days being a ninja—a thought that Zelos had trouble wrapping his head around.
"I see someone's going to be clingy today," the girl's mother said.
His alternate sighed and looked down at his daughter. "Some days she's little miss independent and doesn't want you touching her; other days she doesn't want to be put down. Looks like today's gonna be one of the latter."
"Probably because you've been gone so long," his wife replied.
Realizing he was still holding Sophia's teddy bear, Zelos walked over to his counterpart and held it up to her. Her eyes met his, and she smiled the most beautiful smile he'd ever seen as she took it from him and clutched it tightly. "She really loves that thing, doesn't she?" he asked, backing away to rejoin 'his' Sheena by the couch.
"I haven't figured out yet if it's the bear she loves so much or if it's the fact that Daddy gave it to her," the alternate Sheena said. "Chances are it's the latter; she really is Daddy's little girl. Those two are as thick as thieves most of the time—not to mention his willing and eager accomplice in crime." She grinned wryly and muttered, "And in driving me crazy."
"That's actually really sweet," Sheena said, smiling softly as she looked at the father and daughter duo—the former of which was grinning proudly at his wife's assessment of them.
The other Sheena gave her a look that made it clear she didn't share that sentiment. "See if you're still saying that once you guys start having kids and he's refusing to tell her 'no' to something he really should be telling her 'no' to, and all the while she's giggling because she's convinced the whole thing is hysterical." Her husband waggled his eyebrows, his grin broadening as their eyes met, even while Zelos could feel himself blushing lightly at her implication that they might one day have children of their own. Beside him, he could see his Sheena's face likewise blossom brightly. After a moment, though, the alternate Sheena's expression softened as she looked back at her counterpart. "In any case, if you don't mind, I'd love to see your Mizuho before we leave. Verius told me about everything that's happened here the past few years, and I feel like I should see it for myself."
Sheena nodded and stood from where she'd been leaning against the couch. "Sure."
Her alternate's hand drifted down to her protruding abdomen. "It won't bother you if the villagers see me looking like...this?"
"Pretty much everyone here is already aware of the situation," Sheena replied. "I mean, it's not like your husband has been hiding here. They know there are two Zeloses running around, so I don't think it'll be a stretch for them to see two versions of us, either. How 'bout I show you around?"
"Sounds good." The other Sheena looked at her husband. "You're staying here?"
He nodded. "Yeah. That'll give me an opportunity to discuss a few things with—" his eyes snapped to Zelos's, "—me."
"And you can keep an eye on Sophia?"
His eyebrows flew upward, a smirk appearing on his lips as he gestured at their daughter. "Do you really think you could pry her away from me right now?"
She grinned. "Not unless we tempt her with ice cream, which I doubt we currently have."
"Nope, no ice cream here," he said, chuckling. "Believe me, I checked."
With that, the alternate world's Sheena walked over to him, gave him a quick kiss, transferred the bag to him, and then headed slowly to the door, even while Sheena, to Zelos's surprise and pleasure, gave him one last soft, shy, happy smile before grasping his hand, squeezing it tenderly, and then following her. And then next he knew, the door was closing behind them and they were gone, leaving him behind with his counterpart—and, far more exciting than him, the beautiful little girl still clinging possessively to her father. As much as he wanted to spend every second he could with 'his' Sheena now that they were finally back in each other's lives, he would happily take this, too: the opportunity to get to know 'his' daughter even better before she vanished from this world for good...or at least until he and Sheena found themselves in the position to make their own beautiful little miracle like her.
And one thing he knew, looking at her precious face and the love in her eyes as she peered up at her smiling, protective father, was that that day couldn't possibly come soon enough.
0~*~0
It didn't take Sheena long to discover how weird it was to be walking side-by-side through Mizuho with a married and heavily pregnant duplicate of herself. She was her, and yet she wasn't; this woman had been through so much that she hadn't and had lived a completely different life from hers, at least since that single moment years ago that had changed everything. This woman was a stranger, yet she was who Sheena would have become had that moment happened differently. It was strange, and unnerving, and she suspected she finally knew how Zelos had felt this past week with his alternate...although this was a little different seeing as hers was pregnant, which brought with it a whole other set of issues. Still, because this woman was her and had lived the life she might have had, so many questions were popping into her mind now that they were alone, things she wanted to ask her about: Orochi, Grandpa, Zelos, Sophia, Mizuho...all of it. Part of her wondered if the other 'her' felt the same, wanting to know more about her own road left untraveled. But unfortunately she doubted they would have enough time to tackle all of that before this woman and her family had to leave, so she would have to choose her topics wisely.
Before she could get her thoughts in order, though, her alternate shook her head and whispered, "Wow, this place really is empty, isn't it? Verius said you'd been hit hard here, but I had hoped he'd been exaggerating about that, too."
"Whatever he told you, I can't imagine he lied about it," Sheena replied. "And yeah, we were hit hard—extremely hard. The past few years have been a struggle, but so far we've survived. This year is the closest we've come to having to give up and leave, though. I guess whether or not we end up staying here or abandoning it for good depends on what else happens before winter comes."
"And unfortunately that's not something anyone can predict."
Sheena nodded. And suddenly she wanted her alternate to know this, because she would want to know it. "Your husband was a tremendous help getting us back on our feet after a storm swept through here last week. Most of our able-bodied men were killed during the poisoning, leaving only a few people left to do the heavy lifting, and then we had to deal with flooding and wind damage on top of it. But he stepped right up and took over. I didn't even have to ask him; he offered. I was amazed. And impressed."
The other 'her' smiled as they walked, resting her hand on her abdomen. "I'm sure you've already figured this out, but he can be a surprisingly hard worker when he wants to be. You'd never expect that, given his upbringing and the 'act' he always portrayed, but he really is. He loves Mizuho. He's devoted to it and wants it to thrive. It's his home. In all the time since we got married, I've never gotten the sense that he seriously wants to leave. Things about it annoy him, and he whines about them plenty—but then, things about it annoy me, too. He loves feeling like he's a part of something, like he matters and can truly help, and living in Mizuho gives him that feeling, because he can help and he does matter. That man has a deep-seated need to feel valued, to feel like his life isn't worthless. And the thing is, he does help, so much so that I doubt I could be chief without him. That willingness and eagerness to help is one of the many things I love about him."
"You're right," Sheena said, remembering how wholeheartedly he'd thrown himself into his work here. "I came to see and appreciate that for myself pretty quickly."
"I'm not surprised." Her alternate's smile broadened as she glanced at her again. "I can't imagine how strange it must've been for you to have him here, considering your relationship with this world's Zelos Wilder before that."
"'Strange' is one way to put it." Talk about an understatement. In fact, trying to wrap her head around it had been nearly painful at times. "At first I refused to believe it, even after Verius vouched for him. I couldn't accept that I would ever get involved with him in any universe. But...well, it didn't take me long to change my mind."
"I'm sure you saw a lot of the side of him that I always get to see."
Sheena nodded. "I think so." Well, actually, she knew so, because she never would've given 'her' Zelos a chance if it hadn't been for his alternate's behavior and gentle prodding and how quickly she'd grown to trust and respect him. But thinking about how long Zelos had been here, about how long he'd had to be here before she'd even started entertaining all the other possibilities, made her remember something else she had to tell this woman. She gave her alternate an apologetic smile. "Listen, I'm really sorry my wish took him away from you and your daughter so long."
The other 'her' shook her head. "It's okay. Really. When Verius told me what he wanted to do and why, I gave him permission to. He told me how unhappy you were—how unhappy you and your Zelos both were—because of how life had played out for you, and I knew if anyone could help you out, it would be my husband. I wouldn't want to be lonely and miserable for the rest of my life, either, and I knew if you had to resort to a wish tag to change things, then it had to be as bad as he said. I'm just glad the week Zelos spent here had the intended effect."
Sheena smiled and looked down at the path, remembering everything he had done this past week not just for Mizuho but for her, opening her up in ways she'd never imagined possible thanks to his patience, understanding, and gentle pushes. "He's an incredible man."
Her counterpart chuckled. "Oh, just wait. The more you learn about your Zelos, the more I think you'll come to realize just how incredible he is. There are hidden depths to that man I don't think anyone could ever imagine unless they went through everything we've been through together. I'm still learning more about him every day. Trust me, whatever you think you know about him now, you're wrong."
...And oh, was she looking forward to finding out the truth. "Well, I'm pretty sure I've already started seeing the real him."
She nodded curtly. "Good. If he's already started letting down his walls with you, then keep poking at them. Don't give up. Keep trying to break that damn mask he was brainwashed to believe was the only way people would like and accept him. If you do that, then you'll find the real man hiding behind the Idiot Chosen act."
Sheena looked at her, and again she found herself wondering about everything this woman and her husband had been through, what obstacles they'd overcome, and how they'd done it. One thing was clear, though: she wouldn't have done any of that if she hadn't truly wanted to. "You really do love him, don't you?" she murmured, at which her counterpart looked at her curiously. Yeah, she supposed that much was obvious, but it was only now hitting her just how much this woman loved him. "I mean, I know he said you did, and I know Verius wouldn't have brought him here if you didn't, but...I can tell by the way you talk about him."
Her alternate chuckled and looked back at the path ahead of them, her face growing red. "Yeah, I do. I really do. We're so different in so many ways, and yet we're alike in all the ways that matter. Our lives have always been intertwined for a reason, even if it took us years to realize it. We just couldn't leave each other alone. We understand each other, we want the same things, we work well together...we love each other."
And just like that, Sheena remembered something the alternate Zelos had said the day he'd arrived here, something similar to what this woman had just said. He clearly hadn't wanted his wife to know this, but if she were her, she would want to know it. "Y'know, he said you were his soulmate."
The other 'her' snorted and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, that sounds like something he would say. As incredible as that man can be, he can also be a gigantic sap and spout exaggerated nonsense like that at the drop of a hat."
Sheena grinned. That was exactly how she'd expected her to react, not only because her husband had warned her she'd react like that, but because it was how Sheena suspected she herself would react if her Zelos ever called her that. "He also said you'd deny it if you were to hear him say that."
"Yeah, he knows me well," she murmured. After a moment, though, her alternate looked back at her, her face softening. "He really called me that?"
"He really called you that," Sheena replied. "And the thing is, as hokey as it sounds—and believe me, I'm not denying that, because I'd feel the same if someone called me their 'soulmate'—I could tell he meant it."
Her counterpart let out a soft laugh and shook her head, and a quick glance at her showed that she was blushing. Wow, she really did blush easily, didn't she? It was weird seeing your own face like that, knowing that was what everyone else always saw when they looked at you. "Well, the truth is, as sappy, corny, and over-the-top as that sounds...he isn't wrong. I would never tell him that to his face, but the truth is, he's just as much my soulmate as I am his." Sheena's footsteps slowed and she looked at the other 'her' wide-eyed, stunned that she'd actually admitted that, and after a second her alternate glanced at her awkwardly before the two resumed walking. "A few months after Zelos and I got married, I was in Triet on an information-gathering mission. Naturally, I stopped by the fortuneteller's home to see what she knew, because she always seems to know something about whatever's going on. Anyway, like usual, she grabbed me and sat me down before I could ask my question, wanting to do a reading. I tried to stop her, but she insisted, and so I figured it would be quicker to just let her. So she grabbed my hand, looked at it for a minute, and then next I knew she was tilting her head, this odd look on her face, and she said, 'Vhy are you 'ere? You 'ave already found your soulmate.'"
Sheena bit back a snicker at her alternate's heavy accent, mimicking the fortuneteller. "What, she saw your wedding ring?"
"Actually, I didn't even have it on at that point. I hadn't been sure who I'd need to get information from, and I didn't want any men ignoring me because I was already married, and Zelos didn't mind, so long as I kept the ring with me, so I took it off. And then she went on to say that despite our differences, we were a good team and were well matched, that we complemented each other, that he loved me just as much as I loved him, and that we had a bright, happy future ahead of us." She paused, a soft, wistful smile appearing on her lips. "I never told him about that because...well, because we'd just gotten married and I was embarrassed to hear things like that from a stranger. Maybe I should, though."
Sheena couldn't help grinning, remembering Zelos's soft smile as he'd said that. Her gut told her he would love to hear that. "It doesn't seem like he'd tease you about it."
The woman gave her a wry grin. "Oh, believe me, that man would tease me to kingdom come if I told him. That's who he is, and that's one thing about him that's never changed. It never will. Zelos Wilder will always be an obnoxious, childish oaf more often than he's not. I've just learned that he doesn't do it to mock me or hurt me. He likes making me blush and laugh, and he's very, very good at it. And honestly, if I really wanted him to stop, I know he would." She shrugged. "But it's just who we are, y'know? It's how we act with each other. And really, it's fun acting goofy with him. You may not have figured this out yet, but that's exactly what he wants: for me, for both of us, to have fun and enjoy life."
