Sheba and Felix

Sheba looked at her nails. She knew it was a typically girly thing to do; definitely Mia and Jenna were always at it. But Sheba was not a typical girl; she was strong and no one should forget it.

Except one person.

She looked at Felix, who was ironically looking at his own nails. Sheba laughed to herself. At first glance, Felix was a pretty boy, with his long dark locks and piercing green eyes. A second glance made him seem a bit rough around the edges, and a third would insinuate feelings of dark and forbidding. Any more glances than that, and Felix would probably have you up against a wall and a knife to your throat so quick you wouldn't care about his looks at all.

Felix pushing her up against a wall.

Sheba shook her head. Where do these idea's come from? She wondered. Lately weird phrases like that would pop into her head without her control, about all the males she hung around with, but particularly about Felix.

"Sheba, you feeling alright?" Felix said suddenly. Sheba felt as though a bubble around her had been popped, and someone had chucked her back into reality.

"Why do you bother asking?" She replied snappishly. "I don't think you care."

Felix shook his head now. "Don't be so defensive, Sheba. Some people like to look out for you, you know?"

Sheba sighed, a bit embarrassed by her reaction. Her insides felt like they were twisting into knots, and she now wished she could go back ten seconds in time and just say "I'm fine, Felix." Honestly. She wondered why she acted so immaturely in front of Felix sometimes. After thinking for a moment, Sheba concluded that it was sometimes nice when Felix acted protective. Or something. Before she could get into any other weird thoughts, Sheba stopped thinking about it and finally gave Felix a reply.

"Sorry. I guess I'm tired because Jenna was up all night." Sheba, Felix, his sister Jenna, and Ivan had gone on a small excursion to get some metals that weren't available from the town of Vault, and for Ivan to visit with his old family. She and Felix were now talking in his and Ivan's room, which adjoined Jenna and Sheba's. Sheba absentmindedly drew invisible circles on the table at which she and Felix sat. "We take one year off from adventuring, and what do I get? Out of shape!" She rose from her chair quickly, too quickly. A moment later she was falling, falling towards the floor.

Clumsy, Sheba thought. Right before she hit the floor, a pain shot up to her shoulder.

"Ow!" Sheba cried. Felix had grabbed her arm to stop the fall. He pulled her up, and steadied her with his hands on her shoulders. "Geez Felix, want to do that more gently next time?" Sheba said, rubbing her shoulder.

Felix shrugged noncommittally. "Maybe. It's your fault for falling."

"Well, whatever." Sheba muttered. She rubbed her shoulder again, and then let it be. I've had worse, Sheba thought. And I lived.

"Ok. So did you talk to Jenna? Are we going back to Vale for a little while, or traveling more?" Felix laughed a bit cynically. "Ok, I know we have to go back to Vale to pick up Isaac because I think Jenna's gonna go nuts if she's not with him soon." Felix finished his statement with a slight scowl on his face.

"Right," Sheba said, a bit emptily. Felix looked at her, and paused.

"Um. So… Sheba, you interrupted my train of thought! I hate it when you do that!"

He blushed. Sheba thought it was so cute when he did that; the light pink contrasting his long, dark hair. The slight stubble on his cheek. His lips…

Stop it, Sheba! Sheba thought to herself sternly.

"It obviously wasn't of importance. Lets go find Ivan and your sister." Sheba said.

Felix grinned, and lightly punched Sheba in the arm. "I know why you want to find Ivan, huh? Are you sure you don't want to go by yourself? Or," he said, suddenly mock-stern, "Maybe I should definitely come with you."

"Felix…" Sheba groaned, rolling her eyes.

Felix laughed. "You're so touchy. Well, come on."

"No." Sheba sat down on the floor. "No, I'm mad now. I'm not going anywhere with you."

"Oh really?" Felix raised an eyebrow. He then grabbed Sheba, and swung her over his shoulder.

"Felix! I'm too old for this! Put me down!" Sheba kicked her legs, and pounded her fists on Felix's back. Felix, unaffected, began to walk down the stairs.

"You're only fifteen, Sheba."

"Yeah… well… you're only twenty!"

"Great come back. My personal favorite." Felix commented dryly.

"It should be, old man."

"Quiet, munchkin." Felix laughed, and swung Sheba down into his arms. He then set her gently on the ground, right outside the Inn.

