Chapter Text
A little while later, we were all packed up and en route to Mizuho. With Presea now becoming a permanent addition to the team, that put us at...eight people now? With Colette, it'd be nine. Christ...if we had so many damn people in the group, why did I feel so alone?
I tried to think, tagging along in the back of the group like I usually did. The foliage around us was growing thicker and thicker as we drew close to Gaoracchia Forest. The walk to the hidden village wouldn't take much longer than an hour or two, but I had a feeling we would be doing plenty more after that.
The Temple of Lightning. That was what came next, and unless I wanted to feel like even more of a failure, I had to think of a way to save Corrine as soon as possible. After my attempt to save Colette, though, I wasn't feeling awfully confident about the whole thing. But that was no reason to just give up, as much as I wanted to.
"Hey." A voice caught my attention, and I looked over to see that Sheena had fallen in step with me.
"Hello," I said in a rather flat tone.
It was very difficult for me to control my emotions this morning. As a result, it was pretty much blatantly obvious that something was up. Everyone in the group knew by now; the tension between Zelos and I hung in the air like an ominous cloud, and Zelos' frequent attempts to pretend nothing was wrong only made it worse.
The ninja frowned at me. "Listen...can we talk? When we get to Mizuho?"
"What about?" I asked dubiously.
Her frown grew and she leaned in closer, glancing up ahead to make sure no one else was paying attention. "You and Zelos were yelling at each other this morning. I heard."
My back stiffened. "Did anyone else...?"
Sheena shook her head, lowering her voice to a murmur. "I don't think so. I just saw that your room was empty and came looking. Then I heard shouting, but by the time I saw you, you were already storming away from him."
"...Ah."
"What happened?" She asked, pausing to be sure Zelos was still distracted at the front of the group. "You guys were getting along almost nauseatingly well up until now."
"Maybe I realized you were right all along," I remarked quietly. "He's a shallow prick and he can go fall in a goddamn ditch for all I care."
...But I did care. If I'd really hated him, this wouldn't have hurt so much.
"What did that idiot do?" Sheena hissed, instantly bristling.
I realized where this conversation was going, and forced myself to relax and heave a sigh. "It...It doesn't matter. This is between me and him. Promise me you won't say anything to him about this, okay, Sheena?"
She was tense for a few seconds, but finally relented. "...Fine. But you have to tell me everything once we get to Mizuho, okay?"
"I guess," I replied, having no intention of doing so. I just didn't want to discuss it any further out here, where anyone else could hear.
The discussion was pretty much over after that. Sheena left me alone and I continued to mope at the back of the group, trying not to think. Since all of my thoughts were pretty negative right now, I just watched what everyone else was up to at the moment.
Regal and Raine were having a conversation about Sylvarant and its differences from Tethe'alla. The convict seemed pretty interested in the other world, which I guess wasn't too surprising. Their conversation sort of faded into the background for me, though; they were discussing boring things like the different temples and the sizes of cities and how the Sylvaranti economy had gone down the crapper. Though I was technically an adult, I still had trouble keeping up with those kinds of conversations. I had a lot more maturing to do, that was for sure.
Zelos was walking on his own for once, not bugging Sheena even though she was being pretty quiet. He probably sensed the unfriendly aura radiating from her. I hoped he didn't realize I'd told her something...agh, what did I care? Screw him. I didn't give a damn what he thought about me.
Lloyd and Genis were walking a little too far ahead, but Raine was too distracted with her conversation to say anything. They seemed to be engrossed in some important conversation, because they were talking in quiet tones and Genis kept looking back at the rest of the group every few seconds. Hmm...what didn't they want us to hear? Actually, it was probably nothing. It was pretty easy for childhood friends to get caught up in their own world; I remembered from my own experience.
Man, I missed my two childhood friends...nothing beat sharing that many memories with someone. Riding our bikes around town, exploring the woods, making snowmen and drinking hot chocolate, hanging out at school, watching movies, laying out on my old trampoline and looking up at the stars on clear nights, high school graduation...
Those were people that really understood and trusted me. I missed them like hell. I was sick of people questioning my every move and calling me out every time I made a mistake. People who heard my dirty jokes and assumed my sense of humor reflected my lifestyle.
Goddammit...there went the last of my optimism. I really needed to stop thinking altogether. Maybe this group wasn't always warm and fuzzy towards me, but most of them had been pretty good to me considering everything that had happened. Most of them.
Fuck! Stop thinking about Zelos! Stop it!
Presea was walking alone. Not wanting to be left with my thoughts any longer, I inched my way over to her.
"Hi, Presea," I said, trying to keep my tone casual.
She looked over at me. "Ah...hello."
Wow, it was still weird to get that kind of reaction. I was so used to being ignored whenever I tried to make conversation with her. Maybe this was the perfect opportunity to bond! Presea wasn't suspicious of me or anything. Not that we could really relate well because of the (er, mental) age difference, but I was willing to work past that.