Was that why he always acted so silly: because it was his way of having fun and trying to get her to have fun with him? Granted, she didn't know if her Zelos still had that in him, given how sullen and guilty he'd been acting the past few days, but she was hopeful she'd seen inklings of it now, indicating that lightheartedness was still buried in him beneath the guilt. And it astounded her to realize this, but she hoped it was. If her alternate was right about his intentions, acting like that not just for his sake but for hers, too, then how could she deny him that? She would have to make a point not to discourage it anymore, at least not all of the time.
"No, I hadn't realized that," she whispered.
The other 'her' smiled. "You will. Mark my words: that man will go to great, oftentimes ridiculous, lengths to make you smile and laugh. And you will find it impossible to resist him. He's a very charming, persistent, unpredictable man. And really, there's no reason to resist him, because he's a master when it comes to having fun and enjoying life, and he'll make sure you enjoy something just as much as he does." Her face fell a little. "But don't get me wrong. Just because we're soulmates doesn't mean our life together has been all fun and games. We really have to work at it at times. In fact, it's often extremely frustrating."
Sheena nodded faintly. "Your husband said the same."
"I bet he did; we're both aware that neither of us is perfect and that we both have some major issues. We both have gotten fed up with each other at times, and we've both been tempted to give up and walk away. I mean, each of us has a nasty habit of running when a situation gets painful or difficult. I'm sure you already know that."
Oh, yeah, she knew it. All too well, in fact. And unfortunately, in the future they wouldn't have anyone there to yell at them to stop running and force them to work through their issues as the alternate Zelos had. "Both of us have already done that plenty just this past week alone," Sheena said.
Her alternate nodded knowingly. "No surprise there. Unfortunately, that's also who we are, for better or worse, and we know it. There are times we've tried running away ourselves, either by walking away from an argument or by shutting down and refusing to talk about it, and it has caused us problems. Big ones. We set up rules for ourselves to try to prevent them, but that hasn't always worked. And yet...it has worked. We may walk away for a time, but it never seems to take us long to realize how badly we've messed up, and soon enough we both come back to finish working it out. Even with the worst of our 'fights,' we've always ended up resolving it within a day or two—or, if not completely resolved, at least made significant progress toward a resolution. That doesn't mean that'll always happen, but at least we have a good precedent to fall back on." She let out a soft, humorless laugh. "Even then, though, those fights can be terrifying, especially once you've finally calmed down, realized what you've done, and find yourself wondering if you'll be able to fix where you went wrong. I'm just extremely lucky and grateful that Zelos has always forgiven me when I've made the wrong choice. It's encouraged me to do the same when something is his fault. And I love him so much for that, for the effort he's put into it and for making sure we always work out our disagreements in a way we're both happy with it."
"Sounds like a lot of compromise," Sheena said.
"That's exactly what it is. I mean, take Sophia. A few years ago we decided it was time to start having children. We didn't realize exactly what we'd gotten ourselves into until after she'd been born, though—especially with regards to how different our parenting styles would be. I want her to grow up in a traditional Mizuhoan manner, to become a ninja and undergo strict training so she can most effectively help the village. Our Mizuho wasn't decimated like yours was, but we're still hurting, and we still need more ninjas before I'll consider us to be truly stable. We need every child born there to help with that. But Zelos..." Her alternate sighed, her face sinking. "He refuses to be that strict with her. He wants her to grow up having fun and enjoying life and just being a kid; he wants her to explore all of life's possibilities, experience everything she can, and make her own choices about what she wants to do and who she wants to be. Those two approaches aren't exactly compatible."
Sheena's brows furrowed. Huh. She hadn't thought about that, but it did make sense, especially since she'd married an outsider. And when and if she and 'her' Zelos reached that point, then she supposed they would face the same problem...not that she was willing to give up a potential future with him just because of that. But still, it was an issue—a major one. It was even more major seeing as there were so few villagers left here and they desperately needed more—far more than the other world's Mizuho did.
"Have you two worked it out?" she asked.
"Not yet," the other 'her' replied, her face somber. "We occasionally talk about it, but those conversations usually get tense pretty quickly, and it doesn't take long before one or both of us decides to drop it, give it more thought, and agree to talk about it later. But one day we won't be able to put it off any longer, and then we will have to figure something out. I mean, if Sophia's going to live in Mizuho, she should be a ninja, if for no other reason than to set an example, especially since I'm Mizuho's chief. I mean, if the chief's own child doesn't have to become a ninja, then why should anyone else's? That's what I've held to. And yet..."
Her voice trailed off and she sighed, casting another glance at Sheena, her face softening. "And yet I appreciate Zelos's perspective, too. I understand why he wants her to enjoy being a child, why he's so insistent that we let her do what she wants to do. He wants her to have the childhood he never had; he wants her to have the freedom to choose her own path in life. I don't know how much your Zelos has told you, but he hated being the Chosen, being forced into a mold that didn't fit him, one he couldn't stand to live in yet could never escape. He hated it so much that he would've given everything, even his own life, to be free of his obligations to the Church, the king, his hunnies, and the Tethe'allan populace. He was trapped in a horrible world he never wanted and that didn't fit the man he was. How can I begrudge his insistence that his own daughter never have to grow up like that, miserable in the life that's been forced on her by others? Even if there's no more threat of her becoming the next Chosen, forcing her to be a ninja is similar. It takes a choice away from her that he firmly believes should be hers alone to make. And I can appreciate that, because I was forced into being a summoner long before I was ready for it, and if I'd known then what I do now, I would've fought Grandpa's insistence that I prove myself. I doubt you'd argue that, given what happened that first time with Volt."
"Of course I wouldn't," Sheena murmured. So that was Zelos's reasoning: he simply wanted her to be a regular kid. It made sense that he'd want to make sure his daughter never grew up the same way he had. And yet...Sophia was growing up in Mizuho. That was definitely a problem, and Sheena, as she suspected her alternate felt, could sympathize with both sides. "So how are you two going to work it out?"
Her doppelganger shook her head. "I don't know yet, but it'll likely be the same way we work out every other issue: we'll both have to compromise. It doesn't pay to be stubborn when you're able to see the other person's point of view, understand it, and realize it's valid; it's just another way of looking at an issue. Just because one person's way of doing something isn't the same as your own doesn't make it wrong; it just makes it different. We found that with Michi in our world; his heart is in more academic studies, not in physical activities, and Zelos was the one who figured that out. Forcing him to be what he wasn't didn't work, and he's a lot happier and more reliable now that we've let him do what he wants, with ninja training being a distant second. And the thing is, I know Zelos understands why I want her to grow up as a ninja, too, and he doesn't blame me for it. It is what it is, and eventually we'll just have to make a decision. Maybe we'll let Sophia decide once she's old enough to make that choice, and I'll just have to hope she chooses to become a ninja."
"That might be your only real choice if you want to keep everyone happy," Sheena said.
"Probably," her alternate replied with a small smile. "But like I said, Zelos and I need to sit down and really discuss it one of these days, and until we do, it'll always be there in the back of my mind, nagging at me. But despite our different approaches to parenting and how I disagree with letting her get away with some of the stuff he does, Zelos is a good father. He's an amazing one, actually. He's incredible to watch with her. He would give his life to protect her and keep her safe and happy. And you know what gets me most?"
Her description of Zelos as a father was mesmerizing. It was so foreign, envisioning the perverted flirt and idiot Zelos Wilder as a father, and yet that thought was becoming more comfortable—maybe even coveted—the more Sheena learned about him. "What?"
Her alternate smiled softly. "Every single day since she was born, that man has made a point to tell her how much he loves her. Not a day has gone by that I haven't heard him tell her that. He's determined to make sure she has the opposite childhood he had. He wants her to know she's wanted, that she's loved, and that he'll always be there for her and will protect her however he can. That's all he ever wanted as a child but never had, and he's making sure that even if he never felt his own life had value, thanks to his stupid, selfish, miserable parents, she will. And every time I hear him say that, I fall in love with him all over again." She turned to look at Sheena. "I couldn't have asked for a better father for my children. That's how I know no matter how different we are, we'll work the rest out, too. We both love her and want the best for her, and so somehow or other we'll make that happen." She placed her hand on her protruding abdomen. "The same holds true for this little one. Whatever it takes, we'll make it work. He may be the last man in the world I ever would've considered for this once, but now he's the only man I'll ever want, the only man I'll ever trust enough, to always be there for us. We have issues, but I wouldn't trade him for anything, and seeing him try so hard to make it all work, to make me and Sophia happy and keep us safe, makes me want to do the same for him. We always have been able to bring out the best and worst in each other—and since we started dating, it's been almost exclusively the best, with only a few exceptions."
Sheena could feel her heart melting. This was exactly the kind of reassurance she'd needed to know she'd made the right choice to give Zelos a chance. They were words she would hold onto whenever things got rough. It made her hopeful that there really was a bright future waiting for them. "You are so lucky."
"Heh," her alternate chuckled, looking down at the ground, a light blush settling on her cheeks. "Yeah, I am. And I know it. Not a day goes by that I'm not grateful for everything I have." She suddenly looked up at Sheena. "And you will be one day, too. I'm confident of that. Like I told your Zelos, he's a good man, with a good heart; he just doesn't see it himself yet. I'm hoping you have now, though."
Not as well as this woman obviously did yet, but enough to know it was there and that it just needed some encouragement. "Of course I have. I always did. Certain things that happened made me doubt him for awhile, but unless he reverts completely into an infuriating jerk, I don't think that'll be a problem anymore."
"Obviously my husband didn't think so, either, because he never would've hooked you two up here if he didn't think a real possibility existed for you to find what we have. If he really didn't trust him, he never would've done it, which is saying a lot because it took Zelos years to really trust himself. He's always been obnoxiously protective of me like that." She tilted her head, a smirk appearing on her lips. "Well, that and he's just plain obnoxious. But he truly is worth the occasional headache." She gave Sheena a pointed look. "Never forget that. And make sure he knows it, too; I've always had trouble expressing my feelings, and I'm sure you're the same, but sometimes you just have to do it. He's an extremely smart, perceptive man, but he can't read your mind. You need to tell him what he means to you, because he has just as many insecurities and self doubts as you do."
Sheena nodded somberly. That wasn't the first time she'd heard that, either. Obviously both her alternate and the alternate Zelos had had enough experience with the matter to know that. "Your husband told me the same."
"I'm not surprised. He knows how much it's helped him to have someone accept him for him, insecurities and flaws and everything else included, someone who's never cared about his status as the Chosen. Make sure your Zelos always knows that, that he is a good man, that he deserves to be alive and happy, and that his fears about himself aren't warranted." She motioned at the abnormally quiet village. "And don't be afraid to ask him for help here, because Mizuho obviously needs all the help it can get. All he's ever needed to bring out his full potential is a little encouragement, someone expressing faith in him and making him want to live up to it. I'm sure he'll do everything he can to help; even if he isn't the Chosen anymore, he'll still be happy to devote every resource he has to that."
Her alternate suddenly stopped and gave her another pointed look. "I can't emphasize that enough: ask for his help. Be better about that than I was. I can't tell you how many times I've hurt him by thinking I could handle things on my own, only to have it crash and burn because it turned out to be too much. We could've prevented a lot of problems if only I'd remembered we're a team and I don't need to deal with everything alone. I've never intentionally left him out of the decision-making process, and it's not like I don't trust him, because I do, implicitly; I just don't even realize sometimes how much a decision might affect him. We are—and always will be—works in progress. Although if you've already accepted your limitations enough to turn to a wish tag for help, I expect you're pretty far along in realizing that. Hopefully that means you guys won't have to go through some of the things we did."
Well, Sheena couldn't deny that she'd reached the point of ignoring her pride and asking for help. When it came to the things that really mattered, like Mizuho's survival, she couldn't sit back and do nothing, and so she'd done what she had to do. But just because she'd become more accustomed to asking for help didn't mean she and Zelos had only smooth sailing ahead of them, either. "Maybe, at least in some ways. But we have a completely different set of issues to deal with than you did."
Her alternate nodded. "I know. I expect the rest of your life, whether you guys stay together or not, will end up considerably different than ours because of the circumstances you experienced that we didn't. But that doesn't mean it can't be just as good; it just means it'll be different. Whatever it is, though, it'll be worth it. Trust me, if you really want it to work and are willing to put forth the effort to get where you want to go, you'll be fine. And don't worry about the things you can't change; all you can do is deal with the things you can and adjust when necessary. Like Zelos always says, 'Whatever will be, will be.'"
Sheena smiled, remembering the light that had filled 'her' Zelos's eyes last night when she'd repeated his trademark saying to him. After this week, she was starting to like the sentiment it conveyed: don't worry about the things you can't change because no amount of worrying can fix them, so focus instead on those things you can change. It brought with it hope for a more peaceful, pleasant future. She couldn't change her past, but she could, to an extent, control where she took her future, and so she would just deal with things as they came. She would adjust whenever it became necessary to do so. At least now she wouldn't have to face that future, whatever it might bring her, alone.
"Thanks," she said. "I really appreciate you taking the time to tell me all of this."
