Vermilion Trails

by Astral_Gloom

Summary:

Amber Liu is part of an elite military force called SeeD. Her job is to carry out missions from all over the world. But a conflict is soon to come that is bigger than anything else she has ever known. To survive this ordeal, she has to settle the score with an old rival, ally herself with unlikely friends, and be forced to face her own self and take responsibility for her actions.

"Based on the theme of love."

Chapter 1: Of Rivals and Scars

Gardens were educational institutions that focused heavily on training youths into becoming specialized military forces called SeeD. There were only three of these Gardens currently in existence: SM, YG, and JYP, each one headed by two people, the headmaster and the administrator. The youngest age for Garden acceptance was five years old. Getting trained at such a young age was necessary to instill the Garden's principles and mold you into a one-man army. The minimum age that a cadet could attempt the SeeD exam was fifteen. Students ranged from youngsters seeking eternal glory to orphans wanting to find their place in the world. As long as you had the skill and the drive, you had a home in one of the Gardens.

 

Of course, some youths adjusted faster to this military lifestyle easier than others. The mind is often a rebellious thing. There was always going to be a few 'troubled' youths here and there in the Gardens. SM was no exception.

 

Skilled as she was, one particular SM cadet had a habit of getting herself into troublesome situations, whether it be in the classroom or the training grounds. In this case it was the latter. Although, the issue this time was more serious than any previous offenses.

 

Amber wasn't sure how long she had been in there. From the moment she opened her eyes she knew there was something off. The pulse-pounding headache probably gave it away. She hoped she was going to get out soon. She was beginning to memorize the number of cracks on the ceiling…it kind of killed the otherwise lovely paint job (Yup, definitely in here too long). There really wasn't much to look at in the first place, being an infirmary and all. Amber sighed, moving to run a hand through her short black hair, stopping and pulling her hand back as a sharp jolt of pain made her wince.

 

"Okay, okay…now I remember why I'm in here. Shit." Gently this time, Amber pressed two fingers to her forehead, clearly feeling the bandages that had been wrapped around it. Images of her earlier training session suddenly assaulted her mind. She frowned.

 

"Yeah, that didn't go so well in my favor. Still, SHE should be in the hospital with me! I got her right back. I couldn't have been imag-"

 

"Ah! Looks like you've finally come to. Good!"

 

A voice startled Amber out of her reverie. She turned her head towards the source, only to be greeted by the sight of Dr. Kadowaki. She was a portly middle-aged woman of average height, with her hair always tied up in a bun. She was almost never seen without her white lab coat. Amber had her fair share of trips to the infirmary already (None as bad as this though), so the two of them were pretty well acquainted.

 

Sitting up on the bed, Amber greeted the doctor with a slight nod. "Hey there doc, sorry for being such a handful this morning. Didn't think it would go that far…"

 

"Yes, well, once I heard the news, I knew it was going to be either you or Krystal Jung. Or both if the man upstairs had a sense of humor."

 

Amber scowled at the mention of her rival's name. After everything that happened…she just didn't need this right now. "I know what you're thinking, but it was only supposed to be a training session. It's not like I have anyone else to spar with around the academy. I mean, I CAN find others, but no one else uses a gunblade."

 

Sad as that was, it was true. So many cadets at SM Garden, yet not a single one of them bothered to pick up a gunblade. Besides Amber and Krystal of course. The weapon was certainly a strange one: blade of a sword but the hilt had a gun action built into it. Despite that, they were more 'sword' than 'gun.' You couldn't fire at long range, but as the blade is about to go through an opponent, you could pull the trigger and a round sends a shock wave through the blade, increasing the damage. It was the type of weapon that required very precise timing. You probably needed some natural talent to handle it too, so it was understandable that not many students would be willing to pick it up as their first weapon. Unfortunately, that meant that the only two gunblade specialists in the entire academy were constantly at each other's throats.

 

Dr. Kadowaki was worried. She knew Amber and Krystal sparred often. Hell, that's why she was so well acquainted with the two cadets. They ran themselves to the ground trying to one up each other. Their rivalry was common knowledge at this point, so no one really batted an eye when the two would come in battered and bruised.

 

However, seeing Amber this morning….it was just a matter of time that at least one of them would get hurt so badly.

 

"Hey, Dr. Kadowaki? Are you alright?" Amber asked. The doctor had a far off look in her eyes, and it made her a bit nervous.

 

"Yes, I'm alright Amber. But you should really be more concerned about yourself right now." The doctor eyed the injured young cadet for a bit before speaking again. "You both went too far."

 

"But she-"

 

"Let me finish." The doctor glared at Amber, who ended up swallowing the rest of what she had to say.

 

"This isn't some friendly rivalry anymore. I don't know what happened and I don't care to. But this needs to stop. You've drawn blood, and it's not just scrapes and bruises, this is a serious matter. At the rate you two are going someone is bound to get kicked out. Or worse."

 

"There isn't anything to it Dr. Kadowaki, seriously!" Amber ran out of excuses a while ago already.

 

"That huge gash between your eyes tells me otherwise."

 

The silence that followed was deafening. Amber loathed admitting it to herself, but the doctor did have a point. Still, a part of her, the stubborn part that was blinded by pride and seething rage, wasn't taking it very well. Amber let out a sigh, choosing to remain silent. Deep inside she knew that Dr. Kadowaki was only trying to help, and she appreciated that. But Amber just didn't think that the doctor was the right person to talk to about all this. She turned her gaze to the window. She was done talking.

 

Noticing that her patient was unwilling to discuss things any further, Dr. Kadowaki turned away, a look of disappointment on her face.

 

"Your instructor will come by later on to get you. Be prepared for that…I'm sure she won't like this anymore than I do. Also, that injury of yours…even when it fully heals up, the scar will remain."

 

No response.

 

"Well then, I need to check on my other patients. I can't babysit you all day after all. Be more careful next time Ms. Liu. Please."

 

After hearing the door close and the footsteps slowly fade away, Amber finally let her body relax. Saying this wasn't the best day of her life was an understatement. Amber slipped back into the covers of the bed, her mind recalling everything that went down that morning, painful as it was to think about. She just couldn't get it out of her mind. Maybe, just maybe…it could have gone differently.

 

____________________

 

A smirk was plastered on Krystal Jung's face as she pointed her gunblade right at her opponent, taunting her.

 

Amber, the opponent in question, glared daggers at the younger cadet.

 

The two of them had a strange relationship as far back as they could remember, ever since they entered SM Garden as children. They were both orphans of war, and for a while that similarity bonded them together. But as they got older…things changed. Amber, despite her occasional abrasiveness, grew up being a stickler for the rules who got in trouble more for her mouth opening at the wrong time than anything downright malicious. Krystal grew up into something of a silent rule breaker. She was talented, no doubt about it. But every single one of her teachers agreed that she was difficult to deal with. They eventually grew apart as friends, but somehow got closer as rivals. When Krystal got in trouble, she would drag Amber down with her, and they would both get in trouble. Amber, not one to back down, would devise some scheme to get Krystal back. It was harmless at first, just youngsters being childish. But it just continued to escalate, until fists got involved. And when the time came for them to pick their first weapon, it was no surprise that choosing the same type just made things worse.

 

And now here they were.

 

Amber charged first, not wanting to give Krystal time to think. A storm was beginning to brew around them. There was no sign of light as the clouds completely blocked out the sky. Being out on the training grounds during weather such as this wasn't sane. In fact, it was dangerously stupid, especially without supervision from an instructor. They needed to finish this match quickly.

 

The clashing of their blades was being drowned out by the thunder roaring in the distance as the storm continued to intensify. Sparks flew from their swords each time they collided, looking like small forest fires. Amber locked her blade with Krystal's, intending to forcibly push her back. Krystal managed to dig the heels of her boots into the ground, preventing her from getting pushed further.

 

They stayed locked like that for several seconds, trying to outdo one another using sheer physical force. But it wasn't enough, and seeing that there was going to be no end to the stalemate, Krystal quickly pulled back and did a side-step, as Amber struggled to regain her balance, the sudden action throwing her off.

 

Krystal took the opportunity to swipe at her foe, the swiftness of her blade cutting through the air as she swung down hard.

 

Amber had no chance of dodging, so she lifted her sword up to parry the blow. It worked, and gave her enough time to collect herself and launch a counterattack. She ran right towards Krystal, swinging fiercely, forcing her opponent to go on the defensive. Amber brought her sword down again and again in a never ending barrage, pulling the trigger on her gunblade every few hits or so.

 

Beads of sweat began to roll down Krystal's face. The hits her gunblade had to endure was nerve-wracking. It was a fast weapon, but it wasn't built to endure constant pressure. Amber knew this, which is why she could feel that she was gaining the upper hand.

 

The rain that was pouring down was making it more difficult for both combatants to keep their balance steady on the rocky terrain, but they endured. They were soaked down to their bones, but neither one was willing to admit defeat or call off the fight.

 

This wasn't a training session anymore, and they both knew it. They were lost in their own world at this point. No voice would be able to reach them…not until one of them was down for sure.

 

Krystal was in a corner, and she had to get out of it. Amber showed no signs of slowing down. The younger cadet decided right then that she had no choice.

 

Amber was at a complete loss. One minute she had Krystal on the ropes, the next she was flying through the air.

 

Though her gunblade had absorbed most of the impact, the fire spell Krystal used was still powerful enough to nearly knock her unconscious. It was definitely a mid-level spell at least.

 

As if possessed by something, Krystal took slow, deliberate steps towards her fallen rival.

 

Amber's vision was blurry, but she could hear the approaching footsteps, even amidst the rain. She struggled to her feet, only to collapse back down on one knee, her sword gripped tightly in her hand as she used it to keep herself propped up. She could barely lift it at this point. Those constant attacks had her drained. The adrenaline was probably what kept her going. Getting knocked off her feet like that was probably what got her body to realize that she was using energy that she no longer had. It caught up.

 

As she looked up, Amber could make out Krystal's figure standing in front her. She could see the sword rising up, and everything else after that seemed to happen in slow motion.

 

One swing was all it took. Right in between the eyes.

 

It sliced through her skin so fast that Amber didn't even register the pain or notice all the blood streaming down her face. She felt nothing except fury.

 

Finding her second wind, Amber lunged at her rival, putting all her newfound strength into one last swing. The sword carved right into Krystal's face, the triumphant smirk the younger girl wore gone as soon as it came. She howled in agony, dropping her blade and holding her face in her hands. The blood wouldn't stop falling.

 

Amber collapsed into a heap, absolutely exhausted. Before blacking out, she could hear shouting and hurried footsteps. Probably faculty. If she had the strength for it, Amber probably would have rolled her eyes. They were a bit late to the party.

 

The young cadet closed her eyes, falling into unconsciousness.

 

____________________

 

"Our scars….like a mirror." Amber noted. She recalled hitting Krystal almost exactly where the younger girl had hit her. "Right between the eyes...huh. As if we needed anything else in common."

 

Looking to the side of the bed, Amber noticed the large rectangular casing with a silver lion's head symbol etched onto it. Her eyes lit up immediately. She lifted the case to the bed, lightly tracing the symbol with a finger before unlocking it. Lifting the lid revealed Amber's precious companion, her gunblade Revolver, looking as pristine as the first day she got it.

 

"Someone must have cleaned it before putting it in here." Amber assumed. With all the muck and grime from the storm, the gunblade must have been filthy. "Maybe Dr. Kadowaki, or one of the staff. Have to remember to thank them later."

 

Amber couldn't help but wonder how Krystal's gunblade was doing.

 

In her eyes, and possibly Krystal's as well, the only silver lining to come from this feud was the fact that, despite them both having a gunblade, they were different models. This meant they could focus on a different fighting style to set each other apart.

 

Amber's Revolver was a heavier type of gunblade that required the use of two hands to be at its most effective. The strokes were slower, but it was able to tank a good deal of damage, as well as give it out in return. Krystal's gunblade, the Hyperion, was the exact opposite. It was lighter in comparison to the Revolver, and could be wielded easily with one hand. The design was made with speed in mind, and that's exactly what it was. While it lacked the Revolver's raw power, it made up for it by being swift and more precise.

 

"I wonder…I mean, if I picked up a different blade, a lighter one…" Amber considered the possibility for a brief moment, but shook her head. "Nah, I'll just have to keep working on my own style. Switching after coming so far, that's stupid. I'm just tired."

 

The cadet was about to settle back into bed, when the door to her room suddenly few open.

 

"What, couldn't be bothered to knock?" Amber knew she was being an ass, but she just wanted to be left alone right now.

 

"Don't give me that attitude. Dr. Kadowaki told me what happened. If anyone should be upset, it's me." A woman clad in the SeeD formal attire appeared in front of Amber, her long black hair cascading below her shoulders, and her bangs covering one eye. Beautiful as she was, it made her seem even more menacing than usual. Especially with that death glare she was sending the young cadet's way. If looks could kill, Amber would have died a thousand times over by now.

 

Instead, it just made any previous trace of annoyance disintegrate, and be replaced by the feeling of danger and the fear of injury upon her person. Amber knew the woman too well. Despite still being rather unsteady on her feet, the cadet hurriedly got up from the bed, saluting immediately.

 

"Instructor Song! Forgive my rudeness, I didn't know it was you. It's just that what with everything that's happened today, I…I just, uh-" This was one of the few times Amber was at a loss for words.

 

"Just save it Liu. You can think of a way to kiss my ass later on when you're running laps." Instructor Victoria Song was not the type of woman you wanted to mess with if you knew what was good for you. She was a prodigy, joining SeeD at the age of fifteen and then becoming an instructor at the age of seventeen. And now here she is a decade later. At this point in her career she has completed enough missions to be considered a hero, even by SeeD standards. Young cadets looked up to her as a type of role model. Sure, she scared the hell out of them when they weren't paying attention in class, but Instructor Song was someone the students strived to be like one day. Amber was one of them.

 

In all honesty, she wasn't THAT much older than a lot of the students, and sometimes a daring new cadet would make the mistake of not taking her seriously because of it. But they wise up soon enough. The last student broke down crying in just under a minute. Amber wanted to chuckle at the memory, but now wasn't the time.

 

"When you say laps…."

 

"I mean run around the entire academy."

 

"For how long?!"

 

"Till the end of time. You finished?"

 

"…."

 

"I thought so. Now get dressed. We depart for Fire Cavern now."

 

"Fire Cavern? The test is today?" Amber blinked several times in confusion. Fire Cavern is normally used as a testing ground to see if a student was ready for the SeeD field exam. She could vaguely recall being told that she was going to take the test this morning…

 

At the bewildered look on the young cadet's face, Instructor Song let out a tired sigh. Amber could feel her throat tightening again as her teacher approached her. She closed her eyes on reflex.

 

"Maybe if you didn't get yourself knocked out this morning, you would've remembered. Not only that, but you'd be doing your test on time as well." The instructor's voice was a bit softer than usual, even though it still had that biting edge to it. Though her eyes were still shut tight, Amber could feel a warm palm press itself gently onto her bandaged head.

 

"…You and Krystal have always been such pains in my ass. Gifted for sure, but hell…just be lucky that the Headmaster has a soft spot for the two of you. I don't quite understand it myself. He must see something in you kids that's hidden from the rest of the world. Kind of like the dark side of the moon." Humor laced Instructor Song's voice at the last remark.

 

Amber slowly opened one of her eyes, then the next when she figured it was safe to do so. It was rare to see Instructor Song like this, but she had her moments.

 

The older woman gave a small smile, as if sensing what Amber was thinking. "Don't get used to it." She removed her hand from Amber's head, the stern look on her face back, as if it never left.

 

"Amber Liu…do not forget that you represent not only me as your instructor, but SM Garden as whole. You are a soldier-in-training, and therefore must learn to conduct yourself as one. You have massive potential. There's no doubt you would be an excellent SeeD…but I'd like to see you get your act together before that happens."

 

High praise AND a metaphorical slap to the face, but Amber took it for what it was. Coming from someone like Victoria Song, it meant a lot.

 

"Understood Instructor Song. I'll do my best."

 

Instructor Song nodded in response. "See to it that you do. Well then, enough talk, I suggest you change out of that hospital gown and into your uniform. I got you a new set." The instructor threw a clean cadet's uniform onto the bed. "Your old uniform was falling apart at the seams. Figured you could use a new one. Anyway, I'll wait for you outside." And with that, Instructor Song turned on hers heels and left the room.

 

Amber stood there for a minute, trying to take in what just happened. She turned to look at her new uniform, then to her Revolver. After what seemed like an eternity, the cadet nodded, making a personal vow to herself.

 

There was a renewed determination in her eyes.

 

"I can do this."

Notes:

My writing has suffered a lot over the years, but I hope this story helps to get me back on track. Anyway, this was more or less an introduction to the setting for those who are not familiar with Final Fantasy VIII, as well as set Kryber's rivalry. This IS a Lunber fic however, so if that's not your cup of tea, I apologize. And yes, this is a retelling of the game. I haven't played through the whole thing in ages, but I'll try to keep the events in order. And even though I'll be changing a few things, the main goal is the same. I may change the tags as characters might get added. Another thing, because of this story's pacing, and since Luna is basically the equivalent to Rinoa in this, she probably won't be showing up until possibly the end of the 2nd chapter. And if not, then chapter 3 for sure.

Chapter 2: Obtaining Ifrit

Summary:

Amber runs into a strange new student, and has a battle with a powerful Guardian Force sleeping within Fire Cavern.

Amber made a mad dash out of the infirmary the minute she got dressed. Just as she was turning a corner, a body slammed right into her, knocking them both to the ground.

 

"Eeek! I'm so sorry!" Clearly a girl. At least she sounded sincere.

 

The cadet could feel another migraine coming on, and was tempted to tell the girl off, only to decide against it at the last minute. They were both in a hurry anyway. And she was just feeling like an ass again.

 

Amber stood up first and dusted herself off. She examined the girl out of the corner of her eye, realizing that she didn't look familiar to her at all. The young lady had long, wavy nut-brown hair that framed her heart-shaped face quite well and drew attention to her nice set of cheekbones. Overall, she was quite striking.

 

They were wearing a similar cadet uniform, but the emblem on the girl's jacket was yellow, along with her tie. SM's colors were red. Amber figured that she was most likely a transfer student. That explains the rush…she was probably late for class and got lost.

 

"Well, don't worry about it. It was my fault too." She offered her hand to the other student, who took it with a grateful smile. "Are you okay though? Didn't look like your butt did much to cushion the impact." Amber grimaced, mentally kicking herself. Her mouth had a mind of its own sometimes. "That…didn't exactly come out right. Sorry."

 

Much to her surprise (and luck), the stranger just let out a hearty laugh, startling Amber. It was surprisingly…boisterous for a girl of her stature. Still, something about it was strangely infectious, and Amber soon found herself laughing along with her.

 

"Hehehe, that was actually kind of funny, so it's okay!" The girl wiped a tear from her eye as her laughter simmered down to a giggle. "Besides, you're the first student here to actually stop and talk to me." She pouted. "Everyone else just ignored me…."

 

Well, the girl certainly seemed nice enough. "I take it that means you're a transfer then?" Amber had to ask, though she knew the answer by now.

 

"Yup! Transferred from JYP Garden up north. I'm still super new to SM…and got lost." Her bright smile faltered a little. "Look, I hate to be a bother and everything, but is homeroom over already?"

 

Amber gave the girl an apologetic look. "I'm afraid so."

 

"Noooooo!" She tugged at her hair, distressed. Amber couldn't help but feel bad for her. "The layout of this place just seems so much more confusing than my last Garden!" Now she was wailing.

 

Against her better judgment, Amber suddenly found herself saying, "Well, I can spare a few minutes, so if you want, I could show you aro-"

 

"You will?! Thank you so much!" The girl jumped up and down excitedly.

 

"Alright, let's head down to the directory." Amber wasn't sure if she was going to regret this later or not.

__________

 

The cadet walked down the hall with her new companion cheerfully humming a tune beside her. She scratched her head, worried. The instructor was going to kill her. It was bad enough she missed the prerequisite the first time by landing her ass in the infirmary. Now she was going to be late for her second shot at it simply because she couldn't stop herself from playing tour guide. How the hell was she going to explain this one?

 

The two students finally reached the center of the main building, the directory board glowing brightly in front of them.

 

Speaking up, Amber said, "Alright, now pay attention." She pointed a finger at the monitor. "This is the 1st floor. Most of the classrooms are on the 2nd floor. Down here, there's a Side A and a Side B. But if you just want to head to the dorms, then just head north of this directory. You can't miss it."

 

She cast a side glance at the girl, wanting to making sure she was still paying attention. "You following this?"

 

The girl nodded her head. "Yup! Continue!"

 

"Okay, now starting here, you've got the cafeteria. It's west of the north block. East of that would be the parking lot. If we're ever needed on a mission, that's where we'll meet up once instructions have been given." Amber pointed to the next set. "We've got the quad in the west block. Usually that's where we hold the Garden festivals."

 

"Oh! I heard about that! I really want to join the committee. You should help out too!"

 

"Er, let's…just finish this first." Amber had to give the girl credit. She was certainly enthusiastic. Looking back at the screen, she continued on with her explanation. "Directly south of here is the front gate….damn, I seriously hope Instructor Song doesn't bury me alive…"

 

The transfer looked up to her designated tour guide, confusion written on her face. "Huh? Did you say something? You kind of muttered the last part."

 

Amber pinched the bridge of her nose, trying not to stress herself out. "It wasn't anything. Forget it." Too late to turn back now anyway. She was halfway done. "Okay, now, the hallway directly to our left is where the infirmary is. You should know what that's for already."

 

"Sure do. But what's the doctor's name again?"

 

"Kadowaki. She can be a little intimidating when you first meet her, but she's a nice lady." Amber made a mental note to see the doctor again later on. Her scar's constant throbbing was killing her. "Now for the east block. Over here you've got the training center. It's the only facility that's open all night."

 

"But don't we already have one outside?"

 

"Those are the training grounds, where students test their mettle against one another. The training center is a whole different playing field. You're fighting actual monsters that Garden has let loose in there. The threat is the real deal, so if you plan on going in to train by yourself, then be sure that you're ready, or you'll wind up dead."

 

The girl audibly gulped. "C-cool, gotcha."

 

"The last thing on the list is the library, it's located south of the east block. Lots of info in there, so when you have the time, go check it out."

 

"Hey, what if I need to speak with the headmaster?"

 

Amber thought for a minute. "Well, you're going to need special permission for that. His office is on the 5th floor. It's the only room up there, so it's hard to miss. We only ever get to talk to him when we need to report in from a mission though."

 

"Ah, okay. What's his name?"

 

"Headmaster Cid. Now, is there anything else I can help you with?" Amber remained rooted to where she was standing, waiting patiently.

 

"Hmmm…nope! That's it. I really appreciate you doing this!" The girl was about to run off again, before stopping. "Oh! My SeeD field exam is tomorrow! Maybe I'll see you then?"

 

Amber grinned, giving the new student a thumbs up. "Let's hope so."

 

"Awesome! I'll be holding you to that. And thanks again for today!" And with that she was off.

 

Amber waited until she disappeared from view entirely. Once she did, she looked down to check her watch. "Wow…I'll be lucky if Instructor Song doesn't set me on fire." At the very least, Amber was already close by the south gate.