"So...how've you been doing?" I asked. There wasn't much I could think of to say, so I just went with whatever came to mind.
She hesitated. "Better. I...I like being busy."
"I know what you mean," I said with a nod. "Keeping occupied makes it easier not to brood. But don't push yourself too hard."
"Thank you for your concern," Presea replied in a quiet voice. "I'll try to be careful."
"And if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here," I offered. Presea didn't know me well yet! We were gonna be friends, dammit. "I mean, we're all in this together, right?"
"Lloyd said the same thing to me," she remarked. Her lips turned up slightly, but it wasn't quite a smile. "The two of you are very much alike."
"Me and Lloyd?" I blinked, surprised. The boy in question was still walking up ahead with Genis, so at least he wouldn't overhear. I lowered my voice a little. "...I don't think so."
"Why not?" Presea asked, looking over at me now. The look in her eyes was genuinely curious, and I had a feeling this conversation had backfired. My problems always seemed to come back to smack me in the face. At least now Presea was distracted from her own.
"I dunno," I said helplessly, feeling awkward. "He's just...got this strength of character, you know? He can run headlong into danger without thinking once about himself. Lloyd's got more than enough crap on his shoulders, and yet he still finds time to worry about everyone else. And it's all just second nature to him. He does everything I wish I could do like it's no big deal at all."
"I see. So you admire him," Presea noted. Then, in a lower voice, "Why is Zelos staring at us?"
My head snapped up. Zelos was already turning to look up ahead again, but I could tell he'd been looking over his shoulder. Had he overheard all that?
"Uh...no clue," I replied quietly, feeling self-conscious all of a sudden.
You put up a pretty good front, but inside you're about as empty as the noblewomen that I used to take to bed.
I had to swallow hard to get rid of the lump in my throat. I still couldn't stand to be reminded of this morning. Was I really as selfish and fake as Zelos said? Even as I had spoken to Presea, I had been more seeking out to distract myself than to help her. Was that what he'd been talking about?
"You and Zelos are...fighting?" She seemed to test out the word, as if she was unused to using it in a sense that wasn't related to battle.
Dammit, why couldn't I avoid this topic? "I guess so."
"I remember...the two of you getting along well," Presea said, tilting her head a little. "Why do you not go talk to him?"
"He hates me." I felt my shoulders slump. At this rate, I was just going to sink right back into depression.
"Why does Zelos hate you?"
"Because I suck. I don't know," I replied, having trouble concealing my frustration. "Can we not talk about this?" I couldn't help but notice the way Regal and Raine had quieted down ahead of us. It was embarrassing; I didn't want this to turn into some kind of ordeal.
"...All right." Presea relented, still looking puzzled.
We fell silent after that. Now that I had been reminded of my problems, I just couldn't think of anything else to say. Instead I just stared straight ahead, focusing on getting to Mizuho. Just one step at a time...I had made it this far. If I could just keep going, then someday I would be able to go home. Then I wouldn't have to think about miserable days like today.
More than once, I found myself staring at Zelos' back as we made our way through the winding paths of Gaoracchia Forest.
An hour or so later, we had finally arrived at the hidden village. The walk had felt way too long; I was glad that it was over. But now that I thought about it, we had even more traveling ahead of us before we could get the Rheairds...I needed to find some way of occupying myself now that I couldn't talk to Zelos. Maybe talking to Lloyd would make me feel better.
Right now, though, we had other things to take care of. The guards at the gate nodded us in, and we made our way deeper into another part of the village I hadn't seen a lot of. I hadn't come this far because I didn't want to arouse suspicion by wandering too close to the Chief's hut. It looked like now I was going to see just what the inside of it looked like.
A great deal of people stopped and stared at us as we walked toward the back of town. Now that I thought about it, we probably were a strange sight. There was eight of us, all of varying ages, hair colors and clothing styles. Even walking through Meltokio, we had gotten looks.
The guards at the chief's place saw Sheena and stepped aside, albeit a little warily. They probably found the random shackled muscular guy a little sketchy. Poor Regal, he just couldn't catch a break.
Regardless, we were allowed inside. We followed Sheena down a long hallway, and I couldn't stop myself from looking around at everything and noticing how different it all was. It still felt like I was in Japan. I almost wished I really was; then I'd be off locating the nearest U.S. Embassy instead of trying to figure out how to save the damn world.
But I wasn't in Japan. I was in Tethe'alla, and I seriously needed to focus already. So I silently followed the others as we were led to a room at the back of the building. Sheena paused at the door, saying a few words to someone before going in. We filed in one-by-one after her. Since this was the first time I'd actually been here, I just mimicked what everyone else was doing and knelt carefully on the tatami floor.