Her alternate returned her smile. "You're welcome. I truly mean it when I say I wouldn't trade him for the world, weird quirks and frustrating issues and all." And suddenly, Sheena realized where the other 'her' had been silently guiding her while they'd walked: to the cemetery. Her alternate paused as they arrived at the entrance, but then she headed to the memorial marker that her husband had visited a few days ago. As she read the names carved there, Sheena could see her face sink, making her look very old...and very sad. "So many lives lost here that day..."
Sheena folded her arms to her chest, keeping her eyes averted from the marker. She always had trouble coming here; she'd lived through the event, she'd carved most of the names herself, and there was no chance she would forget what had happened. But she wasn't surprised her alternate had wanted to come here, too; if Verius had told her about what happened in this world, then it made sense that she'd want to see this list of names for herself. "This cemetery was one of your husband's first destinations when he got here, too."
Her alternate's eyes turned to her, still somber and sad. "I can't imagine how you must've felt when he told you about how differently the poisoning played out in our Mizuho."
Sheena's gaze fell to the ground. No, that particular blow, finding out how things might have been otherwise, was also impossible to forget. "It was a shock. Of course, I was even more shocked to learn he was part of the reason why so many of your villagers were saved. We lost so many people here that day, and yet you only lost a small fraction of that."
"Yeah, we did," the other 'her' murmured. "My life is only one of many that he saved. It must've been a real challenge keeping the village up and running since then." She turned to look at Sheena. "Just don't blame your Zelos for not being here for you like mine was. That's just how life played out. There's nothing he can do to change that now. If he'd known at the time what was happening, I guarantee he would've been here and done everything he could to help."
She nodded. She didn't doubt that, either. "I don't blame him. He wasn't even a part of my life at that point, so there's no way he could've known what was happening here." Her voice lowered. "And for that distance between us at the time, we're both to blame."
Her doppelganger observed her a moment before nodding. "On the bright side, maybe now my husband can finally put that whole incident to rest. Ever since that day, he's felt guilty because of the people who did die, the ones he wasn't able to save. Now that he knows what would've happened if he hadn't arrived when he did, it should put his mind at ease. And that's another reason why you need to ask your Zelos for help here. Whether any of this is his fault or not, knowing him, he'll want to try to make up for not being here when you needed him most."
...And Sheena was pretty sure she could do that now that she was becoming more accustomed to asking for help. She still didn't like it, but desperate times called for desperate measures. "I will."
The other 'her' motioned back at the entrance to the cemetery, and the two women began heading that way. Only a moment later, though, they ran into Tiga, who was walking toward them, his eyes wide as he looked between the two. His footsteps briefly paused, but then they resumed, more quickly than before, heading toward them. "Sheena...and Sheena?" he said.
"Chief Tiga," Sheena greeted him, bowing her head.
He returned the gesture, but his gaze quickly settled on the alternate Sheena. "You must be the wife of the Chosen who has been staying here this past week."
Sheena's alternate likewise smiled and bowed her head. "Chief Tiga. I was just reading the names of the villagers who died here during the poisoning. I'm glad to see you survived."
"I am glad to see you survived it in your world as well," Tiga said, returning her smile. "I take it your presence here means the Chosen from the other world is also still here?"
She nodded. "We'll be leaving soon. I just wanted to have a look around the village before we did. We've moved Mizuho in my world, so being here feels like I'm reliving my past."
A single curious eyebrow rose. "Where did you move it to?" he asked.
"Sylvarant, near the Linkite tree," she replied. "It's such a sheltered region that it's hard for most people to find it."
"Ah. And how is that working out for your people?"
"Very well, actually. We moved there soon after our daughter was born, so it's been over two years now and we haven't had any incidents or unwelcome guests yet." She gave him a knowing smile. "Thinking about moving Mizuho, eh?"
"Eventually, when our population is stable enough to do so without putting our well-being in jeopardy," he said. "I am always looking for suggestions of a good place for us so I will have to consider the one you mentioned."
Sheena's alternate shrugged. "We miss some of the locations near here, but overall we like it. Being here again brings back a lot of good memories, though."
Tiga's eyes narrowed. "According to your husband, you are your Mizuho's chief?"
"Mm hmm. Grandpa passed the title on to me several years ago."
"And your Igaguri is still alive in your world?"
"Yeah." Her voice lowered and her face grew somber. "A lot of people are still alive in my world who aren't here."
"So I have heard," he whispered. "Thanks to your husband."
She bowed her head again. "Thanks in no small part to my husband."
Without warning, Tiga gave Sheena a pointed look, and even though he didn't say anything, she knew what he was telling her: "Now we need you to find someone capable of helping our Mizuho like that." She averted her eyes, a blush of embarrassment settling on her cheeks. Well, on the bright side, at least it wouldn't be hard to convince her people to give Zelos a chance seeing as his alternate had already done wonders to that effect simply by being here and being himself this past week.
"Believe me, Chief Tiga, I'm working on it." She quickly cleared her throat and looked up at him. "Speaking of which, my instructions to kill this world's Zelos if he shows up here are no longer applicable, so you can tell the villagers he's welcome here again. In fact, you should probably know that he's here now, waiting for us with his alternate. I'll bring him by to see you in a little while."
"Very good," Tiga replied, smiling and bowing his head. "I will look forward to that. In fact, I am as glad to hear that as I was to hear that Michi has finally been located."
Sheena grinned. She was still delighted about that news. She didn't understand why he hadn't returned here yet, but as soon as she could, she would go there and find him. Whether or not he would come back with her, she had no idea, but to know that at least one more villager hadn't been killed by the poisoning was still incredible news. She was already dreading telling him how his mother had died, but at least Hamako, his little sister, had survived. It was way past time that the siblings be reunited; Hamako, while well cared for these past few years by the other survivors, had suffered on her own long enough.
"Yeah, Zelos mentioned that to me, too," she said. "I'll take Hamako with me and go get him as soon as I can."
"What happened here with Michi?" Sheena's alternate asked, her eyes narrowing as she looked between them.
"He ran away from Mizuho the week before the poisoning occurred," Sheena explained. "Your husband apparently located him at the academy in Sybak. Honestly, we all thought Michi was long dead since no one had seen him in years. A few of the surviving villagers even thought he'd had something to do with the poisoning, at least until we found the true culprit."
"Ah," her counterpart said. "That doesn't surprise me that he ran away, actually; he did in my world, too, all the way to Meltokio, although I'm sure the circumstances behind it were different here. And no, I'm positive he had nothing to do with the poisoning. He didn't in my world. Chances are he never even heard about it here if he left before it happened."
"That makes sense, seeing as we never made it well known outside of Mizuho that we'd been poisoned," Sheena said, glancing at Tiga, who nodded his agreement.
"Oh, and in case you aren't already aware of this, Michi didn't kill his father, either; Tatsuya's death was a complete accident," Sheena's alternate went on. "Michi felt extremely guilty about it in my world because he was inadvertently responsible for causing the situation—he probably still feels guilty about it, for that matter—but he didn't cause it. So please, make sure no one here holds that against him anymore. If you manage to convince him to come back, nothing would chase him away again faster than someone accusing him of that."
Tiga's eyebrows rose. "I see. That is extremely important, helpful information. I wish Sadako had known that before she died. I take it you uncovered the truth about him in your world then?"
Sheena's alternate smiled. "Well, Zelos did, at least. They became good friends. Still are, actually."
"...Which is most likely why he went looking for Michi in Sybak this past week," Sheena murmured.
"Yeah," her counterpart replied. "Just be sure when you confront Michi that you go easy on him. I'm sure that's why he hasn't returned here yet, if he was afraid you'd blame him for his father's death again, punish him for running away, and never let him leave. He's a brilliant young man when he isn't being forced to be someone he isn't, and there's no way he ran away from here because he hates the village or your people; he just did what he had to do to be true to himself, which means, for him, not becoming a ninja. Zelos funded his training in Sybak in our world, and Michi—and Mizuho—are both far better for it. I'm glad to hear Michi impressed someone in Sybak enough to make that happen here, too, even without Zelos's backing. And believe me, Mizuho needs all the training he's received there, especially given the condition your village is in. It needs him. I sure do; he's an amazing young man, and he's helped us out countless times. Do whatever you have to do to get him back here, but make sure you always let him be himself and don't give him any reason to run away again."
Tiga bowed his head. "We will be sure to keep all of that in mind, Chief Sheena. Thank you for the information and for your words of advice about how best to deal with him." He looked up at the two women again. "On another note, one of the villagers gave me this present to give to the alternate world's Chosen as a token of gratitude for the help he provided us here."
He held up a brown wall scroll with a picture and some Mizuhoan words inscribed on it. The alternate Sheena smiled broadly. "Heh. He'll love that. We have a wall in our home displaying all the scrolls he's received from the villagers the past few years as a thank you gift for something he did for them. He views them as trophies, reminding him of all of the good things he's accomplished for the village."
Sheena couldn't help smiling. That seemed like something Zelos would do, showing off his achievements like that. "He should still be at my house, if you want to give this to him in person, Chief Tiga."
"I will do so immediately then, before he leaves." His eyes turned back to the other Sheena, and he bowed his head one last time. "Chief Sheena, thank you for sharing your husband with us this past week. His help has enabled us to get back on our feet after the storm that recently devastated us."
"You're welcome, Chief Tiga," Sheena's alternate replied.
His gaze snapped to Sheena, even though he was clearly still talking to the other 'her.' "And perhaps your status in your world will encourage our Sheena to reconsider one day stepping into the role of chief herself, even if she will never have the full training from Chief Igaguri that she desired."
Her alternate gave her a warm smile. "Hopefully one day soon she'll have the help she'll need here to feel comfortable doing so. I think she's on the right track."
Not to Sheena's surprise, she could feel herself blushing again. "We'll see."
Tiga gave her a knowing look before returning his attention to her alternate. "Then it was good to meet you, Chief Sheena. I will find your husband one last time before you leave."
"It was good to see you, Chief Tiga. Continue taking good care of these people."
"I will. Same to you." And then he bowed to them one last time before turning and heading off toward Sheena's house.
"I suppose we should follow him," Sheena said.
The other 'her' rested her hand on her abdomen. "Just a little slower than him since I can't walk that fast right now."
"Then you set the pace," Sheena replied as they started walking back to her home. If their time together was quickly drawing to a close, though, then there were other things she wanted to say to this woman before she left. For instance... "Your daughter really is beautiful."
Her alternate blushed and chuckled shyly. "Yeah, she is, isn't she? She was lucky and inherited a lot of her father's most attractive features." Her voice lowered to a mutter and her smile grew wry. "She inherited some of his not-so-attractive features, too, but those are mostly behavioral."
Sheena grinned. "Yeah, well, he said the same about you. Like how she loved inflicting pain on him by pulling his hair."
"Oh, yeah, there was definitely that. Not that she was doing it to intentionally hurt him; she just loved his hair." She paused a moment, but then her face softened. "Cutting his hair was one of the sweetest things I've ever seen him do, because I know how hard that decision was for him to make. The fact that he loved her so much that he was willing to do something he never would've done otherwise, though, just so she would always feel loved and wanted...well, I think that speaks for itself."
Yes, it did. It meant his love for Sophia was more powerful than how 'vain' he could be about his own looks. He had taken his own chances and made his own sacrifices to achieve a better future, not only for himself, having a daughter who didn't hurt him all the time, but for his daughter, so she never had to wonder if her father really loved her. And the thing was, it had obviously worked. No wonder he'd kept telling Sheena this past week that she had to be willing to take chances and make some hard decisions. "I have to admit, he does look good with the shorter hair. It took me awhile to get used to it, but once I did...I liked it."
The other 'her' smiled. "He really does, doesn't he? I love the long, curly hair on him as much as any woman, but he's a very attractive man no matter how long his hair is." She arched an eyebrow. "I hope you aren't going to deny you feel the same, because I know you'd be lying."
Sheena coughed and looked away, blushing yet again. Okay, she probably deserved that, especially coming from a version of herself who'd obviously gotten over that particular embarrassment years ago. "No, I won't deny it. He really is attractive." Really, really attractive, but even if her alternate already knew that, there were some things she wasn't ready to say yet. But now that she was already so embarrassed—and by herself, no less—she might as well ask her alternate another embarrassing question. "So...I, ah, I take it the sex really is as good as he made it out to be?"
Instantly, her alternate's eyes widened, her jaw dropped, and she gaped at her. "You've gotta be kidding me! Zelos was talking about our sex life? Again? That man can't not talk about sex, can he?" She growled and folded her arms to her chest. "I really have to have a talk with him about that one of these days. Not everyone needs to know what we do in our bedroom!"
...Oh. Whoops. She'd gotten him in trouble, hadn't she? And while she understood it—she would be just as pissed if her Zelos suddenly started talking about that with everyone he met—it really wasn't his fault this time. "Ah, actually that was my fault," she said, giving her pregnant doppelganger a sheepish smile. "When he first showed up here, I assumed that was why he'd married you—for the sex...and for easy access to these—" she motioned discreetly at her chest, "and I, ah, made the mistake of mentioning how much I'd disliked sex, based on my experiences with Orochi. He...well, he insisted otherwise. Rather vehemently, actually."