 

Taking off in a jog, Amber suddenly realized something. "Huh…forgot to ask that girl her name."

__________

 

As Amber got closer to the gate, she was able to catch sight of her instructor. As expected, she wasn't looking too happy.

 

"But when does she ever look happy?" Amber quietly whispered to herself.

 

The cadet skidded to a halt once she was right in front of her. Refusing to meet Instructor Song's eyes, she kept her head lowered, rubbing the back of her neck, feeling awkward.

 

"I take it that you don't have much of an excuse?"

 

Amber could hear the tone in her voice. It didn't sound angry so much as exasperated. Still doesn't mean she was going to look up though. "I was…helping a transfer student find her way around."

 

Okay…she swore that she heard a snort.

 

"So now you're a girl scout?" Instructor Song actually sounded amused. "Decided to finally end your streak of rebellion and be a good girl now? What's next on your list Liu? Helping old ladies cross the street?"

 

"Instructor…you're mocking me." It wasn't a question. Amber knew that she was. The older woman was clearly getting her kicks from this. Well…at least her amusement was keeping her alive.

 

"Heh, yeah. Considering the number of screw-ups you've had today, well…you're just an easy target Liu."

 

"…so we're heading for Fire Cavern now right?" As relieved as she was that Instructor Song was in a good mood (surprisingly), being the butt of her jokes all day wasn't the main goal.

 

The instructor smirked at her student. She was enjoying herself immensely, but she supposed that the poor cadet had suffered enough already. "Alright, I suppose you've endured enough verbal abuse from me for the day. Regardless of whether you deserved it or not."

 

Amber groaned, feeling frustrated. "I get it, I get it."

 

"Okay, but before we go, don't forget to equip Quetzalcoatl and Shiva. ESPECIALLY Shiva. This IS Fire Cavern after all."

 

"Yeah, I equipped them before I got here."

 

"Excellent. Now let's head out."

 

The GFs, or rather, Guardian Forces were some of the strangest creatures in existence. Garden has known of them for ages, yet they're still something of an enigma. They were like living, breathing forms of energy, with their own free will. How benevolent OR malevolent a Guardian Force was really depended on each individual creature's personality, just like a human being. Their skills and powers were also a wide variety. However, most of them would never bother to lend their powers to a human until they were bested in combat. It was just how they determined if you were worthy.

 

Amber had managed to win Quetzalcoatl and Shiva's loyalty a couple of years ago already. They were the only two GFs that she had, but more often than not they were enough whenever she was in a sticky situation. Quetzalcoatl took the form of a large bird-like creature bathed in a golden light. He specialized in powerful electricity based attacks. Shiva, on the other hand, looked like a stunningly gorgeous woman with pale blue skin. She was an ice apparition, meaning her help would come in handy for Amber's little excursion to Fire Cavern.

 

However, as enormously helpful as the Guardian Forces were, their use within the Gardens was still highly controversial. It has been theorized that the more a SeeD relied on their summons, the more damaging it would be to the memory. But because the theory is still relatively new, all the possibilities have yet to be fully explored. Therefore, the memory loss theory still doesn’t have enough proof to hold it up yet, and SeeD has been allowed to continue its use of the Guardian Forces.

 

Amber, being quite paranoid, has tried to avoid using her GFs as much as she possibly can. There must have been some truth to that theory, since there's no justifiable reason to NOT use something so useful in combat. Amber was willing to call upon them during life-threatening situations, or when fights had to be ended quickly, but she preferred to let her sword do most of the talking.

 

"Hey, quite spacing out. We're here."

 

"Huh?"

 

Distracted, Amber didn't see the small rock jutting out of the ground, stumbling over it in the process. She face-planted to the ground with a loud thud, small clouds of dust floating around her as a result of the impact.

 

"Ah Liu…this just isn't your day is it?"

 

"Instructor…please." Amber's response was a little muffled.

 

A tinge of pity wormed its way into Instructor Song's heart. She would never admit it to the poor cadet, but the sight of the younger woman being so miserable was actually getting to her a little.

 

"Look Liu…if you're not up to it today then we could always postpone."

 

A sigh escaped the young cadet as she slowly got to her feet. Tempting as that offer was, she would never do it. "I know I've been the butt monkey of fate all day, but postponing it now means I have to wait another month before I can try again. I'd rather just get through my prerequisite today, and participate in the SeeD exam tomorrow."

 

"You know what kid, I think you're just a glutton for punishment."

 

Amber shrugged her shoulders, a lopsided grin on her face. "What can you do right? Although I appreciate you worrying about me Instructor Song."

 

Another snort. "Don't be ridiculous. I just don't want you dropping dead on my watch. How do you think that would make me look?" Ignoring the cadet's widening grin, Instructor Song turned her attention to the cave. "The entrance is just up ahead. The guard standing watch will give you a quick briefing on what your task is going to be before you go inside. Remember that you have a time limit. My job is to keep track of it." She pulled out a stop watch and showed it Amber. "Got it?"

 

"Got it." Amber wasn't going to let the day get to her. Right now, more than anything, she wanted her shot at the SeeD exam. It's what she's been working so damn hard for. She had to do this. She wanted to. "Let's go."

 

The two of them walked towards the Fire Cavern's entrance, and sure enough, an SM Garden guard was standing there.

 

"Instructor Song, good day. Your student taking the prerequisite?"

 

"That's correct."

 

"Alright." The guard turned to Amber. "State your name and student ID number."

 

Amber saluted before replying, "Amber Liu, student ID number 92-3568."

 

The guard nodded, then looked back to Instructor Song. "You will be the support Ms. Song?"

 

"That's right. Instructor number 87, Victoria Song."

 

"Okay, you're both good to go. Cadet Liu, your goal once you're inside is to obtain a low-level Guardian Force. Instructor Song's job is to heal your wounds and keep you from dying, but she is not to assist you in battle. You have 15 minutes to complete the objective. Your instructor will be timing you throughout the whole thing. Are you prepared?"

 

"Yes, I'm ready." Once Amber gave him the affirmative, the guard stepped out of the way, allowing them access.

 

"Good luck."

__________

 

Fire Cavern, as the name should imply, was unbearably hot. The molten lava that surrounded the place like an ocean left only one safe path to traverse. It was straightforward, but the intensity of the heat was so bad that it was almost physically painful to just stand there.

 

"No one with half a brain would be here unless they had to be…lucky me," Amber complained. "It figures that a GF would choose a place like this to hide in." The cadet could swear that her skin was melting off. The temperature was insane. She had marched into the place bravely, her chin held high and her chest puffed out. Now…well, she was still feeling brave, except now she was hunched over with sweat dripping off her chin. Her arm was shielding her face from the blasts of heat that stung her eyes. "I think it's getting worse instructor."

 

"I'm aware of that, so quit your whining. The GF must be nearby."

 

Amber stared at Instructor Song's backside. If the heat was bothering the older woman at all, she sure as hell wasn’t showing it.

 

"Always have to play the stoic badass don't you instructor?" Amber teased. She needed to get her mind off the blistering pain…

 

"You're becoming awfully bold Liu. Maybe the heat HAS melted your brain." Before Amber could make a retort, Instructor Song abruptly stopped in her tracks. "…we're here."

 

Amber looked over her instructor's shoulder. They had arrived at a dead end. Jagged rocks walled off the rest of the path. "Uh, instructor, there's nothing here."

 

"Shhh, look there." A little ways ahead of them, there was a large, disk-shaped hole in the ground. It was filled with lava. "Can you sense it Liu? He's coming."

 

The ground began to shake beneath their feet. Amber got into her battle stance, her gunblade out and eyes never once leaving the hole. Seconds later, a column of flames shot up, exploding into several directions before it hit the roof of the cave. When the fire dissipated and everything stopped shaking, an enormous beast-like creature stood before them. He was bi-pedal, and covered head to toe in brown fur. There were long curved horns atop his head, and sharp claws protruding from his massive hands. Flames covered his chest, neck, and went halfway down his back. Like a lion's mane. The creature was downright horrifying, yet strangely regal, like he had stepped right out of the gates of Hell and demanded absolute respect.

 

Amber was in awe. Suddenly, she felt a hand squeeze her shoulder, and looked towards Instructor Song.

 

"Stay focused Liu. And don't be intimidated. Yes, he's going to be a strong opponent, but remember that this is part of your exam, so it's not an impossible task."

 

"Y-yeah, guess I just froze for a second there."

 

"Well get it together cadet. Just remember that you've fought worse."

 

"That's…true." Outraged by the sudden admission, the Guardian Force roared.

 

"IMPUDENT HUMANS!!!" He bellowed, his voice booming throughout the whole cavern, powerful and imposing. "YOU ARE THE ONES TO SET FOOT ON MY DOMAIN. YET YOU HAVE THE GALL TO INSULT ME!!!"

 

The raging fire elemental opened his mouth wide, and unleashed a chain of three fireballs in rapid succession.

 

Amber leapt to the side in a hurry, taking care not to fall in the molten lava.

 

Instructor Song yelled out, "He's a FIRE aligned Guardian Force Liu! Remember that!"

 

"SUCH COWARDICE!! YOU COME HERE TO CHALLENGE ME YET YOU ALLOW THIS RUNT TO DO ALL THE FIGHTING?! DO NOT INSULT ME FURTHER HUMAN!!!"

 

As the GF taunted them, he was hit square in the chest by a blizzard spell. "GAH!! WHA-" He was hit again. This time it sent him crashing to the ground. The creature turned towards Amber, eyes ablaze with fury.

 

"Hey! Eyes on me asshole! SHE'S not your opponent, I am." Amber sported a cocky grin on her face, any inkling of fear that she had gone. "Two on one would be overkill against a glorified furnace with legs."

 

"GRAAAARGH!!!" The frenzied behemoth stretched out his clawed hand, swiping at Amber, almost tearing off the collar of her uniform.

 

The cadet slashed at him with her gunblade, pulling the trigger and sending him back a few feet. She dropped to the ground and rolled clear out of the way before another fireball could hit her. Dodging had become a simple task for the cadet, but drawing out this fight wouldn't be wise.

 

"Instructor! How much more time do I have?!"

 

"You have just under two minutes Liu! Hurry it up!" Instructor Song shouted.

 

From the corner of her eye, Amber could see the GF charging up another fire attack.

 

Quickly, Amber conjured up another blizzard spell. It hit the GF square in the mouth, cancelling out his attack and stunning him momentarily.

 

"Now's my chance!" Amber's brows furrowed as she concentrated. In mere seconds, the skin melting heat of the cavern dropped to freezing temperatures, like the whole place had just been kissed by an eternal winter.

 

The fire GF, suddenly realizing what was going on, began to panic. "YOU HAVE SHIVA?!"

 

Just then, the wintery maiden made her appearance. Shards of ice flew across the room as she broke out of her glacier-like prison. She smiled sweetly at the fire behemoth before delicately raising her right arm. And with the snap of her wrist, the rogue GF was encased in a block of ice, exploding right after and throwing the weakened creature straight across the cavern, and slamming him into a wall.

 

"URGH…" The beast tried to stand back up, but alas, his weakness to ice was too much for him. His fiery mane sizzled down as he dropped to the ground, defeated.

 

"Thank you Shiva." Amber walked up to the ice apparition, smiling in gratitude. The GF turned to her human companion, nodding before disappearing into a flurry of snowflakes, waiting for the day she was to be called upon once again.

 

The cadet then approached the downed GF. "Well…what do you say? Have I proven myself to you or not?"

 

The fire elemental looked at Amber for a moment. "I WILL ADMIT…THAT YOU ARE NOT BAD FOR A HUMAN. YOU HAVE GAINED SHIVA'S TRUST. THAT MEANS THAT THERE IS SOMETHING MORE TO YOU THAN MEETS THE EYE." Though he had said it begrudgingly, the GF did mean every word of it.

 

"So…does that mean…?"

 

"YES, LITTLE ONE, I WILL JOIN YOU."

 

Relief filled Amber's whole being. Guardian Forces were notoriously unpredictable, so she was glad that this one was honorable, and willing to cooperate.

 

"Thanks. Well, my name is Amber. What am I supposed to call you?"

 

"BAH, YOUR KIND HAS CALLED ME FAR TOO MANY THINGS THROUGHOUT THE CENTURIES. AS AN ELEMENTAL SPIRIT, I DO NOT HAVE AN ACTUAL NAME. BUT…..IFRIT. IFRIT IS THE MOST COMMON ONE I HEAR."

 

"Well then, Ifrit…welcome to the team."

 

The GF nodded his head, rising up to his feet and roaring once more. He burst into flames, which separated into smaller ones and circled around Amber, making her glow for a short time. As it faded, Amber slowly clenched and unclenched her fist.

 

"I can feel his power surging through me…I really got him." Amber was practically swelling with pride.

 

Instructor Song came up to the cadet. "Ha, would you look at that…a few rips to the shirt and some soot here and there, but there's not an injury on you. Looks like you don't need any healing after all. Excellent work Liu." The instructor was practically beaming. "And I was right after all. You and Krystal Jung really are in a class of your own. You both have your own strengths and weaknesses, but you're still on a completely different level in comparison to the average cadet."

 

Amber laughed. "Sounds more like favoritism instructor."

 

The older woman ruffled Amber's hair affectionately. "Well…maybe half and half." She looked at her stopwatch. "28 seconds to spare too, not bad."

 

"Heh, I have to admit that there was a moment in there where I wasn't sure that I'd be able to do it…"

 

"But you did."

 

"Yeah, ha…yeah I did."

__________

 

Amber flopped down onto her bed once she got inside the dorm room. Today was absolutely exhausting.

 

"Damn, everything fucking hurts…" Fortunately, the SeeD exam wasn't until tomorrow. She could finally get some much needed rest until then.

 

She got permanently scarred this morning, played tour guide, had to go through an oven masquerading as a cave and at the end of it, fight off a powerful Guardian Force that could've roasted her alive.

 

What a day indeed.

 

Amber carefully traced the scar between her eyes. It was still throbbing. In fact, her whole head felt like an absolute mess. She sighed wearily.

 

"Just…sleep it off Amber. Just sleep it off."

Notes:

Next chapter will most likely be titled "Waltz For The Moon", after the song. Appropriate, considering who shows up in the chapter. *coughs* You know, name rhymes with "Yuna".....ahem.

Also, for those who were not aware...that new girl in the beginning of the chappy was Ailee. Though I'll probably call her Amy Lee throughout this story.

Chapter 3: Waltz For The Moon

Summary:

Amber and company take the SeeD exam. Later on, she finds herself dancing the night away (sort of) with a beautiful woman.

The next morning was a rush like it always was. Only this time, Amber was getting ready for the SeeD exam instead of just being late for class.

 

She put on her uniform, and made sure to see if she had everything prepared.

 

"Let's see…Revolver is good to go, extra potions in my satchel just in case, and uh…oh yeah! My GFs!" Amber mentally called for her summons to remain on standby. Quetzalcoatl and Shiva stood at the ready right away, just like always. Amber caught herself smiling when Ifrit responded to her call a few seconds later. Amber was glad that the short-tempered Guardian Force was being compliant. He was still rather stubborn, but he had calmed down considerably after yesterday's series of events. "Thank you guys."

 

After double-checking her supplies and equipment, a ping from the intercom signaled that it was time. Amber got up off the bed and exited the dormitory. She soon found herself back in front the directory. The transfer student from yesterday briefly came to mind. "Didn't she say she was taking the same exam? Huh, maybe I'll run into her."

 

"Ah, Liu! Good, you're early."

 

Amber noticed Instructor Song heading her way, clipboard in hand.

 

"Good morning Instructor." Amber gave her a formal salute before relaxing again. "Where's everybody else?"

 

"The other SeeD candidates left for Balamb already. But the rest of your squad is on their way now."

 

"Oh, okay. Guess they had an earlier start then….you have any idea who I'm going to be grouped with?" For some reason, Amber had a strange foreboding sensation about all this. She didn't like it.

 

Instructor Song flipped through the pages on her clipboard. "Hmmm, here it is. Cadet Liu, you are going to be grouped with…Jackson Wang."

 

Well, that actually wasn't so bad.

 

"And Krystal Jung."

 

"WHAT?!" Amber exclaimed. She was never going to distrust her gut feeling again.

 

Sensing the impending rant, Instructor Song said, "Liu, please…don't make a scene about all this." She began massaging her temples. "And don't look at me like that either. I'm not the one who picked the squads."

 

Amber decided to drop the glare she was leveling at her mentor. Yeah, it really wasn't her fault, but the revelation that she was going to be grouped with Krystal Jung meant that the exam just took a sudden spike in difficulty.

 

"I know you didn't pick the squads Instructor, but…" She rubbed her scar. It felt strangely hot. The cadet could guess why.

 

A momentary flash of concern crossed the instructor's face, but was gone as soon as it came. "Situations such as this are bound to happen in this line of work Liu. It's unavoidable. Suck it up."

 

"Yeah, you keep telling me that. And I will. But that doesn't mean I have to like it."

 

"You're being such a child."

 

The cadet was perfectly aware of this. But really…to be put in a squad with a woman who's relationship with her was turbulent at best and mass destruction at its worst was a tad hard to swallow.

 

"I did promise that I was going to tone things down, that I wouldn't let her get to me..."

 

"You said it, not me. But thank you Liu. And who knows? Perhaps one day you two might be able to forge something close to a friendship again. Just like the good old days." Instructor Song gave Amber a reassuring smile.

 

"….." Amber gave her an incredulous look in response.

 

"Okay, fine. You can't exactly blame me for hoping. You were both so much easier to handle back when things weren't so strained between you. At the very least, be civil with each other."

 

"Yeah, yeah. Geez, I never realized how sentimental you are Instructor Song."

 

The older woman opened her mouth to form a rebuttal, but no sound came out. Maybe she was getting a little soft…

 

They remained silent after that exchange and just waited for the other two cadets to get there. And the first one to arrive was none other than Jackson Wang.

 

"Heeeey!" The young man ran towards them at lightning speed, his blond locks bouncing with every step.

 

"Huh…he changed his hair again," Amber commented. Jackson was an oddball, to say the least. But hey, who was she to judge? Everyone who went here had quirks. The tomboy always assumed the two of them would get along swimmingly if they ever hung out more, but Jackson was under a different instructor. She normally didn't see him around very much unless it was lunchtime, and even then, they ran with different circles.

 

"Sorry I'm late Ms. Song!" Jackson greeted cheerfully. "Alarm didn't go off."

 

"It's alright Cadet Wang, you're not late. Just right on time in fact."

 

Jackson did his salute, and decided to stand next to the gunblade wielder. "Hey Amber, how's it going?" He held out his hand to her for a handshake. Amber took it and smiled at him.

 

"I'm good Jackson, thanks."

 

"Heard about your run-in with Krystal Jung yesterday."

 

"…what a shocker." Anything involving her and Krystal spread like wildfire. The fact that their little skirmish ended in bloodshed just sped up the process.

 

"If it makes you feel any better, the new scar makes you look badass."

 

Huh, that did make her feel a little bit better about it.

 

The bleach blond attempted to poke at Amber's fairly new facial marking, only to have her turn away. "Heh, sorry. Too soon?"

 

"Too soon."

 

"Hmph, so I'm with you guys?" A third voice interrupted them. Amber didn't have to turn around to know who it was. "Liu…sorry I couldn't visit you at the infirmary. Busy and all that."

 

Amber certainly wasn't going to honor her with a response.

 

Jackson piped up instead. "Lay off Jung!"

 

"What? You and Liu besties now Wang?" Another voice.

 

This time Amber did turn to look. And lo and behold, it was Sulli and Jessica. They weren't even taking the exam today, but if Krystal was around, then it was guaranteed that these two were somewhere nearby. The tall one, Sulli, was the more outspoken of their little posse. And the shortest one, Jessica….she didn't necessarily say much, but she was undoubtedly loyal to Krystal. Their group was really tight-knit, all in all. Ironically, they were the Garden's self-proclaimed disciplinary committee.

 

Instructor Song quickly intervened before the situation could escalate. "Everybody, calm down! You three are NOT going to pass at this rate. If you wish to become SeeD, unity is key. And Sulli, Jessica, go on back to your classes!"

 

Krystal scowled, but was silent as she waved goodbye to Sulli and Jessica. Jackson crossed his arms and snorted as the two girls shot death glares at him.

 

Amber hadn't said a word the whole time. There was too much on her mind. Krystal was here, couldn't change that. And Jackson…well, it remained to be seen whether they would be able to work well together or not.

 

As for the SeeD exam….they didn't even know the details for it yet. The three cadets had to overcome any obstacles in their path to pass. And that included personality clashes. Amber was worried.

 

"Good morning all!" Amber looked up to see an older gentleman was heading towards them. He wore a long sleeved white collar shirt with a green tie and a burgundy vest. He had short messy hair and wore a round pair of reading glasses upon his aging face.

 

"Oh shit, Headmaster Cid!"

 

"Liu, watch your mouth!" Instructor Song scolded the cadet.

 

The headmaster came up to them, a kind smile on his face. "Now, now Victoria. Just leave her be. Amber's honest reactions are quite refreshing."

 

The three cadets saluted quickly. Amber looked down, slightly ashamed. "I apologize sir. Sometimes my mouth is faster than my brain…"

 

"It's perfectly fine Amber. You worry too much these days. Perhaps you've spent too much time under Victoria's tutelage. Hahaha!" He let out a hearty laugh.

 

Instructor Song coughed, trying to get the headmaster back on track. "Uh, sir…you had something to say to the cadets before they leave for the exam correct?"

 

"Ah, yes. You're quite right." Headmaster Cid adjusted his glasses, turning to address the cadets.

 

"Well then everyone, it's been quite a while since I've done one of these eh? I assume you've all been well?"

 

The three quietly muttered their answer, Amber and Krystal being the most reluctant to do so. Krystal looked at the headmaster, trying to gauge his mood.

 

"He seems like his usual cheerful self. Pretty sure he heard about yesterday by now," Amber whispered. She didn't want the headmaster to hear them.

 

"If he's not going to bring it up then why should we?" Krystal whispered back.

 

"Hmm, is there something that the two of you would like to share?"

 

"Nothing sir!" They quickly said in unison.

 

"Haha, alright." Headmaster Cid left it at that, but Amber caught the mischievous glint in his eyes. "Suit yourselves. Now, if I may continue…?" The two cadets nodded their heads vigorously.

 

Adjusting his glasses again, the headmaster continued. "This exam will involve four squads, A through D. Each with three members. So a total of twelve candidates will be dispatched, but due to the nature of this exam, I will be honest and say that it's very likely that less than half of you will actually pass. As I have warned the squads before you, you will be participating in a real battle….a war, ladies and gentleman. Yes, you have all been to battle before, but never on such a grand scale. Proceed with the utmost caution and remember to keep in mind that should you fail, there are SeeDs who will be accompanying you, and they will get the job done. They always do."

 

"Whoa, a real war…" Jackson's eyes looked like they were bugging out. Amber wasn't quite sure if he was nervous or excited. Maybe a little of both.

 

"Now, are there any questions for me?" The headmaster asked.

 

"No sir!" The cadets responded.