The man I presumed to be Tiga was wearing a small, diplomatic smile. "Impeccable timing, all of you," he remarked, seeming satisfied. "We determined the location of the Rheairds just yesterday."
"R-Really?" Lloyd blurted out, surprised. He looked over his shoulder at the rest of us, as if to gauge our reactions.
"It's just like Kratos said," Genis commented in a murmur. "But why would he help us?"
"I can't help but wonder if he has some ulterior motive," Raine said. Her eyes were calculating, but also troubled.
"But now...we're able to save Colette," Presea pointed out.
"Exactly," Zelos added in his usual carefree tone. "So what's the problem? We'll just worry about it later."
Next to me, Sheena let out a sigh, clearly trying to keep her face neutral. I wasn't an expert on Japanese etiquette, but I was pretty sure starting a random hushed discussion in the presence of the village Vice-Chief was a little rude. Common sense and all, y'know. I was proud of myself for being polite and not contributing.
Lloyd seemed to take notice of the slightly bemused look on Tiga's face, but he didn't seem embarrassed. Oh, how I envied his obliviousness sometimes.
"Where are the Rheairds?" the brunet finally asked, straightening his posture a little.
Tiga held up one hand and we all grew silent, listening. "Before I disclose their location to you, there is something else I must ask you to accomplish. A test, if you will."
"A test, Vice-Chief?" Sheena piped up, frowning.
He fixed his eyes on her. "Yes. You know as well as I do that without a constant supply of Volt's mana, the Rheairds will simply crash again. That is why, Sheena, you must form a pact with Volt before recovering them."
She suddenly stiffened, going white. All eyes were now on her. "But..."
Tiga's gaze softened a little, but his face remained stern. "I understand that it's a difficult task for you. But it's a test you must overcome. If you continue to live in fear, you will lack the resolve it takes to finish this journey."
Sheena was shaking. She seemed to fight with herself for a moment, opening and closing her mouth and yet saying nothing. Finally, she got to her feet.
"I...I can't!" She shook her head vehemently, turning and running out of the room.
Aaaand cue awkward silence. I chewed on my lower lip, fidgeting. Everyone else (aside from Zelos) was staring at the door with different levels of surprise, listening as Sheena's footsteps faded out of hearing range. Lloyd was the first to turn back to Tiga, a questioning look on his face.
"...Sheena was nervous the last time we asked her to make a pact," Lloyd said, "but not like this. Why is she so upset?"
The Vice-Chief lowered his gaze, his mouth set in a grave frown. "Sheena failed to make a pact with Volt once before. It was twelve years ago...Volt went out of control, and as a result exterminated over a quarter of Mizuho's population. The Chief was hit with a particularly powerful electric shock while protecting her. He has been in a coma ever since."
My eyes were drawn to the bed in the back of the room when he mentioned this. There was a sudden twisting feeling in my gut. I clenched my fists lightly, only half-listening to the rest of the conversation as I sank into my thoughts.
Seeing that bed and knowing there was someone sleeping in it, the man who had been the closest thing Sheena ever had to a father...it just made this all so real. I couldn't even begin to imagine how painful Sheena's past must have been for her. To be responsible for that many deaths, and then to be shunned for it for twelve years...
Jesus Christ, what was wrong with me? I had spent the entire day today thinking about myself, how I felt alone, how life just plain sucked and I wanted to go home. But compared to Sheena, I didn't even know the meaning of loneliness. So Zelos had said a few nasty things to me, and yeah, it still stung. That didn't even hold a candle to the things she'd been through.
She didn't ask for it either. No one in our group had asked for their painful pasts; it was just what they'd been dealt. And most of them had had it a hell of a lot worse than me.
Oh god, was Zelos actually right? Had I been focusing too much on myself? Was I really arrogant, thinking I was somehow special and that my problems were all that really mattered?
Everyone was getting up; the conversation had ended, though I'd missed the tail end of it. I got up as well, following the others out of the room. We walked down the hallway in relative silence.
Finally, Raine sighed. "Considering the sensitivity of the issue, we shouldn't rush her. Let's prepare lunch in the place we stayed before and give her some time alone."
The others seemed to agree, so we headed out of the Chief's residence, moving back to the other end of town.
We had been sitting in here and watching Genis put lunch together for the past ten minutes, and it was boring. Not that the boredom bothered me; it was my previous train of thought that was still nagging at the back of my mind. I still couldn't rid myself of the image of that bed, the one the Chief still slept in.
It had really happened. Hearing about it was one thing, but as always, solid proof felt like a punch to the stomach. Seven years old...Sheena had only been seven. I couldn't even imagine. Up until a few months ago, I'd had a perfectly normal and peaceful life. I had long ago accepted that this wasn't a game anymore, but it looked like even now I sometimes forgot that these people had real pasts, that it wasn't all backstory that someone wrote.