Her alternate eyed her a moment, her lips quirking into a smile. "You mean I don't have to kill him for that? Darn. And I was so looking forward to it, too." Her smile broadened into a wicked grin more than a little reminiscent of Zelos's. Apparently being married to him so long had rubbed off on her—especially if she was now able to tease him the way he had always teased her. After a moment, though, she chuckled and shook her head, her face softening and a blush erupting on her cheeks. "No, but seriously, the sex is good. Really, really good. He wasn't lying about that. The man knows what he's doing. He makes it fun, and...well, extremely pleasurable. He's an amazing lover, and he's always concerned first and foremost about me. That's something you have the right to look forward to once you and your Zelos reach that point."
Sheena could feel herself flush, not only with curiosity and excitement—those words definitely meant more coming from this woman than they had from her husband—but at the utter awkwardness of thinking of herself and Zelos like...that. "Good...ah, good to hear."
The other 'her' shrugged. "Of course, my Zelos barely had any hands-on experience with that when we got married, which...isn't the case with yours."
...Huh? "Your husband mentioned that you two waited until after you were married for...that," she ventured, not sure she was following her alternate's meaning.
"I doubt he would've been so willing to wait if not for Mizuho's rule against sex before marriage. And the thing is, it made me love him all the more that he was willing to wait because of their expectations of me." Her doppelganger glanced at her. "Just don't hold it against your Zelos that he's been with so many women since then while mine hadn't before we started dating. From what Verius told me, your Zelos didn't actually start sleeping around until after you had married Orochi and he knew he had no chance with you."
Her eyes widened. Wait...was she saying Zelos hadn't slept with every woman in Tethe'alla before they'd started dating in that alternate world? Then that would mean her Zelos hadn't either, right? And, more than that, her counterpart—likely having been told so by Verius—seemed pretty certain he hadn't started sleeping with everyone here until after she'd married Orochi. Wow. Sheena truly hadn't known that. "Really? But I thought..."
"Oh, he hasn't told you about that yet?" her alternate asked, arching an eyebrow. "Well, it's true. Whatever you thought about him and his sex life before that was what he wanted you to think. When you get a chance, ask him the truth about his relationship with women. And make sure he tells you about Shirley, because she's a huge part of it. I think you'll be surprised."
And suddenly Sheena wanted to know what she was talking about. But she also didn't blame her alternate for wanting Zelos to be the one to tell her; she would rather hear it directly from him anyway because she'd found she could tell a lot about his true feelings just by watching him as he spoke. "I will." Sheena cleared her throat, more than ready to change the subject. Anything else she needed to know about that she'd get from Zelos. And besides, there was something else she needed to say to this woman. It was just as uncomfortable, but it did need to be said because she didn't want to risk the truth coming out in some other way and hurting the alternate Zelos. She wrung her hands together, looking down at the dirt path. "Listen, there's something else you should know...something else I should apologize for. I, um, I tried to kiss him at one point this past week. Your Zelos, I mean."
The other Sheena looked at her, her eyes wide. "Oh? And what did he do?"
"He didn't let me; he stopped me before I could. I, um..." She folded her arms to her chest, her gut churning at the memory of that moment when she'd done the unthinkable. "I was upset one night, and he was being so sweet and comforting, and it just...it happened. I regretted it immediately, but..."
Her alternate shook her head. "Don't worry about it. Things happen, especially between us." She looked sharply at Sheena. "Let me guess, you wanted to know what it felt like to kiss him, right?"
Sheena looked at her sheepishly. "...Yeah. Especially after how...dull...it was with Orochi. And with Zelos insisting that chemistry made all the difference, I was...curious."
"As long as he stopped you, I'm not upset about it," she replied. "Don't forget, I fell in love with the man, too. I'd had a crush on him years ago, just like you did. I'm just as attracted to him as you are. We have just as many sparks in our world, of all possible varieties, as you two do here. I get it. I was the one who kissed him first in my world, too. And since you were seeing him in the same light I always do, I'm not surprised. I'm just glad you told me that he stopped you." She gave Sheena a pointed look. "That's just more proof, if you still need it, that the man can be trusted. When he's fully committed to someone, then nothing will sway him. I think you'll find the same about yours."
"I hope so," Sheena murmured. And that was that. Now, back to all the other pressing topics she wanted to talk about before she lost this chance for good. She motioned at her alternate's abdomen. "So I take it you like being a mother?"
Her alternate's face softened and her hand returned to her protruding belly. "I love it. I really do. I wasn't sure going into it if I'd be any good at it seeing as I'd never known my own mother—I'm sure you have the same reservations I did—but you get the hang of it. It turns out a lot of it is instinctive; you do whatever is necessary to teach your child what they need to know, protect them, and make them happy. And, at least in my Mizuho, we have a wonderful support system, people who want us to succeed as parents and for Sophia to bring good things to the village. And watching Sophia grow, learn new things, marvel over life, explore everything, approach everything with an innocence and excitement only a child can truly experience...it's amazing, bringing a little person into this world with someone you love, seeing yourself and your partner in them, being able to guide them and take care of them when they can't take care of themselves."
Oh, Jizou. She was right that Sheena had always had her doubts about being a mother, and now to hear that she didn't have to worry about that...she smiled. "Heh. I guess you really must enjoy it if you're having another one."
The other 'her' laughed softly and stroked her belly, looking downward awkwardly. "Well, yeah, I do...but this one wasn't planned." She gave Sheena a pointed look. "Let's just say when Chie warns you the protective charms only last five years and then need to be replaced, she means it. I completely forgot about that, and look what happened."
...Yeah, Sheena did remember Chie telling her that when she'd married Orochi. She would tuck that tidbit away in the back of her mind. "Ah."
"Not that I'm upset about it or anything, but it still came as quite a surprise to us both. We hadn't even started talking about having another child yet, and then next I knew, I was pregnant again."
"And Zelos doesn't mind?" Sheena asked.
Her alternate gave her an incredulous look. "Are you kidding? You saw him in there. He's delighted. Took the news a whole lot better than I did, actually. 'An accident, but not a mistake,' is what he said. Well, that and 'Unexpected, but not unwanted.'" She shrugged. "Regardless, being a mother is great. It has its ups and downs—and Zelos is right to point out that my lack of patience does often become an issue—but I wouldn't trade Sophia, her father, or this little one, for the world. It's a lot of work, and I expect when this one's born, it'll be even more work, but it's still worth it." She smiled. "At least if things work out with your Zelos and you're one day in a similar position, rest assured you'll find it extremely handy having an angel as a husband since it means he doesn't need as much sleep as a normal person."
Sheena blinked at her. "Are you saying he went through the entire angelic transformation like Colette did?"
"Ah, so he hasn't told you about that yet, either?" Sheena stared at her, wide-eyed—although now that she thought about it, she did remember the alternate Zelos mentioning that he had angel powers and didn't need as much sleep as a normal human—but before she could respond, her alternate shook her head. "It's not something you need to know right away, but make sure you eventually ask him for those details; that's one of the many things you need to know about him, and I'm sure he won't volunteer that information himself if he can get away with it." To Sheena's surprise, though, her face darkened a little. "There's, ah, more to it than that, repercussions even he didn't know when he first told me about it, but I think you're better off finding that out for yourselves later on." She cleared her throat. "In any case, when Sophia was still a baby, because reduced need for sleep is an angelic side effect, Zelos was the one who got up with her the most during the night so I could sleep. It helped me out tremendously, because the lack of sleep otherwise, on top of having all of the chief's duties, probably would've overwhelmed me. It was sweet, really, how eager he was to help." Her face softened into a smile again. "He is sweet."
Yeah, she was getting that picture: that Zelos truly was a good husband and father. And there was no reason to believe her Zelos was any different. She returned her alternate's smile. "I'm glad to hear that. For years I've wondered if I was really cut out to be a mother, and knowing you two are managing it, together, really does ease my mind."
"You are cut out to be a mother," her alternate reassured her. "Honest. You may not think you are now, but you are."
A quick glance upward showed that they'd nearly reached her house. "Thanks."
They walked the rest of the distance in silence, but the closer they came to her home, the more Sheena noticed her companion's face falling. And finally, her footsteps stopped completely. "There's no iris," her alternate whispered to herself.
Sheena likewise stopped and looked back at her, confused. "What?"
Her counterpart motioned at the front of the house. "Your house...there's no iris. You planted bushes instead." Sheena blinked at her, still not getting it, and her alternate sighed. "In my world we planted iris. We even ended up digging them all up and replanting them when Mizuho moved. So far they've all survived...and they're beautiful."
...Oh. Iris, huh? Sheena was envious. That sounded perfect. At one point she'd considered planting some here, but she'd change her mind before she could even start collecting them. She wondered how she and her alternate had been led to make such different decisions. Was it because her counterpart had been with Zelos at the time and had had a more optimistic view of the future, so she'd chosen to be optimistic about getting the iris she needed? It was a sobering thought. What else had Sheena decided one way in her world that she might have decided differently if she'd had a brighter outlook on life?
"I'd thought about planting iris, but we didn't have enough in the village at the time to make it worthwhile, so I went with bushes instead," she said.
Her alternate gave her a sad smile. "Yeah, we didn't either, but I managed to make it happen anyway. I just loved the way the iris looked in Zelos's garden, and I talked Grandpa into helping me find some. Zelos supplied the rest himself. In any case, if you ever get a chance, give it another try. They look perfect here. Zelos can even help you plant them."
Sheena blinked at her, not amused by the suggestion—nor by the smirk that appeared on her alternate's lips. "Zelos help me plant flowers? Does that man even know how to get his hands dirty?"
"No, but you can teach him," she replied, the humor falling from her face. Seeing Sheena's disbelieving look, she chuckled. "Seriously. He's a surprisingly good student with that kind of stuff. I think a part of him even likes it, doing something so ordinary that no one in his society ever let him do himself before."
...Oh, right. She should've realized that his uncharacteristic ability to do carpentry work—regardless of how questionable his reason for learning it had been—extended to activities like gardening, too. "Ah."
"I take it you didn't notice my wedding ring?" Her alternate reached down, picked up her necklace's pendant, and held it up. Sheena took a step closer, realizing it was a ring. "I can't wear it right now because my fingers are so swollen, so I wear it like this instead."
Sheena's eyes narrowed as she leaned forward, taking a closer look. No...that couldn't be what it looked like. "Is that an...?"
"An iris? Yeah, it is."
...No way. Her eyes snapped up to her alternate's. "Are you saying you told him about that before you two got married?"
"No," the other 'her' replied, smiling. "I told him the night after we got married."
...Oh, right. She did remember the other Zelos mentioning that when he'd shown her his ring, that they'd been standing in her home the night after their wedding when she'd told him her real name and why the iris meant so much to her. But this still didn't make sense. Her face wrinkled in confusion. How could Zelos have gotten her this? "So he bought you this ring after you were married?"
Her alternate's smile broadened. "No. This was technically our engagement ring, only I loved it so much—for obvious reasons—that I talked him out of buying me another one. Needless to say, he understood after I explained the meaning behind it."
That was incredible. "So how...?"
"The man is far more perceptive than he lets on," she replied. "He noticed how important the iris was to me, or maybe just how much I liked the flower, and then at some point he started associating it with me."
Sheena blinked at her. "So he truly didn't know...?"
"...That my real name means 'iris'?" She shook her head. "He gave me this," she lifted her hand, and for the first time Sheena noticed that around her wrist was clasped a silver bracelet, on which hung a pendant identical to the iris on her ring, "and a few other pieces as a New Year's gift after we'd been dating a few months. He saw how much I liked it and then completed the set with the ring. He truly had no idea at the time how right he was."
So that had been his New Year's gift to her, huh? It must have been the equivalent of the beautiful figurine of Corrine and that heartfelt note her Zelos had planned to give her until she'd announced her engagement...a gift that, in a better world, might have steered them onto this hopeful, promising course far sooner than had happened here. Accompanying that realization was an overwhelming sense of sadness and regret, especially now that she knew how things should have turned out back then. "That's amazing," she murmured.
"It really was," her alternate went on, giving her an empathetic smile. "I mean, don't expect the same to happen here, because if my Zelos hadn't randomly decided to drop by Mizuho the day I was planting those, he might not have thought to get me this for New Year's, and I'm sure it was my reaction to it that completed his mental association between us. Don't underestimate him or his perceptiveness, though, either. He's a smart, shrewd man, and he's very good at making connections like this. It's a great skill to have on Mizuho's side—and on my own. In a lot of ways I wish I was more like him, but since I'm not, I'm glad to have him with me to help me connect the dots and make fully informed decisions. It's one of his strengths, and it's one of the ways he complements me perfectly."
If Sheena was being honest with herself, she always had envied that particular strength of his; she'd just never let herself acknowledge it. Her alternate's words were reassurance, yet again, that she had made the right decision to give her Zelos a chance. "I'll keep that in mind." She looked back at the front of her house and sighed. The bushes, which had served their purpose but had never been her favorite, now looked even more drab than usual. "And if Mizuho ever reaches the point where I can indulge in redecorating, maybe I will try to find some iris. It really would look nice here."
