It was two days later, when Sheena and Sen entered Sybak, where the Professor now lived with her husband and two children. The boat ride took longer than Sheena wanted, but Sen enjoyed every minute of it. He actually refused to get off the boat at first, proclaiming that he wanted to be a sea captain now, but she was able to convince him that becoming the chief of Mizuho after her was far more important and better than being a sea captain.
In Sybak now, the sun was already setting. A few flurries fell here and there, most of them melting upon hitting the ground. Many people were in the streets, going about their business.
"Are you cold?" Sheena asked the boy who was sticking out his tongue, trying to catch the snowflakes.
"No," he said, still concentrating on catching the snow.
Sheena pulled him closer to her just before he collided with a passer-by.
"Sen, you have to pay attention on where you're going," she said. But he just ignored her and asked, "Are we at Auntie Raine's yet?"
"Hai, Hai." She rolled her eyes and let out a sigh.
After about ten minutes they came in front of the Professor's door. It was a two story stone house, close to the University at which she taught.
"Finally," Sheena said in relief. She was exhausted and knew it was time for both her and Sen to rest. She knocked on the light blue door, and expected it to be opened, but it wasn't. She knocked again, but still no answer. Finally she gave up after the third knock.
"Well, should I pick-lock it?" she thought. Deciding it would be rude, she grabbed Sen's hand and turned away.
"Mom, I'm tiwed now," he softly said, his feet scraping across the cobble-stone streets.
"I know, but Raine isn't home. We're just going to wait for her."
Sen pouted but didn't say anything more, as he obediently sat on the bench that Sheena found.
Together they sat, leaning against the back of the bench. After a time, Sen rested his head against her arm, and Sheena took that same arm and pulled him close to her side, hoping to keep him warm.
Not even a half an hour later did she hear Raine's collected voice.
"Sheena? Is that you?" she asked.
Her voice startled the pregnant ninja, causing her to jump a bit. Sen, who was just sleeping a moment ago, shifted and grumbled.
Turning her head, she saw the silver-haired half-elf approaching her from the side. She was smartly clothed in a heavy dark green robe and had a satchel heavy with books slung over her shoulder.
"Ah, that is you," she smiled. "Why, are you-" her voice stopped, just as Zelos's did, upon perceiving her unusually large stomach and the sleeping child.
"Well, this is mysterious," she said, shocked.
Sheena silently nodded, as she stood up when Raine came closer. A wave of lightheadedness hit her, causing her to clutch her head with a hand and her body to sway. Raine quickly responded by rushing the short distance between the two and wrapping a reassuring arm around her, steadying the heavily pregnant woman.
"Careful. Are you okay?" Raine asked, concerned.
"Hai." The lightheadedness had passed, and now Sheena was looking gratefully at Raine, who was at that moment staring at the sleepy boy on the bench. "Sorry."
"No, that's okay," Raine responded absent-mindedly, before looking back at Sheena. "Here, let's go inside. I think you have much to tell me."
Raine still kept a hand on Sheena's back, and Sheena grabbed Sen's hand and prompted him off the bench. Once they were inside, Raine had Sheena put Sen on the bed in the guest room, which was on the second floor. When the pregnant ninja returned to the ground floor, she immediately sank into the couch. Raine, who was now relieved of her satchel and her outer robe, joined her in the small living room, deciding to take one of the armchairs by the couch.
"Where's Emery and the twins?" Sheena asked, taking notice of the quiet and empty house.
"Oh, my husband decided to take Orion and Kyrie to Palmacosta with him," the Professor answered in her collected manner, while straightening her shirt. "They won't be back for another two days." Now she turned her gaze towards her friend, studying her with curiosity. "But more importantly, what are you doing pregnant and with a boy who seems to have your looks?"
Sheena began to fidget with her own clothes, and Raine could clearly see the exhaustion etched on her face. "That's why I came to you Raine. I hoped you'll be able to explain to me what is going on." Sheena took a moment to think before continuing. "So I'm not amnesic or crazy or anything?" she asked, her gaze fixated on the ground.
"I just saw you three weeks ago, Sheena," she replied, feeling sorry for the young woman, but also feeling quite taken with her mystery. "You were not pregnant then. You were not even married or in a relationship. I don't understand how you are so far along."
"I don't either," Sheena sighed. She leaned forward and held her face in her hands, her elbows rested on her knees. "I was really hoping you'd have some answers."
