When she had accepted the task of assassinating the Chosen of Sylvarant, Sheena had never imagined that it would spiral into something like this.

She was standing next to the tree line just in front of Altessa's house with most of her companions. Raine was still checking on the injured dwarf. And everyone was silent, mulling over the events of the night before.

"It's been a chaotic few days, hasn't it," she sighed.

"Certainly not boring, by any means," Regal responded. She mustered a weak smile, which he returned more strongly.

Genis spoke up. "So what are we going to do now that Yuan can't spy for us? He can't even get us a key crest anymore since his bases got compromised, plus he just took off without so much as a 'by your leave'…"

"Same thing as before, right?" Zelos placed his hands behind his head. "It doesn't change much. We still have the same goal."

Sheena nodded. "That's right. We need to make the key crest for Lloyd."

"But with Altessa like this, how are we to get it forged?" Presea questioned.

Sheena's fingers came up to her chin. "Good point. It's hard to track down a dwarf on the surface, and one who's not in cahoots with Cruxis."

Colette lifted her head. She had been awfully quiet since Yggdrasill had delivered his ultimatum. "What about Dirk?"

"You mean Lloyd's dad?" Zelos queried. Colette nodded. "That's right, he's a dwarf."

"Yeah!" chirped Genis. "If there's anyone else who could do it, I'm sure it's Dirk!"

"Then as soon as Altessa's stable, we'll pick up more inhibitor ore," Regal said.

"Can't we go straight away? He made the key crest I'm wearing, plus he made a bunch for the ex-prisoners from the Palmacostan and Iselian ranches; surely he's got enough…"

Zelos raised an eyebrow. "Inhibitor ore is pretty hard to come by. I'd be super surprised if he still had some on hand."

"Better safe than sorry," Sheena agreed. "I'm impatient, too, but we can't waste time running back and forth."

The front door of said dwarf's home opened and Raine walked through. Her shoulders were stooped, eyes dark with fatigue. Even as she approached them, a hand came up to rub her face. The woman had been up all night tending to him.

"Is Altessa… going to be all right?" asked Presea hesitantly. Raine exhaled.

"He's in a bad way. I managed to administer first aid, but he needs expert medical attention as soon as possible."

"I know a good doctor," Sheena volunteered. "We called him from Flanoir when our chief…" She flinched. "He's based in Flanoir."

"We'll fly over to fetch him, then," Genis decided.

Colette's forehead creased ever so slightly. "We still need to help Lloyd, though…"

"Ah…"

"Why don't we split up?" Zelos crossed his arms. "Some of us go to the mine, some of us grab the doc, and li'l Tabatha can look after him while the rest of us are gone. If Mithos comes back she can tell him what's up. Easy."

"Effective," Raine approved, "although I doubt Mithos will return, at least for now. I'll go to Flanoir. The doctor will want to know what we've already done for him."

"I want to help Altessa, too," Presea said.

"And since I'm the one who knows where the man lives, I'd better come," Sheena finished. She looked to the others. "You guys get the inhibitor ore?"

They gave their agreement firmly—except for Zelos, who shifted, oddly awkward, like he hadn't quite made up his mind.

"Zelos?"

His head jerked up. "I want to come with you."

Sheena raised an eyebrow. She knew how highly he regarded Lloyd and how much he wanted to help, though he hid it quite well. At least, well enough that she didn't think most of the members of their party had picked up on it.

"You just want to have fun with the ladies, don't you." Genis' voice was as flat as a Zelos pancake.

"Don't sell me out like this!" he wailed, pouting.

"Unbelievable."

Raine cut in tersely. "There isn't time for this."

Regal seconded her. "We'll meet back here when we're done, then."

"Hold on. The Flanoir group is going to take longer since they'll have to drop the doctor off afterwards. Besides, Flanoir is closer to the Otherworldly Gate. I think it's best we meet there; that way we can also restock our supplies."

Sheena dipped her head. "Okay. Flanoir it is." She sent a curt glance towards the flirt. "Zelos can come if he wants; I'll make sure he behaves."