"It does." The other 'her' motioned at the door. "Anyway, c'mon. Knowing Sophia, she's getting antsy to go home. And I don't even want to think what kind of mischief two Zeloses left alone for so long could be scheming."
Sheena grinned and nodded, and the two opened the door. As she stepped inside, she could hear one of the Zeloses—undoubted Sophia's father—instructing the girl not to touch anything that didn't belong to her, and she quickly found that Sophia was wandering around her living area, looking at everything wide-eyed, while both Zeloses leaned back against the couch, watching her. In the long-haired Zelos's hands was the girl's adorable teddy bear, which it appeared she had entrusted to him again, an endearing picture that Sheena couldn't help but smile at.
The minute the door closed, everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to look at them, Sophia's face instantly lighting up. She dropped the wooden figure in her hand—the one the alternate Zelos had clearly been trying to get her to put down—and ran over to her mother. "Mommy back!"
"Hi there, sweetie," Sheena's alternate said, slowly bending down and giving her a hug.
Sophia looked up at Sheena warily as her mother released her, clearly considering her, but then, without warning—and much to Sheena's surprise—she lifted her arms, her face shy but hopeful. "Up?"
...Wow. Sheena, eager to comply yet not quite knowing if she should, gave the girl's mother an uncertain look, but the other 'her' just smiled and nodded. "Go ahead. She knows I can't lift her right now without hurting my back, so you're an understandable alternative."
Sheena eyed her a moment, making sure she really didn't mind, then she carefully picked up the girl, resting her on her hip. Sophia stared at her a moment with wide blue eyes before touching her face as if in as much awe of Sheena as Sheena was of her—of how soft her skin was, of the delicate lines of her face that looked so much like her own, of the blueness of her eyes, looking exactly like Zelos's, a beautiful contrast to her dark hair. Her daughter. This precious little girl was supposed to be her daughter, and she existed in a life that might have been yet never was, at least not for her. On the bright side, maybe now she and Zelos had corrected their course enough to steer them back onto a path that might once again lead them toward this beautiful future.
"Hi," she greeted Sophia softly.
"Hi," Sophia replied. She tilted her head curiously. "You like Mommy."
"I think she means you look like me," Sheena's alternate translated.
Sheena smiled. "Yeah, I do look, don't I?"
"Not fat!" the girl said, bouncing brightly.
Across the room, the girl's father sighed. "It's not nice to call someone fat, Sophia," he gently chided her. "A little extra weight never stopped anyone from being beautiful. In fact, I think your mother looks absolutely radiant. That's your little baby brother or sister growing inside her, remember?"
Sophia nodded and bowed her head as she looked at her mother. "Sowwy, Mommy."
The other Sheena smiled and bowed her head in return. "It's okay, Sophia. And you're right, this woman looks a lot like me. She just doesn't weigh as much because she isn't pregnant, like I am."
The little girl looked back at Sheena, tilting her head again. "No baby?"
Sheena gave her a sad smile. "No, I'm not having a baby right now. Maybe one day, though." Her eyes darted at 'her' Zelos, and she immediately flushed, her heart skipping a beat and her stomach fluttering excitedly at the look on his face: he was watching her and Sophia closely, a softness in his eyes that she had never seen before that reflected pure awe, amazement...and love. And, the most incredible part, he didn't even look away when he realized Sheena was looking at him; he just gave her a beautifully sincere smile, one that was reflected in his eyes. Sheena quickly cleared her throat and looked back down at Sophia, but even though she knew he was still watching her, she couldn't help smiling.
Her alternate turned her attention back to the two Zeloses and gave them both a wicked smirk, her eyes sparkling mischievously. "So what have you two been up to? Scheming new ways to drive us crazy? Continuing on your never-ending quest to turn Mizuho into a luxurious resort town?"
Her husband released an exaggerated sigh and shook his head sadly. "Always assuming the worst of me, I tell ya." He pointed at her. "For the record, no, we weren't scheming anything. I just asked him how Seles has been doing here."
The other Sheena's smirk faded, and she raised her eyebrows. "And?"
He grinned wryly. "Would you believe she's dating the exact same guy here that she is in our world? I had hoped she'd have more common sense than that, but nooooo, that guy had to woo her here, too."
She rolled her eyes. "That 'guy,' as you like to call him, dear, has a name, and it's Chester."
"Having a name doesn't change anything," he muttered.
His wife gave him a pointed frown. "And let me guess, he doesn't like Chester any more than you do."
Both Zeloses pulled the same face of distaste. "Of course not," the short-haired one said. "It's not like we're two completely different people. That 'guy' isn't good enough for her, and that's that."
The long-haired Zelos nodded curtly. "I agree completely."
The other Sheena rolled her eyes. "Need I remind you that Seles thought the exact same thing about me until she got to know me?" She turned her head toward Sheena. "Speaking of which, you two should be prepared to deal with Seles—you're gonna have a lot of fun with that one." Sheena didn't respond, but she could easily hear her alternate's sarcasm, and from the corner of her eye, she saw 'her' Zelos cringe.
"Hey, she eventually changed her mind about you!" the alternate Zelos said. "Now you two are good friends!" He tilted his head. "Granted, that didn't really happen until after you asked her to be your maid of honor at the Meltokio wedding, but it still happened! I can't thank you enough for that, love, by the way."
His wife smiled. "She really is a sweet girl once she finally comes to accept someone. And stops glaring daggers at them." She arched a pointed eyebrow at him. "Hopefully her brother will turn out to be the same with her current boyfriend, because I think he's a really nice guy and is good for her."
"Yeah, yeah," he grumbled, but without warning, his eyes suddenly lit up. "Oh, oh! But look what I got!" He grabbed the wall scroll off the couch and lifted it so they could see.
"I saw it earlier when we ran into Tiga." She smirked. "Pretty soon we're gonna need to find another wall for all those scrolls you keep accumulating."
He waggled his eyebrows. "We could always use—"
She growled lowly, folded her arms to her chest, and quickly cut him off, "We've been over this before, dear, and the answer is still no, we are not mounting them on the front of the house so you can show them off to everyone who visits us. They're staying in our bedroom, out of the way."
Naturally, the idiot responded to that by sticking out his bottom lip in a ridiculous pout. "Spoilsport."
Before his wife could retort to that, though, Sophia suddenly pointed at Sheena's hair. "Bibbon?"
Sheena's eyes widened as she looked down at the little girl. "Hm?"
"I think she likes your ribbon," her alternate said.
Sophia nodded curtly and bounced in Sheena's arms. "Bibbon!"
"Oh, you want to see it?" Sheena asked her. The little girl nodded, and Sheena carefully reached up with her free hand and pulled out the ribbon, letting her hair fall free. Sophia's eyes widened as Sheena held it up to her. This had always been a special ribbon for her, a beautiful, rich, red and gold color and made of particularly nice, soft, silky fabric. Orochi had given it to her as a wedding present, in colors and texture matching her wedding kimono. She had worn it every day since his death as a reminder of him and of the past she didn't want to relive. But now...now she wasn't sure about that anymore. Maybe it was time to let it go. Was it possible she was finally ready to take that step?
"Sometimes she's as tough as nails as her mother; other times she's a little girly girl who loves anything 'pretty,'" the alternate Zelos said softly, proudly, with pure, unbridled love shining in his eyes as he looked at them.
The girl's mother smiled and nodded. "Very true."
"So you like that, huh?" Sheena asked the girl.
Sophia nodded again, gingerly touching it. "Pwetty bibbon!"
And suddenly, with a single look at Zelos, who was still watching her with that amazed, loving smile on his face that she had grown very, very attached to, she knew what she wanted to do. After everything that had happened with 'her' Zelos and the alternate Zelos, and with everything she'd just learned from her alternate, this was appropriate. In a sense, it was a symbol of the new future she had awaiting her. She was ready to cut those ties to her past.
"How would you like to take it home with you?" Sheena asked, looking back down at Sophia, whose blue eyes widened with surprise and hopefulness.
"Oh, she has plenty of ribbons at home," her alternate said. "You don't have to do that."
"I know." But this one was different. There was no way she could have one like this because it was the only one of its kind, one that had never had a reason to exist in that alternate universe. "But she doesn't have any like this one, does she?"
The other 'her' shook her head. "No, none like that."
"Then if you like it, Sophia, it's yours," Sheena said, turning her attention back to the girl.
Sophia's eyes lit up. "Mine?"
Sheena's smile broadened at the beautiful excitement on her face. She was pretty sure she'd now fallen completely in love with this girl. "Yours."
"Sophia, what do you say?" the girl's mother prompted as Sophia took it from Sheena, looking at it in amazement.
Sophia bounced again. "Dank you!"
...It amazed Sheena how utterly happy that little gesture had made this girl. She chuckled, her heart melting. "You're welcome. Take care of it for me, okay?" The little girl nodded, still observing the ribbon, but then suddenly she started bouncing again, clearly growing antsy. "You want down?"
She nodded again, and so Sheena set her on her feet, reluctant to let her go. Immediately, she ran over to the long-haired Zelos and pointed at the bear. "Kuma-san? Pwease?"
Zelos gave her a big smile as he handed her the teddy bear. "Here you go, Sophia."
She beamed at him brightly—a look more powerful in conveying her happiness and gratitude than words would have been—and then she ran back over to Sheena, lifting both the bear and the ribbon. "Pwease?"
Sheena's eyes narrowed; she wasn't sure what the girl wanted, but she'd take a stab. "You...want the ribbon on the bear?" Sophia nodded decisively, and Sheena took them both from her, tying the ribbon into a pretty bow around the bear's neck. Once finished, she grinned and held it up to the girl. "Tada! Does that look good?"
Her heart melted yet again at the smile that lit Sophia's face as she nodded, took the bear back, and hugged it tightly. And suddenly Sheena knew her alternate had been right. Being a mother did come naturally to her, and it came as no surprise that she could already feel herself growing attached to this child. "Dank you!" Sophia said again.
"You're welcome," Sheena replied. And again, she caught Zelos's eye...and she blushed again at the look still on his face, at the softness and longing in his eyes and the loving smile he was giving her. And that answer, too, was suddenly plain as day: even if he had refused to say the words last night, he did still love her, even after all these years. And if she wasn't already in love with him—which, considering everything that had happened this past week, she had to admit wasn't real likely at that point—she would be very, very soon.
Sophia suddenly turned, teddy bear in her arms, and ran back over to her father, holding it up proudly. "Kuma-san has bibbon!"
The alternate Zelos grinned broadly, pushed himself away from the couch, knelt down in front of her, and took the bear from her, clearly as proud of her accessorizing accomplishment as she was. "Well, well! What a stylish little bear you've got there, kiddo!"
"He looks perfect, Sophia," Sheena's alternate said, heading across the room to join her family. The little girl nodded brightly and took the bear back from her father, hugging it. A moment later the girl's mother looked back at Sheena. "This teddy bear is basically her security blanket. She won't go anywhere without him. He's even helped us get her to sleep quite a few nights. So thank you for that, for humoring her and giving her that ribbon."
"It was my pleasure," Sheena replied. And it really was. It felt like a weight had been lifted from her, knowing that particular tie to her past had now been cut. The memories of Orochi and their brief, tragic life together would never go away, but she had finally found herself able to let go of the physical reminder of it. Besides, it had been worth it just to put that beautiful smile on Sophia's face. "It's the least I can do to make up to her for keeping her father from her for so long."
"And like I said, Sheena, it's okay," the alternate Zelos said. "I was able to help you guys out, and right now that was the most important thing."
Sheena's doppelganger smiled and nodded. "He's right. There was no harm done. Sophia probably would've had trouble sleeping without her father there—she does occasionally have nightmares when one of us is away for awhile—but thanks to Verius and Zelos's insistence that he stay with us, we weathered that storm quite nicely."
"I'm glad," Sheena replied.
"Anyway, what do you two say?" the other 'her' said to her family. "Are we just about ready to go home?
Sophia nodded excitedly, still clutching her bear, and Zelos smiled. "Ready when you are. Although I'm not sure how we're going to get back..."
"Heh. That's easy." Sheena turned to the middle of the room. "Verius?"
Instantly, a flash of light came from the empty space in the living area, and when it vanished, there he was: the giant summon spirit who had once been her dear friend Corinne. Reaching into her pocket, Sheena wrapped her hand around the tiny figure that Zelos had given her, her heart warmed at not only seeing the new incarnation of her lost friend again, but of the new 'friend' figurine she'd been given, a reminder that she was never alone, by a man she might just have a future with. Against all odds, Verius had brought them together again, even when she had vehemently resisted, in an answer to her last-ditch, desperate wish for something different, something better. Words couldn't express her gratitude.
"Verius," she whispered.
He bowed his head to her. "Sheena."
"Ver-ver!" Sophia exclaimed, running over to Verius and throwing her tiny arms around his neck in as much of a hug as she could given their drastically different sizes.
"Hello again, Sophia," Verius replied, nuzzling his head against hers. Sheena could've sworn he was smiling.