"Sheena, can you tell me what you know?" Raine asked in a concerned tone.
The ninja peered at the older woman through the fingers that were on either side of her eye. "I really don't know that much."
"Well, I gathered that." The half-elf scooted closer to the edge of her seat. "From what I can tell, you have no idea where these children came from, that part's obvious. The boy is yours I'm assuming."
"Yes, apparently," Sheena murmured. "If his appearance wasn't a big enough clue, he always calls me his mother, and he is very…attached to me."
"Interesting." Raine said thoughtfully. "Anyway, I can also tell that they came to you recently. It had to be in the last three weeks, and so far everybody that you've met doesn't know about your children either."
"Yes."
"When did this all begin?"
Sheena sighed again, and sat back against the cushions of the couch, crossing her arms. "It was about four days ago. I woke up in the middle of a forest, about three-fourths of a day's walk from Meltokio, though it took me much longer to get there, even with the cart ride I had. And, well, when I woke up, I found out that I had a stomach…umm, this area this size, and Sen, the boy, was lying next to me."
"Do you know why you were in the forest?" Raine inquired; she was brimming with even more curiosity then before.
"No. From what I remember, I was doing paperwork in Mizuho just earlier in the night."
"Did you notice anything wrong back at Mizuho? Anything out of the ordinary?"
"No, everything was just fine. At least I think so. Tchh. I don't know."
"Hmmm," Raine sat, mulling over what Sheena had said so far. Breaking out of thought, she asked, "Can you tell me what happened after you woke up in the forest?"
"I started traveling to Meltokio, right after the sun began to rise. And I arrived at Zelos's mansion after midnight."
"Sheena!" Raine exclaimed, startling the tired woman. "You really made that whole journey in one day? While you are this pregnant?"
"Yes," Sheena quickly replied, still calming down after being so badly startled.
"Do you know how crazy that was? You could have hurt yourself and the baby! It's a miracle you are both okay!"
"Well, I wasn't quite in my right mind then," she sheepishly answered. "I was very confused. Actually I'm still confused. I guess I just wasn't really thinking."
"I'd say," Raine said in a calmer voice than before. She brought a hand to her forehead and closed her eyes, a displeased expression on her face. "I'm just glad you are fine, and hopefully the child is. You are definitely going to get enough sleep here tonight," she said in a commanding tone, now looking back at Sheena. "Now, please continue with your story."
"Okay, well, I found out that Zelos didn't know anything either, so I decided to come to you next."
"And why didn't that ex-Chosen help you here?" Anger was creeping into her voice. "He shouldn't have let a so-far-along pregnant woman and small child travel by themselves, even if the woman is a ninja."
Sheena looked down at her lap in embarrassment. "I left without telling him."
"Sheena," she said, this time without the anger, "You keep being so risky. It's a phenomenon you are still alive after all these years." The half-elf shook her head at her friend. Raine then inquired, "Is there any other information I should know?"
"Uh, no," Sheena lied.
"I know you're lying," Raine stated, looking as calm and collected as ever. "Your reply came way too quickly, and a blush is forming on your face."
"Huh?" was her only response.
"Here, let me help you. For what other reason did you go to Zelos's, besides him being so close at the time?"
Sheena's blush deepened. "Does there have to be another reason?"
"Huh," sighed the Professor. "Sheena, I'm sure you are good at lying whenever you have to lie for your missions, but you have never been a good liar around the group. Now what was the reason?"
The ninja grumbled before responding, and she chose to look opposite of Raine, her cheeks reddening even more. "I think Zelos is the father," she muttered.
"What?" asked Raine, leaning closer to Sheena.
"You heard me, now I'm not saying it again," she exclaimed, scooting away from Raine.
Raine took this chance to sit next to her on the couch. "No, Sheena, I did not hear. Now repeat it."
Sheena leaned further away, keeping her face out of Raine's view. "I think Zelos is the father," she repeated, louder this time.
Raine finally leaned back. "That's interesting. Why do you think that?"
"Because Sen has eyes just like his, if you didn't see them."
"Sheena, this is important information. You shouldn't have kept it from me, even if it is embarrassing for you. You want me to help you don't you?"
"Hai," the ninja murmured, as she hung her head, and stared at the ground.
"I'm assuming you told Zelos about this while you were there," Raine stated.
"Yeah, he didn't like it at all."