So that was why I was the first to stand up and head for the door leading out of the hut. Nobody stopped me; everyone looked, but no one said a thing. I walked outside, determined to become a better person. I was going to talk to Sheena-not because I wanted to prove anything to myself, but because she was my friend and friends were supposed to support each other.
It didn't take long for me to find her. She was sitting near some gardens at the edge of the village, her face buried in her knees. It was now that I noticed how people simply passed by as if she wasn't even there. This was her home and she was an outsider.
She didn't look up when I approached, though I was sure she heard me. I just sat down next to her and leaned back on the palms of my hands. The sky was clear, almost absurdly blue. We hadn't seen much gloomy weather since coming to Tethe'alla.
When it was silent for a few seconds, I spoke up. "Let's talk. Tell me what you're thinking, Sheena. I'm all ears."
Sheena lifted her head a little so I could see her face. That was a start. "...I guess you heard. I can't do it, Brittany."
"You didn't think you could make the pact with Undine, either," I pointed out.
"But this is different!" she protested, looking at me. Her eyes were overbright-she'd been crying. I hadn't seen her cry since that time so long ago at Lake Umacy. "People died because of me! I can't get you guys killed too. I...I would never be able to forgive myself."
Sheena got to her feet, hugging herself. "I'll fail again. I'm just not good enough."
"Don't start saying stupid things like that," I told her, standing up as well. "Sheena, this was twelve years ago. You think you haven't gotten stronger and smarter since then?"
She didn't reply or meet my gaze. She just continued to stare at the ground, looking miserable and clearly fighting tears.
"You're a lot tougher than you think, Sheena. And the rest of us are pretty strong, too. We've survived a hell of a lot; we're not going to die now." The words came, and I didn't even have to think. I had always thought comforting people was difficult...I guess that changed when you were determined enough.
"But I..." She hesitated. I didn't give her a chance to finish the thought; instead I stepped forward, reaching out and gripping her shoulders.
"Hey. Look at me."
She did, and I held her gaze as well as I could.
"You can do this." My tone was firm. "I know you can. I have zero doubts."
Sheena's eyes widened; something in my expression must have gotten through to her. "Brittany..."
"I know it's scary," I said earnestly. "But don't worry, because you're not alone. We're a team, remember? You helped me out at the Tower of Salvation, and I'm returning the favor. I've got your back."
I finally let my hands fall to my sides, watching her. She stared at me for a few seconds with a look of surprise on her face. Then her expression wavered a little and she rubbed at her eyes.
"Thanks..." Sheena said quietly. Her voice was unsteady. "I just...I need some time."
I patted her on the shoulder, knowing she didn't want me to see her cry. That was one thing I could understand perfectly. "I'm gonna head back. Think about what I said, okay?"
Without waiting for a response, I left. When I looked over my shoulder, she was back in that sitting position, hiding her face in her knees. The villagers continued to pass by, indifferent to her suffering. The world was cruel.
On my way back from talking with Sheena, I saw Zelos standing with his back to one of the buildings. His arms were crossed and he was staring out over the river, a serious expression on his face. He hadn't let his real emotions slip through since we had fought this morning; it was strange, as always, to see him wearing a look like that. Was he worried about Sheena?
The thought of Zelos worrying about Sheena clashed with the memory of his words earlier today. If he was such an asshole, then how could he have a side to him that was so understanding? It didn't make any sense.
Zelos suddenly turned his head, and his cool blue eyes met my own. I almost flinched, immediately breaking eye contact and marching off without saying a word. Great, he'd caught me staring...
After a minute or so, my marching came to an abrupt halt when I bumped into something.
"Wh-Whoa!"
I recognized that voice. Stumbling backwards, I looked up. "...Lloyd? Uh...sorry."
He raised his eyebrows. "Oh, Brittany. I was just coming to get you. Lunch is finished...hey, where's Sheena?"
I jerked a thumb over my shoulder. "Back there somewhere."
"Did you talk to her?" he asked, frowning.
"I tried," I replied with a shrug. "I'm not sure how well I got through to her. Why don't you try talking to her, Lloyd? Bring her some lunch, too. You're good at this kind of thing."
"...Yeah." He smiled weakly. "By the way, Zelos went out earlier, too. Can you tell him lunch is ready?"
"Zelos? Uh..." I blanched. "Well, I mean...h-he's close by, right? You can't just tell him yourself?"
The smile fell instantly. "Okay, now I know something's up. Why is it such a big deal? You've been avoiding him all day."
"I had a fight with him this morning, okay?" I snapped, looking away.
"Huh?" Lloyd asked incredulously. "You two?"
"Who else?" I huffed. "So that's why. I think whatever friendship we had is pretty much over, so...so I don't want to see him."
"That's the most idiotic thing I've ever heard," he growled. "Go talk to him. Right now."