The alternate Zelos shook his head, grinning at his wife. "Show her a tiny spider and she starts screaming and can't get away from it quickly enough. Show her a giant talking summon spirit fox and she can't hug it quickly enough."
"Oh, she was scared of him at first, but he quickly won her over," the other Sheena replied, smiling as she looked down at their daughter. "I think he enjoyed playing with her as much as she enjoyed playing with him."
Verius bowed his head—at least as much as he could considering the child still latched onto his neck. "That is true. I did."
"You know she's going to want a puppy now, right?" the girl's father said, folding his arms to his chest as he watched them.
Sheena's alternate gave him a pointed glare, mimicking his stance. "I want a puppy, Zelos. You're currently the only hold out on that."
He tilted his head. "...Oh, right. I'll give it more thought."
Sophia suddenly released Verius and held up her teddy bear. "Look, Kuma-san!"
Verius smiled. "I see he has acquired a beautiful new ribbon since I last saw him. It suits him well, Sophia. Where did you get it?"
"Other Mommy." Sheena couldn't help smiling as Sophia pointed at her, her heart once again warmed by the happiness on the girl's face—and by the term she'd just used to refer to her.
The summon spirit turned his eyes to Sheena...and suddenly Sheena got the feeling that he knew exactly what she'd done by giving it to Sophia, saying she had made her decision and wouldn't let the past hold her back anymore. He was a summon spirit of the heart, after all, and it wouldn't surprise her if he could read her intent.
The words that followed reinforced her suspicion. "It was very kind of her to give you that, Sophia. I know that was a special ribbon to her. Take especially good care of it, all right?"
She nodded happily. "'Kay!"
"It's good to see you again, Verius," the girl's father said.
Verius bowed his head to him. "You as well, Chosen." His eyes turned to Zelos. "The same for you, Chosen of this world. I am very glad to see you here."
Zelos gave him a faint, surprisingly shy smile. "Good to see you, Verius. It's been awhile. And you have no idea how glad I am to be here."
"Actually, Chosen, I do know," Verius replied.
"Heh," Zelos chuckled. "Yeah, I suppose you do. Thanks for seeing to it that I did end up here, then."
"It was my pleasure." Verius looked around the room, his eyes finally settling on the alternate Zelos. "I take it everything has been resolved here and you are ready to return home?"
"Yeah, I think so," he replied. "At this point, I'm pretty sure I've now done everything I'm able to do here. The rest is up to them."
Verius looked at Sheena and smiled affectionately. "Yes, I believe you are right about that."
Sheena blushed at his knowing look, then she glanced at Zelos and smiled shyly, joining him by the couch. It was embarrassing to not be denying that, trying to maintain her 'tough girl' act and pretend she hadn't fallen for him, but he already knew perfectly well what they were talking about and so she wouldn't waste the effort on something that didn't matter anymore. And then, after a moment, she succumbed to yet another impulse and took his hand in hers—a move she could tell surprised not only Zelos, but everyone else there, too...not that she would back down from her decision to do so, and especially not when he smiled in amazement and squeezed her hand tenderly in return.
She cleared her throat and, blushing, looked back at Verius, needing to say this to him even if it was embarrassing. It wasn't like anyone there, other than Sophia, didn't already know what she was talking about. It had, after all, been her wish tag that had led to all of this. "Verius, before you leave...thank you. I have to admit, at first I couldn't figure out why you answered my wish like this. I mean, I think we all know I hadn't had Zelos in mind when I made it. But now, after everything that's happened, after everything I've seen and learned..." she glanced again at Zelos, then back at Verius, "I mean it, Verius. Thank you for doing it this way."
Verius gave her another warm smile and bowed his head. "You are most welcome, Sheena. I am a summon spirit of the heart. I knew what was in yours, and I knew what was in the heart of this world's Chosen. As awkward and painful as these events have been for you, this seemed the best way to get you two to see what was truly in your hearts as well."
Another glance at Zelos showed that he was blushing, although she found it surprising—and telling—that he remained remarkably quiet. "Well, I for one really do appreciate it." She squeezed his hand, giving him a shy smile. "I'm guessing you do, too."
"You have no idea how much I do," he whispered, giving her a happy, appreciative, and similarly—yet atypically—shy smile that made her heart skip another beat.
"I know," Verius said. "Thank you for trusting me with this." He turned to the alternate Zelos. "And as for you, Chosen, I thank you for everything you accomplished here in such a short time. I had not expected you to take as many risks as you did to try to make this a real possibility for them, but I am deeply grateful that you did."
"Heh," he replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, like I've told them, as much as I'd love to say it's a guarantee they're going to make it—and I truly hope they do—there isn't one. I mean, no one can see the future, and they experienced a lot of things my wife and I didn't, and there isn't even a guarantee for us to last forever, as much as I wish there was. But I'm optimistic for them, and I expect if they really want to make it work, they will." He gave his wife a loving smile, one she quickly returned, doing as Sheena had and taking his hand in hers and giving it a squeeze. "We have."
Verius bowed his head. "No, you are correct, there are no guarantees. However, right now that does not matter. You gave Sheena a new outlook on life, a new path to follow, and, with it, hope for a new, better future, not only for herself, but for Mizuho. That was exactly what she needed, and it was exactly what she wished for. In that respect, her wish has been answered."
"Yeah, it has," Sheena said. "I've said this before, and I'll say it again: thank you, Zelos. For everything. We've both already agreed to do whatever we can to make this work." She glanced at 'her' Zelos, then back at his alternate. "We both want what you two have."
'Her' Zelos smiled and nodded before looking at Verius and the happy family. "I owe you guys a huge thank you, too, actually. My life was going nowhere fast, and I was not happy with it, no matter how much I tried to convince myself I was. But now...I'm actually looking forward to seeing what happens next. Thank you." He turned his eyes back to Sheena. "And you, too, not only for making that wish, but for giving me another chance."
Sheena returned his smile shyly and gave him an affectionate nudge with her shoulder—which made their alternates smile knowingly. "Ah, remember when we were like that, sweetheart?" the other Zelos said, wrapping his arm around his wife and drawing her close.
She nodded and leaned into him, resting her hand on his chest and her head on his shoulder, her face alight with happiness. "Yeah, I do. Part of me envies them, getting to go through all of that from the beginning."
"Well, then, we'll just have to see if we can do something about reigniting that particular spark, eh?" The other Sheena looked up at him, her smile now breaking out in full, and Zelos kissed her cheek tenderly, his eyes soft. "Love you."
"Love you, too."
Without warning, Sophia hurried over to her parents, bear in hand, and lifted her arms, clearly detecting their love and affection and wanting in on the action. "Up?"
The girl's father chuckled, released his wife, and picked her up. "Of course, baby girl." He pressed a kiss to her cheek that made her giggle and then wrapped his other arm around the alternate Sheena again. "Love you, too, kiddo."
Sophia turned innocent yet expectant blue eyes to her mother—Sheena couldn't help noting that it looked identical to the pouting, puppy-dog look that Zelos had perfected when he wanted something, the one she was finding increasingly difficult to resist—and the alternate Sheena likewise chuckled and kissed her cheek. "Yes, sweetie, I love you, too. So, so much." Sophia giggled at that, then attempted to give them both a group hug. A moment later, though, the alternate Sheena pulled back a little and looked at Verius, who was watching them fondly. "Oh, and while I'm thinking of it, Verius, I have to thank you, too. It's been wonderful to see you again. I've really enjoyed your company this past week."
"You are welcome, Sheena," Verius replied. "It was delightful to spend time with such a dear friend again. My duties are demanding, but I will stop by and visit whenever I can."
The alternate Sheena lifted her hand to Sophia's face and brushed a stray lock of dark hair back behind her shoulder. "Sophia will love that."
The alternate Zelos sighed exaggeratedly. "Alas, in my attempt to be a good Samaritan and help, well, us, I've now been replaced by a summon spirit. I should've expected this."
His wife laughed and rested her hand on his arm. "Trust me, Zelos, I wouldn't trade you for the world." His eyes snapped to hers and he gave her a chaste but sweet kiss, the look in his eyes so soft, loving, and adoring that Sheena could feel her own heart flutter at it. If she was lucky, maybe one day her Zelos would look at her the same way this Zelos looked at his wife.
"No, but seriously, Verius, thanks for taking such good care of them this past week," the alternate Zelos said, looking back at him.
"It was the least I could do for you in return for what you were doing for me here," Verius replied.
Sophia suddenly bounced in her father's arms. "Go home now?"
He chuckled and kissed her forehead. "Yes, my wiggly little butterfly, we're going home now."
Verius bowed his head in understanding. "Then I will return you to your world."
Before he could, though, the alternate Zelos looked across the room at Sheena and 'her' Zelos, his face and voice growing serious—and sincere. "Hey, good luck to you both."
"Thanks," Zelos said with a smile.
"Take care of yourselves and your children," Sheena said.
"We will," her alternate said. "I hope one day you two get to experience what we have."
"Us, too," Sheena replied, blushing as she cast another knowing, happy look at her Zelos.
He returned her smile, then his gaze snapped back at their alternates. "Stay in touch. Hopefully one day we can send you guys some good news."
"If there is ever a message you wish to send between worlds, I would be happy to do so for you," Verius said.
So did that mean he would try to show up more often here, too? That would be wonderful. She really had missed Corrine all these years, and while Verius wasn't exactly Corrine, he was, too. He knew her as well as Corrine had—which was probably why his method of answering her wish had been so successful. He would never be Corrine again, but that was okay. Life moved on. Corrine would always live on in her heart. And thanks to the beautiful figurine Zelos had given her, she could see him whenever she wanted, too.
"Thanks, Verius," she said, pulling the figurine out of her pocket and grasping it tightly, reassured by its presence, before looking back at the happy family. "Maybe if we're lucky, we'll get to see you guys again one day, too."
"I hope so," the alternate Zelos said, but suddenly he gave them a pointed look, his eyebrows rising. "Just remember: you two are on your own now. I'm not gonna be here to chaperone you anymore. Keep in mind everything we've told you. And never forget that communication about everything, no matter how small or insignificant, is key."
"Yes, it is," his wife agreed. "We can't emphasize that enough. Even when it's hard or awkward, do it anyway. It'll prevent a lot of problems."
Sheena nodded curtly. She'd heard that enough now from them both to know it must be as important as they said, and she wouldn't let herself forget it. "Communicate. Got it."
"Yep, got it," Zelos agreed. "We'll work on that."
"Good," the alternate Zelos said, grinning. "You two will be fine."
"Yeah, I think they will be," his wife said.
"Then let's go home." He looked down at the precious little girl still bouncing in his arms. "Sophia, can you say goodbye?"
Sophia waved at them with the hand not clutching her teddy bear. "Bye-bye!"
Sheena took one last good look at the girl as she and Zelos returned her wave, wanting to etch that beautiful image—and the hope and promise that accompanied it—within her permanently, and then they were gone, engulfed in a flash of light. As sad as she was to see them go, though, it was time. They had their own life to get back to, and now she and Zelos had their own new life to figure out. It wouldn't figure out itself, after all.
...And then it hit her. They were really gone. She and Zelos were now alone, for the first time in a week; as the other Zelos had said, they were on their own now, with no one there to supervise them. Only they could make this relationship work. She was excited to see where this new path in life might lead her, but she was also nervous because there truly wasn't anyone there anymore to walk them through the misunderstandings they might still face. And that meant, if they wanted this 'thing' between them to last, then they had to be careful with it, treat it with the respect and consideration it deserved, and do it right.
To her side, Zelos suddenly cleared his throat, pulled his hand from hers—Sheena blushed, realizing she'd completely forgotten she'd still been holding it—and then rubbed his neck, giving her a sheepish smile that echoed the nervousness she, too, currently felt, uncertain as to what their next step was. "Well, that was...awkward," he said.
Sheena nodded. "Yeah, it was. This past week has felt like a...like a surreal dream."
"No kidding," he mumbled.
"Looking at yourself like that, talking to yourself like that, someone the same and yet so different from you, having lived such a different life...it's a strange feeling."
He smiled faintly. "Now you know how I've felt ever since my alternate showed up here."
"Yeah, I guess so."
She hadn't realized until the other 'her' had arrived just how strange it must have been for Zelos to be holding conversations like that with, well, himself. But that was over and done with now, and it likely wouldn't be happening again anytime soon. At the moment, after all, she had no need to make another wish tag.
They fell silent for a moment, both lost in thought, with Zelos casting an occasional uncertain glance at her before looking back down at his hands. Every time he did, Sheena noted, his smile fell a little further. "What is it?" she finally asked.
His eyes lifted back to hers, once again reflecting definite—and alarming—guardedness. "So, uh," he began, his gaze falling from hers as he ran a thumb over his thigh, "now that they're gone and we won't have any more meddling, and with them went the one person you were trying to make happy by agreeing to give me a chance...you gonna change your mind about, y'know, us?"
Sheena's heart broke as his eyes met hers again. He truly was still fighting with his own demons and doubts, wasn't he? He wanted this, but he was afraid for it to actually happen. It was a feeling she knew well. And just like that, something his alternate had said to her not long ago floated back into her mind.