 

"Well then…I shall be taking my leave. Victoria Song will be in charge of your squad. If you have any questions or concerns, direct them to her. And don't forget to follow her instructions to the T." He started to rub his chin in contemplation. "Oh yes! Amber, Krystal…I hope that at least one of you will pass. It's about time SeeD welcomed a gunblade specialist into their ranks." He gave them a warm smile, then walked away.

 

Instructor Song took over again. "Alright, you all heard the headmaster. Now before we head out to the parking lot…" She flipped through the pages on her clipboard some more. "Krystal Jung, you are the squad captain."

 

"SAY WHAT?!" Jackson was taken aback.

 

"I'm totally fine with this." Krystal marched off towards the parking lot, head held a little higher than usual.

 

Amber wasn't the least bit surprised. "Just leave it alone Jackson."

 

"And it can't be changed anyway." Instructor Song looked at the two remaining cadets. She wouldn't ever say it loud, but she knew Amber wouldn't be up for the position even if she was picked. The mental stress that the young cadet was currently going through….

 

Jackson looked mildly offended, but didn't press the issue any further. "Let's go Amber."

 

Amber sighed. She couldn't bring herself to care. "Focus on passing, Amber. That's it. Drown out anything else…don't forget what Headmaster Cid said."

__________

 

The four of them got into a Garden military vehicle and departed for the port town of Balamb.

 

"We'll get off there and transfer onto a war vessel that will take us to Dollet." Even Instructor Song was sounding a little on edge. And she wasn't even taking part in the exam. Amber supposed that she was just worried for them. They've had students die before.

 

"…hey Amber, think I could take a peek at your gunblade?" Jackson pleaded. He was trying to break the uncomfortable silence.

 

"No. Dangerous."

 

"Just for a little bit? Like three seconds?"

 

"…still no."

 

"Tch…be that way then."

 

Another bout of silence followed after that short little exchange. Jack started tapping his feet, then his hands. Pretty soon he was beatboxing. The boredom finally caught up to him.

 

Krystal was having none of it. "Knock it off, it's annoying."

 

The blond stopped what he was doing and glowered at the woman. Krystal remained unfazed. Instead, she decided to lean in closer towards him.

 

"Chicken-wuss."

 

"THAT'S IT!!" Jackson got up from his seat, only for his head to hit the top of the car ceiling. "Argh!" He fell back onto his seat with a thud, rubbing his sore head and whimpering.

 

Krystal was howling with laughter, while Amber remained surprisingly stoic throughout the entire conversation (if you could even call it that).

 

Instructor Song couldn't take it anymore. "ENOUGH!!"

 

The two quarreling cadets settled down at their instructor's outburst.

 

A pattern was beginning to form with their particular group. They would have an argument, they get yelled at, everyone shuts up until another person was feeling brave enough to try and start the conversation again…

 

"Hey, Instructor Song?" This time it was Amber.

 

"Yes Liu, what is it?" She seemed tired.

 

Amber had to admit that she felt a little bad for the older woman. She had enough responsibilities piled onto her platter already. Not just as an instructor, but as a SeeD and representative of SM Garden. It probably wasn't easy to handle so many students, day in and day out. And it must have been especially draining for her today, considering the group she was with.

 

"I ran into a transfer student in the hallway yesterday. She was wearing a yellow tie. Transferred from JYP. Have any idea what her name was?"

 

"Hm? Well we've had a surprising number of transfers this year. I don't exactly know them all by heart yet. Why? Is there something the matter?"

 

Amber didn't feel like pursuing the topic any further. "Nah, never mind. I was just curious, that's all."

 

Krystal scoffed. "Well isn't this nice. Wang is an overly sensitive mess and Liu just hit puberty. Congrats."

 

"….."

 

They were almost at Balamb.

___________

 

Their vehicle zipped through the empty streets of Balamb. The folks in town were always warned beforehand when SM Garden needed to roll through. Precautionary measures and whatnot. It was a very small town, with even smaller streets. The Garden vehicles practically encompassed both sides of the road. And they couldn't afford to have innocent civilians get hurt.

 

Amber looked out the window, taking in the view and breathing in the fresh air. Balamb wasn't the most up to date of places, but it didn't really need to be. It had that 'sleepy town' appeal to it. The town has a train station, but it was currently under repairs. Usually when it's up and running, Balamb had the occasional tourist or two stop by and take pictures. People from big cities always seem curious about towns that are in the middle of nowhere. Most of the time though, it was a bunch of youngsters just passing by on their way to try out for SM Garden.

 

As their vehicle parked, Amber spotted the war vessel floating by the dock. A lot of the townsfolk like to call it SM Garden's latest and greatest 'triumph.' And it was hard to disagree. Seafaring vessels were normally so slow when it came to progress, but not these giants.

 

Despite their bulky appearances, the war vessels propelled themselves through the water like a pod of dolphins. They were insanely fast for their size. And of course, a war vessel wouldn't be a war vessel if it wasn't armed to the teeth. There were several small gatling guns installed on the sides of the ship, but the one that stood out the most was the giant mounted machine gun turret near the front of the vessel. Just looking at the thing practically screamed 'warfare.' The war vessels were certainly the most advanced seafaring weapons owned by Garden.

 

Amber felt a chill run up her spine as she approached. She hoped it was just the wind. Truthfully, she had been on the floating war machines several times before, never really to go anywhere though. It was just mostly lessons about how the vessels operated.

 

What they were about to do never really sunk in until she saw the vessels sitting right in front of her…that they were going to an actual warzone. Amber wanted to say that she wasn't scared, that it was going to be a cakewalk and that they'd all make it back alive. She couldn't….

 

But this was their way of life. And charging into battle despite knowing what the consequences will be if you fail is what was expected of anyone who wanted to join the ranks of SeeD. Even before that actually. For someone like Amber…even as a child. In that sense, her and Krystal were one in the same.

__________

 

They boarded the war vessel and set out immediately. Instructor Song lead the three cadets below deck. They stopped in front of a door labeled 'War Room.'

 

Once inside, they were greeted by SeeD member Xu. Amber vaguely remembers seeing her on occasion in the halls. But, except for the occasional 'hello' they never actually spoke to each other. She knew Xu was good friends with Instructor Song though.

 

"Greetings cadets," Xu said. "Hey there Victoria. I'm guessing this is Squad D?"

 

"That's right," Instructor Song confirmed. "Everyone, introduce yourselves to SeeD Xu."

 

Krystal sat up from her chair. "Krystal Jung," She said simply.

 

"Pleased to meet you. I'm Amber Liu." Amber stood up and acknowledged their senior with a wave of her hand.

 

Jackson got up as well. "Jackson Wang. Nice to meet ya!"

 

Xu smiled at them. "I can see the two problem children are in this group. You must have your hands full Victoria," she teased.

 

"Heh, you don't know the half of it. Cadet Wang isn't making it much easier either."

 

"Hey!" Jackson replied indignantly.

 

The two older women chuckled at his reaction. Krystal let out a loud yawn, and just went about loading her Hyperion's bullet chamber. Amber focused her attention on a map left out on the table. Both of them chose to ignore the 'problem children' comment.

 

"Well, let's get down to business then." Xu was a lot like Instructor Song in a way. You get these short glimpses of joviality, before the soldier in them took over again.

 

"So, our client for this mission is the DDP."

 

"DDP?" Amber asked curiously.

 

"It stands for the Dollet Dukedom Parliament. They made a request for SeeD approximately 18 hours ago. The city of Dollet has been under siege by the Galbadian army for more than 72 hours already."

 

"Wait, Galbadia? What do they want with Dollet?"

 

Galbadia is one of the largest political powers in play right now. Their territory spans a huge chunk of the western continent, and it's STILL expanding. The country is currently ruled with an iron fist under the military dictatorship of their lifelong president, Vinzer Deling. In other words, they were assholes.

 

"You know how Galbadia is Amber. I can't even begin to count the number of times they've tried to invade other lands. I'm more surprised Dollet wasn't attacked sooner considering how close they are to Galbadia's territory. Garden is the only thing standing in their way. We've thwarted them so many times that I think President Deling is beginning to see SeeD as his personal arch-nemesis." Xu turned to the monitor and brought a current map of Dollet to the screen.

 

"We should get back to the task at hand. You see, in a little more than two days, Dollet's troops have fled from their positions. The Galbadian army is too strong. What's left of their military is making an attempt to reorganize itself up in the mountains. Now, here is where you guys come in."

 

Xu circled an area on the map Amber was looking at earlier. "Apparently, the G-Army caught wind of where the remaining troops are hiding. Our vessel will make a landing at Lapin Beach. Your job is to intercept the G-Army that's already inside, thus liberating the city and eliminating the threat before they can kill off the rest of Dollet's troops."

 

Jackson looked as if he was about to burst with anticipation. "Sounds important!"

 

Krystal, however, was less than amused. "Why does it sound like we're only there for clean up duty?"

 

"Cadet Jung…" Instructor Song warned.

 

The bemused cadet just shrugged her shoulders. "I know, I know. You don't have to lecture me again. Do what must be done and all that."

 

"Oh, and please do not forget that the order to withdraw takes top priority. Should you fail to comply, then you automatically fail the whole exam. No matter how well you've been doing up to that point. That's all. We'll be arriving shortly, so you'd better make sure you're prepared. Expect to engage the enemy the moment you disembark." Xu took her leave once she was done.

 

Instructor Song took a look at her watch. "Get ready everyone."

 

"Alright," Amber said. She felt totally focused, more so than ever before.

 

"Hey Liu, could you go up on deck and check to see what's going on outside?" Krystal gestured to the floor above them.

 

"…yeah, sure." Amber complied. She got up and left the room.

__________

 

Amber didn't have to see it to know just how hellish it was going to be. The sounds were enough. But she did. She saw it all. And pretty soon she was going to see it up close and personal.

 

The explosions going off from bombs and grenades and who the fuck knows what else seemed oddly fitting against the backdrop of a red-orange horizon.

 

The winds carried with it the stench of death and destruction. The fiery blazes reflected in Amber's eyes as she stared on ahead, gaze unwavering. She was ready for this.

 

Sounds of battle grew louder and louder, the smell getting stronger and stronger until their vessel made landfall, crashing through the hastily made barricade the G-Army created on the beach.

 

SeeDs and cadets alike rushed out of the war vessels and onto shore. Once Amber and her group were together, Instructor Song said, "Secure the Central Square, eliminate any opposition! When you're done make sure to hold your positions and wait for new orders! Now move!"

 

Amber, Krystal, and Jackson worked their way through the beach, killing off soldiers who were lagging behind with minimal effort.

 

"Look out! It's those Garden bastards!"

 

The three cadets continued to breeze through the enemy horde until they were jumped by two soldiers who were lying in wait. They swooped down from the bridge, guns blazing.

 

Before Amber and Jackson could react, Krystal sped passed them, ramming her gunblade right through one soldier's abdomen. He continued to hack up copious amounts of blood as the cadet grabbed him by the collar, twisted him around and used his body as a shield right before the other G-soldier opened fire, accidentally turning his comrade into Swiss cheese.

 

When he had no choice but to reload, Krystal saw the opportunity. She tossed what was left of the other soldier aside, and swiftly cut the remaining one's head clear off his shoulders, his neck spurting out like a geyser before the body dropped to the ground. His head rolled towards Krystal's feet, face frozen in shock.

 

"Tch, and this is supposed to be a challenge?"

 

"A little excessive don't you think Jung?" Jackson was visibly disturbed at the sight.

 

"Like it matters how we kill them. They're the enemy remember? No mercy. Now come on, Central Square is just over there!" Krystal hurried on ahead of them.

 

Jackson still had not moved from his spot. Amber came up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Jung does have a point Jackson, as brutal as it is. This is war. Clean one stroke kills won't happen all the time."

 

The blond looked at his comrade, nodding slowly.

 

When they got to Central Square, a few soldiers were there. The cadets made quick work of them. Amber slit an attacking soldier's throat, and cleaved another one's head in half. She ducked as Jackson leapt over her and smashed his fist through a soldier's helmet and sending him flying into the fountain. Krystal used a fire spell to burn the rest of them alive.

 

After a few more waves of reinforcements, the Central Square was finally secured. The bodies of fallen enemy soldiers surrounded the cadets, the smell of blood and burning bodies wafting through their noses.

 

"Hey, between the three of us, how much do you think our body count is?" Krystal questioned, turning to Amber."

 

"I don't know Jung. Nor do I want to."

 

"Tch, you're no fun Liu."

 

Amber said nothing. She walked to the fountain and sat down, cleaning up the bloodstains on her Revolver.

 

Jackson looked at Krystal. "So what happens now Captain?"

 

"We're on standby until further notice," Krystal said. She leaned against a pillar and crossed her arms. "And so comes the boring part."

 

After cleaning her gunblade, Amber went over to check on Jackson. The young man had been awfully quiet. He was gazing into the window of a store, staring at his reflection.

 

"I've got their blood all over me Amber…."

 

"I know…me too."

 

"I mean…it's not like I haven't killed before. But I knew the guys I offed had it coming. This is just on a whole new level."

 

"You still killed Jackson. Regardless of whether they deserved it or not, you still killed them. This is no different. To us, they're supposed to be nameless soldiers, and we don't question it. We just do it."

 

"But how do we-?"

 

"That's the point! We don't. They're the enemy, and that's all we need to know. Kill them first before they get the chance to kill us."

 

"Damn Amber…."

 

"Are you going to back out?"

 

"No, I've come too far."

 

"….."

 

"Man…it was a whole lot easier fighting monsters. Ha…."

 

"Whose to say humans can't be monsters?"

 

"Huh….."

 

"Don't worry Jackson. You'll be alright."

 

"Thanks."

__________

 

The clock tower struck 12:00. The cadets have been at Central Square for a little over an hour now. Yet there was still now sign of the enemy, or even another order.

 

Amber was drawing faces on the ground with her gunblade, Krystal wouldn't stop pacing, and Jackson was just playing with his uniform collar, as if it were the most interesting thing in the world.

 

"This is taking forever." The squad captain started twirling her gunblade like a baton. "Why'd we get the short end of the stick? The other squads are probably seeing more action than we are. I don't know. A soldier should never ignore their instinct. And mine is telling me that something is about to go down."

 

"You know, for once I agree with Jung here. I'm not promoting more violence, but we're not exactly being productive by sitting here." Jackson really wasn't liking the quiet. It was like the calm before the storm.

 

Amber could hear the sounds of gunfire in the distance, but nothing within their vicinity. She should've been glad, but her gut was feeling all weird again. "Maybe you guys are right…something feels strange."

 

Sure enough, as if on cue, several G-soldiers started heading their way.

 

"Gah! I knew it! Quick, hide!" Jackson quickly ducked through an alleyway, with Amber and Krystal right at his heels.

 

"Where do you think they're headed?" Jackson whispered.

 

"Looks like they're heading for Dollet's Communication Tower. I don't get it…that thing has been shut off for ages…" Amber felt that foreboding feeling coming back full force.

 

As the enemies left the area, the cadets came out of hiding.

 

"Well, only one way to find out!"

 

"Grrr, dammit Jung! If we leave the area, that's a direct violation of our orders!"

 

"Oh come off it Wang! You're never going to go far if you don't take some sort of initiative."

 

"I can respect that, but THIS is an exam, an important one. We need to stay put."

 

"And you're free to do so. I'm not stopping you, but I'm not staying here either."

 

"Hey! Wait!" Jackson called after Krystal, who had run off in the direction of the Communication Tower. "Argh! Amber! What now? She's our captain!"

 

The tomboy sighed in frustration. "Well, this is juuuust perfect….come on Jackson, we can't just let her go off on her own."

 

"….I knew you were going to say that." The young man exasperatedly ran a hand through his blond locks.

 

"A team's a team."

 

"Yeah, and rules are rules."

 

"Would you quit whining? Let's go!"

 

"….you know you're beginning to sound like Instructor Song."

 

"I'll take that as a compliment."

__________

 

After some rather strenuous mountain climbing, the two cadets finally made it near the summit.

 

"Damn, that climb was really steep." Jackson had tried his best not to look down the whole time. The pathway had gone into a spiral, getting higher. It felt like it was never going to end. Luckily, it did.

 

"Well, we're finally here. Now where the fuck is Krystal?" After a doing a quick scan of the area, Amber was able to spot the squad captain hunkered down near a boulder.

 

Amber and Jackson did the same, remaining low to the ground as they approached the lone cadet. Amber spoke first. "What the hell are you doing?"

 

Krystal turned to her, smirking. "Isn't obvious? I'm spying." She gave the short haired woman a hard pat on the back. "So! You and Chicken-wuss finally decided to join me eh? Bet you guys were itching for a fight too."

 

Amber sent the younger cadet a tired glare. "We couldn't leave you up here by yourself. And what if I did want to test out how much I've improved? Better than getting through a fight by playing dirty…"

 

The smug look on Krystal's face seemed to visibly grow. She knew exactly what the older woman was referring to. The subtext was very much apparent to her.

 

"Can't seem to let things go can you Liu?"

 

"Not when I get permanently disfigured, no."

 

"It's a scar, you overly dramatic dipshit. I have one too."

 

"Well we wouldn't fucking have these in the first place if you didn't attack me first."

 

"Look on the bright side Liu! At least we're matching!" Krystal's voice was oozing with sarcasm, the sneer never leaving her face either…

 

Jackson decided to butt in. "The hell are you guys talking about? You buddy-buddy now or something?"

 

"Fuck off Jackson," Amber growled out. She was still trying to keep her voice down, but it was becoming more difficult what with her patience wearing thin.

 

"What? What'd I say?"

 

Just then, the group spotted a couple of Galbadian soldiers coming from behind the Communication Tower.

 

"The generator is running now!" One of the soldiers exclaimed. "And we're having no issues with the boosters either."

 

"Good," The other soldier said. "The disconnection has also been confirmed, so we should start the exchange process."

 

The two headed inside the tower's front entrance.

 

Amber rose up from their hiding spot. "Repairs? What do you think is going on?"

 

Krystal dusted off her hands, shrugging. "Won't matter if we stop them first." She nudge Amber with an elbow. "Don't tell me you're scared Liu."

 

"I honestly don't know. I mean, when we first set out for Dollet I was. I never fought in a battle so large scale before….it had my hairs standing on end. But now that we're here….now that we've practically mutilated every single soldier sent here…now, I don't know. I'm alive, they're not. That's the point isn't it?"

 

"You're indifferent." Krystal stated it so matter-of-factly.

 

"…I guess so." Amber wasn't sure what else to say.

 

"Well, we're supposed to be soldiers…mercenaries. Murder is in our job description. That's how we protect the common folk. Slaughter legions so that they can live out their lives right? So being indifferent is a good thing. You don't get attached." Krystal was being oddly insightful….

 

"I think I told Jackson something similar to that earlier….."

 

"Then you already get it, so shut up. Besides, the way I see it, with every battle that you manage to get out of alive, it just means you're one step closer to fulfilling your dream." The squad captain got a distant look in her eyes.

 

"Dream?"

 

"What? You have one too right?"

 

The older cadet frowned. "I think I'm just going to pass on that."

 

Coming up from behind them, Jackson said, "Now what are you guys talking about?"

 

Krystal dismissively waved a hand at him. "None of your business Chicken-wuss."

 

"Grrr, you-"

 

"Don't take it so seriously Jackson," Amber said, mildly amused at his actions.

 

"Tch, geez…"

 

"Well, I'm going inside. You two can follow me whenever." Krystal walked away, Hyperion in hand. Things were going to get messy.

 

Jackson stuck his tongue out at their captain's retreating back. "Good riddance…"

 

"SQUAD D?! SQUAD D IS THAT YOU?!"

 

The voice was extremely loud, causing Amber and Jackson to jump. Whoever the hell it was nearly blew their cover.

 

Much to their surprise, a girl wearing a Garden cadet uniform came into view. Amber's eyes widened as she realized who it was.

 

"Hey, you're that transfer student!" Due to all the chaos that's happened since they got to Dollet, Amber had nearly forgotten that the girl was taking the exam as well.

 

The transfer looked at Amber in shock. "Heeeeeey! It's my tour guide!" She rushed up to the cadets, huffing and puffing. "It took forever to get up here…"

 

"Sorry, our squad got…side-tracked."

 

"Well, I'm a messenger, so I have info to give you guys. I'm from Squad A. My name is Amy Lee!" She ran up to Amber and poked her in the chest. "Now YOU introduce yourself! You forgot last time!"

 

"We both forgot, this isn't all on me." Amber couldn't help chuckling. "The name's Amber Liu. It's nice to see you again Amy."

 

"Even nicer now that we're properly introduced!" Amy was beaming as she shook Amber's hand.

 

"Haha, yeah, it certainly is. By the way, this is Jackson Wang." Amber pointed to the confused looking boy.

 

"Hi there!" Amy grabbed his hand and shook it as well.

 

"Uh, hey…" Jackson said rather awkwardly.

 

Amy looked around. "I don't see Krystal Jung anywhere. She's supposed to be the squad captain right?"

 

"She went down there…" Amber pointed at the Communication Tower just as Krystal made it to the entrance.

 

She looked up at the rest of the squad, then yelled at the top of her lungs, "SOMEDAY I'LL TELL YOU ALL ABOUT MY ROMANTIC DREAM!!" Shortly afterwards, she kicked open the door to the tower. The sounds of gunfire and shouting could be heard a moment later.

 

"Aw man, this just makes my job harder…CAPTAIN JUNG, WAIT UP!!" The transfer jumped off the side of the cliff as a shortcut. She made sure to roll as she hit the ground, bouncing back up without a scratch on her. "COME ON YOU TWO!!"

 

"Ah, what the hell…" Amber took the leap of faith as well. She highly doubted Krystal needed back since it didn't seem like there were that many G-soldiers up here. But she supposed it was still best to hurry.

 

Jackson followed closely behind Amber, though his landing was less than graceful. "….Rrrrrgh….I couldn't gotten a concussion doing that."

 

"You didn't have to follow me you know…"

 

"Guys, look!" Apparently Amy had gone inside the tower already.

 

Amber and Jackson ran inside after her. There, they saw dozens of slain G-soldiers. Krystal stood at the center, wiping off the Hyperion.

 

"Gosh…Captain Jung really did a number on these guys huh?"

 

"Excessive violence is my specialty. And some squad you guys are, by the way. I had to take care of these guys myself." Krystal said nonchalantly. "There's a lift up here. Let's head on up."

 

Amy tried to stop her. "Captain, wait! There's something I-"

 

"You can tell me later lady. Now get on."

__________

 

"Major Briggs!" A low ranking G-soldier walked over towards his superior, who was busy connecting wires on what looked to be an enormous machine. "Sir, there's been sightings of some sort of monster atop the tower."

 

"Not now Wedge!! Rrr, why the hell am I stuck up here making the repairs HUH?!" The soldier known as Major Briggs continued to rant to himself, while his underling Wedge just decided to leave.

 

"Uh, sir, I'm going to go and inspect the perimeter again."

 

"Yeah, yeah, you do that!"

 

The G-soldier Wedge left his superior to his own devices.

 

"AH HA! I got it working!" The Major said proudly to no one.