"Did you even hear a word I just said?"
"I heard just fine." Lloyd crossed his arms. "Are you gonna let one stupid argument ruin everything? If all you do is avoid each other, nothing will change! You're happy with that?"
"No! I..." I clenched my fists, feeling tears threatening to come. "You just don't get it. He hates me."
"Brittany..."
It took an effort, but I was able to compose myself. I looked up and met his gaze. "Go to Sheena. She's the one who really needs a friend right now. I'm just..." I trailed off, shaking my head. "I need to learn to handle my own problems anyway."
And then I continued walking to where the rest of the group was. Lloyd didn't stop me, but I could practically feel him staring. Dammit...why couldn't I just avoid thinking about that stupid problem, no matter how much I tried?
Genis had just made some sandwiches for lunch, so it was easy enough for Lloyd to take one for himself and for Sheena. I sat down with everyone else, watching him leave. No one asked me how it had gone with Sheena; we were just going to avoid the subject for now, apparently.
"Where is Zelos?" Presea asked me as Genis passed out food.
I shrugged. "I think Lloyd's gonna get him. He should be here soon."
Raine just gave me a knowing look; I avoided meeting her gaze. Genis sat down next to Presea, frowning at the rest of us.
"He can eat after. It's his own fault for wandering off in the first place. Besides, I don't mind if it's just the five of us."
Wow. Considering the fact that our group usually numbered nine, five seemed like a pretty small number. Then it occurred to me that I was eating lunch with all of the more mature (well, Genis was most of the time) members of the group. Hopefully that meant everyone would know to avoid certain other subjects.
"Seconded," I agreed with the young mage.
"...I suppose it will be considerably more peaceful," Raine finally relented with a sigh.
"Hmm..." Regal swallowed a bite of food, frowning thoughtfully. "This is an interesting flavor."
Genis relaxed a little. "Oh, you noticed? I couldn't find any mustard, so I bought some stuff called wasabi at the market here. They said it was pretty close."
I froze with the sandwich halfway to my mouth. "...Oh boy."
"What? What is it?" he asked, confused.
"You...you didn't put a lot of it, did you?" I stared at the sandwich suspiciously. Yup, there was that green paste...my worst enemy.
"I don't know, just the normal amount, I guess."
"Is something wrong?" The Professor watched me. I noticed that Regal was the only one that had touched his food so far.
"Wasabi is evil," I mumbled.
"Oh." Genis rolled his eyes. "For a second, I thought there was an actual problem."
"H-Hey!" I protested. "It's the truth!"
"It tastes fine to me," Presea remarked, having finally taken a bite.
Raine tried it as well. "Yes, it seems a bit strong, but I don't see what the issue is."
"Are you kidding me?" I whined. "It makes me feel like I inhaled a gallon of water through my nose!"
"You're just exaggerating. You haven't even tried it," Genis pointed out. "Maybe the last time you had it, the cook used too much."
"Maybe," I said doubtfully.
I really didn't want to experience that burning feeling if I didn't have to. It was like...the worst thing ever. I loved most Asian food, but wasabi to me was physically painful to consume. But then again, I hardly ever disliked anything Genis made, no matter what the ingredients were.
I finally heaved a sigh, about to take a small bite, but I was interrupted when Zelos barged into the room.
"Heeeeey, hunnies!" he called, blatantly ignoring the males present. "What'd I miss?"
"Oh, great," Genis grumbled.
"Hey." Zelos glared. "Was I talking to you, brat?"
"Sit down," Raine said with slight exasperation. "We're eating now."
"Right, right," the Chosen said, reverting back to his carefree tone. He took a seat next to the Professor. "What's for lunch?"
"Wasabi sandwiches," Presea answered.
"U-Uh..." Genis blushed. "Th-They're not just wasabi..."
"Eh?" Zelos raised his eyebrows. "Isn't that some weird Mizuho spice? I've never had it."
"Brittany seems to be quite familiar with it," Regal offered, glancing over at me.
"It's horseradish," I explained with a grimace; I'd taken a bite and was now severely regretting it. "It's an evil green paste that tastes deceptively like mustard at first, until a few seconds later it destroys your nasal passages and makes part of your soul wither and die-"
"Hey, not bad," Zelos cut me off, having tried it while I was rambling.
"Oh, bite me," I muttered angrily, a little hurt at being totally ignored. I had been half-joking, but still.
The redhead didn't give any indication that he'd heard my little remark. I could sense Regal and Raine's looks, though. Upset, I took a large bite of my sandwich to distract myself-and nearly choked when the burning reached a whole new intensity. How could anyone stand this stuff?
I was tempted to get up and leave with some bullshit excuse, but I had done that too much lately and I knew Raine would stop me. So I just sat there sullenly, forcing myself to eat what I could. I would need the energy, even if it was from disgusting horseradish paste.