*~0~*
"Zelos, can I come in?" she had asked, knocking lightly on the door frame to her bedroom. Hearing him utter a muffled response to the affirmative, she had tentatively stepped inside, immediately averting her eyes as she'd realized he had already started changing into the clothes his wife had brought him. "S...sorry. I...I didn't mean to..."
"Don't worry about it," he'd quickly replied, grinning as he finished pulling his black shirt over his head and tossing it on her bed. "You saw a lot more than this when I first showed up here."
She'd blushed deeply, her eyes drifting back to his exposed chest, a flush warming her body at the reminder of how muscular and gorgeous the man was wearing no shirt, but then she cleared her throat and forced herself to look away. Even then, though, the memory of that rather attractive sight had remained with her until, from the corner of her eye, she'd seen him put on a new shirt. At that point she'd felt it safe to look at him again while he changed his pants, seeing as his lower body was safely hidden from her view behind her dresser.
Naturally, the idiot had smirked knowingly, clearly catching her lingering blush—and likely, knowing him and how well he knew her, the reason behind it. "So what's up?"
"Oh. I, ah..." Before she'd been able to gather her thoughts, though, she'd been distracted yet again as he'd stepped fully into her view and her eyes had fallen on his new attire. They were ninja clothes, primarily blue and black yet with a number of lighter accents to balance the darker colors, such as his trademark pink and white colors and even a trace of the light purple she always wore, all woven together in a way that gave it a unique yet appealing—and surprisingly appropriate for him—style. In fact, the outfit looked shockingly good on him. "Wow. That really suits you. I didn't expect you'd look right in anything ninja-esque, but obviously I was wrong."
He'd grinned and lifted his arms, spinning around proudly to show off his outfit. "I do look good, don't I? And the best part is these clothes are extremely comfortable and flexible. I have you to thank for that. Well, my you, anyway, since my wife designed and made them for me. It's always weird now not wearing these for any extended period of time."
Sheena hadn't been able to resist staring at him a moment. Never had she imagined seeing Zelos wearing ninja clothes, but at that moment she'd wanted to sear the image into her brain because, well, he truly did look good like that. A lot of love had obviously gone into making this for him. And the best part was that, if things worked out with her Zelos, she might one day be able to make him something like this, too. Heck, if this Zelos liked them so much, which his proud expression indicated he did, then maybe her Zelos would, too...a thought that had made her blush deepen.
"Sheena?" he'd pressed, arching an eyebrow at her.
"Oh, um, sorry." She'd coughed, trying to cover over her distraction—and how red she'd known her face had to be at being caught staring at him like that. Zelos had chuckled, although the moment she'd shot him a dismayingly weak warning glare, he'd lifted his hands, telling her he wouldn't tease her about it.
But at that moment, she'd found her mind blanking about all the things she'd wanted to say to him before he left, and before she could remember any of them, he'd cleared his throat. "So anyway, I heard your date last night went well."
Fortunately, that had been one of the things on her list to talk to him about, so Sheena had gone with it. She'd nodded, a smile tugging on her lips as the memories of the previous night's events had come rushing back to her. They really had had a lovely time. Despite how hard it had been to tell 'her' Zelos everything she had, she'd been pleased that she'd been able to—and she'd been pleased by how he'd taken it. "Yeah, it did. It went really well." But her smile had faded as that had brought her to something else she'd needed to talk to him about. "I'm still a bit concerned about him, though."
His eyes had narrowed. "Why's that?"
"Well, even this morning, he just seems so subdued," she'd replied, folding her arms to her chest, her heart sinking. It had been bothering her all morning. She'd seen hints of the happy, flirty, over-the-top Zelos Wilder she was used to, but he still seemed dishearteningly cautious around her—and scared. Ever since then, it had been feeding her doubts. "It's unnerving, actually. I'm not sure he's entirely happy about all of this yet."
Zelos, though, had immediately waved that off. "Oh, don't worry. He is. I talked to him last night after you went to bed, and he really is happy. But I do understand why he's not his normal, perky self yet, either." His face had grown somber. "No matter what you two might have talked about and ultimately decided to do, he's still afraid of waking up to realize this is just a fantasy and then, once he's realized it's not, of wrecking it. Trust me about that. He also still feels incredibly guilty over everything he did to you. And the fact of the matter is, he will continue to feel like that for awhile. It took me months to come to terms with the fact that I had a second chance with you, and I sure as hell didn't want to mess it up. It added quite a bit of stress to my life for awhile, and sometimes I had trouble hiding my doubts about myself and our relationship from my Sheena."
His face had softened a bit. "Eventually, though, he'll realize you're serious about him and that you aren't going anywhere and he'll feel more comfortable around you. Don't forget, he's still learning how to operate with the walls down around someone else, let alone with someone he cares about as much as he does you. Being himself like this is new for him. It was hard for me to adjust, and it will be for him, too. Sometimes he'll be able to do it, and other times you might see him falter—not intentionally, but he will. There's nothing you can do to fix that except be patient with him while he works through all of this, be understanding of what he's going through, be there for him, don't hold the past or any relapses he might experience against him, and help him work through his self-esteem issues, because believe me, there are plenty of those. But my Sheena was always there for me, and that encouraged me to keep trying. I have no doubt the same will happen for you so long as you make it clear to him you won't leave him. There's no one better capable of encouraging him like that than you, because I know you, Sheena: you understand guilt and what it can lead a person to say and do. Just trust me when I say any weird behavior you see from him isn't because he doesn't want you in his life. Give him time, give him your patience, and next you know, he'll be back to being his usual, obnoxious self, doing stupid things to make you smile and laugh and smack him." His eyebrows had risen. "Okay?"
Sheena had relaxed and given him a smile and nod. She really didn't have any reason to doubt him about that, did she? If anyone knew what Zelos was thinking, it would be an alternate version of himself. She just had to trust him and do as he'd instructed. "Okay."
Zelos had returned her smile. "Like I said, this is new for him, lowering his walls and being his real self with you. Keep poking at him, and eventually the rest of his walls will come crumbling down, and next he knows, acting like his real self will come naturally to him. Who knows? One day you might even see him get flustered when he's around other people and suddenly doesn't remember how to be the Idiot Chosen anymore."
She had to admit, that made sense. In fact, she could relate since she sometimes struggled to be her real self around others, too. "I guess in some ways I'm the same. I never let anyone see behind my walls, either; I always try to project an image of control and strength to everyone around me. I kept him at a distance for a long time, never acknowledging or admitting my own feelings for him, not just to him, but to myself. And you're right, it isn't easy letting down those defenses and accepting the truth behind them."
"You've come a long way already, Sheena," he'd replied. "I was impressed. Only a few days ago you had trouble admitting you once had a crush on me. Now you're involved in a relationship with him in a way I don't think you ever thought possible. And that's because you realized what you wanted and what you had to do to get it, and you did it—you forced yourself to overcome your pride and your inhibitions and lower your walls, not just with me, but with him."
She had, hadn't she? She supposed that was huge progress for her. But that definitely hadn't happened overnight. That had taken an awful lot of soul searching, not to mention observations of this man to see who he really was, and then to correlate those realizations with 'her' Zelos Wilder. "Believe me, it was hard. I didn't want to do it, reexamine my life and my preconceived notions and realize I'd made a mistake. My pride didn't want me to do that. But I kept thinking about what you said, that unless I took a chance, nothing would ever change, and I knew if that happened, Mizuho would suffer for it...and so would I. And the bottom line is that I want what you and your wife have, Zelos: the love, the companionship, the friendship...your amazing, beautiful daughter. Once I realized that, it made me more willing to take the chances and sacrifices necessary to get it."
His smile had broadened as he motioned at the main room. "And in the process you're drastically improving the life of someone else along with your own."
Glancing in the indicated direction, Sheena had seen 'her' Zelos around the corner, talking to her alternate and the precious little girl who was now holding up a teddy bear toward him. The amazement and hope in his eyes as he looked down at her warmed her heart, making her feel giddy. "He deserves happiness, too."
"Make sure you tell him that, because right now I doubt he thinks so," Zelos had replied, giving her a pointed look. "But that, too, will eventually change so long as you keep reminding him that he's not the waste of space he thinks he is. It worked for me; there's no feeling more powerful than knowing I'm truly valued and loved and that you trust me and see the good in me even when I don't see it in myself." Without warning, though, his face had grown somber. "Just don't be surprised if, before he reaches that point, he tries to run again. He doesn't want to, he doesn't mean to, but that doesn't mean the demons haunting him won't occasionally get the better of him. I can't emphasize this enough, though: don't let him run away again. Do whatever it takes to keep him coming back to you. Make sure he knows you won't let him go without a fight and that it would hurt you if he left, and eventually he'll stop. And that applies to you, too: don't run when you mess something up—because you will. Running away truly doesn't solve anything. Issues don't just magically go away because you're physically apart; you need to work through them, together, if you want this to last. My wife and I have both found that. We know it, we still run anyway sometimes, and every time we do, no good comes from it, and we always tell ourselves the next time it'll be different. And sometimes it is; it's taking time, but we are getting better about it. Dealing with issues head-on before they get too bad really is the best approach. We may not be pros at it yet, but we refuse to stop trying."
"That goes back to that 'communicate' directive you gave us earlier, doesn't it?" Sheena had said, giving him a small smile.
He'd grinned. "Exactly. You may fail a couple hundred times, but you will eventually get where you want to be. And if there's one thing I know about you, Sheena, it's that you're stubborn and persistent, which can be a danger and a weakness, but it can also be a blessing and a strength if used right. It could push you two apart, or it could bring you two closer together. Use it wisely."
She couldn't deny his assessment of her. She'd always known it, even if she'd done her best not to acknowledge it. But regardless, it was good to have someone who knew her as well as he did point that out to her. In a way it made it more real and, therefore, something she had to pay closer attention to. She'd swallowed and nodded. "I'll try."
Zelos had observed her a moment, his face softening. "You guys will be fine. Believe in yourselves. Look how far you've already come, and you're just getting started. It may be a bit awkward now between you two—because it sure was for us at first, making that switch from friends to lovers—but you'll eventually get used to it, and then next you know, the world around you will look that much brighter."
Sheena had felt herself tearing up. Hearing him express such certainty and faith in her, in them, was amazing and inspiring. And suddenly she hadn't wanted him to leave. She knew she couldn't stop him, she knew she shouldn't stop him, but she was going to miss him terribly—something she never would have believed possible only a week ago. It made her all the more eager to help her Zelos find this man buried within him and lure him out, because Jizou knew how much she wanted him with her all the time. But that would clearly take time and patience, and so for the moment she had done all she could: she'd walked over to him, thrown her arms around him, and hugged him to her tightly.
He'd briefly stiffened, surprised by her sudden action, but even her embarrassment couldn't convince her to release him, and a moment later his arms had wrapped around her in return. "Hey, what's this now?"
"Zelos, thank you," she'd murmured, burying her face against his chest.
His voice had dropped to a whisper. "Sheena..."
But she hadn't let him finished. She'd needed to say this first. "Thank you so much. For everything. I'm sorry for taking you away from your family for so long, but...thank you for agreeing to it. Thank you for helping me see the truth that's always been there in my heart. Thank you for helping me rediscover myself, who I really am and what I really want. Thank you for pushing me to see the real you and making it impossible for me to deny it any longer. Thank you for not giving up on me, on us. Thank you for all of your advice and encouragement. Thank you for...for wanting us to find the same happiness you and your wife have. No one has ever done anything like that for me, and you didn't have to do any of it, but you did it anyway, and...thank you."
"Heh." She'd felt his arms tighten around her. "You're welcome, Sheena. I know you weren't happy about some of the choices I made, like getting him involved in this at all, and I don't blame you for that. But you trusted me enough to see it through, and I thank you for that. I really do want you two to find what we have. I may not be able to guarantee that's what's in your future, but my gut is telling me you will make this work. We did, despite the odds, and so can you two."
Sheena had pulled away, brushed the tears from her eyes, took a deep breath, and gave him the warmest, most sincerely happy and hopeful smile she could. "I believe you."
Zelos had returned her smile just as warmly and hopefully, then he'd pressed a quick kiss to her cheek. "Now c'mon, let's get back out there before our significant others start questioning what we're up to in here."
*~0~*
"...you gonna change your mind about, y'know, us?"
"Don't let him run away again," the other Zelos had instructed her.
And so Sheena did what she had to do to prevent that from happening: she gave Zelos a warm smile, curled her fingers around the nape of his neck, drew his unresisting head down to hers, closed her eyes, and kissed him, as sweetly, meaningfully, and sincerely as she could, hoping and praying that he could feel her hope and resolve and bliss at kissing him and caught her meaning: that she would fight for him, for them, tooth and nail, so they could achieve the future they both wanted. And when she finally pulled back, releasing him to make his decision about whether to keep running or to stay and fight for that future with her, she could see the kiss had had the intended effect, reflected in the amazement and renewed hope in his eyes as he looked at her.