 

It was then that the lift carrying Amber and the rest of crew finally reached the top floor. As Amber and the others stepped off the platform, the entire tower lit up. The hums of old machinery coming back to life filled the air. The most amazing of all was the sight of Dollet's old satellite dish working again, transmitting a signal that spanned hundreds and thousands of miles.

 

"What the hell do you kids think you're doing up here?" Major Briggs spotted the group, and he looked livid.

 

"I could ask you the same thing." Amber drew her sword, feeling a fight coming. This guy wasn't going to come quietly.

 

"WEDGE!! Take care of these twerps!"

 

Several seconds ticked by, and nothing. Major Briggs shook his fists in frustration.

 

"Fine, I'll take you brats on myself."

 

"Major Briggs! Heeeeeeeelp!" A terrified Wedge suddenly appeared.

 

"Wedge you incompetent oaf! Where were you when I first called out?! No pay for you this month!"

 

The G-soldier didn't seem to care. "Major, that monster! I told you tha-"

 

"What's gotten into you soldier?!"

 

That's when an abnormally powerful wind picked Wedge and Briggs off the ground.

 

"Oh no, Captain Jung!" Amy screamed as Krystal got sucked into the wind's vacuum as well.

 

"What the fuck is THIS?!" The squad captain tried to find something to hold onto, but to no avail. She crashed into the panicking Galbadian soldiers as they continued to spin out of the control, until all three were blown off the tower.

 

The three remaining cadets were taken aback. None of them could believe what just happened right before their eyes.

 

Then they heard the flapping. A creature…..

 

"Uh, guys…the hell is that thing?" Jackson was practically shaking in his boots. He'd never seen such a horrendously ugly creature. The other cadets followed his line of sight.

 

A monster was slowly descending towards them. The screeching noise it was making could bleed your ears dry. The….thing had the wings of a bat, broken horns on its head, and an enormous stinger in place of where the legs should be. Its face was devilish, yet strangely human-looking. There was a disturbing growth on its chin, and unusually long arms.

 

The very first thing it did was call down a lightning strike.

 

"Everyone!" Get out of the way!" Amber yelled. The crew found themselves scrambling for cover around the tower.

 

"IFRIT!!" Amber called upon her newer Guardian Force straight away. They didn't know what this thing was, and couldn't afford to take any chances. Thankfully, the beastly GF responded immediately. He appeared, wreathed in flames, blasting the devil-like monster away with a ball of fire.

 

The winged monster cried out in pain, it's screech nigh unbearable. But it wasn't going down that easily.

 

"HMPH." The fire GF could sense something.

 

"Ifrit?" Amber noticed him hesitating. "What's wrong?"

 

"I SENSE ONE OF MY KIND INSIDE THAT CREATURE. I DO NOT WISH TO BRING HER MORE HARM."

 

"Seriously?" It was Amy who spoke up. We've got to get her out then you guys!"

 

"How do you expect us to do that?!" Jackson questioned. "…wait a minute, you're talking about the Draw ability they taught us!"

 

"Yep! Sure am! But you and Amber have to distract that freaky thing for a few seconds so I can charge it!"

 

"Gotcha! Hey, Amber! You heard her right?"

 

"Yeah. Ifrit, remain on standby for now. Let's go Jackson!"

 

The creature had managed to recover at this point. It saw Jackson and Amber charging towards it, and lifted up its stinger and came at them. Amber slashed at it, cutting off a piece of the barb. Jackson got behind the thing while it was distracted, leaping onto its head and delivering a devastating punch. Blood began to spurt out of the hole as the horn nearly came off, barely able to hold on as it dangled around by a strip of flesh.

 

The screeching intensified as the monster attacked them again, but due to the state of agony it was in, it missed and plowed through the side of the tower instead.

 

"Holy shit! Amy, come on! Getting the GF won't matter if the tower collapses with all of us on it!" Amber twirled around as she said this, dodging a swipe from the monster's claws.

 

"Alright, I'm finished! You guys get out of the way! Amber, prepare to give Ifrit the go ahead once I'm done!"

 

Amber and Jackson leaped out of the way as Amy used the Draw ability. It was normally used to siphon magic from enemies who had it. In turns, the user learns said magic. In this case however, it was being used to steal a Guardian Force.

 

Little orbs of lighted emitted from the monster and floated towards Amy as she concentrated. "Okay, I got her now!"

 

"That's your cue Ifrit!" The fiery beast ran towards the creature at full speed, becoming a literal ball of flames. He launched himself upwards, grabbing hold of the monster's mouth and wrenching it open. Once it was wide enough, he blasted a fireball right into it.

 

The winged demon let out one final screech as it exploded from the inside, a disgustingly gory display. Blood and intestines came down like rain, soaking the cadets. The sick crackling sound of flesh burning could be heard as chunks of meat were still aflame.

 

"EWWW!! GROSSNESS!!!" Amy was using the jacket of her uniform in a desperate (and quite frankly useless) attempt to cover head.

 

Jackson didn't seem to be faring any better at the sight before him. "Man…I think I'm going to be sick…like, seriously…throw up…." He put a hand to his mouth.

 

"Thanks Ifrit. Messiest thing I've ever seen so far, but thanks." Amber patted the Guardian Force on his arm.

 

The fire elemental huffed at the gesture. "BE GLAD THAT I CAME AT ALL." And he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

 

Amber laughed. "Guess he didn't feel the need to be theatrical for that exit. At least he seems to be getting used to me." She looked at Jackson and Amy. "Is everyone okay?"

 

"Yeah Amber, we're fine, but…" Jackson cringed as he touched his hair. It was slick with blood.

 

"You have some of its entrails on your shoulder too….."

 

"The fuck! Ah, man, let's just get the hell out of here. PLEASE."

 

"Hold it though, what about Jung?"

 

"What about her?" Krystal's voice came from the elevator platform. The squad captain stepped off it once it reached the top again. "Shit, you guys look worse than I do. And I'M the one who fell off the tower."

 

It was actually kind of true. The three cadets were covered head to toe in blood and who knows what else, while Krystal merely had a few scratches and some new rips on her uniform.

 

Jackson looked as if he'd seen a ghost. "JUNG?! How'd you survive that fall?"

 

"Thanks for your concern Chicken-wuss, but I didn't really fall all the way down. I hit a few ledges here and there, but was still conscious enough to use Hyperion. Stabbed the side of tower. Slid down slower after that. Can't say the same for dumb and dumber though. They just kept hitting ledges."

 

"Well, shit…."

 

"Could've pumped some info out of them. Eh, you win some, you lose some."

 

Amy suddenly remembered something. "Oh! Captain Jung, the message!"

 

"Huh? Oh, right. Go ahead I guess."

 

"All SeeD members and SeeD candidates are to withdraw at 1900 hours. We are to assemble at the shore."

 

"For real?! Why didn't you tell me earlier?! We only have 30 minutes left then!"

 

"I TRIED!!" Amy whined. "You wouldn't hear me out!"

 

"Ah forget it! Squad, you heard the lady! 30 minutes to reach the shore, better start running!" Krystal hopped back onto the elevator platform and rode it down, leaving the three remaining cadets up there.

 

Jackson was seething again. "What's her problem? She just comes back up here to tell us she's alive and runs off again! Without us! AGAIN!!"

 

Amber decided to just ignore Jackson. She was getting used to his little outbursts now. "No use staying up here. Remember what they said about withdrawals taking priority. Anything remaining enemies or whatever isn't our problem anymore. I don't want to miss the vessel. Let's go."

 

Once the elevator platform came back up, the three cadets piled on.

 

Unbeknownst to the, Briggs and Wedge were actually still alive. Battered and bruised, but alive. And Briggs still had his ace in the whole.

 

"D-damn SeeD brats…urgh, thinking they could mess with us Galbadians huh? We'll see about that…"

 

"Ow…uh, sir? What are you doing?" Wedge's eyes were almost bruised shut, but he could still barely make out the Major trying to pull something out of his pocket.

 

"My remote Wedge…my remote! She's still working!" Briggs punched in several numbers and codes. "X-ATM092, our newest model! She'll rip those little punks to shreds!"

 

"S-sir, are you sure that's a good idea?"

 

Briggs ignored his frightened subordinate, instead punching in one last command. "You have your targets! Get them!" Once the command was confirmed, the Major passed out from his wounds.

__________

 

As the platform reached the bottom floor, Amber couldn't help but ask. "By the way Amy, what kind of GF did you obtain from that monster anyway?"

 

The transfer student put a finger to her lips, the smile she wore looking mischievous. "Sorry Amber! But that's a secret for now."

 

Jackson wanted to see what kind of GF it was too. "But you'll show her to us eventually right?"

 

"Of course!"

 

As the three exited the tower, a giant robot shaped like an arachnid blocked their path, its intent to kill them made very clear.

 

"….a break just isn't possible for us today is it?" Nothing could surprise Amber today. There were just too many.

 

"Nope." Even Jackson was developing an immunity.

 

"Oh well…Quetzalcoatl!!!" Amber called upon the lightning bird knowing he would have the would have biggest advantage against the robotic spider. Maybe he could buy them just enough time…….

 

"Guys, once Quetzalcoatl puts him down, I want to RUN. Understand?"

 

"Huh?"

 

"JUST DO IT!!"

 

The massive bird quickly appeared, swooping down towards the arachnid, his ethereal-like glow lighting up the darkening skies.

 

A low crack echoed across the landscape, and the air around them felt almost suffocating. For a moment everything goes silent.

 

And just when the metallic arachnid dives in for the kill, a streak of white splits the sky in half and strikes the robot down.

 

Seeing that as their chance to escape, Amber called off Quetzalcoatl and screamed, "RUN FOR IT!!!" The cadets hurriedly ran down the mountain, their bodies practically flying.

 

"Amber! You did it!" Jackson said as they ran.

 

"No, no I didn't. But I stalled it."

 

"What are you talking about?"

 

"I recognize that model from this video Instructor Song showed the class once. It's part of Galbadia's machinery X line-up . I didn't think I'd run into one so soon though!"

 

"Well what's so special about them?!"

 

"I'm not entirely sure how it works myself, but these weapons are designed with some sort of self-repair system!"

 

"WHAT?! I didn't know Galbadia's technology was progressing that fast!"

 

"At least they haven't perfected it yet. It can only do it a limited number of times before it actually breaks down! But I don't want to stick around to figure it out!" Amber was nearly out of breath.

 

"Could you guys quit the chit chat and just keep running?!" Amy looked close to tears. "I don't want to die here!"

 

It didn't taken long for Amber to be proven right. The robot arachnid was right behind, the heaviness of its footsteps cracking the ground beneath it.

 

"DAMN!! That 5 ton killing machine is a helluva lot faster than I thought!"

 

"Don't think about it Jackson. Don't! We're almost to the shore. Keep running and don't look back!" Sweat was dripping down Amber's face. She felt so fatigued. "Just…j-just hang in there you guys!"

 

They could see the arch. That meant the shore was right on the other side. So close now. Amber could see the rest of the candidates evacuating as well. At least they were near the vessels already.

 

Amber never actually realized that she was starting to lag behind Jackson and Amy. But once she noticed them pulling further and further away, she knew she screwed up.

 

"Dammit….must've worn myself out from using the Guardian Forces too much…." She wanted to keep up, but she couldn't….

 

"AMBER!!" She could faintly hear Jackson and Amy calling out her name before the robot caught up to her and broke through the arch just as she managed to step through.

 

Amber fell onto the shore, spitting out sand as she stood up, ignoring the harsh pain in her lungs and trying for one last push. The robot arachnid was right on her tail.

 

Once Jackson and Amy made it inside the vessel, they called out for the instructor.

 

"Instructor Song!! It's Amber!"

 

Instructor Song ran up to the machine gun turret on deck. "I know! I saw!" She steadied her aim. "Come on Liu! Just a little further!"

 

The one moment Amber jumped and grabbed hold of Jackson and Amy's hands, Instructor Song fired relentlessly. The mechanical monstrosity didn't stand a chance. It tried to repair itself as it was repeatedly shot, but it was taking in far more damage than the repair system could fix. No longer able to handle the pressure, it exploded.

 

The war vessel was finally able to make a speedy getaway from Dollet, with an exhausted Amber lying on top of the deck, smiling.

__________

 

The cadets all made it back to SM Garden, which in itself was a miracle. They were bloodied, in a lot of pain, and most certainly felt like their limbs were going to fall off any second. But they were alive.

 

Dr. Kadowaki had her work cut out for her that fine evening, but upon hearing that they didn't lose a single student that day, she didn't seem to mind at all. It was certainly quite the feat.

 

Amber, Jackson, and Amy decided to hang around the first floor for a bit. It seemed a bit strange that the minute they got back, Krystal and Instructor Song were told to come up to the Headmaster's office. Instructor Song's face had darkened a little once she had heard. It seemed as though she knew why they were being called in. Something about the whole deal was fairly disconcerting.

 

But…the aches in Amber's body and the blood and dirt staining her clothes left her mind too muddled to think about things for too long. She just wanted to take a nice long shower and go to bed. The exam wasn't over yet though. They still had the results to wait on….

 

Luckily for the tired crew, the intercom came on. "Attention please. All students who took part in today's field exam, report to the 2nd floor hallway. I repeat, all students who took part in today's field exam, report to the 2nd floor hallway."

 

Jackson's breath hitched in his throat. "Guess that's us."

 

"Y-yup." Amy gulped. "Well, good luck to you guys….good luck to everyone."

 

Amber nodded. "You too. Now let's go. Moment of truth….."

__________

 

They waited there for who knows how long. One of the staff informed them that they were going to be called in by name. But only if you passed. If you were left out in the hallway, then you just had to wait a month and take another exam.

 

All the candidates were looking nervous. Some looked ready to weep.

 

After what seemed like a lifetime, a staff member approached them.

 

"Lee, Amy, Squad A. Wang, Jackson, Squad D. Liu, Amber, Squad-"

 

He had started listing off a couple more people, but Amber tuned out once she heard her name. She passed. She finally passed.

 

"OH YEAH!!!!" It looks as though Jackson shared her sentiment. Except he said it out loud.

 

"Oh my gosh!" Tears of joy were streaming down Amy's face. She looked so unabashedly happy.

 

Even the staff member was close to cracking a smile at their reactions. "Right this way everyone. The headmaster would like to see you now."

 

When the graduates got to the headmaster's office, the door was already open. The man himself stood at the center, ready to greet them.

 

Amber secretly wondered what had happened to Instructor Song and Krystal…..but she chose not to bring it up for the time being. It might have been a sensitive topic.

 

"Hello everyone. First of all, congratulations. You are now all members of SeeD. The missions will be much more difficult from here on. You will be dispatched all over the world. I am so very proud of you, from the bottom of my heart. But please do remember your humanity….you kids are the best of the best now. But that doesn't mean you're invincible. Don't let the violence of your missions or the cruelty of the world get you. Because, when the time comes……" Headmaster Cid trailed off, seemingly at a loss.

 

The staff member spoke. "You have a meeting sir. I think it would be best to cut this short….."

 

"Right, yes….uh, here are your SeeD rank reports." The headmaster handed out a paper belonging to each new SeeD. Amber was the last one.

 

"Finally….a gunblade specialist."

 

Amber smiled proudly. "Thank you sir."

__________

 

It was dark already when everyone could finally go back to their rooms. Amber tried to stifle a yawn, but failed miserably. "Man, I'm beat…"

 

"HEY AMBER!!"

 

"ARGH!! Dammit Amy! Why?!"

 

"Hehe, sorry. But check out our new threads!"

 

Amy was wearing a standing collar that was a top-to-bottom buttoning. The collar was part of a black tunic with gold trim and maroon cuffs. She had on black knee-high boots with her pants tucked into it.

 

"Huh? That's the SeeD uniform. I didn't know we'd get it this fast…"

 

"Yeah, I know right? When I got to my dorm it was already in a package outside! I ran into Jackson before I spotted you and apparently he got his already too! Which means that yours must be there. Now go take a shower, get dressed, and we'll head to the graduation party in the ballroom."

 

"Oh yeah, I forgot about the party….I don't know Amy, I'm kind of tired."

 

"HEY! Don't be like that. At least mingle and say hi! Even just for a little while."

 

"Well…I guess. But just for a little bit."

 

"Awesome!"

___________

 

Amber wasn't the biggest fan of formal attire. Sure, the SeeD uniform looked cool and all, but it was stiff and making her kind of itchy.

 

"Ugh, I'll just grab some punch or something…."

 

She smelled so much nicer after her bath, but she still felt too sore to be doing this. She didn't get to sit down even once since getting back from the exam.

 

The ballroom was filled with students and their dates. They were dancing to waltz music. It made Amber uncomfortable.

 

"Typical headmaster and his classic taste in music…" Amber actually didn't mind it all that much. In fact, she actually quite liked it, and she could certainly appreciate waltz. It was the dance that just didn't mesh too well with her. The movements were so fluid and graceful. It was mesmerizing to watch…just a little frustrating to do herself. Amber actually felt a tad envious of the folks who could do it.

 

"Must be nice…" The new SeeD decided to pick a spot. Seeing that there was no one near a particular area, she went over, leaning against the wall and drinking her punch. Normally, she would have loved to mingle a little more with the crowd, but she was just too tired right now. "Sheesh, why'd I listen to Amy…hm?"

 

Amber looked up towards the ballroom's glass ceiling. She could see the stars clearly from where she stood. The moon was looking especially mystical tonight, like it was reaching into Amber's very soul, filling her with wonder.

 

Amber continued to look at the pulsing white orb, when out of the blue a shooting star rocketed through the night sky. It left a glowing trail of smoke behind that lasted for a few seconds before fading away.

 

The soldier looked on in awe. "Wow…now that rarely ever happens." She closed her eyes, feeling so content in that moment. Amber wanted to stay that way for as long as possible. These times of peace and joy were so fleeting in her life that she just wanted to ingrain it into her memory.

 

…….

 

But she knew that she had to come back to reality. Precious moments like these….it just wasn't possible to have it last. So…ever so reluctantly, the young soldier opened her eyes.

 

That's when Amber caught sight of her.

 

She stood out. In a crowd filled with black uniforms melding together and overly extravagant dresses that hurt Amber's eyes….she undoubtedly stood out.

 

The dress she was wearing was an off-white halter, stopping just around mid-thigh. It was such a simple design, but that was what made it so much more visually appealing.

 

Amber knew she was staring at her, she knew it was rude…but she couldn't find the strength to rip her gaze away.

 

The mysterious woman's head was tilted up towards the sky too. Perhaps she saw the shooting star as well….

 

She turned her head so very briefly, but it was enough to catch Amber staring.

 

The mercenary soldier suddenly found herself overcome with shyness, but she refused to break eye contact.

 

Amber ran through a number of worst case scenarios in her head, but none of it happened. She didn't call Amber a weirdo, nor did she seem interested in running the opposite direction as fast as she can…

 

The corners of her mouth slid upwards, her eyes sparkling with amusement. And it was more disarming than any other type of weapon Amber had ever been up against.

 

The beautiful stranger pointed her index finger up towards the sky, and Amber slightly tilted her head in confusion.

 

She sauntered over to the new graduate.

 

Amber didn't know what to do. The casual way she walked towards her….she looked so calm and collected. And while Amber remained in her spot, she wanted nothing more than to run and hide. There were too many people. She'd make a scene. It wasn't a battle, but with all the strategies going through her head, it might as well have been.

 

It was too late. She was standing right in front of her.

 

"Hey there soldier." She had a very soft and melodious voice. Feminine. Amber liked it a lot…she liked a lot of things about her. A total stranger. The sad part was that she just couldn't place why. "You shouldn't be standing here by yourself. Dance with me?"

 

Yes.

 

No.

 

"….."

 

Nothing.

 

"Hehehe, I see…you'll only dance with someone that you like. Am I right?" She leaned in closer.

 

Too close.

 

Amber could feel a slight warmth on her face. No words would come out of her mouth.

 

The woman started to swing her fingers in a rhythmic motion, as if she held an invisible pocket watch. "You're going to like me, you're going to like me…did it work?"

 

Amber wished she would stop leaning in so close.

 

'Waltz For The Moon' began to play, and the soldier cursed her luck. It was certainly a personal favorite, but that made it all the more reason not to dance to it. She would just embarrass herself….

 

"…I can't dance." A half-truth will have to do.

 

But the woman was persistent. "Hehe, don't be afraid. I need a partner, it would be weird to be out there by myself."

 

She grabbed hold of Amber's forearm and lead her towards the dance floor.

 

And Amber just allowed her to do it. Any attempts at resisting being half-hearted at the best. It perplexed her. Something about this felt new, and so foreign….

 

As they got to the center, the woman pulled Amber closer towards her. She placed Amber's right hand on her shoulder blade, and gently put her left arm just above Amber's bicep. She took their free hands and intertwined their fingers together.

 

And off they went.

 

The soldier was experiencing difficulty following her movements. She looked to her feet, awkward and clumsy.

 

"Just keep your eyes on me," The woman said softly. "I know you can do it."

 

Easier said than done. But her encouragement gave Amber comfort. She tried harder.

 

Step forward with the left, right foot should be parallel to-

 

"Sorry." Amber didn't know what else to say as she ran into her. The soldier shook her head and turned to leave. The woman would have better luck with a different dance partner.

 

"It's okay! You're doing just fine!" She took Amber's hand in hers, pulling her back. Still so encouraging. She tried even harder.

 

Step, step, one, two, three, one, two, three, ste-

 

It was going well until they bumped into another pair on the dance floor. Amber threw an apologetic glance their way. She looked at the girl. And that smile was there again. The words remained unspoken, but Amber knew.

 

You can do it.

 

She tried harder than ever before.

 

It was like at that moment, everything cliqued and the dance made so much more sense to her.

 

They twirled the night away, separating then coming together. Amber never thought in her lifetime that she'd be able to dominate the dance floor the way she did that night.

 

They came together once more just as the music ended and the fireworks lit up the night sky.

 

Amber wanted to thank her for the dance, but as she looked at her, the woman was already pulling away. She gently placed a hand on Amber's shoulder, winking at her just once. Then that was it. She disappeared into the night.

 

Even after all that, she still couldn't quite place this strange wave of emotions flowing through her. Amber found herself wanting to memorize every single detail of mysterious woman. She couldn't forget.

 

Her hair was such a rich chestnut shade. It looked so fine and smooth, complimenting her beautiful, tan skin. A straight nose, full lips….Her eyes were a chocolate brown, bright and sweet. But there was a subtle fire burning behind it, a flame that drew Amber deeper in….

 

She wanted to see her again.

Notes:

Yes, Amy Lee = Ailee. Not sure why I wanted to call her that for this particular work, but it stuck. This also marks the debut appearance of Sulli and Jessica.

Amber and Krystal are supposed to be orphans, yes. But Krystal has no idea that Jessica is related to her. Does Jessica know? Yes, yes she does.

This was originally supposed to be a two-part chapter kind of deal, but I really just wanted to squeeze Luna into this. *sighs* Hand cramps.

Chapter 4: Remembrance

Summary:

Victoria has something that she needs to tell Amber. Then they have to rescue a young lady from a monster attack. But she's not from Garden...