"Oh, I'll behave for y—"

She slapped him and went inside to gather her things for the trip. The others followed, Zelos holding his flaming cheek.

A few minutes later, the wind was roaring past her ears. Loose strands of hair kept lashing at her face; she lamented forgetting to tie it back more securely. At least her woollen cloak kept her cosy: a thick barrier to the savage weather as they sped over Tethe'alla's airspace.

She glanced over her shoulder to see how the others were faring. Presea's eyes were clear and resolved. Raine was bent over her rheaird, head bowed. Sheena fell back a little to fly next to her and waved a free hand until the healer looked up.

You have to look where you're going, she signed, pointing forward. Palm facing up, she thrust two fingers into it, mimicking a crash. Raine's expression did not change, but she acquiesced. Sheena gave an inward sigh; with time, she knew the woman would recover from this low.

Sheena manoeuvred her vehicle to take up the front again. It was a good thing they were semi-automatic. Some people (Lloyd) got very distracted.

Like Zelos currently was.

Her face scrunched up. He'd been acting weird lately. Zelos was always… outspoken in a way that made others think he was an extrovert. But Sheena had been hanging around him for some ten years now and could confidently say that she knew him much better than the superficial girls he always tried to pick up. She could count on one hand the number of people who actually knew him and his reservations. Maybe on the other hand, now, with their new friends.

Still, he had taken cover behind his seductive veneer even before they had met. She was never confident as to whether she had glimpsed the real Zelos or not. It was only when he and Lloyd started rubbing off on each other that she grew more certain. She couldn't be a hundred per cent sure, but.

Zelos wanted to be trusted, and he wanted to be able to trust others.

That had been something Sheena couldn't ever have provided in the past. Not when she couldn't trust herself, nor the adults in Mizuho whom she had failed, from whom she couldn't expect any compassion. After Volt, she had lost faith.

And it had been Lloyd who had brought it back.

She didn't think she could rely on others as readily as he did. Why was it that his conviction was somehow enough to keep them all going?

What about her? Now that he wasn't with them, how would they keep going? Right now, they were motivated almost solely by the desire to get him back. It had forced them into action in the wake of their despair. But Sheena was beginning to see that they had depended on Lloyd for far too much and far too long.

It was extraordinary how he'd kept it up. The blood that coursed through his veins was just as red as hers.

It was time for everyone to step up. She didn't want Zelos to be alone, in spite of his purposeful provocations.

Sheena was going to believe in Zelos, just as Lloyd did.

Snow fell, white on white. Her breath condensed on the windowpane. Streetlights cast shadowed lines on the ground. People covered head to toe in insulating apparel ambled past, boots imprinting the ephemeral proof of their presence upon the Snowy City. Clusters of crystal frosted together. As she watched, a snowflake stuck to the glass, its bony limbs tiny against the hand pressed up beside it.

The snow was layering quickly. If she wanted to go outside, it would have to be soon, else she'd be shovelling sleet.

Sheena checked that she was dressed warmly enough before making her way to Zelos' accommodations. Her face went rosy as she recalled the innkeeper's assumption that they intended to bed together.

Lloyd was too dense for anyone to even consider it.

She walked faster, her neck now burning. Her heart pounded with a deep-seated fierceness she hadn't realised she possessed. Sheena had to stop and wait for it to return to normal before she dared to knock.

It was half a minute before the door opened. Zelos stared at her, a brow raised.

"Do you want to take a walk?" she blurted. "It's snowing…"

His expression was blank. Now that she thought about it a bit more, he'd not said much since Lloyd had been turned against them. Even less once they had arrived in Flanoir.

"I mean, it's late, and if you don't, it's fine, I'll just go," she babbled, starting to back away.

He grinned. "No, I'll come."

And so they found themselves overlooking the plaza from a simple balcony. Amid the murmuring laughter of couples snatching a few moments under the clouded moon, Sheena brushed away some of the snow and rubbed it between her fingers.

"I like winter," she began. Zelos stiffened in the corner of her eye. "I liked to build snowmen with Orochi and Kuchinawa, and sometimes Grandpa would join in. And then… after, how the snow seems to bury everything. White, so you can't see the dirt beneath."