Sheba's heart pounded. She hoped Felix couldn't hear it. "You could be more polite." She brushed herself off.

"I'll remember that, Goddess. Where are those two?"

Sheba winced inwardly at the reference to her old life. If anyone but Felix, or possibly Jenna called her that, they would receive a punch in the face.

A tap on Sheba's left shoulder made her turn, but she was hit from behind by a pile of red hair.

"Jenna!" Sheba said, laughing. "Jenna, your brother's a total dork."

Jenna rolled her eyes. "Tell me something I don't know."

"Hey!" Felix protested.

Jenna produced a small blue box from the pocket of her skirt. "Sheba… close your eyes, and hold out your hands."

Sheba did so. She felt something light and metal fall into her hands. "Okay, you can open them." Jenna said.

Sheba opened her eyes, and saw a pretty silver locket with the sign for wind engraved on the front.

"Do you like it?" Jenna asked. She flipped a little gold locket on her neck. "I got a fire one for me, and a water one for Mia. Do you think she'll like it?"

"Yes! I love it, and Mia will too!" Sheba threw her arms around Jenna, giving her a very sisterly hug. They both knew they had to try very hard to be nice to Mia, but they simply didn't know her as well as everyone else. It was hard for Jenna especially, having been the "only girl" growing up, to suddenly have competition. Sheba didn't figure into this equation for some reason, and Sheba always meant to ask Jenna why.

"Hey, why you didn't get me a locket?" Felix whined. He scooped up Jenna and set her on his shoulders.

"Wow… I'm tall!"

"You're tall already, Jenna." Sheba muttered. "At least taller than me."

Felix patted Sheba's head. "But if you were taller, Sheba, you wouldn't be you."

Sheba knocked his hand away and didn't say anything. As they walked through the town, Sheba blocked out Jenna's giggling and Felix's teasing. She kept fixing her hair, touching the part where Felix had mussed it up.

They reached a bakery, and Felix opened the door (fairly talented with Jenna on his shoulders).

The smell of freshly baked bread hit Sheba squarely in the nose. Without wasting another moment she began to salivate, and she had the embarrassing sensation of looking like a bloodhound.

At the counter there was a small blonde boy, about sixteen, around Sheba's height. As he turned, his purple eyes locked with Sheba's of the same color.

"Ivan!" Jenna jumped off Felix's back and swooped the delicate boy up in her arms.

"Jenna!" Ivan said, smothered. Jenna released him, panting. "You just saw me twenty minutes ago. You don't need to hug me again."

"Ivan. You were reading minds again." Sheba said coldly. Ivan stopped and stared at her.

"Um… well…" Ivan blushed.

"So, what did you find out?" Sheba asked, a bit of mischief gleaming in her eyes.

"You guys aren't supposed to be doing that!" Jenna groaned. "I thought we agreed that since out quest was over, that…"

"You still use your psyenergy!" Sheba said emphatically. "You expect us not to use a part of ours?"

Before Jenna could answer, Felix stepped in. "It's okay, as long as they don't read our minds, the way it's always been."

"Felix!"

"Just leave well enough alone." Felix said. "It's time to go, now that we found each other. And," he added, "I think we're causing a small commotion in this fine establishment.

It was true. There was a small crowd in the bakery, most of whom were looking at Jenna. The fires in the kitchen were burning hotter and faster because they could sense Jenna's emotions. It didn't help that Sheba felt frightened, which caused more wind in the bakery. The baker looked both frightened and angry at them.

"Let's go," Sheba said, and shivered. She didn't tell the rest what she had just read in the baker's mind.

On the walk home, Jenna was delusional with happiness. "Do you think Isaac will notice I got my hair cut?" She said dancing in circles along the path.

"I don't think Isaac will care, Jenna. He doesn't seem like he pays attention to your hair." Felix said. Jenna threw a small ball of fire at Felix, and he dodged, laughing.

Sheba and Ivan trailed behind the two sibling, silently conversing through their telepathy.

Do you feel it too? Sheba asked.

What, the awkwardness between you and Felix? Ivan responded.

Shut up! Sheba growled. Anyway, I read you while you were sleeping last night. I know about your crush on Piers, so don't get any idea's.