Amber could count the number of times she was ever genuinely happy on one hand: when Garden took her in as a little girl. Or when she was strong enough to get her first Guardian Force. Those were happy times. Then there was when Instructor Song praised her abilities for the first time as well. The older days when she and Krystal were actually on friendly terms and weren't just barely tolerating each other's presence. Those were all happy memories that she wished to hold on to. They would mean something to her, even if it was useless to think about in the present. Or if she never said it out loud.

 

That's why there was something deeply depressing about being able to recall more bad memories than good. Amber remembered the aftermath of the Sorceress War. By the time she was old enough to think for herself, the war had ended. But she was there for the destruction it caused in the lives of countless thousands. Maybe even millions. She knew that it was the reason why she didn't have a family. And she knew that she was supposed to be sad about it. And she was. Sad and angry. Yet she couldn't picture in her head the family itself. A good deal of her childhood was spent wondering who those shadows in the back of her mind were…all the mirth and the laughter, but she could never match them up to a face. Adults always told her to not be so sad, and that it was okay to cry. Lots of children lost family during the war. But what was she really sad about? The fact that her family was gone or the fact that she couldn't even remember them? That was hard to tell too.

 

Probably why so many people talk about making a new batch of happy memories. To close the gaps and then fill the emptiness in your heart with something brand new and wonderful. Sure, there would be bad days. Horrible days even. Sometimes so horrible that it would bury the memories of your happier times. Then you're left with that nothingness inside you again. And yet people still continue to try…it doesn't stop them from making more moments to treasure and share with loved ones. They just kept going….

 

"Why are you hiding out on the balcony? You're willing to dance the night away with a total stranger at least once, in a crowd mind you…then you just sound the retreat and run? Honestly Amber…"

 

"Instructor Song!"

 

"What? You look so surprised."

 

Amber sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck. "I'm sorry. It's just that you disappeared so suddenly. And I didn't see you again for the rest of the night."

 

"Yes…I suppose my disappearance was rather abrupt wasn't it?" The instructor had that far off look in her eyes again. It had become rather frequent. "Well, you didn't seem all that worried when you were in the ballroom. Hope you didn't say something to scare off that nice young lady at the end there. Do you even know her name? Because you're pretty awful at that…"

 

And that she was. Amber had forgotten to ask. Again. That's two strikes in one week. She supposed she was just terrible at asking people. It was something to contemplate later though, because that wasn't the problem the cadet was seeing at the moment.

 

"Instructor, could you forget about the ballroom for now? I have to ask you something."

 

"Oh nonsense! That display was absolutely hilarious! The way you were floundering about the dance floor!"

 

"Instructor!" Amber tried in vain to keep down the blush rising to her cheeks. "I got better at the end!"

 

"Hahahahaha!"

 

"You're changing the subject anyway! I saw you and Krystal Jung get called into Headmaster Cid's office earlier today!"

 

"….."

 

"What's going on Instructor Song?" The sudden mood whiplash wasn't lost on Amber.

 

"I believe….it would be best to talk about this elsewhere." Her tone was low, that spark she used to have in her eyes gone and replaced with a deep sadness. "Meet me in the secret spot inside the Training Center. Change out of those clothes first though. You'll ruin your brand new uniform if we stumble upon a monster."

 

"Uh, sure Instructor Song…" The soldier knew the spot she was referring to, it was the only place people could meet at night after curfew. But that spot was usually where…where-

 

"Stop freaking out. If you're thinking about that incident, it was your own damn fault anyway. Kids shouldn't have been out interrupting some secret lover's tryst."

 

"Ugh, do you really have to refer to it like that?"

 

"Well what else did you think it was? Heh, still can't forget the look on your face when I came and got you."

 

"I've experienced enough at that place…"

 

"Well you're going to experience more. Think of it as a sort of coming-of-age kind of ordeal."

__________

 

Amber had changed into a pair of comfortable jeans and a plain black T-shirt. The Training Center wasn't the type of place you dressed all fancy for, so Instructor Song had a point there. It was like an Amazonian jungle contained indoors. Only with monsters the size of cars roaming about. But there was a secret area inside. It was sealed off by a large door requiring an ID scanner, so there weren't any monsters wandering around. Amber just assumed that it was an unfinished section of the center since there were old construction barriers that littered the entrance. Garden probably never bothered to have the area demolished. Ever since the students found the place, a whole bunch of them started to use it for post curfew meet-ups.

 

Amber could recall discovering the existence of the secret spot when she was about 10 years old. She was in the midst of an early rebellious phase, and thought she could take anything on. So one day she got it into her head that she would sneak in to fight a T-Rexaur, the Training Center's most dangerous monster. But…she had gotten side-tracked once she discovered the door. Amber should have been thankful, now that she thought about it. If it weren't for that place, she surely would have been swallowed whole had she gone ahead with her plan to find a T-Rexaur.

 

Still, going inside only to see two lovesick students performing certain acts of a sexual nature and screaming like banshees wasn't the best trade-off either. It effectively scarred her 10 year old mind. By the time Instructor Song found her, even bleach wouldn't have been able to erase the incident from her head. It had certainly earned its place on her list of bad memories.

 

"Urgh…a fellatio was NOT something I ever wanted to see…" Not that she knew what it actually was at the time. Amber sincerely hoped that no such act would be occurring when her and Instructor Song got there.

 

Speaking of which, she had already made it to the front of the Training Center.

 

"There you are Twinkle Toes. Shall we proceed?" Instructor Song greeted her.

 

"Twinkle Toes?....why?"

 

"Just because," She smiled. "You looked like such a beautiful ballerina tonight."

 

"Thanks a lot….now can we go now?" Amber rolled her eyes. The older woman had apparently found more ammunition to use against her.

__________

 

They made it to the secret area without much trouble. A few Grat creatures occasionally tried to make a meal of them, but they were nothing but child's play. While rookies might have had a little trouble with them, they were just overgrown weeds to Amber and her instructor.

 

Instructor Song placed her ID in front of the door's scanner. Seconds later, it slid open.

 

"Well kid, after you."

 

"…could you go in first just to make sure?"

 

"You can't be serious. That incident still bothers you? I mean they-"

 

"NO! I don't want to hear it!" The soldier's eye twitched in disgust as an unwanted flashback invaded her mind for a few seconds. "Man…."

 

"Fine, fine. You're such a baby."

 

Amber waited outside for a bit, waiting for the older woman to come back out.

 

She stepped out a while later. "It's fine. A couple of lovebirds scattered here and there but nothing to intense for your delicate senses."

 

"Phew, that's a relief. Alright, in I go."

 

As Amber walked inside, she immediately spotted a couple holding hands and cuddling, which wasn't so bad. The next couple she saw however…

 

"The fuck? It's like they're trying to eat each other's faces…"

 

"Oh hush! They'll hear you."

 

"I seriously doubt that…I mean…"

 

"Just get over here would you?!"

 

The soldier went up to Instructor Song, shaking her head as she did so. Another image that required brain bleach. Though not as bad as before.

 

"Okay Instructor Song, we're here. So spill. What's going on?"

 

The older woman exhaled very slowly, like what she was about to say was almost too physically painful to even speak of.

 

"Just call me Victoria from now on Amber…."

 

"Huh?"

 

"As of today…I'm no longer an instructor. I'm just SeeD member Victoria Song. Just like you. Hey, who knows? Maybe we'll end up working on a case together someday." The smile she gave didn't reach her eyes.

 

Amber couldn't believe what she was hearing. This couldn't possibly be right, but…the look on the other woman's face said otherwise.

 

"But…Inst-"

 

"Victoria."

 

"…Victoria."

 

"That wasn't so hard now was it?"

 

"How did this happen?"

 

"Well…according to a number of staff, I have been deemed incompetent as an instructor. They actually had the nerve to petition for my…release."

 

"You mean they wanted you fired right?"

 

"Yes. Fortunately, Headmaster Cid wouldn't allow it. But to appease them, he had me demoted."

 

"Ins-"

 

"Amber…don't make me correct you again."

 

"Er, Victoria! You can't just let them do this! I mean, you've worked so hard. Over a decade of service and this what you get in return?"

 

"Yes, well…while I do have many fans, I have detractors as well. But they're more within the staff rather than the student body. My status as a child prodigy never really did help to win their approval." The older woman turned to Amber and ruffled her hair, stress rather evident on her face. "We should probably go now. It's much darker than I remember it being."

 

"….."

 

"Come on."

 

"There's one thing I need to know…does this have anything to do with the mission in Dollet?"

 

"That's not important."

 

"Answer me!" Amber could feel pangs of guilt and regret welling up inside of her. She didn't care that she was being rude. She had to know.

 

"It's not your fault kiddo. I see that look on your face again. Don't assume that I don't."

 

"We disobeyed orders, and it got you demoted. Almost fired. That's what happened isn't it?"

 

"Listen…this has been building up for ages. The resentment many of the staff had for me over the years has been steadily increasing. It was only a matter of time….when Krystal Jung disobeyed orders and left her assigned post, at a major operation no less, they quickly saw that as their opportunity to take me down. She was responsible for you and Jackson, I was responsible for all of you, and to make sure that you fell in line. Jung was reckless, meaning I screwed up too because the soldiers under my command didn't respect me enough to follow instruction. That's basically what it was."

 

Amber knew it. Somewhere in the back of her head, she just knew it. There was something amiss the minute she saw them walking towards that elevator together.

 

"…I guess that confirms it. Jung didn't pass. I mean, I figured….since when Headmaster Cid called the graduates, he acted like I was the very first gunblader to make it."

 

Victoria nodded her head solemnly. "I shouldn't even be telling you this, but hey…it doesn't matter anymore. Besides, favoritism has always been an issue of mine." She let out a soft laugh. "We both…got chewed out, more or less. But it was in the nicest way possible. Heh, you know how the headmaster is. I lacked leadership skills. My overall assessment."

 

"….hate to ask, but what about Jung?"

 

"Krystal, for her direct disobedience of orders, is to be isolated from the rest of the student body and punished. She will be held inside the disciplinary room until further notice. So, yeah…they get me demoted, and get one of Garden's most infamous troublemakers trapped in isolation. Two birds with one stone I suppose….I can almost hear their annoying laughter."

 

"Damn…"

 

"It can't be helped. What's done is done and we should just leave it at that."

 

"Instructor…" Amber wanted to say something. Anything. But no words she could give to the older woman would provide much consolation.

 

"…what did I tell you…" Her voice was barely above a whisper. Amber had to strain a little to hear her. But it didn't seem to matter, since she had already trailed off, like she wasn't all there anymore.

 

They left the area without another word.

__________

 

The trek back was filled with a tense atmosphere. While Victoria remained insisted that Amber did nothing wrong, the younger woman still couldn't help feeling that was somehow responsible. It was true that Krystal was their squad captain, but her and Jackson didn't have to go chasing after the woman. They were every bit as reckless as she was.

 

"This guilt complex you have is rather unhealthy you know."

 

"…you're taking this awfully well." Amber had to admit that she was more visibly shaken up about this whole mess than Victoria was. Though it didn't really come as a surprise.

 

"I've accepted it. That's all."

 

"That doesn't mean that you ju-"

 

"SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME!!"

 

"Huh???" Both Amber and Victoria whipped their heads around at the sudden cry. Victoria brandished her chain whip and started running towards the source.

 

"Amber! Don't just stand there! Someone's in trouble!"

 

The soldier shook off her shock and nodded, gunblade in hand. "Yeah, let's go!"

 

The cries were getting louder, and the two SeeDs found themselves ripping through trees and anything else in their path as panic rose within them. Whoever the hell was screaming shouldn't have been so far inside the Training Center in the first place, especially if they were ill-prepared. The depths of the center were meant for seasoned combat veterans only, because that's where the more powerful monsters made their home.

 

When Amber and Victoria reached the clearing, their worst fears were confirmed.

 

"T-Rexaur!!" They shouted in unison.

 

The dino-beast turned towards the newcomers, its massive body blocking out the little rays of artificial sunlight that shone through the forest canopy. Lying behind the two-legged monstrosity was a young woman. She didn't look like she had been hurt yet, but she must have passed out from fear.

 

"We have to help her!" Amber got into her battle stance, a fierce look in her eyes. It was probably possible now with all her experience to be able to take on a T-Rexaur, but if they left the girl lying there for too long something else might come and snatch her away. They had to do something. "Let's wreck that thing!"

 

"Hmph, not sure if you're brave or just plain stupid sometimes," Victoria said with a smirk on her face. "But I couldn't have said it better myself."

 

"ROOOAR!!!"

 

The T-Rexaur stomped towards them angrily, neck forward and jaws wide open, ready to swallow the two SeeDs whole.

 

Amber and Victoria split up, running further into the forest to slow the lumbering behemoth's advances.

 

The monster's immense size did keep it from squeezing through the thickness of the trees, but that didn't stop it from using brute force simply to knock it down. The Rex used its head like a battering ram, charging at the large stumps with all its might.

 

Amber could hear it closing in, and just as she turned her head to look, the T-Rexaur's jaws were sliding right towards her.

 

"AMBER! JUMP NOW!!"

 

Amber could hear Victoria's voice loud and clear, even though she couldn't see her. But she trusted her mentor's judgment. Jumping as high as she could, Amber looked down in time to realize that she had barely escaped imminent death as the Rex's jaws snapped shut. She landed on the monster's snout, and unleashed a flurry of powerful sword strikes. The T-Rexaur lurched upwards, roaring as blood dripped from its face.

 

Victoria rushed to the scene, using her whip to slash at the stumbing giant's legs to throw it off balance even further. The attack was successful, and the T-Rexuar hit the ground with enough force to cause a brief miniature earthquake.

 

"The big guy's only going to be out cold for a short time. Amber! Grab the girl and let's get out of here!" They could have stayed and finished it off, but it was too risky. The sounds of their battle surely must have attracted attention from…unwanted guests.

 

Amber could already sense the presence of other hostile wildlife coming their way, and the two of them would be quickly outmatched. She gazed at the unconscious monster. Their battle would have to continue some other time. Amber darted towards the woman and carefully scooped her up in her arms.

 

"I got her!"

 

"Good, now let's move!"

__________

 

After finally getting out of the Training Center, Amber gently laid the girl down onto the floor. Victoria ran on ahead to take a look around the area. The guards might have been nearby. Once she was sure that the coast was clear, she rejoined the younger SeeD.

 

"How is she?"

 

"I see no external injuries. I mean, a few scrapes and bruises, but that's to be expected. Her breathing is fine too. Pretty evened out. Who do you think she is Instru-uh, I mean Victoria?" Amber scratched her head, managing to catch her slip up at the last minute.

 

Victoria inspected the woman before them. There was a green shawl around her small shoulders, and she wore a blue sleeveless top with a white collared shirt underneath, and a matching white skirt that went below the knee. She had brown hair trimmed just above her shoulders.

 

"I don't know, but…" The more Victoria looked at her, the more her head began to throb. She looked at Amber for a minute, and upon seeing the quizzical look on the tomboy's face, she knew something was bothering her as well.

 

"Come on, what is it?"

 

"She doesn't seem familiar, but she kind of does. It's hard to explain. She doesn't FEEL like a stranger, know what I mean?" Amber was trying to put it into words, but wasn't very successful. Those gaps in her memory were stalling her again. Her head kept pulsing, like it was trying to remember something important. She sighed in frustration. "I've got nothing."

 

"I'm just as clueless as you are. In any case, we should bring her over to Dr. Kadowaki. She can treat her wounds and have a place to lie down in until she comes to."

 

"That won't be necessary."

 

Two strange looking men suddenly appeared. They were dressed in cream colored coats with tails that extended behind the knees. A headband similar in color completed the outfit.

 

"Who the hell are you supposed to be?" Amber was cautious, her sword once again drawn.

 

Victoria also looked ready to fight if need be, though she kept her whip at her side, not drawing it out just yet. "You gentlemen clearly are not from Garden."

 

"Neither is that girl. She's with us. If you would be so kind…we just want her back." The taller of the two strangers spoke up. His eyes and posture were guarded and rigid. But his aura showed no hint of malice.

 

Amber still wasn't convinced. "You guys just expect me to believe that or what? You were able to sneak passed Garden security…that says something. If we let you go, how do we know you're not going to just backstab us later on?"

 

"We do not wish to fight you, but we also have no other proof but our word. We will leave now once we get the young lady back. We won't harm you or anyone else."

 

Amber put herself protectively between the two men and the unconscious girl, her eyes narrowed and her body about ready to spring into action at any given moment.

 

However, Victoria placed a hand on the blade of Amber's sword, silently asking the younger woman to lower it.

 

The soldier looked at her former instructor, her face twisted in confusion. "What are you doing?"

 

"Stay your hand Amber…we can trust them."

 

"How do you know?! We just met them!"

 

"I just know okay?! Look, I still can't explain any of this, or why I feel the way that I do. But SOMETHING inside of me is saying to let them go…" Victoria stole a glance at the girl once more. "To let HER go. You feel it too don't you?"

 

"Are you kidding me?!"

 

Victoria didn't say a word, she just continued to look at the young SeeD straight in the eyes.

 

Gradually, Amber lowered her gunblade. "I..argh, dammit…" She was gritting her teeth as she stepped aside. The shorter man went over to lift the girl up.

 

The taller one bowed his head to Amber and Victoria in gratitude. "Thank you. Rest assured, we'll be taking out leave now."

 

The two mysterious men sped off swiftly and silently, as if they weighed no more than a piece of paper.

 

Amber stared at their retreating figures, before slumping down to the floor. Victoria soon joined her.

 

"I don't think that's the last we'll be seeing of them. They weren't ordinary people…"

 

"I know, Amber. I know. But I also know that they aren't a threat to us."

 

"Well, I hope you're right."

 

"So do I."

 

"……"

 

"What is it?"

 

"….still haven't slept since arriving from the exam."

 

"Neither have I."

 

"…huh…"

 

They ended the day with far more questions than answers. An event was about to occur that was going to change the course of their lives. They could feel it in their bones.

Notes:

Just a short update. Happy Halloween folks. Don't open the door for any clowns.

Chapter 5: The Timber Owls I

Summary:

The SeeD trio get their very first assignment.

Since they were members of SeeD now, Amber had been assigned her own room. She couldn't argue, it was better for her this way anyway. Now her old roomie could sleep without one eye open all the time. Amber's reputation didn't exactly work wonders for the poor girl's mental health.

 

The move was also pretty convenient. It was just right across the hall from her old one. When Amber had gotten inside, all her belongings were already there. She breathed a sigh of relief. At least now she didn't have to waste any time moving it around herself.

 

She took a quick look around the room. It wasn't anything special, but there was more space since there wasn't another bed or anyone else's things to occupy the place. Amber dropped onto the bed, not caring about her unchanged clothes. Too many things happened to her. All in the span of a day. She just wanted to sleep. And she did.

 

Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to last. Not even 4 hours had gone by when an incessant knocking woke her from her slumber. Irritated, the tired youth threw her shoe at the door. The knocking just got even louder.

 

"Go away!"

 

"Hey, that's not nice!" It was Amy. And her presence at such an ungodly hour meant only one thing.

 

"Let me guess," Amber said tiredly. "We've got our first real assignment?"

 

"Yup! You got it! Jackson's coming too. So meet us at the front gates ASAP!" She hurriedly left after that, her footsteps growing more and more distant.

 

Amber just wanted to sleep a bit more. How Amy could be so cheerful after all the shit they've gone through without rest baffled her to no end. She sat up from the bed, her joints cracking from the simple movement. Amber winced, the sound of it just as grating as the actual feeling.

 

"Ah…better put on the uniform."

__________

 

"You're late Amber!"

 

"Yeah…sorry." Amber walked up to see that both Amy and Jackson were already there, along with Headmaster Cid and an angry looking security guard. She did a quick salute for the headmaster before she made her way to the other two.

 

"Disrespectful punk…"

 

The tomboy looked to the guard, her eyes dull and bored. She was obviously expecting that type of reaction from him. "Hey, you're not my superior, he is." Amber gestured to the headmaster. "Nothing in the rule books say that I have to acknowledge you."

 

"Headmaster Cid, why on earth is she a SeeD?!"

 

A lot of the guards looked for any sort of excuse to complain about Amber or get her into trouble, even when she wasn't doing anything. She was used to it at this point. Any sort of respect that she threw their way would only come back to bite her in the ass later on. So now she just ignores them. They made for excellent security….but were pretty lousy human beings.

 

"Don't worry about Amber," The kindly old man chuckled a bit. He really was just too nice for his own good sometimes. "She's just a bit cranky from waking up too early."

 

The guard still had a distrustful glare that was practically super glued to his face. "I don't care how good she is sir. She's just as much of a troublemaker as Krystal Jung."

 

Jackson, who had been quietly watching the uncomfortable exchange, stepped in. "Hey! Don't lump her in with Jung! At least Amber knows when to follow orders!"

 

"Hmph! Since when? Those two have always been competing for the worst school record! It's a disgrace to this academy. And don't think I haven't had my eye on you either Wang. Now that the Jung kid is out of commission for a while it seems like you're looking to replace her."

 

Amber appreciated it whenever Jackson tried to stand up for her, but sometimes it just made the situation worse. "Cool it Jackson." The blond looked ready to murder, and it wasn't going to help his case.

 

Headmaster Cid placed himself between the two men. "You gents wouldn't hurt an old man now would you? So please, calm down."

 

His attempt at diffusing the situation worked. Jackson backed off first, walking away in a huff.

 

The guard let out a breath, eyeing the trio with disdain. "That Amy Lee kid is probably the only decent person on that squad…"

 

Amber glared at him. If anyone seemed to like starting things, it was this guy. Amber couldn't tell how old he was under the stupid helmet he was wearing, but it didn't matter. He was old enough to know better. And he clearly didn't.

 

"Is it just the three of us Headmaster Cid?" Ignoring him was the best option. It always was. Besides, a bigger concern was coming to her mind as she realized that no one else seemed to be coming.

 

Amy looked around. "Yeah, come to think of it….what's going on Headmaster Cid?" Until Amber brought it up it never really crossed her mind until now how little their unit was.

 

The headmaster cleared his throat, aware of how alarming this might have been to the new SeeDs. "I know this seems a bit…strange to you all, but Garden has agreed to do this for very little compensation, hence why only the three of you will be sent out."

 

Jackson scratched the side of his nose, taking in the new information. "Uh…you think just the three of us will be enough? We're kind of new to this and all."

 

Amber elbowed the blond lightly, her tone rather humorous. "What? Can't take it Jackson? It's cool, you can just stay here."

 

"Yeah, let the ladies handle this one!" Amy giggled as she joined in on the teasing.

 

The young man huffed, his pride slightly deflated. "As if I'd let you guys have all the fun! And that was a perfectly reasonable question."

 

"Heh, I think you kids will be just fine." Headmaster Cid wasn't really worried about the trio all too much. They had shown that they were perfectly capable of getting along and working together.

 

"So what's the mission sir?" At some point Amber's brain had switched back into soldier mode. She was secretly hoping for something difficult. She wanted to test her skills some more, despite how much her body protested.