Zelos wasn't looking directly at her. His eyes were on the snow she had disturbed. Streaks of white on the grey stone.

"Maybe part of it was because I thought if I wore enough layers, people wouldn't know it was me. Stupid childish thoughts, but…" She sighed.

"It's not stupid." His voice was low. "That's what everyone does."

She blinked at him. "Everyone?"

"You've seen it, haven't you? Colette hides behind fake cheerfulness, and behind Lloyd. He tries to keep himself pepped up for everyone else's sake." He met her gaze now. "And you hid behind an exterior of a cold-blooded assassin."

Zelos chuckled. "Though, it obviously didn't work."

She flushed. "How do you even know that?"

"Sheena, give me some credit. We've known each other a long time."

A huff escaped her. "More than I'd like. Fine, what about you?"

His eyes wandered back to the exposed stone, slowly being bleached again by the falling snowflakes.

"Why did you stay here?"

She frowned at him. What kind of a question was that? "Like I would leave you here by yourself."

"I can take care of myself," Zelos argued. "And that doc did not want to go with only two girls for protection."

"Just because you can, doesn't mean you should," she shot back. "Besides, Presea proved she was plenty strong enough." She smirked.

"Ah, my little rosebud! Veiled thorns."

Then they were silent again. She pulled down the beanie she was wearing, lavender to match her outfit."The best part about winter is when it's ending."

"Huh?"

"The snow lifts and you can see green poking up from the earth. All the bare trees that you thought were dead were just… sleeping. The cherry blossoms come out and you can spend forever just looking at their gorgeous petals." She smiled. "We'd spread out a rug and everyone in the village would picnic under their shade."

They were both quiet, imagining silky flowers carried by the wind, caught in their hair. "Sounds really nice," Zelos said.

On impulse, she asked, "Do you want to see it? After all this? That shade of pink would probably clash with your hair, though."

He laughed. "I look great in any colour! But it'd be cool to see, anyway."

"Then it's a date!" She realised what she had declared at the moment that Zelos' expression changed. "Argh, it's not! Everyone's coming, got it?!"

"Aw, come on."

"Nope, it's settled. And you wouldn't snub Lloyd."

"My bud's always welcome! And so are all the other hunnies! But not the others."

"You don't mean that," she giggled.

"Yes, I do!"

"You can be really irritating sometimes, and you're good at evading interrogations. But I know you too well, dummy."

Zelos gave a lopsided smile. "Is that so?"

"Yeah, that's right." She rolled her eyes. "So we'll kick Yggdrasill's butt for everything he's done. And then we'll all watch the cherry blossoms together."

"Kick his butt, huh."

"Why? You chickening out?"

"Me? Of course not."

"Good." It was then Sheena noticed that the snow was beginning to come down rather heavily. Zelos' long tresses fell over his shoulders; snow, fluffy like cotton, landed between the strands.

"White looks great on you," she stated unthinkingly.

His shoulders tensed. "I hate snow."

Sheena's heart sank. She had messed up. "I didn't… I didn't know. I'm sorry, I didn't…" A fist crushed the snow remaining on her glove. "But why did you come with us if you could have gone to Toize with the others? I could tell you wanted to."

"I didn't tell anyone, so don't get all in a kerfuffle about not knowing." He flicked a hand as if brushing off her concern. "I still hate snow. White."

Zelos smiled, a gentle one she'd only seen a handful of times on his face. "But I think… I can think of it the way you do. Spring will come, for sure." He glanced at her, and Sheena's breath left her.

"And… thanks for staying behind with me. Good night."

He patted her hand and strolled back to the inn. Her eyes followed him back as the red hair disappeared from her sight, and remained on the door.

Zelos' expression had been full of sorrow. Yet, somehow she knew he was happy.

As Sheena unfroze and returned to her bedroom, she pondered how that could be possible. Her head hit her pillow, and still the questions whirled. And all throughout, her hand was warm.

Only when she was almost asleep did she realise that he had never answered her question.

