Broken Heartline

A/N: Yeah, in case you haven't noticed yet, this isn't your usual supplier of cuteness. 'Tis I, the friend who adores Of Broken Wings. I gave in to peer-pressure and this, my first fic ever, was the result. So let's get the "I don't own ToS" out of the way. Yep, there it goes. Now read it. And give me more reviews than him :p

"So are you gonna to tell me anything or not?" she asked calmly, drumming the fingers of her free hand on the small table between herself and the fortune teller. The woman had been staring at Sheena's hand for nearly twenty minutes, muttering to herself and tracing lines gently back and forth as she, presumably, prepared to tell her something of what lay before her. But in the last three or so, she had stopped, staring pensively at her palm, her finger resting lightly atop her heartline.

"My dear, I highly doubt what has been revealed to me is going to come as any sort of surprise to you," the softly wise voice responded, her eyes lifting to regard the gentle pools of amber watching her. Sheena's head tilted slightly to the side, and the seer smiled. "You have a love, correct?"

Sheena blushed. "Maybe," she replied, head tilting further. "What of it?"

The woman sighed. "I'm sorry to have to tell you this, child, but the feeling is not shared. There is…" she hesitated, "someone…else holding their heart." She circled a small fork coming off an island in the line. Sheena felt her heart fall within her chest.

Yes, I knew that. But still, perhaps… She let the thought die, though the hopes she had harbored for what seemed so long stubbornly refused to follow it. "Thank you," she said meekly, withdrawing her hand and depositing a coin on the table before running off to lose herself in the crowds of the market. As if she could, with every second man and boy she passed looking unabashedly at her chest.

Elsewhere in Triet, making her way slowly through the streets, Raine pondered the latest set of ruins she had visited. Ah, to be there again, where all those feet have passed, all those stories written in passing through those ancient halls, all those…remnants…she sighed inwardly, her heart fluttering just a little with that joy of the past. Nothing quite excited her like a good set of ruins……well, maybe…She shook her head, chasing away the thought. She furrowed her brow, looking up at the people around her. As if I had a place here, anyway…Brushing one hand through her silver tresses, she mentally returned to her ruins, the only place she ever felt at home. No one to judge you in places long abandoned, after all.

As she passed through the fork at the entrance, a pair of blue eyes caught the movement of her brilliant hair in the slight breeze. His heart skipped a beat as her matching orbs flicked in his direction, passing over him and leaving him unseen. I thought she was still off in the ruins? he mused, pleasantly surprised. He started to go after her, watching her silver head bob through the crowd, and stopped. No, not again. You must. Not. Love her. he reminded himself, mind straying back to…her. But he couldn't help watching her as she passed gradually out of sight…wishing as hard as he could that she would just pass from his heart as well. He was still far too fragile to ever give her what she deserved. Not that anyone would ever see that. Maybe Raine…he thought, enjoying the gentle jump her name leant to his pulse while feeling the sharp twist of the memories still tearing at his insides. But she mustn't; I mustn''t- and the thought went unfinished as he, despite himself, began to make his way in the direction in which she had vanished.

Someone bumped into her as she was checking fruit, having reasonably calmed herself, and Sheena spun around, checking that it was not one of the local thieves. Should've noticed if they'd taken anything, though, she reminded herself before noticing the blue hair hurrying away down the street. Regal…? she half-wondered. But she knew. There was no mistaking that oceanic hair, the broad set of the shoulders that bore a slight droop which, to a watchful eye, betrayed the pain of the one who wore them. Oh Regal…she thought wistfully, wishing she could help him through the torture of Alicia's memory. But she knew it never would be. She knew, and yet…Sheena put down her pomegranate and followed him through the crowds, hoping perhaps just for him to speak to her before they carried on their separate ways.

Reaching the far end of the market, past all the stalls and tents and pressing crowds, Raine felt a little weight lift from her shoulders. Being among people was never quite comfortable for her, despite her profession. She would take her solitude and ruins almost any day over this throng of staring eyes and wary hearts. "Living ruins," she muttered, "That's what I need…"" A sigh escaped her, and as she started to lower herself to sit on a small bench beneath a scrawny, lonely desert tree, she heard someone coming behind her and stood back up, turning slowly to see who was invading her peace.

"Ah…" he started. What do I say? he wondered, mind searching and coming up empty. "Um…" He stood there, stuttering for a few moments, feeling more and more of an idiot as time passed.

Sheena was still pushing her way through the crowd, praying she would catch him, though she had no idea what to say or do if she did. "Hey!" she yelled as some idiot copped a feel as she passed, punching him hard enough to knock some teeth loose. "Keep your hands to yourself, or your teeth won't be all you lose!" She glared at him just long enough to know he understood before rushing off after the blue that had since passed from her sight. Damn!

I don't have time for this, Raine thought, irritated despite herself. "What? Spit it out," she snapped as if speaking to yet another reluctant student. She regretted it instantly, but her patience had already been stretched far enough by the town. Just let me get back to my ruins…she groaned inwardly.

"Raine," he started, just barely able to choke out her name. "I, ah…"

Sheena reached the edge of the crowd, just close enough to see the two of them standing there, Raine's eyes alight with all the fire of her temper. But something just told her that all hope was lost, futile and weak as it had been.

And then…

He reached out, pushing the soft wave of silver back from her face as he pressed his lips to hers, four blue eyes disappearing behind lids closed in the simple rapture of that one kiss…the one kiss that would never be forgotten, the one that felt so right as to send music flying through their souls; the one that told them, finally, it was alright to love.

And Sheena began to cry.