The rest of lunch went mostly without incident. I just kept my mouth shut while the others made conversation. It was a big enough project trying to finish my food. Now I understood how Lloyd felt when he was forced to eat tomatoes...though I couldn't possibly understand how tomatoes could be anywhere near as bad.
After lunch, everyone pretty much drifted apart and kept themselves occupied. Genis was nervously flirting with Presea (what else was new?), Raine was flipping through one of her books, Zelos had wandered off again, and Regal had offered to check the market here and see if we needed anything that needed restocking. Lloyd and Sheena were still out; I hoped their absence meant it was going well.
It was awkward just sitting around here when everyone else was busy. I didn't want to risk running into Zelos, but I decided to go out anyway. Maybe taking a walk would clear my head or something. I really just wanted to kill time until we could head out. Normally I would be grateful for this little break, but right now I just wanted to go get all of this over with and rescue Colette. The more game events we got through, the closer I would be to getting home. Waiting around here just prolonged the whole damn thing.
I made my way out of the small building, walking down one of the town's many paths. Though I was a little stressed out at this point in time, I did have to grudgingly admit that Mizuho's atmosphere was pretty relaxing. I could see the dark trees of Gaoracchia along the village outskirts, but their gloominess didn't affect this place at all. And planted throughout the town were what I recognized to be cherry trees. If only we could've come here in spring...
Across town, a tall figure could be seen moving amongst the few shop stalls. That was Regal. Lloyd was walking beside him; the two of them seemed to be having a friendly chat. It was good to see they were getting along.
At the end of the path I was on, beneath one of those cherry trees, I saw Zelos. I noted with a pang that he was sitting alone on the same bench we'd used last time we were here. That was back when I'd been so conflicted...I had decided to trust him again, and he'd made me feel a lot better without even trying.
I couldn't help but focus on that memory. He hadn't been obligated to try and cheer me up, but he had given it a shot anyway. Was that the real Zelos, or was it the bitter, insensitive man from this morning? He was staring straight ahead with a distant look in his eyes; that seemed so unlike him. Was he upset? Did he regret saying the things he did?
There was an open spot next to him on the bench, just enough room for another person. I could do it. I could just walk up there right now, sit next to him, and tell him exactly what I was feeling. Maybe then...maybe things would stop being such a mess...
...I just couldn't bring myself to do it. What if he got up and walked away before I had a chance to speak? I didn't think I'd be able to take that. It'd just make things worse.
"You gonna talk to him?"
The sudden voice caused me to jump. I whirled around to see Sheena standing behind me; she looked a lot more composed than she had been earlier.
"Uh..." I stared at the ground. "N-No...I don't know what to do."
"You guys really had a bad fight, huh?" Sheena crossed her arms, frowning. "I can't remember the last time I saw him like this. He usually just shrugs everything off."
"We both said some nasty things to each other," I mumbled. "He made his feelings about me pretty clear. I don't think we can be friends."
"It hasn't even been a day yet. Don't start giving up already," the ninja said firmly.
I looked up at her, surprised. I had been expecting her to get pissed at Zelos and say I was better off. "Wh...What do you mean?"
Sheena's eyes softened. "I know Zelos acts like an idiot, but he's really not such a bad guy in the end. I'm sure if you wait a few days and talk to him then, it'll work out."
"What makes you so sure?" I asked sullenly.
She raised her eyebrows. "Well, because you're a good person. Show him that side of you that you showed me earlier. Trust me, Zelos has a tendency to say stupid things that he doesn't mean. He'll come through if you give him the chance."
I chewed on my lower lip. The way she spoke about Zelos reminded me that she'd actually known him for far longer than me. My prior knowledge didn't make much of a difference...just because I knew some of his secrets didn't mean I knew him through and through. He was bound to be a lot more complex than that. They might not get along all the time, but Sheena knew Zelos a lot better than I did.
"Hey...you really think I'm a good person?"
Sheena smiled weakly. "You even need to ask?"
"Sometimes I have doubts," I admitted.
"We all do," she replied with a sigh. "You know I do. Nobody's perfect. But do you think we'd even be friends if I thought you were a jerk?"
"Well...no." I rubbed the back of my neck, a little embarrassed.
"Exactly. You still came to cheer me up even though you're obviously still upset. If Zelos doesn't want to be friends with a person like that, it's his own loss."
"Sheena..." I was touched. It was hard to speak for a moment. "I...um...thanks. That means a lot."
"Don't mention it," she replied, and her smile was a little more earnest this time. "It's no fun seeing you depressed."
"So I guess Lloyd made you feel better?" I asked, honestly curious. Apparently their conversation was over with if he was out chatting away with Regal.
Sheena's cheeks turned pink. "W-Well...yeah. I'm still nervous about the whole thing, but I'm going to try." Then she shook her head, laughing a bit. "I don't even know how he helped. He spent most of the time complaining about the wasabi in his sandwich."