Ok, ok. Ivan relented. But I do know what you're talking about. I feel something bad in the wind.

Before they could talk anymore, Jenna came over and wrapped her arms around both Ivan and Sheba.

"Oh, you guys are talking to each other telepathically! It's so cute when you see love in the air… it's stronger than the waves of your psyenergy."

Ivan and Sheba bolted away from Jenna. Ivan was blushing so much he couldn't utter a word, but Sheba was angry.

"I do NOT have a crush on Ivan!" She shouted. She could feel electricity playing up and down her arms, and her hair starting to lift into the air.

"Sheba, calm down." Felix said sternly.

"I'm tired of everyone saying that I like him! I want to hear you say that you know I don't have a crush on Ivan!" She whirled and pointed at Felix.

"You don't have a crush on Ivan." Felix said, but Sheba looked into his mind and saw: I know she does, she's talking to him all the time, it makes me so-

Suddenly Felix grabbed Sheba by the shoulders. "Don't you ever do that!" He screamed at her. "I thought you respected me enough to not read my thoughts! You know how I feel about that!"

"I wanted to know if you really meant it." Sheba said quietly, looking down. She could feel her cheeks burning, and to her surprise she was fighting a siege of tears. "Sometimes I just want to know what you really think."

"Well, I never know what you think, Sheba," said Felix curtly. "And unlike you, I don't get to read your mind." He let go of her, and began walking again towards Vale.

Jenna, Ivan and Sheba stood for a moment. Sheba, without looking at either of them, followed Felix, slowly, shamefully. Jenna patted Ivan's shoulder, and they followed them up the dirt path.

Upon arriving in Vale, the four were greeted by Isaac and Garret. "Did you have a good visit?" Isaac asked. Before anyone could answer, Jenna leapt into his arms and kissed him. Isaac seemed especially pleased with her greeting, and swept her up in his arms to prolong the kiss.

"I could have lived without seeing that," Garret muttered, and made a gagging sound.

Isaac finished kissing Jenna, setting her on the ground. "You're just mad because I got her in the end." He grinned a bit mischievously at Garret.

"I could say the same thing about Mia." Garret shot back. Jenna looked surprised, and looked at Isaac with new thoughts.

"What did he say, Isaac?"

"Umm, nothing, Jenna, darling." Isaac said. "So, anyone up for a welcome back dinner at the Inn?"

After Jenna had boxed Isaac in the ears, everyone agreed that a little food would do everyone some good.

Sheba could still feel Felix's anger at her. He wouldn't even walk next to her on the way to dinner.

"So, what do you think we'll get to eat?" Sheba said. Felix did not respond. "I hope there's bread! I know how much you love bread!"

"Felix, could you give it a rest? It wasn't that big a deal." Jenna muttered. "What thoughts could you have been having that would make you freak like this?"

Sheba hadn't thought that maybe Felix was hiding something.

"I'm sorry Jenna, what did you say?" Felix said, overly nice.

"Just forget it." Jenna mumbled.

"Ah… here we are!" Isaac said.

"You're back!" a high pitched voice squealed from inside the Inn. Before anyone could walk in, a blue blur flew out.

"Mia, we weren't gone that long!" Ivan protested.

"But who's my favorite little brother?" Mia said, embracing the struggling Ivan.

"Mia!" Garret exclaimed, "Let him go!"

"Humph." Mia gave Ivan a kiss on the head. "I just missed him, is all."

"You don't get that excited when you see me." Garret muttered.

"Mia!" Jenna exclaimed. "I almost forgot, I got you a present!" She handed Mia's water locket to her.

"Thank you so much Jenna!" She gave her a friendly hug. "How sweet of you!" Mia immediately put the locket around her neck, touching it gently. The silver went well with her light blue hair and ice colored eyes.

"It was nothing." Jenna said, obviously touched at her enthusiasm.

"Hey." Isaac said, obviously annoyed. "Lets go in and eat the dinner the Inn Keeper so kindly made for you guys?"

"Don't get so miffed, Isaac." Jenna kissed his cheek. "Okay, I'm hungry!" She punched her fist in the air, accidentally hitting Isaac.

"Oops… I'm sorry." Jenna helped Isaac into the Inn, while the others laughed.

The seven of them went in and sat at the table, and were joined by some of their families.