 

"Eager to get started eh? Well then, allow me to explain your very first mission as SeeDs." Headmaster Cid walked closer towards them to make sure that they'd hear every word. This was very important. "You are to go to Timber. There, you will provide your assistance to a resistance faction. That is your mission. One of their members will be at Timber Station, waiting for you. He will go and say, 'The forests of Timber sure have changed.' That's when you will respond with 'But the owls are still around.' Is that understood?"

 

"Yes sir!" The trio yelled in unison.

 

"Good. Just remember to follow the faction's orders. Do whatever they ask of you."

 

"We won't let you down sir!" Amy responded cheerfully. We'll be the best SeeDs we can be! We'll rain vengeance upon their enemies! We'll-"

 

"Amy." Amber shook her head at the overly excited girl. Her theatrics got to be a little too much sometimes.

 

"Hehe, sorry. Got a little carried away…"

 

"You think?"

 

The headmaster smiled warmly as he watched them. He was right. They were going to be just fine. "Alright then Amber, you're the squad leader. Use your best judgment based on the situation, and take care of Jackson and Amy. As for you two, you will be supporting Amber to the fullest and make sure that the mission is carried out successfully."

 

"Yes sir!" The trio turned to walk away, heading for the Garden car stationed nearby. It was going to take them to Balamb, where they would get off and switch to the train.

 

"Hey," Jackson said. "That must mean their train station is up and running again."

 

Amber nodded. "Must be, otherwise we'd have to travel by boat and walk the rest of the way there. Timber doesn't have a port remember?"

 

The city of Timber was actually further inland. It was why it was more convenient to take a train. People coming in from Dollet wouldn't have a problem, but folks from Balamb still had an ocean between them. And not surprisingly, the Galbadian Army that occupied the place was also a pain in the ass to deal with.

 

The entire city was still under martial law. It had been nearly 18 years since then, and numerous resistance groups have been made trying to fight for Timber's independence.

 

Amber's brows knitted together as it sunk in. That means that the three of them were going to get caught in Galbadia's cross hairs again. It wasn't going to be pretty.

 

"Oh, wait, hold on a minute!" Headmaster Cid called out before they could get too far. "I forgot to give you this."

 

He placed a dusty old lamp in Amber's hand. It was a faded bronze color, with a symbol of some kind of monster etched onto both sides.

 

"Exactly what are we supposed to do with this sir?"

 

"When you think you're ready, go ahead and rub it. A powerful new Guardian Force lies sleeping inside."

 

"Seriously? Another Guardian Force?" Jackson sounded a bit disappointed.

 

Amber raised an eyebrow at him. "Don't tell me you actually thought it was a genie?"

 

"It could happen you know! Weirder shit happens to us almost all the damn time!"

 

"Hm, guess you've got a point. We'll just keep this lamp with us for now. No rubbing you guys. Who knows what kind of GF is in here." Amber inspected the markings again. If that was the monster sealed inside…it certainly didn't look too friendly.

 

Amy huffed in frustration. "We're not five years old Amber! Geez. Now come on! We'll miss our train."

__________

 

"This train is so cool!" Amy was pressing her face to the window, taking in the view of the ocean as they sped by.

 

Amber walked up next to her, a little amused. "I forgot that this is your first time right?"

 

"Yeah, when I transferred to SM from JYP it was all by boat. JYP is situated on a super snowy island. Kind of isolated, sort of like SM, but even more. At least you guys have Balamb and their train station. We didn't even have that! The boat would go up and down, up and down, up…and down…." Amy put a hand to her stomach as she suddenly felt queasy at the memory. "Oh man, now I don't feel so good, excuse me!" She dashed to the bathroom, shoving away some irritated passengers.

 

"Haha…sorry I brought it up." Amber quietly said to herself. She decided to go check on Jackson, who had gone into the VIP area.

 

When she went inside, she found him lounging on a large leather sofa.

 

"Amber! Check this stuff out! Really pays to be a member of SeeD right? We get to go inside of these places free of charge!" The blond looked so happy as he bounced around on the cushion for a bit before Amber sat down next to him.

 

"Heh, glad you're enjoying yourself Jackson."

 

"And check out these magazines too. All new! Pet Pals Volume 1!"

 

Amber had to laugh at that. "I can't believe even something so trivial can get you so excited."

 

"Hahaha! I'm just not used to this luxury stuff. It's so weird, like we've moved up in the world."

 

"Well we have."

 

"Didn't really feel like it until now though!"

 

Amy walked in shortly after. "Geez, I still don't feel very good…"

 

"Come on Amy, sit down here." Amber patted the seat next to her. "You look really pale…"

 

"I hope I'm not coming down with anything…"

 

"You'll be fine Amy." Jackson lightly patted the poor girl on the head. "We're almost at Timber Station. Maybe once the train stops you'll feel a lot better."

 

"Man, first boats, now trains…" The normally chipper young lady groaned, her face buried into a pillow.

 

Amber stroked her hair, looking up to see Jackson staring at her, their worried faces mirroring each other. They needed to be in top condition. All three of them. They hoped Amy got over this quickly.

__________

 

"Next stop, Timber. I repeat. Next Stop, Timber." The announcement came blaring through the speakers, waking Amy from her short slumber. The first person she saw upon opening her eyes was Amber.

 

"Hey there sleepyhead. Feeling better?" The tomboy handed Amy a water bottle as she sat up.

 

"I think so...ugh, we're in Timber already?"

 

"Yup. Jackson is waiting by the door."

 

"Okay, let's go…"

 

The train had stopped by the time Amber and Amy left the room. Jackson was standing nearby, waving them over.

 

"What's wrong Jackson?"

 

"Look at that guy Amber. The one with the blue bandana and wearing a yellow vest." The blond was poking at the window with his index finger.

 

"What about him?" Amber moved in a little closer. "Huh, well…his body language tells me he's anxious. All awkward and fidgety…that's probably our guy. Good eye Jackson."

 

"So what do we do?"

 

"Just walk up to him. It's not rocket science."

 

Sure enough, as the passengers exited the train, the awkward young man would say aloud, "The forests of Timber sure have changed!" He began to look more and more crestfallen as the disembarking passengers just walked by him or gave him strange looks.

 

Amber gave a nod to Jackson and Amy before walking up to the man.

 

Seeing Amber, the man once again said, "The forests of Timber sure have changed!"

 

Amber responded back. "But the owls are still around."

 

The man's entire face lit up once he heard the password. "You're here! Oh thank you! Quickly, you must follow me. We'll have our formal introductions later once we're off the streets. Please, follow me!"

 

He lead them to another train platform, where a lone locomotive was stationed. The door opened upon the man's approach, and he gestured for the trio to come inside.

 

They quickly filed in, and the locomotive sped off.

 

"You guys are the SeeDs?" Another man greeted them. He was wearing a blue hoodie and had his short hair spiked up. He extended his hand to them in greeting.

 

Amber shook it gratefully. "I'm the squad leader, Amber Liu. Over here is Jackson Wang, and that's Amy Lee."

 

"Yo!" Jackson cheerfully greeted.

 

"…hey…" Amy still wasn't feeling too well, but she managed a weak smile. "Don't worry about me, just sick of moving objects, that's all…"

 

"Sorry to hear that." The blue hooded man shot Amy a sympathetic glance. "Well…since introductions are in order and whatnot, allow to me introduce myself. I'm the leader of the Forest Owls. You can just call me Zone. Bandana guy over there is Watts."

 

"Nice to meet you guys!" Watts gave off the same type of energy as Jackson. "I hope we can work well together."

 

"The feeling's mutual," Amber agreed. "So, let's get this show on the road. What do you want us to do?"

 

Zone laughed at Amber's impatience. "Wow, you're pretty straight to business aren't you? Well, I want you guys to get a little more familiar with this train first. Besides, you still haven't met the brains of our little outfit. Hey, Watts?"

 

"Yes sir?"

 

"Is Luna awake yet or what?"

 

Watts shook his head. "Afraid not sir."

 

"Ah man…" Zone sunk to the floor. "Guess we should…" He looked at Amber. "I'm sorry to trouble you, but would you mind waking our strategist please? She's in the last room, to your left."

 

The soldier put a hand on her hip, looking rather irritated. "You can't just go get her yourself?"

 

Zone jumped a few feet back in fright. "Don't be angry! I know it sounds like we're making you run errands or something, but….eh…."

 

Amber sighed. "Forget it. I'm just a little on edge this morning. It's fine, I'll go get her." The weren't gophers…they were special forces. But the headmaster did say to do what they were told. They were under contract after all…

__________

 

SeeD were raised to be able to handle any type of combat situation, and respond to any kind of order with brutal efficiency, so this really wasn't what Amber had in mind. But she figured it was best to try and not be so confrontational with her…clients. She wasn't a cadet anymore. There was a certain level of professionalism to maintain. Of course, the keyword was 'try.'

 

"This must be it…" Amber approached the final door, only to realize that it was already open. She knocked a few times on the wall to make sure that this 'Luna' girl was aware of her presence.

 

Seeing as that no one was bothering to answer, Amber stepped inside of the room.

 

A girl was lying curled up on a small bed, a blanket over her body.

 

Amber rubbed the back of her neck, suddenly feeling like some intruder. "Uh, Miss…Luna?" She hoped she got the name right. Names were never her strong suit. "Your, ah, associates asked me to come get you…"

 

Movement under the blanket meant that she was beginning to stir. "…are the SeeDs we asked for here yet?"

 

Amber froze for a moment. The voice was groggy and muffled, but it sounded awfully familiar. "Uh, actually…I'm one of the SeeDs…"

 

The blanket was then thrown off quicker than a lightning strike, and Amber had to ignore the feeling of her heart skipping a few beats when she saw who was underneath it.

 

"You! You're from that party!" It was the beautiful girl that she met at the ballroom. "You're really one of the SeeDs?!"

 

"…yeah…" The soldier somehow managed to find her voice. "I'm Amber Liu, the squad leader. I've got two other SeeDs here with me. Nice to meet you again…Miss Luna."

 

In just a split second Amber found herself gasping as the air got knocked out of her lungs. Luna had launched herself on the unsuspecting soldier for a hug that sent them both spinning. "SeeD is here! I can't believe it!"

 

Amber gently put her down, and attempted to remove the shorter girl's arms from around her neck.

 

Far too close again.

 

"Okay, okay. Take it easy."

 

Luna had a wide grin on her face as she pulled away from the embarrassed mercenary. "I'm sorry, it's just that, I'm so happy!" She twirled around a couple of times, her whole being positively radiating with joy. Amber refused to find it cute. "I've been sending Garden requests for such a long time!" She turned to look at Amber. Her face was practically glowing. The mercenary surely didn't notice that either…

 

"So, uh…is that why you were at the party that night? To talk to the headmaster in person?"

 

"Yes, and he's such a kind man. I honestly didn't think SeeD would come to help out such a small faction like us. But he gave the go ahead right away once I explained our situation to him!" Luna turned away, placing a hand on her heart. "Thank you. Now that you guys are here…well, it just feels like we can do anything now!"

 

Amber was still feeling rather shy. At least Luna turned away from her. The young SeeD felt strange looking at her directly. She hoped she wasn't getting sick like Amy…..

 

"Did you want to go meet the others now?"

 

"Of course! Let's go!" The young woman suddenly paused by the door. "Um…Amber?"

 

"Hm?"

 

"Do you know someone named Krystal Jung over there?" There was a tinge of hope in her voice. It was subtle, but Amber caught it all the same,

 

"Yeah…yeah I know her. Why?"

 

"Is she…with you?"

 

"…no. Krystal Jung isn't a SeeD."

 

"Oh…I see. Okay then…"

 

Amber felt a slight pang in her chest upon hearing the disappointed tone in Luna's voice. She didn't like it.

 

"How the hell does she even know Jung anyway?"

Chapter 6: The Timber Owls II

Summary:

The SeeDs hijack a train and face off against an undead monster.

Amber let Luna lead as they made their way back to their waiting companions. The strange feeling that had been plaguing Amber ever since she saw Luna again was still bothering her, but it was a lot easier to control when she didn't have to look at her face. Adding to that, the fact that the girl somehow knew Krystal and seems fond of her wasn't something that sat very well with her either.

 

Several things weren't adding up in the soldier's mind, but they were problems for another time. Right now, she was bound by contract to do as these 'Forest Owls' wanted, and Amber wasn't about to screw things up.

 

"Hello there everyone." Luna was already greeting Jackson and Amy as soon as she caught sight of them. "It's nice to meet you…my name is Luna."

 

"Hey there Luna, I'm Jackson….say, haven't I seen you before?" Jackson peered at her face a little more closely.

 

"Hmmm…maybe you saw me at the ballroom? I got to dance with your squad leader over here!" Luna giggled as she looked back at Amber. "She was pretty light on her feet."

 

Amber suddenly decided that the wall was more interesting to look at.

 

"Huh? With Amber?" Jackson's gaze fell on their leader. "That's…interesting."

 

"Wait a minute…you danced with Amber?" Amy looked more interested at that piece of info instead of the actual mission.

 

"Off topic Amy…" Amber grumbled.

 

"But I wanna hear about it!"

 

"It wasn't that big of a deal alright? She needed a partner. It was all in good fun." Amber felt the need to defend herself. She didn't like the curious way Jackson was staring at her.

 

Luna poked her cheek, smiling. "We should do it again sometime," she teased.

 

The soldier lightly swatted away Luna's hand. "No thanks…" She could feel her cheeks reddening again. Amber never really liked being the center of attention. Especially THIS kind of attention.

 

"Heeeeey, I remember you too!" Amy, who was slowly getting her energy back, piped in. "Saw you talking to Headmaster Cid."

 

Luna nodded. "Yeah, that's right!"

 

"Bet he was the one who made the three of us come here huh?"

 

"Hehe, it was very sweet of him, considering we have very little money."

 

"Hey, come on, we heard this before already," Amber interrupted. Her patience was wearing thin again.

 

"YOU have, I haven't!" Amy stuck her tongue out at the tomboy. Amber just rolled her eyes at the action. It looked like Amy was back to normal. "Buuut…I guess you got a point. Luna?"

 

"This way please." Luna lead them through a door close by. Inside, there was a table with some train models lined up.

 

"Okay everyone, gather round and allow me to explain what your mission is." Once they were settled, Luna continued. "This is a full-scale operation. It started when Watts was able to obtain some highly classified info. Apparently, the President of Galbadia, Vinzer Deling himself, is coming to pay Timber a visit. He's taken a private train from the capital to get here."

 

'So what's the plan? Do we get to blow him up with a rocket launcher?!"

 

The three resistance fighters backed away shocked at Amy's…surprising response. Amber, meanwhile, just flicked her strange companion on the forehead.

 

"Ouchy! What? That was a totally valid solution!"

 

"Maybe so, but we're not looking to murder every single person on that train…"

 

"Damn Amy, wasn't expecting you to come up with something like that…" Even Jackson was getting slightly disturbed.

 

"Oh whatever! Continue please Miss Luna!"

 

"Um, okay…" Luna went back over to the table. "Let me tell you about the models. The yellow one represents our base. Right next to it is the dummy car, which look's just like the president's. THEIR train has three cars. First is the locomotive, followed by an escort. Then you've got the president's car. The one after that is another escort. That's the one we begin the operation on."

 

Amber walked up to the table once Luna was finished. "I see. So the goal is to hook the base car to the president's."

 

"Exactly! You're pretty smart Amber. Guess you're not just a great dancer!"

 

Not this again.

 

"Woooooo!" Amy started to spin around the room, much like a ballerina would. "Was she like this Luna? I wish I saw it! What a bummer!"

 

Amber was about ready to smack the girl upside the head, but Zone decided to jump in and steer the conversation back on track. "Ahem! To succeed in this, we'll use the 2 switch points leading to Timber. If nothing goes wrong then we should be able to complete all this in seven steps. Watts, go ahead."

 

"Yes sir" Now it was Watts who took control of the explanation. "Step 1 is to sneak on top of the 2nd escort car by jumping onto the roof via the dummy car. Step 2 is to cautiously cross the roof. The 2nd escort car is the only one with sensors, so things should go more smoothly until Step 4."

 

"The sensors are another matter to deal with," Luna said. "I'll talk about it later. Go on Watts."

 

"Proceeding to the president's car is Step 3. That one is pretty self-explanatory. Now Step 4 is when things get a bit tedious again. You have to uncouple the cars within a time limit."

 

Amber raised a brow. "Time limit?"

 

Watts nodded. "Yeah, we've got to get it done before we pass the first switch point."

 

"Ah, I see. Suppose that isn't too bad."

 

"Such confidence SeeD Liu! You're amazing SeeD Liu!"

 

"…just get on with it Watts."

 

"Oh right! Step 5 is when the base car and dummy car move in once the uncoupling is completed. When that's in place, Step 6! Now we have to uncouple the 2nd escort car! Same process! Same time limit! And that leads us to Step 7. We make our getaway with the president's car attached to our base…which isn't much of a step I suppose. Phew! Done."

 

Luna took over again, patting Watts on the shoulder. "Great job Watts. I'll take it from here."

 

"Thanks Luna!"

 

The young woman turned her attention to the SeeDs once more. "Now, about those sensors…the guards carry two kinds. The lower ranked guards dressed in blue carry the Sound Sensor. Any movement will trigger this one, so when a guard is checking the windows, make sure to stay put. However, if you see an officer, then make sure to move. They're distinguishable by their red uniform. They carry the Temperature Sensor. Remaining stationary will trigger it. Hmmm…I guess that's about it. Is everyone ready?"

 

Jackson started cracking his knuckles. "Well, as ready as we'll ever be!"

 

Amber tried to digest all the information that she'd just been fed. They had a time limit to keep in mind. She had to make sure that they did this swiftly, but with no errors. The merc felt most of the pressure weighing down on her. It would be far more than a slap on the wrist if they failed.

 

"Don't worry about us. We're SeeDs." She tried not to voice out her concerns. If she was worried, then Jackson and Amy would be worried too. "We're ready to head out, so just say the word and-hey!"

 

Luna was in her face again, her big brown eyes searching Amber's, but the merc wouldn't allow it. She avoid the questioning gaze, her own eyes darting around the room.

 

"Are you…alright?"

 

"Why wouldn't I be?"

 

Luna leaned closer.

 

Amber leaned further back.

 

"Look…just focus on the goal okay? You guys hired us. And we're going to do the job. Failure isn't an option." The soldier wanted to get this over with and go home. She didn't feel comfortable here. Around her.

 

Zone gently pulled Luna back by the shoulder. "Come on…let's give them a minute to prepare eh?"

 

Amber silently thanked the spikey haired man for his timely intervention. It helped out a lot.

 

Luna's gaze never left hers, until Zone and Watts filed out of the room, taking her with them.

 

"What was that about?"

 

"Don't worry about it Amy. It wasn't anything…" Amber felt like she had just been stripped bare. Luna's eyes were piercing right through her very soul. As if she sensed something….

 

The soldier shook her head fiercely. "Just…never mind okay? Are you and Jackson ready or not?"

 

"Someone's getting cranky," Amy whispered.

 

"I heard that! And no, I'm not cranky, I just wish you two would hurry up."

 

"Man, you ARE cranky, boss lady…" Jackson was giving her that strange look again.

 

"I don't want to talk about this anymore. Just get ready."

__________

 

"Amber, over here!" Luna had already climbed onto the roof of the train once the SeeDs made it outside. "We're going to catch up with the 2nd escort soon. We'll be doing a lot of train hopping, so time your jumps!"

 

"How long do we have to do this?" Amber struggled to keep her eyes open as the wind whipped through her hair. The trains were going at a ridiculous speed.

 

"Remember that we have exactly 5 minutes to get through this operation."

 

"Right, right…plenty of time," Amber deadpanned.

 

"Is that SeeD brand humor I'm hearing?"

 

The soldier couldn't help but smile despite the situation they were in. "Heh, you could say that." She looked up to see the butt of the next train coming within range. "There it is! Jackson, Amy, come on!"

 

They all managed to make the jump safely. The SeeDs followed Luna as she carefully made her way to the red car.

 

"Okay guys, this one is the president's car. Once we get across, the first uncoupling will start."

 

They kept moving, their paces speeding up at the sight of the 1st escort car. Down below, Amber could clearly see the guards opening the windows, just as Luna said they would.

 

"Jackson, how many guards are you seeing?"

 

"I count two."

 

"Okay. Amy?"

 

"Affirmative boss! Two guards! One of them is an officer, so both sensors are here!"

 

Luna tossed a rope to Amber. "I'm guessing you're going to be inputting the codes right Amber?"

 

"Yeah, that's right. You just tell me the codes, and if Jackson and Amy spot a guard heading my way, tug on the rope. I probably won't hear very well down there, so I need a signal of some sort. Got it Luna?"

 

"Yeah, I got it! For this circuit to get disabled, you need to enter three codes. Go!"

 

Amber fastened the rope securely around her waist, then made sure the other end was knotted to the rail on the train. Then she slid down.

 

"Okay…" Amber looked at the papers Luna handed to her. "First code is 2111." A ding. It was accepted. Amber didn't feel a tug, so she proceeded.

 

"Next one is 2232." Accepted again. Good. She felt a tug this time, so she quickly hauled herself back up.

 

"Right on time too," Luna said. "The blue guard is right underneath you now."

 

Amber stayed perfectly still. The guard checked the window for a few seconds, then he them again and left.

 

Amber slid back down, inputting the 3rd code. "Okay, 4122." It worked.

 

"Everyone, this way!" Luna herded the SeeDs back over to the president's car right before the 1st escort separated. Amber barely made it, but she managed. The four of them watched as the base train sped right in front of the president's before the diverging paths interconnected. After the hearing the latches hook into place, they knew that phase was successful.

__________

 

"Okay Amber, this is the 2nd escort car. Once this is done we're home free. But you need to be more careful. Jackson and Amy are busy uncoupling the other trains. I'll keep watch. But this one has 5 pass codes this time."

 

"I got this Luna. Relax. Now give me the codes."

 

Amber followed the same procedures as she did with the first uncoupling, then made her way down.

 

"1322. It's in, good." Amber peered up and noticed the window blinds were still shut. "Okay, one more. 3413." It was accepted, and Amber went back up just in case.

 

"Anyone coming Luna?"

 

"No, it's good so far. Hurry, we have about 3 minutes left!"

 

Amber dropped down, inputting another code in. "4313. It's in!" She had to go up again when she felt a forceful tug on her rope.

 

An officer was opening every single window and scanning everything.

 

"Judging by his reaction, I'm guessing he's noticed that the train's interior looks different now."

 

"He's onto us Amber," Luna said nervously. "Please, you have to hurry. Two more!"

 

"I know, I know."

 

The officer left, shoving the lower ranks to the ground and yelling. He was clearly in a state of panic.

 

Amber took the opportunity. "Okay, here we go…" She slid down for what she was hoping was the last time. "3244. Good. And finally…..3323!"

 

The trains unlocked. Once again, it was successful. Amber managed to get back up onto the roof and free herself from the rope before the trains disconnected fully.

 

They jumped back onto the president's car, which was now all alone, with the exception of the base car. The rest of the trains went the other way at the next fork on the rails, and the Timber Owls made their getaway.

__________

 

"Woooo! That was damn smooth you guys! I thought we were going to get caught at least once!" Zone had a face-splitting grin on his face. "I've waited a long time to finally have this encounter with Vinzer Deling!"