"Really?" I asked eagerly, and then burst out laughing. "Yes! I'm not the only one!" That was so like Lloyd. I could just imagine how their conversation had gone.
She put a hand to her forehead. "Jeez...I should've known."
"What?" I grinned. "Everyone else was acting like I was crazy. But Lloyd understands!"
"Uh...what do I understand?"
We both turned to see Lloyd and Regal, both of whom were carrying bags of supplies. Aww...he'd helped Regal with the shopping. What a good little boy he was.
"The evilness that is wasabi," I explained happily.
Lloyd's nose instantly wrinkled. "Ugh! That stuff was so gross!"
"I know, right?" I agreed. "Isn't it terrible?"
"Yeah! And it made my nose burn, too!"
"And it's green and nasty looking," I added.
"It's almost as bad as tomatoes," Lloyd remarked grumpily.
"Oh, please..." Sheena rolled her eyes. "It's not that bad!"
"It's horrible!" Lloyd countered loudly.
"I'm gonna die!" I said at the same time, clutching dramatically at my throat.
Then two resounding smacks could be heard, and in the next second Sheena was storming away and we were left to rub our sore heads. Regal stood between us, bemused.
"Uh...what'd I do?" Lloyd whimpered.
I smiled, laughing lightly. "Either way, I think she's in a better mood."
"Yeah..." the brunet returned the smile. "Yeah, she is."
Sheena wasn't the only one in a better mood. Her words to me, as well as Lloyd's similar hatred of a certain food, had pretty much made my day. I still felt bad about the whole Zelos thing, but I was a little more confident now. Sheena had outright told me I was a good person, and I knew without needing to ask that Lloyd supported me as well. How could I go wrong with friends like that?
I was trying to be the best person I could be. So...so if that stupid ass Zelos couldn't see that, then he was the one that had problems.
Currently, we were all gathered back in the building we'd been staying in. Everyone was sitting around the table as we discussed our next move.
"The Temple of Lightning is on an island north of here," Sheena explained. "If we leave around now and take the EC, we should be able to finish before nightfall."
Wow...it was still early afternoon, now that I thought about it. This day was going by incredibly slow.
"I see," Raine said with a nod.
"And the Vice-Chief said he'd send somebody to tell us about the Rheairds, too, right?" Lloyd piped up.
"Yeah," the ninja replied. "So by tomorrow, we should be on our way to wherever they are. Then we can go straight to rescuing Colette."
I suppressed a shudder. First Volt, and then Yuan. Lightning and more lightning. I really wasn't looking forward to the Renegade base. It seemed like there were too many ways for it to go wrong. Zelos was going to alert Yuan as soon as we got there, so how could I know for sure that things would happen correctly? He might not decide to wait for us at the Rheaird hangar. Maybe Yuan would just set off an alarm and we'd have to run like hell from a bunch of Renegade troops.
Ugh...if we got surrounded and thrown in jail cells, that would delay our rescue mission. Then we might end up being too late or something. Just thinking about it made my head hurt.
"Right," Lloyd said, a determined look in his eyes.
"Hey, uh, guys?" I spoke up, remembering something. "Not to change the subject, but I think there's one thing we should do before setting out."
"What is it?" the Professor asked.
"Well, Regal and Presea are with us for the long-term now, right?" I looked around at everyone. "We should probably at least give them a condensed version of what's happened with Cruxis and all that."
"Oh yeah, you're right," Lloyd remarked with a frown. "We haven't really told you guys anything yet, have we?"
Regal nodded. "I was prepared to wait for an appropriate time to ask...if you do not feel comfortable telling the tale just yet, I don't mind."
"No, I think Brittany has a point," Sheena said. "We should make sure we're all on the same page before anything happens. I don't think it'll hurt to stop and tell them now."
"All right," Raine agreed. "But we'll leave immediately after. Any objections?"
Nobody spoke up, so after a second or so we began trying to figure out who would start. Eventually the Professor began, and we all fell silent. Even Zelos seemed interested; he'd only seen Sheena's letter, which was probably an even more condensed version of events. I doubted he'd heard the entire story.
So, Raine told the story with some of us filling in at certain parts. She told of the Oracle and the Renegade attack, and of their first meeting with Kratos. Lloyd bristled visibly at this, but then he went on to tell the story of Iselia's non-aggression treaty and how he and Genis had violated it.
Then they told of the first days of the journey, all of the times I hadn't been there for: Triet, the Fire Seal, Palmacosta and Magnius' ranch. I listened closely, interested in hearing how things had actually happened in real life.
Then I began to speak, explaining my own first meeting with the group. Pietro and Luin, becoming allies with Sheena, our multiple trips to the Asgard Ranch, the Tower of Mana, Colette's slow loss of her humanity...