It was disconcerting to eat dinner when his body felt listless with the afternoon laze. No matter how much they had flown back and forth between the two worlds in the past months, Regal's body would not adjust to the sun's changing position. It was a miracle that his circadian clock had not been thrown completely out of whack.

"I got used to taking shifts for the watch," bemoaned Genis, "but is it even possible to get used to ignoring the sun? Don't answer that, I know that light exposure regulates melatonin production through a negative feedback loop."

Colette blinked, lost. "Um… Okay."

Regal chortled. "I'm told it's called 'jet lag'. It's best corrected by avoiding sleep until the sun goes down. Although that isn't possible with the way we've been jumping all over the worlds."

"Can't be helped, then." Genis blew a raspberry. "Ready to go?"

"No, not quite yet. Perhaps a few more minutes to digest our meal."

"Oh yeah, you've got a point." He was silent for a moment. "I hope Lloyd's okay."

"I'm sure he is."

They both looked to Colette, who steepled her fingers with a small smile. "I can't explain it, but I feel like he's all right for now. And… No, it's nothing."

"And what?" Genis nudged her, curious. "You were pretty adamant about getting back to him; what changed?"

Colette's lips pressed together for a few seconds. She opened and closed her mouth a couple of times. Finally, she said slowly, "Kratos—he was… He didn't…"

Regal's interest piqued. "Kratos?" He thought it over. "I do admit that his motives seem rather conflicting."

"We already know Kratos is a jerk!" Genis fumed. "He betrayed us at the Tower of Salvation, kept being all vague about everything—he wouldn't tell us about Colette's sickness and all that stuff!"

"We didn't believe him when he tried to warn us about the mana links," he pointed out. "Little wonder why."

Colette played with the ends of her hair, that strange smile on her face again. "He's been like that since we met him. I get the feeling that he was…" She gave up and let out a nervous giggle. "Never mind. We should go now."

Regal eyed her in worry, but she was right; it was important to reach Flanoir quickly. If they left now, they could set up camp next to the ocean and they would reach the city around noon the next day.

He stretched, noting that the children did the same. They had been on the rheairds for three hours with only one break to relieve themselves, and it would be another two hours of non-stop flight under the moonlight before they would land again. Regal's good conditioning despite his extended prison stay (and despite being a few years past his prime) meant that he could deal with the hard journey, but his companions did not yet have the luxury of fully matured bodies. Besides, they could not leave Tethe'alla until everyone was together again, and the Flanoir group would likely need additional time to wait for Altessa to stabilise.

They boarded their rheairds again, ignoring the familiar ache of sitting for too long. Regal wrapped his coat more tightly around himself. At high altitudes and fast speeds, the wind was pitiless.

The engines roared to life and off they went. His mind was all in a flurry; the chilly air and the hours of silence helped him to recollect himself a little.

One: Lloyd's Cruxis crystal. From what he understood, it had been cultivated on Lloyd's mother and passed to him upon her death. He wondered absently what made her a suitable candidate for its development—was it her DNA, or perhaps the mana signature which a Cruxis crystal or exsphere fed upon?

Regardless, he found it rather unorthodox. He had heard from the Sylvaranti that Colette's transformation had been gradual, each stage advancing with each seal broken. But Lloyd had never displayed any symptoms, as far as he could tell. He had eaten the same amount he always had, yelped when he was injured, and slept…

His heart skipped a beat. He had been sleeping less. Regal had initially chalked it up to stress—Lloyd was a boy whose circumstances forced him to mature and lead a group against Cruxis itself. But was that truly the case?

Perhaps the signs had been subtle yet present. Anyway, there was little point in speculating any further on the topic now.

Next: the conundrum known as Kratos. The seraph was questionable at best; Genis and Lloyd took every opportunity to vent their anger (especially Genis), yet Colette thought he was… trying to help? And sometimes Lloyd seemed torn trying to decode Kratos' allegiances, though Regal had thought that was simply because the boy kept wanting to see the good in everyone. Because he gave everyone a chance, just like he had Regal.

There was something he was missing. But before he could put his finger on it, blue-black water advanced rapidly from the horizon. The ocean.