 

"He didn't even help," Jackson whispered to Amber.

 

"Just let it go. Why do you think they hired us in the first place?" Amber whispered back. Zone and that Watts follow clearly didn't look suited for more…physically oriented tasks. Luna, on the other hand…

 

Amber glanced at the young woman as she cheered with her companions. The soldier could see that she wasn't exactly combat proficient, but she kept up with them pretty well on a fast moving train. That was some dangerous stuff.

 

"Huh…well, she has potential…"

 

"Whatcha lookin' at?"

 

Amber snapped out of her thoughts and shoved Amy's face off her shoulder. "Nothing…"

 

"Hey, Amber…hehe, about that Lu-"

 

"Drop it Amy." Amber's tone left no room for arguments. She was tired of this.

 

"Gosh! Sure thing bossy pants…."

 

Amber could tell that she wasn't going to let it go anytime soon. And neither was Jackson. Amber could the blond standing in the corner, opening and closing his mouth, like a fish out of water.

 

Amber shook her head lightly. Much to her relief, he stopped and just went about putting his fighting gloves on.

 

It was at that moment Luna walked up to them. "Well…the president is just a door away. Are you guys ready? We're going in for some serious negotiations, so be prepared."

 

"Serious negotiations huh? You heard the lady you guys…if his guard detail is with him, then it's best to have everything equipped."

 

Jackson and Amy nodded. "Understood."

__________

 

"President Deling! As l-long as you don't resist…y-you won't be harmed. We need to talk to you." Luna was nervous, it was clear as day, but she had to be strong.

 

The president had his back turned to the group, a newspaper in his hands. He didn't even respond.

 

Amber stepped up, placing herself in front of Luna, her sword drawn. Jackson and Amy followed suit.

 

"Careful Luna…something's not right."

 

"Huh? What do you mean?" Luna looked at the tomboy, confusion in her eyes.

 

"Such…a bold choice of words young lady. What would you do to me…if I did resist?" The president stood up. His voice was very low and sinister as he spoke, almost like a guttural growl.

 

By this time Amber had pushed Luna towards the back. "Head to base. Now." Luna looked even more confused.

 

"Miss Luna, it's for your own safety….leave the fighting to us…" Jackson told the young woman.

 

"Yeah," Amy agreed. "That's not President Deling."

 

Luna's eyes widened. "What?!"

 

Amber didn't intend to explain the whole thing. She roughly shoved Luna towards the door. "Head to the base train and don't come out for anything! Tell the same to Zone and Watts too."

 

The young woman cast a worried glance at the three SeeDs, but seeing how serious Amber was, she had no choice but to reluctantly agree. "Please be careful everyone…."

 

The 'president' chuckled. "Very insightful you three...very, very insightful. You see…I'm what you call a body double."

 

He started walking to them, but his movements were…erratic. Inhuman. "They knew some stupid resistance group would take the bait eventually. Pass on a little false info…haha! That's all it took! Hahahahahaha!!" His laughter was cruel and terrifying.

 

Amber glared daggers at the fake. "Just what the fuck are you?!"

 

"Allow me to show you…" His skin slid off his face as if it were melting. Even the bones underneath crumbled into dust. Nothing was left but a green puddle of goo.

 

But something was rising out of it.

 

It was absolutely horrifying. Whatever that…thing was, its organs were practically spilling out its bloated stomach, barely kept in place by threads of pale white skin. One side of the creature looked anorexic, nothing but skin and bones. The other side was hideously deformed. The thing that was supposed to be its arm just looked like layers and layers of flabby skin, and then there was the leg…..nothing but bulging fat and claws sticking out.

 

"CaLl…mE…GeRogERO!!! BwAHaHa!!!"

 

The SeeDs didn't bother to ask questions. They immediately went on the offensive.

 

"Classify this thing as an undead monster!" Amber yelled out. None of them ever actually faced an undead monster before. This was going to be interesting.

 

Amy tried attacking the disgusting thing with her nunchakus, only to find that it did very little damage.

 

Jackson pulled her away as the Gerogero spit out a vomit-like acid towards her. Maggots were swimming in the bile.

 

"Grossness!" Amy had to swallow down her bile.

 

"Be careful everyone! We're in really tight quarters right now! We might damage the base train. Keep your attacks contained! If you can't, then make sure you don't aim at the base!"

 

The undead monster shot another large wave of bile, this time at Amber. The soldier casted a Reflect spell on herself, causing the vomit to bounce right back and hit the Gerogero in the face, but the force, along with the train movement, sent rolling all over the place.

 

"BLaRgH!!! sTuPId ReSIsTaNCe!!!"

 

Jackson was a melee fighter, so he had to resort to casting Thunder and Fire spells from afar so he wouldn't have to get in close quarters combat with it.

 

The Thunder spell didn't do much damage, but the Fire spell actually caused the Gerogero to flinch.

 

"Did you see that?!"

 

"Yeah! Way to go Jackson!" Amy blasted it with a Fire spell as well. And again, it was very effective. "It has a weakness to fire!"

 

"GRaRgh!!!" The Gerogero thrashed around as its whole body was set ablaze. "NoT…yET!!!" It turned to face the two SeeDs. Jackson and Amy stood at the ready. They were expecting Gerogero to change at them while his body was on fire.

 

But it didn't.

 

Its deformed arm stretched out like rubber and slammed Jackson and Amy onto the wall. A thick, paste-like liquid was dripping off the Gerogero's disgusting appendage, and it completely covered Amy and Jackson aside from their heads.

 

"HOLY SHIT!!!" Jackson yelled. He could see the maggots crawling up towards his face.

 

Amy was freaking out, banging her head against the wall in desperation.

 

"EWWWW!!!"

 

While the two SeeDs were fighting the Gerogero, Amber was busy trying to look for a certain she had been keeping in her satchel. All the contents had spilled out when she got knocked around.

 

"Dammit, where the hell did it go?!" During the fight, Amber had finally remembered something about undead creatures that Victoria taught her in class.

 

Luckily, she was able to spy the bottle underneath one of the seats. Seeing that the Gerogero was still preoccupied with Jackson and Amy, Amber made a dive for the bottle.

 

"AMBER! HURRY!!" Amy could see the rotting monster opening its month. She could see the bile that was building up inside of it. "AHHHH!!!"

 

Jackson wasn't making a sound. His eyes were closed as he resigned himself to his fate.

 

"ARRRGH!!!" The Gerogero fell to the floor, writhing and screaming in pain. Amber finished the monster off with a level 2 Fire spell, blasting a whole through the floor of the president's car. As Amber looked out the window, she could see the creature's lifeless body roll down the hill.

 

She sighed in relief, and looked at the empty bottle of Phoenix Down in her hand that she had doused Gerogero with.

 

"Talk about a real life saver…phew."

 

Phoenix Down was a type of healing potion that was normally used for near fatal injuries. It was very potent, and could save soldiers that were nearly at death's door. But, it was also because it was a healing agent that the Phoenix Down was incredibly dangerous to undead monsters. Amber only had one with her for emergencies only. And this was one of them. She'd probably have to stock up again once they got to Timber.

 

"…Amber…" Amy's voice was small. She whimpered as she looked at her leader. "…get me down…the maggots…"

 

"I second that…" Jackson looked ready to pass out as well. The stench of the….stuff around them was almost too much to bear.

 

Amber cut the two SeeDs down, relieved that they were okay (More or less). She sighed, running a hand through her hair. It was covered in sweat…

 

"To think…this is only the beginning of the mission."

 

"UGHHHH!!!" The resounding groans told Amber everything.

Notes:

Nothing much to say about this one, really. It was supposed to be one big chapter along with 5, but I didn't want a repeat of Chapter 3, so I split it.

Chapter 7: Welcome To Timber

Summary:

The gang tries to gain access to the TV station in Timber.

"I can't believe we were duped! How could have we been so stupid?!"

"Don't beat yourself up over it Zone…we had to try you know…" Luna was making an attempt to comfort the spikey haired man, but he was hysterical.

"Look at us Luna! We've accomplished nothing!"

"I wouldn't say that sir!" Watts came running into the room. "I've got some new info. Yeah, it's true that the monster president was meant to throw the resistance groups off, but it's also true that the real president is here!"

Luna had renewed hope in her eyes. "Is that really true Watts?"

"Yes! The folks at Timber are talking about it now And the reason he's here in the first place is because he plans on going to the Timber TV Station. The security is no joke."

"Huh?" Luna was confused all over again. "Why would he go to Timber? They can broadcast just fine from Galbadia…"

"I think I know why…" Amber walked into the room, a darker expression on her face.

"Amber! How are Jackson and Amy?" Luna asked, clearly worried.

"They're fine…a few bruises and some mental scarring…" Amber shivered a bit at the thought of the maggots. "…but they're fine."

Luna sighed in relief. "Oh thank goodness."

"Yeah, don't worry. They're built tough…"

"Amber," Zone said quietly. "What were you trying to say earlier?"

"I was referring to the Dollet Communication Tower. You remember that Galbadia invaded Dollet just recently? Well it was for that tower."

"But why?"

"Because it can transmit and receive radio waves. The tower had been abandoned for a long time, but the Galbadians got it up and running."

"…oh! I get it now!" It was like a light bulb came on inside Zone's head. "Timber's TV station is the only one that's able to handle over the air broadcasts!"

Amber nodded. "Yeah, other stations use HD cable, which can only support broadcasts that are held online. "They plan on using those radio waves to transmit images without the need for cable."

"Tch, I'd say that's ingenious if I didn't hate them so much…" Zone mumbled.

Luna crossed her arms as she looked out the window. "This must be a big thing right? I mean…if Galbadian took the trouble to do all of this…then what is it that they're announcing?"

"Pffft, doubt it's going to be something like LOVE AND PEACE!!!...to good to be true isn't it?" An exhausted looking Amy walked into the room, with an equally worn out Jackson close behind her. They had both changed out of their uniforms and into civilian clothes.

"Man, we barely even got those," Jackson said, looking disappointed. "Made me feel all professional too."

Amy pointed an accusing finger at Amber. "You! You go change too!"

Their squad leader stared at the two of them disinterestedly, annoying Amy even more.

"Grrr, Amber!"

"Yeah, come on boss," Jackson whined. "You'll stick out like a sore thumb in a SeeD uniform anyway."

Amber thought about it for a moment. Jackson made a valid point. Galbadian soldiers were crawling all over the place in Timber. And the majority of them would attack SeeD on sight. They were definitely better off blending in. At least for the time being.

"Fine, you guys win, I'll go change." She turned to look at Zone and Watts. "Any of guys have some extra clothes I can use?"

"Sure thing. Head on towards the back again. It's the second to last door to your left. We use it as a kind of storage area, so there's bound to be some old clothes in there. Feel free to get anything you need."

"Yeah, thanks."

"That's what you get for not packing an extra set of clothes!"

"Shut it Amy." Amber playfully shoved the silly woman as Jackson laughed. "At least I didn't get slimed. Maybe one of those maggots crawled right into your ear and you didn't even notice."

"GROSSNESS!! YOU JERK!!"

"Heh…"

"Alright Amy, leave Amber alone," Jackson said. "We have to keep up to date."

"Yeah, yeah. So what's up you guys? Did jerkface tell you anything? Luna?"

"Huh? O-oh right…" Luna felt slightly embarrassed for getting caught spacing out. She had been eyeing the trio's interactions with each other. They were very close. Particularly Amber and Amy. She wondered if…maybe they-

"Yo! Earth to Luna!" Zone was waving a hand in her face at this point.

"Ah! Sorry!" Luna buried her face in her hands, trying in vain to hide her growing blush.

"Wow, you're super red Luna! You don't have a fever do you?!" Watts placed his hand on her forehead. "You seem normal enough…"

Luna backed away in a rush. Watts really wasn't helping. "I'm fine, r-really!" She stammered out. The young woman was able to catch a glimpse of Amy and Jackson's expressions out of the corner of her eye. They looked just as confused as Zone and Watts.

"Come on…l-let's just tell these two what they missed. Please?"
__________

Once Amber came back, Jackson and Amy were all caught up.

"Did they tell you what I said?"

"Yeah! About the Dollet Communication Tower and everything! Sneaky bastards…" Amy waved a fist in the air.

"So what now Amber?" Jackson questioned. "Things have just gotten more complicated."

Amber smirked. "Don't they always?" Her smirk faded into a frown when she noticed the three resistance fighters huddled in a corner, talking in hushed whispers. "…what are they doing?"

Jackson just shrugged." They said they were having a strategy meeting. Luna thinks that they might announce Timber's independence or something like that…"

"Why the hell would a dictator ever do something like that?" Amber's frown deepened, if that was even possible. They were being far too optimistic about this. It was too much.

"Hey, it doesn't hurt to have a little hope you grumpy person!" Amy scolded. She didn't like Amber's tone.

"Hope is one thing. The impossible is another. Someone like Deling just wants more and more. He'd never just give something away." Amber was getting frustrated. She needed to make sure of one thing first before she went ahead with anymore of their 'plans.' The last one didn't get them anywhere.

Amber quietly kneeled down next to the three unsuspecting rebels. She lightly tapped Luna on the shoulder, catching her attention right away.

"Oh, Amber! I didn't even hear you come in! Perfect timing too, because we've come up with another plan!"

"…I've been here a while now. Listen Luna, there's something I need to see."

"What is it?"

"I'd like to see the contract for our Garden. I want to look over the terms and conditions."

"Huh? Oh…uh, sure…here you go!" Luna wasn't exactly sure what it was, but she could feel a shift in Amber's mood. It was subtle, but…her tone seemed sharper. Harsher.

Amber's eyes quickly scanned over the paper. Jackson and Amy looked over her shoulders.

"What does it say grumpy?" Amy was secretly considering glasses. The print was so small.

"It says that 'Party A hereby acknowledges the Forest Owls (hereafter referred to as Party B) as-"

"What's with all the 'Party' stuff? Headmaster Cid couldn't have just put it in simpler terms?" The words seem to be getting longer further down…" Jackson just wanted the orders straight up.

"Here you go! Sorry about that!" Luna handed Amber another sheet of paper. "I know that one was bit confusing, so Cid gave us another one. He really is super nice!"

The trio read through this one together, but it was the final statement that got their attention.

"Our contract with them last until Timber's independence?! Huh?!" Amy pulled at her hair. "That could take ages!"

"…I wasn't expecting Headmaster Cid to loan us out for this long…" Jackson could practically feel the white hairs sprouting on his head.

"Hey! No complaining you two! You're paid professionals!" Luna wagged a finger at the two surprised SeeDs. She realized, however, that the leader was being awfully quiet.

Luna eyed Amber closely. The tomboy hadn't moved from her spot…and she didn't seem to be blinking either. In fact, gauging how she felt about the situation was actually quite difficult because her face was just…blank.

"Um…Amber?" Luna was a little reluctant to approach her. "Are you…alright?"

The mercenary stood up without warning, causing the smaller to let out a squeak. Amber handed her back the contract.

"Jackson, Amy…we'll continue on as we have. Do whatever they say…"

Luna heard her spout that line before, and it was starting to bother her. It was so…mechanical..

"Okay, so what's the plan?" Amber addressed Zone and Watts. She refused to look at Luna right now.

"Well, gathering more info is our specialty sir! So that's what we'll be doing!" Watts said, sweat dipping from his brow. He was nervous.

"You guys, on the other hand, will be taking our lovely Luna here to the TV station!" Zone grinned.

"What kind of plan is that Zone?" Amy was suspicious. "Didn't Watts mention it was heavily guarded?"

Luna just smiled. "Well, we'll just see once we get there!"

"…that's your plan?" Amber was unimpressed.

"Didn't you just say that you were going to follow orders?"

"Right…"

"Then let's go!"
__________

"The TV station is located behind a building called Timber Maniacs! Good luck everyone! Take care of Luna!" Watts waved to the group as they left the train.

"Thanks Watts. You and Zone take care okay? We'll meet up later!" Luna yelled.

"Thanks Luna! Gotta go! The Galbadian soldiers will becoming soon!" And with that the doors to their base closed, and the train sped away, leaving the group of four on the platform.

"Well," Luna started. "If you guys don't mind, I'll lead the way. I know Timber better…and none of the local trains run anymore, so we'll have to talk to the place."

"Timber Maniacs right? Whatever happened to that magazine anyway?" Amy wondered. "I used to read them all the time."

Luna cast her eyes to the ground. "Galbadia shut it down…said it was a dangerous influence on young minds." Her fists balled up at her sides. "They're always taking everything from us. One by one."

"All the more reason they need to be stopped," Amber responded. "We should get going."

"Yeah…yeah, okay."
__________

"Well, we're here." Luna had stopped in front of an old, dilapidated building. It stood out from the others due to its very obvious age. The houses next to it looked new, or at least remodeled.

"The TV station is still a long ways away, but like Watts said, it's right behind Timber Maniacs if we just keep going."

"You kids looking for something? You've been standing in front of that building for a while now…" A middle aged woman wearing an apron stopped to see if she could help them.

Amber spoke first. "Well, since the trains are not running, we just fig-"

"Actually," Luna interrupted. "Is there a shorter way to the TV station?"

"Let's see," The woman said thoughtfully. "You see that house over there? It's mine. We used to use the back alley all the time back in the day. Now there's a pub built there, but you may still be able to use it."

"Thank you so much ma'am!"

"No problem Luna." The woman gave a knowing smile to her before heading inside her house.

"What was that all about? Did you know her or something?" Jackson asked curiously.

"Yeah! She's a resistance member too. She's the leader of the Silver Foxes. Almost every citizen in Timber is part of the resistance. But, lately though, the only ones who are active are the Timber Owls…Galbadia is really cracking down hard, so the groups have been trying to lay low."

"Hm…"

"…is there something on your mind Amber?" Luna really wanted to know. The soldier had been acting strangely since they left the train. Jackson and Amy didn't pay much attention to it, but it was slowly getting to Luna…

"Forget about it."

"…fine." Luna angrily marched off. "Just follow me then!"

"What's her problem?" Jackson whispered to Amy.

Amy couldn't help laughing. "Our leader."
__________

"Heh, that country bumpkin was too easy of a target. Had a really nice watch though. Look at this!"

"Hey man, ease up a little would ya? The entire city hates us enough as it is."

"Ah, relax! What can they do to us?"

"I'm telling you that-argh!"

"Huh?! Who-ugh!"

When the foursome had arrived in front of the pub, two Galbadian soldiers had come out talking about what one of them just snatched off a civilian. An already irritated Amber got the drop on them and knocked them both out swiftly. She then noticed one of the soldiers had a gold watch in his hands.

"We should probably return this," Amber picked up the watch, examining it. "Looks expensive too."

"Maybe the owner is still inside the pub! Let's go!" Amy ran on inside, leaving the other three behind.

"Well, better make sure she hasn't run into anyone…" Jackson went after the energetic girl.

Amber silently followed after him, holding the door open for an equally silent Luna. "…after you."

"…thank you…" Luna accepted the small gesture of kindness, albeit hesitantly.

Inside, a drunken man lying against the opposite doorway was complaining.

"I can't take this shit anymore! Came from Dollet to escape that fucking mess and look what happens. Those G-soldiers are everywhere!! Bunch of glorified thieves is what they are…" The man eventually broke down sobbing.

One of the waitresses agreed with the man, adding, "Now we're even more screwed since the resistance tried to kidnap the president. Thanks to them, the G-soldiers are eve more paranoid now!"

"That's not true!" Luna shouted.

The patrons inside the pub glanced at the girl for her sudden outburst. Some were glaring, while others just went back to their drinks.

"Hey man, I know you haven't been in Timber for very long, but the resistance are fighting for a better future. They're trying their best. Galbadia is the one at fault. Them, and that dictator they call a president…" It was the bartender who spoke. He looked worn out, with bags under his eyes. He must have been dealing with the drunken man for quite some time now.

"Tch, right…" The drunkard snorted.

"Hey…I think this belongs to you…" Amber addressed the drunk man. "We need to get through.

"Buzz off kid! I-hey, wait a sec! That's my watch! How'd you get this?" He looked positively elated, any traces of anger disappearing.

"…found it." Amber didn't really want to give him all the details. He didn't need to know…

"Wow, those soldiers are dumber than they look…" The man mumbled to himself. "Thanks kid, I appreciate this…here, you wanted to enter the back alley right?...uh, let me just move out of your way…hey bartender! Help me out here would ya!"

The bartender sighed deeply, but obliged. He went over, and helped the drunkard stand up, guiding him to a table instead.

"Thanks." Amber said.

"Nah kid. Thank YOU." He passed out on the table not a minute later.

The group of four made their way to the back alley. A short distance away, they could see a staircase leading up to television screen. But there was nothing on it other than static. "That's it!" Luna said excitedly. "The TV station is right around the corner from here!"

The group stopped in front of the outdoor TV.

"They're going to need to fix the problem with this before they can broadcast anything." Jackson shielded his eyes as he looked at the screen. "Pretty bright too…"

"Everyone!"

"Oh, Watts!" Luna looked surprised to see the yellow vested man running up the stairs. "You're okay! Do you have any new info?"

"Sure do! The president's inside the studio prepping right now. But…there are a LOT more guards than I previously mentioned…there's no way you'd be able to just run inside."

"I see…thank you Watts."

"No problem Luna!" Watts ran back down the stairway, likely to go gather more intelligence.

"Okay," Luna sighed tiredly. "We need to come up with a new plan then!"

Amber's head snapped in her direction, her eyes somehow darker. "Hold on…that was your big plan? To just storm the place?" The soldier could feel Amy and Jackson pulling at her sleeves, like they were worried she was going to do something.

"Well, yeah! You guys can handle yourselves in a fight right? But now that they've upped the guard…hmm, well, if the president leaves, maybe his soldiers will leave too. Then we can do our own broadcast! It might help to influence people right? We need as many people as we can helping out! It's…not a great plan, but it's better than standing around doing nothing…right?"

"……"

"….Amber?"

At this point, Jackson and Amy had turned around, looking like they were trying to mind their own business.

"…don't worry about us. We'll fight your enemies if you just give us the go ahead." Amber's answer was the same as it always was. "That's our duty."

"That's what you always go and say." Luna stepped closer towards the soldier. "Even if you don't agree…and I know you don't." She was in Amber's face now. "Is that really all? Must be easy…just following orders like that…"

Amber was livid. Absolutely livid. And it was showing, she could tell, despite her best efforts to maintain her composure. "You can call it whatever the hell you want. Our job is to help you guys fulfill your goal…no matter how much I doubt that you'll ever be able to." There, she said it. It was out in the open now.

Luna looked flabbergasted and genuinely hurt. She really wasn't expecting that kind of response from the quiet mercenary. "How can you even say that?!"

"……"

"Tell me! The least you can do is finish it!"

"……"

"Well?! What's on your mind?"

"…you really want to know? Then here it is…are you guys taking this seriously at all? The three of you just plop down on the floor to discuss strategy, only to come out with some half-baked plan. On top of that, you need our input on the matter when you have to make a decision. It's completely unorganized. How the hell am I supposed to feel working for a group like that?"

Amber felt two different sets of arms pulling her away. She looked back, and seeing the worried looks Amy and Jackson were giving her, Amber decided to just leave it at that.