The hard part came soon after that. It was Sheena who picked up the story then; she explained the events at the Tower of Salvation pretty thoroughly, and in a relatively neutral voice. Regal's expression became rather grim as he listened. Presea still wasn't very expressive, but she did look a little downcast.
Finally, we revealed everything we knew about Cruxis, the Desians, the Renegades, and the relation between the two worlds. And Lloyd repeated the story of my own origins and how I had ended up in Sylvarant in the first place. I sent him an immensely grateful look; that story was one I hated to tell. I didn't expect Regal or Presea to believe it, but thankfully they didn't object or voice any skeptical thoughts as the story was being told.
After giving a brief summary of the things we'd accomplished in Tethe'alla, we finished the tale. Even while speaking nonstop and keeping it simple, it had taken us the better part of two hours to tell the entire thing.
"...And that's about it," Lloyd said, as if we'd just given them a summary of what we'd eaten for breakfast.
"That's quite a tale," Regal remarked.
"Yeah...a lot's happened in the past six months," Lloyd agreed.
And I hadn't even been around for part of it. I still couldn't believe I'd come this far...and we still had so far to go. Sometimes I wondered if the journey would ever end. The fact that it would be over someday just seemed unreal.
"And after all Colette went through...she has been kidnapped again," Presea added with a frown.
"There is a world where it is a common occurrence for people to lose their lives to Exspheres..." Regal shook his head, a dark look in his eyes. "Cruxis must be stopped."
"Exactly." Lloyd nodded, getting to his feet. "Now let's go save Colette!"
"I'm with Lloyd!" Genis piped up.
"We're still okay if we head out now," Sheena said. "Should we get going?"
"I'm ready whenever you guys are," I remarked.
"It's settled, then." Raine stood up as well. "Let's hurry. I'd like to study the temple afterwards if we have time!"
"...Professor..." Lloyd, Genis and I all sighed knowingly, shaking our heads. Some things never changed.
Not much worthy of note happened on the way to the Temple of Lightning. The trip actually went by pretty fast; all we had to do was head through Gaoracchia Forest for a little while until we reached the coast. Then it was mostly smooth sailing on the EC (the Professor lost some of her enthusiasm when she remembered we had to cross the ocean), and before I knew it, we were there. All in all, the journey only took a few hours.
The sky was beginning to take on a pink hue as we drew closer to the temple. It was early evening. If all went well, we'd be out of here in another few hours, with plenty of time for a good night's sleep. Then I assumed we'd be off to the Renegade base in the morning. One fun trip after another, of course.
An ominous thunderhead floated in the sky over the temple. The closer we got, the gloomier it became. Sheena grew more and more tense; Corrine, perched on her shoulder, continually murmured encouragement into her ear. I still hadn't come up with a plan regarding the little summon spirit, and dread was beginning to settle in the pit of my stomach. There didn't seem to be any way around it. What could I do other than tell everyone what was supposed to happen in the hopes of avoiding it? Even then, it might not even make a difference.
My first thought upon entering the Temple of Lightning was that it was dark. There were some lights (electric, unsurprisingly), but it was infuriatingly dim. It didn't help that we were walking on elevated purple pathways that floated over...I didn't know what. Dark clouds or something. It reminded me of the Tower of Salvation in that aspect, and that didn't do much for my nerves, either.
"Huh...we got in pretty easy," Lloyd remarked, looking around as we traveled further in. "I didn't see an oracle stone anywhere."
"This is the flourishing world, so it probably isn't functioning as a seal right now," Raine explained.
"Does that mean we won't have to deal with traps?" Genis asked.
"No," Sheena said. "I remember there being traps the last time I came here...but the people with me disarmed them all for me then, so I don't know exactly what we're going to run into."
We all froze as we saw a sudden flash, hearing a rumbling peal of thunder. Lightning had struck the platform up ahead of us. I felt myself break out in a sweat; something told me that lightning was a little stronger than the spells Kvar and Yuan used. I was in no mood to see what electrocution felt like.
"Uh...that's gonna be a problem," Zelos remarked.
"Whoa..." Lloyd breathed.
"Lightning strikes higher ground," Raine said. "We should stay on the lower platforms until we figure out a way around."
As we continued onward into danger, I found myself glancing repeatedly at Regal and his large stature. After a while, I inched my way over to Presea and Genis. Hey, if someone was gonna get struck, I wasn't standing near our group lightning rod.
With every step, I became more and more aware that the clock was ticking. If I didn't think of something soon, before I knew it there would be no time left. I sank into silence; thinking, calculating...
Lightning flashed again. I noted just how pale Sheena's face was. She was trying to hide it, but I could see that her hands were shaking slightly. She was about as frightened as I had been on the night before we'd headed to the Tower of Salvation.
I had to do something...just this once, I had to make a difference. For Sheena.