He signalled to the others and began to descend. The gibbous Sylvarant provided ample lighting for a safe landing; soon they had set up the campfire and sleeping bags. Neither Colette nor Genis spoke, weariness lining their faces and sagging their postures.

Regal drifted off to the land of dreams, his suspicions forgotten.

It was dawn when he woke, refreshed. But he bolted upright, shame flooding through him. Genis glanced at him, stirring a pot at the fire.

"The porridge will be ready soon," he said.

Regal pressed a hand to his face. "My apologies. I ended up going straight to sleep instead of keeping watch."

"That's fine." Genis grinned. "We were all tired. Besides, I think Colette would have woken us up if anything approached."

"Is she well?" Regal asked as he rose and packed up his bedroll.

"Yeah. She's calmer than before, though I can't imagine why. How come Kratos would…?" He shook his head.

"I don't know," said Regal. "It's quite the mystery, is it not?" He smiled and went to rouse her.

After a quick breakfast, they set off again across the sea. The water beneath sparkled under the morning sun. Occasionally, he winced from the specular reflections in his eyes. He paid more attention to their surroundings this time, not wanting to miss Flanoir when they approached the area. As they flew, the water froze over, and now pure white dazzled his eyes. He regretted leaving his red-tinted sunglasses with Raine.

At last, a city of grey and white emerged from the snow.

She was standing in front of a statue of Spiritua. The Chosen's porcelain-white wings splayed out, each appendage twice the span of her body. Her hands were folded in prayer. Sheena bent her head, staring at the ground as images of her people flashed before her eyes.

Grandpa, who had taken her in and sacrificed so much for a let-down like her. Orochi and Kuchinawa, who had remained by her side in spite of the disaster. Tiga, who had taken up the reins in Mizuho's darkest hour.

The Chosen of Tethe'alla, who would have to regenerate the world if she failed again.

"Hey, what are you praying for?"

"So I can save everyone."

Surprise and horror jerked her around as she let out an involuntary gasp. The Chosen's group! She berated herself for letting her guard down.

"Well, there's a nice thought."

"Sh—Shut up!" She lowered her centre of gravity, ready to do battle.

"My name's Lloyd! What's yours?"

Dumbfounded, she lost her iron stance. "What…?"

Who was this guy? How could he so easily reach a hand out to someone who made no secret of trying to kill his friend?

"I was just thinking how cute you look."

Now he was hitting on her?! Wh—If she hadn't spied on them earlier, she would have thought him to be a Zelos doppelgänger! One Zelos was far more than enough for both worlds.

Guilt wormed in her soul. How could Martel be so cruel? Why should the prosperity of one dimension be dependent on the downfall of the other?

She couldn't do it.

These people were only trying to restore their home, just as she was. They were nobler than she—she who had gone on this mission in a hollow attempt to assuage her irredeemable conscience. And, even if she was an assassin, her pride would not allow her to do the deed of executing an innocent. She didn't want to betray these people who had so easily put their trust in her despite not knowing her impetus.

"I see… Thank you!"

Sheena felt her face grow hot. His grin slid into place, natural and genuine, open in a way she had never been since childhood.

"Are you embarrassed? You're funny, Sheena!"

Her face burned now; she hoped desperately that no one noticed. "Sh…Shut up! I'm going now!"

"We'll see you again, right?"

She hummed. "We might meet again, and we might not."

"Then, let's not say goodbyes yet."

"Yeah. See you again… someday!"

She wanted to see him. All the way back to Mizuho, his face was burned into her memory. His unguarded chuckling relaxed her.

But Sheena had seen Colette's looks. She was often more observant than her friends thought (and she laughed, giddy at the realisation that she had friends). She knew how Colette saw Lloyd very well. And Lloyd didn't know it, but he gave her the same side peeks, the same smile.

She wasn't blind. She knew what it meant. But that did not stop her from wishing.

"You know, if you keep gazing after what you don't have, you'll miss what you do."

"What are you talking about?" Sheena glared at the redhead standing at her door.

There was a pause. "Nothing. You can be as oblivious as Lloyd, sometimes."

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Sheena…"

"Sheena!"