"I don't imagine anyone would quickly and gladly accept information such as that," she softly said, laying a hand on Sheena's back. After a moment of silence, Raine asked, "Are you happy he is possibly…that he is…at least most likely the father?"
"Well, I don't know," she admitted, still looking at the ground. Sheena thought about her reaction to the ring and her thoughts from a couple days ago. "He's my friend, but he's perverted and is always flirting with other women. I honestly don't know how a marriage…" she paused for a moment, remembering that he may actually not be her husband, and continued, "or just a relationship…with him would work. He's also annoying. Sometimes I'm angry at the idea, but then sometimes I'm...," she trailed off.
"Do you love him, though?"
Sheena's head shot up, and she looked at Raine wide-eyed. "What!? Where did you get that idea?!" Her cheeks reddened again.
Raine shrugged, amused by her friend's reaction. "Oh, it's just a simple question. Anyway, I could just be asking if you love him as a friend."
"Somehow I don't think that's what you were referring to," Sheena muttered, calming down after Raine's sudden question.
"Do you, though? If you do, this whole situation could work out differently."
With a still red face, Sheena looked back to the ground. She placed a hand on her heart, hoping to slow its pacing. "What does it matter if I do or don't?"
"It would matter a lot. If you love him, this could work out in your favor," Raine explained. Seeing that Sheena was mulling over what to respond, the half-elf sighed and continued, "I don't even need to ask you whether you love him or not?"
Sheena looked back at Raine in surprise. "What?"
"Yes, as you know, I am an observant woman. Throughout the journey and since then at our group's sporadic gatherings, I have seen you steal looks at Zelos. I also saw you do that with Lloyd, but disregarding that, those stolen glances at him were always…tender, yes, tender."
The ninja was embarrassed. She had no idea that Raine suspected her feelings for the man, especially when they weren't even clear to her. She was constantly teased for having a crush on Lloyd, mainly by Genis and Zelos, but she never knew someone would actually suspect her feelings for her old friend.
Knowing she couldn't dissuade Raine and that any argument would be in vain, Sheena scoffed, "My feelings don't matter if he doesn't return them."
Raine smiled at her confession. "You will just have to find out what his feelings are by yourself. I don't exactly know what they are. That man is a bit harder to read." Noticing Sheena's downcast expression, Raine added, "But I do know that he cares for you as a friend."
Sheena silently nodded, grateful for her friend's reassuring words, and, again, her gaze found its place back onto the floor. She mused on the words Raine had said, but after feeling as though she dwelt on them long enough, she changed the subject.
"Hey, Raine? How bad is childbirth?"
Raine wanted the ninja to talk about her feelings for Zelos even more, so that the younger woman would be more consoled, but she decided to respect Sheena's decision to change subjects.
"Oh, it is extremely painful, especially with twins, not that I really remember," Raine answered, looking forward, her eyes brimming with the memories of hers, mainly remembering seeing her children for the first time. She turned her head and saw Sheena's now pale face looking at hers. "But it's worth it," she added, patting the ninja's back. "Once you hold your child, or in my case, children, after it's all over, you forget much of what happened. And the child, or children, are definitely worth it. You'll know once you have yours, but that's not going to be for a while still, judging by your size." She was now rubbing Sheena's back, trying to comfort her.
Seeing color return back to Sheena's face she asked, "Are you hungry? I know the perfect foods for you."
"No, I'm fine," the ninja very quickly responded. "Sen and I ate about an hour ago."
"You know I would feed you free food."
"Yes, but Sen was complaining so much I couldn't take it anymore." Sheena felt no need to add that she was also terrified of Raine's cooking.
"Why don't you go to bed as well," the half-elf suggested, knowing Sheena was drained and probably wanted to be alone to think. "You must be extremely tired. I will see what I can do to help you."
"But I'll feel bad if you're doing all the work, while I'm sleeping," Sheena said.
"Sheena, you need your rest, and I think you are in much need for help. You should not be doing this alone."
"Thank you," she gratefully said with a small smile. "Thank you so much." Tears were now beginning to form.
"Okay, no need to cry." Raine was now rubbing her back even more. "See, you have been without help for too long."
"Sorry," whispered Sheena, who was wiping her tears away before they fell.
"I got very emotional as well when I was pregnant." The older woman gave her a comforting smile. "Now, go get some rest." And she helped Sheena stand up.