"Does that answer your question?" she whispered, arching an eyebrow at him, her lips tugging upward in a smile.
And slowly, beautifully, enchantingly, a smile crept onto his lips, his eyes and voice softening. "Yeah. That's pretty clear."
Sheena let her smile broaden for a moment, blushing as they continued watching each other, but then she gave him a pointed look. She needed him to know this. "Look, I appreciate what you're doing by asking me that, Zelos, but you don't have to keep trying to give me 'outs' to this, these opportunities to change my mind. I'm not going anywhere. Really. I've made my decision, and I'm sticking with it. Like I said, I want what they have, and this is the only chance we have to get it: by trying, by not giving up and running away when something may feel awkward because of its newness or because it doesn't come as easily or as naturally to us as we'd like. And that means you're stuck with me now. Okay?"
Thankfully, his smile, which had faded when she'd given him that look, quickly returned—and he truly seemed to mean it. "Okay. Thanks." The smile turned into a smirk. "Have I mentioned yet how much I love seeing you so confident and self-assured like this? It's so different from how indecisive you used to be. In fact, it's a gigantic turn-on, actually."
...Naturally, now that she'd directly addressed—and hopefully alleviated—that concern, he was going to start acting stupid, just as his alternate had predicted. And the thing was, if Zelos's goal in making comments like that really was to get her to smile and laugh, then it worked, because Sheena couldn't help laughing shyly, her gaze falling to his Cruxis crystal. "I've learned a lot this past week about love, forgiveness, trust, hope, and keeping an open mind when it comes to how little I really do know about other people, how little I know about about myself...and how little I about you and the man you really are. And you know where all that knowledge has led me?"
"Where?"
"Straight to this very moment with you, Zelos. Only to you." She lifted her eyes to his and held his amazed gaze. "Yes, I'm sure about this, about us."
That time he was the one who, without any warning, pulled her to him and kissed her, sending delicious warmth and tingles of excitement through her body, and then he hugged her to him tightly. She closed her eyes, her hands gripping his arms, feeling his heart beating faster beneath her own, proof that he was just as excited and hopeful about this as she was—and that hopefully she had now dispelled some of his doubts, too. Maybe not all of them yet, but getting rid of even a few was the best—and the only—place to start.
"Thank you, Sheena," he whispered to her. "Thank you."
As she pulled back so she could see him, the love and gratitude brightening his oft-guarded blue eyes, she knew the truth: she loved him, this idiotic, perverted, frustrating, haunted, beautiful, incredible man. She might not be ready to say those words aloud yet, because it was still way too soon to do so and because she didn't want him to feel pressured to declare his own feelings for her yet when this was just as new for him as it was for her, but deep in her heart she knew she did. She had no doubts or regrets about that. And the thing was, it felt good. It felt amazing, actually, loving a man who she knew either did already or soon would love her back. Sheena suddenly wanted to hold onto this moment, to this incredible feeling, as long as she could. And for another long moment, the two just observed each other, both smiling softly yet excitedly. Sheena could feel herself blushing, but she really didn't care, and instead she made a point not to look away from him. If it would help him feel more comfortable with her, then she would do it, even if it was awkward for her. And she had no doubt that, in time, she would get used to it; right now it was just so new that it would take time to adjust to it.
Without warning, though, Zelos suddenly smirked in a way reminiscent of the old Zelos she'd always known. "Don't smack me for this, but you have to admit...we really do make cute kids together."
...Yep, and there was yet another dumb comment. She gave him a mild glare, which only resulted in his smirk broadening, but surprising even herself, she didn't smack him for it. In fact, a huge part of her was actually relieved to hear him cracking another joke since it meant he truly was starting to relax with her. Besides, now that she could see his stupid act for what it really was, she decided she would give him what he wanted.
Sheena laughed shyly and lifted her hand to his chest, tracing the edge of his Cruxis crystal with her finger. "That little girl really was beautiful, wasn't she?"
"Yeah, she was," he replied, his smirk softening. "She was the most precious little girl I've ever seen. Maybe one day she could be ours."
"I hope so." Oh, did she hope so, with a longing that stunned even her.
Zelos reached up and gently grabbed her hand where it still lingered on his chest. "You were good with her," he murmured. "That was nice of you to give her your ribbon." The smirk returned. "And it's an added bonus for me because I've always loved seeing you with your hair down like this."
Instantly, her blush returned. She couldn't help it, especially given the softness in his eyes as he looked at her. It still astounded her that he liked any part of her looks beyond her chest, but she wouldn't argue that anymore. After all, arguing pointless things had caused them too many problems already. She chuckled softly and looked down at their joined hands. "Heh. Honestly, it was time to let that thing go anyway."
A glance upward showed that his eyes had narrowed. "What do you mean?"
Normally Sheena wouldn't dream of telling anyone this because, well, it was simply no one else's business, but their alternates had just instructed them to communicate with each other, even about the smallest of details like this, and so she would. Besides, this was, in a sense, his business too now that they were a 'couple.' "Orochi gave me that ribbon for our wedding. I've worn it every day since his death, as a reminder of him and everything that happened with him and as a warning not to make the same mistakes again." Her eyes lifted back to his. "But I refuse to let mementos like that tie me to the past anymore. I'm ready to move into the future, not keep looking behind me. This was the perfect opportunity to let that go. They don't need to know what it meant to me, Sophia has a new accessory for her bear, and I'll never have to be weighted down by it again." She nodded curtly to herself. "It was time. And it felt...it felt really good."
Zelos didn't immediately reply; instead he just watched her, his eyes and smile so soft and loving that she knew what he was thinking even without him voicing it aloud: Good for you. And after a moment, he cleared his throat. "So, Sophia, huh?"
"It's a pretty name," Sheena said. "Your alternate said the other 'me' chose her name, and yet it isn't one I'd ever considered giving my child before." To her surprise, Zelos let out a soft, almost incredulous laugh and looked away from her, and her eyes narrowed. "What? What do you know that I don't?"
His gaze snapped back to hers, and he nodded, thankfully choosing to answer that. "Sophia was...it was my grandmother's name." ...Wait, really? Her eyes widened. She'd had no idea. "I never knew her since she died before I was born, but I've heard plenty of stories about her, and...well, she still touched my life in many ways. Some of her friends, the Pericheks, looked out for me when I was growing up—they're the ones responsible for keeping me from becoming as bitter and cynical as my father was. Anyway, my grandmother hated being the Chosen as much as I did and wanted to be rid of the title, for her own sake and for her family's sake, and...well, it inspired me to start looking for ways to do away with it for good, some of which were obviously better than others."
Sheena's heart melted. Oh, Zelos. It suddenly made sense why she'd picked that name for their daughter: because it had special meaning for him and his family, especially now that he—and every child born in his family from that point on—was free from those obligations he'd hated so much. "I wish I could've met her. Someday I want to hear more about her."
He shrugged. "The Pericheks could tell you more than I can since they were good friends most of her life. Maybe someday I can introduce you to them."
She smiled. "I'd like that."
They both fell silent again—ever since last night, they'd been regularly running into these awkward quiet moments, probably, Sheena figured, because they were both still trying to find their feet with this new relationship—until suddenly Zelos cleared his throat and looked around the living room. "So this is your place, huh?"
The realization hit her. "Oh, right, you've never been here before, have you?"
Zelos shook his head, his face growing somber. "No, but that's my fault."
Uh uh, there was no way she was letting him believe he alone was responsible for that. She'd said this before, and she would keep saying it until he got the message: they were both responsible for what had happened. "And mine, seeing as I never invited you here after the villagers gave me this place, even before...well, you know." He eyed her a moment but then nodded. "Whatever the case, it doesn't matter anymore, so how 'bout I show you around now?"
Thankfully, his smile quickly returned. "Sounds good."
Good. No further arguments from him. "And while I'm at it, I might as well show you around Mizuho, too. Things have changed quite a bit since you were last here."
He nodded, but his head sank downward, his face falling along with it. "Yeah, I heard about how many of your people died here because of that poisoning."
Her throat tightened. Even after all these years, any mention of that horrible day still had the power to make her want to break down crying and cursing fate for what it had done to her village. "It was...it was pretty bad. Still is, actually. Mizuho is nearly a ghost town now. I doubt you'll recognize it anymore. We're...we're really hurting."
Zelos watched her carefully a moment, his eyes soft and empathetic, but then he cleared his throat. "Sheena, if you and your people need help, tell me. There has to be something I can do. I should've been here for you then already, but—"
"—But the past is the past, and this is now," Sheena cut him off. She didn't want him to feel guilty about that, not when nothing they did now could change what had happened. What he did from this point forward said far more about him than looking back and wondering what might have been because those had been unusual circumstances. "And yes, we could really use your help. The other 'you' helped us out quite a bit this past week, but there's still a lot left we need to do if we hope to make it through the winter without having to leave for good."
"Name it," he said, his blue eyes radiating surprising intensity. "If I don't know how to do something, I'll learn."
Oh, Jizou. Sheena swallowed hard, tearing up at that. She was trying very hard not to let those tears fall, but that still didn't stop her from asking, with more hopefulness than she wanted to feel until she was certain she wasn't just imagining this, "Really?"
Zelos gave her a faint, sad, but undeniably sincere smile. "Really. It's the least I can do for you for not being here when it happened...for cutting myself off when you needed a friend most. Whatever you need, Sheena, say the word and I'll do it: chopping firewood, planting crops, buying supplies...I'll do anything. Hell, I'll even donate my entire estate to it, if it'll help. And even if this relationship goes nowhere, I'll still help. Your village is important to you, and I can't sit back and do nothing, not if there's something I could be doing instead."
And there, finally, was the last piece of her wish: someone to help Mizuho. While she would never ask him to donate the entire Chosen's estate to helping the village recover, and while he had yet to prove himself capable of following through on his promises, ultimately he had already proven himself through the actions of his alternate, who had shown this past week how devoted to Mizuho he was capable of being. If his alternate had made this village his home and loved it dearly, then so could this man. For as differently as their lives had played out, they truly were the same man; if the other Zelos could be exactly what she'd needed, then so could this one. She had to have faith in this version of him, give him a chance to prove himself, and let him help her. And so she would.
Once again she felt herself on the verge of bursting into happy, relieved tears, but still not comfortable doing that in front of this 'him' yet, she instead succumbed to her other impulse: she threw herself at him and hugged him to her again tightly, hoping that could convey the depths of her relief and gratitude. It was still a strange feeling to be letting herself accept another's help, because her pride was still convinced she could do it all on her own, but the reality was that she couldn't handle everything in Mizuho by herself, and so rejecting his offer when she needed it most, just to save face, would be stupid. Besides, Tiga would never forgive her for turning away their best chance at survival; he had, after all, made it clear he was counting on her to find a suitable spouse to help them rebuild Mizuho. Maybe he'd be more open to letting her bring Lloyd and the others in again, too, now that an 'outsider' knew the truth about this place, even if it meant admitting how badly she'd lied to them about what had happened here. And really, who was better equipped to help them than Zelos, a powerful, influential, more-than-capable man?
"Thank you," she murmured against his chest, her heart soaring as he wrapped his arms around her in return.
She could feel his lips tug upward in a smile where they were pressed against her forehead. When she finally pulled back, she was amazed and encouraged by the look of love and longing on his face. "Don't be afraid to ask for help, Sheena, okay? No matter what it is you need. I want to help you."
"I won't."
And she meant that. Whatever it took, she would suppress her pride if it meant helping Mizuho. She had started doing so already when she'd made that wish tag, seeking outside help in fixing her problems—although she hadn't expected anyone would ever find out about that. This past week, though, had proven that sacrifices often had to be made to achieve change, and it had proven she was capable of doing so without incurring lasting negative repercussions. She couldn't say for certain her pride would never get in the way again, but she now knew how to overcome it, and she knew she could do it. It had worked now, and it would work again then. She would make sure of that.
Clearing her throat, she motioned at her living room. "Anyway, how 'bout I show you around here first, then I'll introduce you to the remaining villagers? I've already asked Tiga to make sure there won't be any more threats against your life."
Zelos chuckled. "Well, I'm glad to hear that. I'd really rather not die now that things have finally started looking up for me."
Oh, good, so he really was looking forward to the future now, even if guilt and uncertainty still lingered within him, wasn't he? Sheena was going to do everything she could to help that optimism become stronger than those negative emotions still holding him back. "You won't. I promise. And then, once we've done that, it should be just about time for lunch, so...maybe you'd like to stay? I'd be happy to make whatever you'd like."
His eyebrows rose, a hopeful smile appearing on his lips. "You have any nice spots near Mizuho where we could have a picnic?"
Sheena returned his smile. She liked that idea. "I think I can come up with something." And then, just because she could, and just because she wanted to, and just because she was so grateful to him, to his alternate, to Verius, and to everyone else who had helped her take this massive, important, at times painful step forward into this next promising, hopeful phase in her life, she kissed him again, and then again, and then again, safe in the knowledge that while they still had a lot of work left to do, for the first time in a very long time everything truly was going to be okay again.
0~*~0
(Concluded in the Epilogue: The Soulmate)