A knock pulled her from the fringes of sleep. She was alert in less than five seconds, habituated from their hard travels.

"Who is it? Zelos? Regal?" she called, rolling out of bed and starting to fix her hair. Colette, Genis, and Regal had arrived with the inhibitor ore a day or two ago.

"None other than my beautiful self!"

"Shut it, what do you want?" She cursed quietly; her fingers were caught in a tough knot. It was thick and always so wild in the morning thanks to the layering…

"Hmph. Presea and Raine got back with the rheairds early this morning."

She stopped yanking at her stubborn locks and looked towards the door. "How's Altessa?"

"He'll be A-okay! Some dudes from Mizuho came along, apparently. They're watching over him now along with the doctor."

Mizuho? Guess they really were keeping tabs on them. Their information network was second to none. "That's a relief. Have they had enough sleep?"

"They said they'll be fine. Everyone wants to go as soon as we can."

Sheena smiled. "Then I'll be down in a bit."

Footsteps padded into the distance, leaving her to fight the losing battle against her hair. After five minutes or so—long enough that her arms began to tire—she managed to wrestle it into her usual ponytail; the remainder of her outfit was a comparatively simple matter.

Her feet sank into the plush carpet lining the inn's corridors towards the cafeteria. She swiped at the corner of an eye, rubbing the residual crustiness away, and suppressed a yawn.

The others were in the far corner, chairs turned to avoid keeping their backs to the rest of the room. Raine sat nursing a mug of rich caffeine; her eyes were dazed. Genis was beside her, pushing a plate of omelettes in front of her, and Presea—considerably more awake in comparison—sat opposite her.

A steaming cup of coffee had been placed on the table, unclaimed.

"This anyone's?" she asked as she took her seat next to Colette. At their head shakes—"That's for you," Zelos commented—she grinned and scooped it towards her. Caramel, just the colour she liked it, and the barest hint of sugar. She had never told anyone exactly how she wanted her beans brewed and blended, but they knew anyhow. Wow, she loved these guys.

"Are you sure you're okay to travel so soon?" Regal examined Raine with a concerned eye, which she waved away.

Genis sighed. "We all want to save Lloyd, so there isn't much point in arguing about it, I guess…"

Zelos gave a short laugh. "Well, this is a stroke of brilliance, isn't it?"

"What do you mean?" Sheena's eyes narrowed.

"Somehow, I don't think Yggdrasill would let us run around so easily. He wants Colette, he knows we want Lloyd back, and he sure as hell isn't going to let us get a key crest if it means ruining his leverage."

Colette's face fell.

"We're flying straight into his trap, is what you're saying," said Raine, her fingers gripping the mug handle with such force that they whitened.

He shrugged. "Maybe so."

"What do you suggest, then?"

"Aw, Professor, it's not like I can tell you guys we need to lie low. Not with this self-imposed time limit." Zelos leaned back and crossed his arms. "I'm just warning ya that he might pull something."

Raine stared into the depths of her half-drunk coffee. "Let's go with a three-dimensional diamond formation with Colette in the centre. Sheena, you're in front, since you're a good scout and can summon for long-distance attacks."

Sheena jumped in her seat and nodded out of pure reflex as the teacher went on to assign positions to the others. "Genis, I'll trust you to watch our backs. Presea, you'll be on the left, Regal on the right. I'll be at the top to keep an eye on everyone.

"Zelos, you can be beneath Colette. Make sure to provide appropriate cushioning."

"Appropriate—while I'm more than happy for Miss Angel to crash-land on me, I—!"

"That sounds like a solid idea to me," Sheena said before he could spoil innocent ears. "We'll go with that."

There were nods all around the table.

They wouldn't let Lloyd stay with Cruxis any longer than necessary.

"You have your mission. Do not fail me."

There was no response, only the rustling of fabric. The sound of unhurried footsteps faded away.

"Now, then… I wonder what will happen?"

A/N: Hey, it's annoying that it's just Lloyd telling Zelos that he trusts him which tips Zelos over the fence. And silly. Is everyone else chopped liver?

Please, please point out my typos. Please. And anything else that construes as constructive criticism.