"That was way too harsh chief," whispered Jackson. "I know she's a bit naïve, but…come on."

"Yeah," Amy agreed. "She wasn't raised in a Garden like we were…give her a break."

"You know what…"

There it was again.

When Amber looked towards Luna again she saw it. She was only able to catch a glimpse of it the night of the ball….that subtle fire behind her soft gaze. But that was then. This is now.

The high intensity emotions that were surging up throughout the day had been brought to the forefront. Luna's eyes were wild and defiant, blazing as she stared down the soldier without fear. Tears were beginning to form at the edges of her eyes, but she pushed on.

"Maybe this was all a big mistake. When you first got here, I thought everything would be just fine from now on. Guess I was wrong…it's not that easy…you wouldn't understand our situation. It's not like you're one of us…just cancel the plan for now. We'll regroup later…" Her voice was trembling now. "This isn't a game to us, it never was! We've always been serious…so serious that it's painful to breathe!"

She turned to run as her bravery diminished and the tears threatened to spill from her eyes. Luna had practically mowed Amy down in her desperate attempt to get away. She wanted to put as much distance between herself and the SeeDs as much as possible.

Especially Amber.

Chapter 8: One and Perdition

Summary:

President Deling is about to introduce his new 'ambassador' to the world...until Krystal decides to crash the party. Then things take a strange turn.

Jackson and Amy stared at the post Luna was previously occupying, their mouths agape and bodies reeled back in shock. Though their leader was the primary focus of Luna's rage, bits and pieces of the aftershock still got to them. Surprise would be a severe understatement. Her outburst came completely out of left field.

 

"Wow…" Amy didn't know what else to say.

 

"Gotta give her credit though…no one's ever talked to Amber like that before. Except Krystal Jung. Come to think of it…no one has ever really talked to us like that either." Jackson held a newfound respect for the young woman, despite the verbal tongue lashing she gave them. "Then again, chief over here…"

 

"Grrr, yeah Amber you big jerk! You started it!" Amy smacked Amber on the shoulder. Much to her dismay, the tomboy didn't even flinch. "We're supposed to be professionals! Or have you forgotten that already?!"

 

Amber was opening her mouth to respond, when the large outdoor TV started crackling to life, until a clear and smooth image finally came on the screen. "Huh? They actually managed to get that old thing to work?"

 

"Oh my gosh! What do you think they're going to announce?!" Amy momentarily forgot her anger, instead focusing on the monitor.

 

"Don't know," Jackson stated. "But this is Vinzer Deling we're talking about here, so…"

 

"It can't be anything good," Amber finished.

 

The screen in front of them showed a podium with several mikes. To the right and left of said podium were two Galbadian flags. A short, portly man with blond hair and a tacky striped suit on appeared on screen several seconds later.

 

"Testing, testing…1…2…testing." He tapped the microphones a few times before looking back at the camera. "Goodness! People of the world, can you see this right now?! This absolutely incredible ladies and gentlemen! We have not had a live broadcast like this in over 17 years! How amazing is that?!"

 

Jackson snickered. "Heh, look at that dude…he looks like he's about to cry."

 

"Shush!" Amy was concentrating on the broadcast.

 

"Ah, my apologies everyone. I seemed to have lost my composure for a moment there. Ahem, now…we would like to present to you all a message from the greatest man to ever live, President Vinzer Deling!"

 

"Son of a bitch. When did he ever become the greatest man to ever live? I must have missed something these past few years. Fuck that…"

 

"It's Galbadia Jackson. The only way you can make a decent living is by kissing Deling's ass and licking the scum off the underside of his shoes…" Despite her saying that, Amber's eyes narrowed at the screen, as if on reflex.
 

A man of average height and build took over the podium. His hair was graying at the sides, and his face wrinkled and tired. His harmless appearance belied a man obsessed with power and world domination.

 

"Greetings, one and all! I am Vinzer Deling, the lifelong president of Galbadia!"

 

"Booooooo!!"

 

Amber shook her head at her companions. "Be quiet you two…don't forget we're still in enemy territory right now."

 

"Today, I stand before you all to make a proposition. If the people joined together, then we have the power to end all wars."

 

All three SeeDs raised a brow at the surprising statement.

 

"Okay…guys, I know I was joking about the whole 'love and peace' thing before…but this is starting to sound like one." Amy was definitely perplexed.

 

"From Deling? Fat chance!" Jackson refused to believe that warmonger would ever propose such a thing.

 

"Well…we'll just see." Amber's opinion was more in line with Jackson's, but stranger things have happened.

 

"Unfortunately, Galbadia is still in disagreement with several other nations. Those must be resolved first." The sound of something shattering caused the president to pause mid-speech. But seeing as the soldiers and camera crew didn't seem too alarmed, he continued. "Allow me to properly introduce the ambassador who will act as my representative. Sorceress -"

 

Gunfire and screaming could be heard off-screen. The soldiers closest to Deling were scrambling into formation. The attacker was powerful, as a soldier was hurled across the room, knocking the other soldiers down. Next thing everyone knew, a furious Krystal Jung was on camera. She grabbed the panicking Deling and held Hyperion to his throat, forcing the remaining to soldiers to lower their weapons. They couldn't risk firing as the president was being held hostage.

 

"JUNG?!!" The trio cried in unison.

 

Jackson raised his fist at the screen. "What the fuck does she think she's doing now?!"
 

"Doing us a favor?" Amy had to admit that seeing the dictator squirm was pretty satisfying.

 

"Stay back! I told you to stay back! You're only going to provoke her!" Victoria had appeared as well. She was trying to keep the intense standoff under control as Krystal was looking even more agitated than ever before. As the rest of Deling's guard attempted to rush her all at once, she fired a level 2 fire spell, incinerating the soldiers before they could even get close.

 

"JUNG!!! What the hell are you THINKING?!!" Victoria lost whatever composure she had left.

 

"Holy shit! The instructor is there too. Amber?!"

 

"Yeah, squad leader!" Amy looked at Amber pleadingly, as did Jackson.

 

As if on cue, Victoria looked at the camera, panic and stress seeping into her voice. "Timber team, if you're watching this, come to the station immediately! I need back up!"

 

"That's all I needed," Amber said. "Jackson, Amy, come on!"

__________

 

"We need to restrain her!" Victoria said as the trio came running inside the TV station.

 

Amber looked around her. Several bodies lay scattered on the ground. Maybe rushing in was actually a decent plan after all, considering Krystal came storming in and just absolutely wrecked the guards. The young soldier sometimes had a habit of underestimating herself…as well as the strengths of each individual person in Garden. Then again…she was only trying to think logically.

 

Besides….something more covert would have minimized casualties. At the very least, most of the soldiers were given some quick and clean deaths, strangely unlike Krystal's usual style.

 

"You must have been in a hurry Jung…"

 

"Ah, Liu! Late to the party as always." Krystal's grip on the president tightened, causing him to let out a strangled gasp of pain. "Shut up old man. You should've seen this coming decades ago…"

 

Honestly, the worst part about all this was that Amber just couldn't bring herself to feel motivated about the situation. Krystal had a point. The tyrant had this coming for a long time.

 

Victoria quickly informed the three SeeDs of what happened. "She had broken out of the disciplinary room and injured several of the Garden guards in the process. I was assigned to bring her back. Finding Krystal was easy enough, but…."

 

"I'm not going anywhere!" Krystal pressed the Hyperion closer to Deling's throat. A small trickle of blood poured out of a newly made cut. "Just what are you morons planning on doing with this guy huh? You're just gonna let a dictator get away? Luna wants this guy taken in. I'm not about to let you three screw this up for her!"

 

Amber stiffened at the mention of the resistance fighter. It looks like they really did know each other after all…

 

"Wait a sec, you're doing all this for her?" Jackson looked as though he had figured something out. "Oh…I get it now Jung…you and Luna are-"

 

"Shut up chicken wuss! What we are doesn't concern you!"

 

"Grrr…asshole! Instructor You're bringing this douche back to Garden right?!"

 

"JACKSON!!!" Amber was close to drawing her sword at the blond.

 

Jackson, realizing what he'd just said, clamped his mouth shut with a hand.

 

"…ugh…I see…" Deling tried to speak, despite the painful grip Krystal had on him. Not to mention the sword in front of his throat. "You're all…from Garden then….if anything happens to me, the Galbadian army will crush Garden. This is the end for you!"

 

Krystal made another small cut on his neck as a warning. "You talk too much old man." She then glared hard at Jackson. "Something you've got in common with chicken wuss…."

 

Jackson's body slackened, his head hanging down low in shame. He didn't know what to do. Opening his mouth like that may have just put their Garden in danger.

 

"Jung," Amber warned. "Just let the old guy go. It wasn't supposed to go down like this…" But a part of Amber really couldn’t care about what the temperamental rebel wanted to do with Deling. So many suffered because of that man…he instilled a fear in their the people's hearts that couldn't so easily be erased or forgotten.

 

"Don't act so superior Liu!" Krystal sneered. "You know as well as I do that he deserves it! Why don't you guys just take care of the mess in here? I'll deal with Deling."

 

Krystal slowly walked backwards, the president still in her grasps. Victoria quickly followed after them as they disappeared backstage.

 

"Come on you three! This isn't over!"

 

A shocked Amy was the first to snap out of it and follow after Victoria. Amber had briefly glanced back at Jackson. She was angry at him, but any type of scolding would have to wait until later. She gave the devastated young man a push from behind, getting him to move ahead of her.

__________

 

When they got backstage, Amber noticed that something strange was going on. The room had a weird energy to it, dangerous and unknown. It was when she looked at the ground did she realize that Victoria and Amy were down on one knee, sweating bullets and struggling to move.

 

"What the-" A bright purple flash engulfed the room, and Amber soon found that she no longer had control of her body. Try as she might to struggle against it, Amber's muscles had seized up. She was stuck.

 

"W-what…the fuck, argh…is this?" Even speaking was difficult.

 

"D-dammit! C-can't move! Jung!" The same thing was happening to Jackson. This was clearly the work of someone who held an enormous amount of power.

 

But Krystal was still standing, along with a frightened Vinzer Deling. The rogue cadet was looking around the room furiously.

 

"Show yourself!!! What is it that you want?!" Krystal knew that someone else was in the room with them. The air was THICK with magic…

 

"Poor, poor girl…"

 

"Huh?"

 

A woman materialized before the confused rebel. She wore a skin-tight dark purple dress with a plunging neckline. Feathers circled her collar, and she wore a headpiece filled with jewels. There was a metallic frame on her back in which two long strips of fabric hung from. But there was a red, beak-like mask on her face to conceal her identity.

 

"Stay back!" Krystal growled out. "I know what you are! Fucking sorceress! I'm warning you!"

 

"Does it matter what I am? I believe you are the one who needs guidance. Such a confused little girl. Such a shame." Her voice was ice cold and even, not surprising for a sorceress. They had a history of absolute ruthlessness hidden under a calm exterior.

 

Krystal felt her mind fogging, but she wouldn't give in. "I told you dammit! Back off!"

 

"It's hard to make up your mind isn't it child? You don't know the right answers…" She approached Krystal slowly. "You want help don't you? That's what your heart yearns for…poor, poor little girl…"

 

"STOP CALLING ME THAT!!!" It was a losing battle…the sorceress was doing something to her. Krystal could feel herself slipping.

 

"Oh?...you don't want to be a little girl anymore?"

 

"I'm not a little girl!!"

 

"Then come with me. Bid your childhood a fond farewell, and I shall mold you into a warrior far greater than they could ever be…" The mask was staring straight at the four helpless SeeDs.

 

President Deling ran away as soon as Krystal's grip on him loosened and she lowered her Hyperion.

 

"Jung, w-what the hell is the matter with you….?" Amber saw everything. It was difficult to believe, but all of this was actually happened. And she could do nothing to stop it.

 

Krystal had a blank look in her eyes. They were dull and lackluster and she waved to them. Her face was devoid of any kind of emotion, and it frustrated Amber even more. The sorceress had done something to her. Nothing could be done as the two of them vanished into thin air.

 

With the sorceress gone, the spell inside the room had relinquished its hold on everyone, and they were free to move once again.

 

"Just like that….gone." Victoria was in disbelief.

 

Amy was horribly shaken up by the entire ordeal. Her whole body shivered. "We could've been killed…I've never come across a sorceress before…that was so intense." She put a hand on Amber's shoulder to steady herself. The leader didn't seem to mind. She had a contemplative look on her face. "Amber? W-what's going to happen to Krystal?"

 

The squad leader was silent for a moment, still thinking. But no matter how much she tried to make sense of the events that just occurred….NONE of the scenarios she could think of created a proper conclusion.

 

"I don't know Amy…I really don't…"

__________

 

"Krystal!! Krystal are you there?!" Luna had come running to the TV station once she saw the young woman onscreen. She knew why she did all that, and it brought a small smile to Luna's face. It was nice to know how much she still cared after all this time. Still, it was dangerous, especially since she was by herself. The other woman shown onscreen didn't look like she was there to help Krystal at all.

 

But when she had arrived, the only ones that she saw there were Amy, Jackson, and the lady who had appeared on the broadcast with Krystal. Luna also saw HER, but didn't bother to count her. The short woman huffed, opting to outright ignore the tomboy instead.

 

"Luna," Amy started. She made her way to the younger woman, placing her hands on the other's shoulders. "Glad you're alright for starters." Amy smiled, causing Luna to smile back. "But, uh…Krystal kind of…sort of…disappeared." That piece of information wiped off the smile on Luna's face instantaneously. "The sorceress came and…and…I don't know!" Amy felt that Luna needed to know everything. Besides, she knew that Amber sure as hell wasn't planning to…

 

"S-she'll be alright won't she? D-do you know where she went at all?" Luna was obviously distressed, her eyes the size of saucers.

 

"No, Luna…sorry."

 

"Sorry to interrupt," Victoria walked up to the girls, a grave expression on her face. "I know this is terrible news, but we need to continue this conversation elsewhere. After what happened here, on live TV I might add…this station might turn into a battlefield very soon. Come. Amber and Jackson have already left."

 

"O-okay…" Luna replied weakly.

__________

 

The three women had run as far and as fast as their legs could take them, and soon enough, they had arrived back in the alleyway. Amber and Jackson were there waiting for them.

 

"…you guys alright?" Amber asked quietly.

 

Luna turned away from her, leaving Victoria to raise a questioning eyebrow and for Amy to answer the question.

 

"Erm, we're fine Amber. Don't worry about!" She tried to sound as cheerful as possible. "How's…" Amy cast a worried glance at Jackson, who hadn't spoken a word for a while.

 

"Not sure….he's been like this since we left the station. Just give him some space." Amber was still angry with the blond, but she did worry for him. They would have to figure out what to do about that slip up eventually…

 

"Hey, Amber…forgot to tell you something." Amy spoke in a hushed tone.

 

"Hm? What is it?"

 

"Well…on our way over here…Luna mentioned that her base was completely destroyed-"

 

"WHAT?!"

 

"Shhhhhh!"

 

"Are the others alright?"

 

"Zone and Watts are okay…they're good at escaping…" Luna approached the two, a frown on her face. But…her eyes seemed a bit softer as she looked at Amber. "Sorry, I overheard…"

 

"…it's fine, I guess." Amber scratched her head, feeling awkward. Luna was looking at her funny again. Just a few minutes ago she wanted to pretend like she never existed…..weird girl.

 

Amy slowly backed away. They seemed civil enough towards each other, but she could never tell if the two of them were going to get into another argument. She didn't want to be within earshot if they did.

 

"So…" Luna said quietly. She kept her head down, occasionally tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. It kept falling back in front, but she didn't really want to look the mercenary right now. "We…need to stay away from Timber for a while."

 

"……"

 

Luna took Amber's silence as a sign that she was listening. She continued.

 

"Is there a safe place you can take me to?"

 

"……."

 

The shorter woman was getting impatient. It eventually got the best of her, and she finally looked up, only to feel herself blush under the soldier's scrutinizing gaze. Luna wanted to look down again. Amber's eyes were really intense. Especially up close.

 

But, she needed to save face, so she pressed on, looking at her directly.

 

"Amber….this is an order. From your client remember? It's your DUTY?" Luna didn't want to start another fight with the soldier, but she was still feeling emotionally bruised from last time. It was like she couldn't stop herself from trying to press the other woman's buttons….

 

A sigh escaped the mercenary.

 

"Yeah…alright."

 

Luna twirled around and smiled to herself.

 

The victory was small…but she was willing to take it.

Chapter 9: Dream Sequence I

The group wasn't able to take Luna to safety quite yet. The Galbadian soldiers had been combing the area extremely thoroughly, making a quiet escape next to impossible.

 

They had made their way back to the Timber Maniacs building, when they ran into the woman leading the Silver Foxes.

 

"Ma'am!" Luna called out to her. "Ma'am! We need your help!"

 

"Oh, Luna!" The older woman gave the tired young woman a quick hug. "I saw what happened. Are you and your friends alright?"

 

"Yeah, we're okay, but we need a place to hide out for a while…"

 

"Then say no more. Feel free to stay at my house."

 

"Ma'am…"

 

"Don't look at me like that Luna. I insist."

 

"Thank you so much ma'am."

 

"It's no trouble at all. We need kids like you, fighting the good fight, because I don't know how much more these old bones of mine can take!"

 

She rushed them into her house, locking the door behind her. "Okay kids, head on upstairs. If anything changes, I'll be sure to let you know. Make yourselves at home until then."

 

The group all gave the woman words of thanks before going up the stairs. They headed inside the sole bedroom there and closed the door, as well as all the blinds and curtains inside.

 

"Let's lay low here for a while," Luna said. "It's nice to catch a breather for once."

 

Amy flopped down onto the bed. There were so many things that just didn't add up. The list just kept growing for them.

 

"Still don't get it. I mean, Krystal mentioned that she was doing all this for Luna or whatever…"

 

"Don't be so hard on Krystal! Please…" Luna looked close to tears again. "The resistance, and Deling…I talked to her about a lot of these things before. She can be a bit rash, I know, but she only wanted to help me out…"

 

Amber resisted the strong urge to roll her eyes at the naïve girl. She somehow succeeded, but a scoff of disbelief still managed to slip through her lips.

 

"Tch, that doesn't sound like Jung at all." She might as well follow up.

 

Luna swiveled her body around fast, a tear escaping from her eye as she faced the squad leader.

 

"You just don't know her!"

 

"I know her enough to say that she's full of it. And quite frankly, so are you."

 

"What's your problem with her anyway?! Krystal has been nothing but kind to me. Has it ever occurred to you that maybe you're the problem?!"

 

"Look at this scar!!!" Amber had somehow managed to do it again. Another shouting match with Luna…she got the feeling that they may end up doing this a lot. The tomboy always found herself losing her temper much faster around the shorter woman than anyone else. She couldn't stand it.

 

"I got this from Jung! And it sure as hell wasn't an accident!"

 

"Then why does Krystal have one too?! You're probably the one who started it since you always seem to be starting THESE fights!"

 

"It was fucking retaliation! You expected me to just lie there and take it?!"

 

"You're just demonizing her!"

 

"And you're obviously putting her on a pedestal! Stop living in your little fantasy world. Reality isn't so kind."

 

Luna wanted to slap her. More than anything at that moment, she wanted to slap her. But she couldn't. Sweat was dripping down their faces, their breathing labored from all the shouting. But the tension in the air made it almost impossible to take in oxygen…

 

"…I honestly don't understand you…why do you have to be so cruel to me..? Why can't you just stop and listen to my point of view for a change?"

 

The room was in utter silence. Amy was playing with the folds on the bed, Jackson didn't even seem to be paying attention, and Victoria was casting weary glances at the feuding duo, but so far hadn't said a word yet. It was tense and uncomfortable.

 

Neither Amber nor Luna were even attempting to break eye contact. They continued to search each other's eyes for any measure of reason, any insight at all to each of their true characters.

 

"…then you should listen to mine." Amber whispered softly. It wasn't accusatory, and she wasn't trying to reprimand Luna or rile her up some more. It was just a statement…

 

The room fell silent again after Amber's brief interruption.

 

Victoria had been watching the duo's exchange the whole time. It was definitely…something. In fact, she was almost certain that neither of them really disliked each other as much as they insisted they did. Amber was especially guilty of this. The arguing, the tension, the staring…there was more to it than meets the eye. But she wasn't about to say it out loud for fear of scaring them both. Victoria had known Amber for a long time already…and the kid would withdraw into herself even more so if she realized what was going on prematurely. No…they had to sort this out on their own.

 

"Heh…" Victoria had to admit though that it was entertaining to watch.

 

Amy blinked in confusion. "Hm? What's so funny?"

 

Victoria gave a small laugh. "You've been near the both of them a lot longer than I have, yet you don't see it?"

 

"See what??" Amy looked around the room, still very much confused.

 

Victoria's smile only grew wider as she watched the younger SeeD. "It's alright Amy. I'll explain it to you later on."

 

"Huh? Okay…" The younger woman was a tad disappointed, but she said nothing.

 

After a few minutes, the tension in the room had slowly eased away. Amber and Luna had decided to go to their own separate corners, both cooling off. The glances didn't really stop though. When one assumed the other wasn't looking, they'd stare, occasionally catching each other and pretending it didn't happen

 

The clock didn't seem to be going by fast enough…

__________

 

Jackson wanted to beat himself up. It was killing him inside that he may end up being the one responsible should Garden be attacked. That was his home. Just thinking about it felt like his life force was being drained away. He wanted to just lay down and die. How could he have been so stupid?

 

"Ugh…" Jackson's head was starting to hurt. He thought it was due to all the stress he was under. But the pain was growing worse.

 

Jackson's vision started to blur, his eyes growing heavier by the second. It felt like his entire body just wanted to shut down.

 

"Jackson?!"

 

The blond could hear someone calling his name. It sounded like Amber, but he was too far gone to respond to her.

 

Amber grabbed the young man before he could hit the floor.

 

"Jackson! Hey, what's wrong?!" Amber shook him furiously, but he wasn't responding.

 

"Amber!"

 

"Huh?!" Amber turned at the frantic tone of Victoria's voice. "Now what's wrong?!"

 

Amber saw Victoria holding Amy. The young woman was just as unresponsive as Jackson.

 

The squad leader laid Jackson down and was about to stand and check on Amy as well, but a sudden buzzing noise in her head stopped her.

 

"Argh!" The pain was intense, and she couldn't keep one foot in front of the other anymore. The whole room was starting to spin.

 

"Amber?!" Luna ran over to the kneeling soldier. "Not you too! W-what's going on?" The younger woman tried to help her up, but to no avail. Amber would just collapse back down again. "C-come on, you have to get up!"

 

"I…"

 

That was all Amber could get out before everything went black.

 

//////////

 

"Way to go Wein. We're lost AGAIN!!"

 

"Hey, why is it always my fault?!"

 

"You had the map Wein…."

 

"Ah! Not you too Xenos! You know what…forget it! I don't need you OR Ernest! I can find my own way out of this place."

 

"Feel free to try…"

 

Three men wearing Galbadian soldier uniforms continued to bicker as they ran through some heavily forested terrain.

 

Their de facto leader was the one named Wein, an overly excitable man with a big heart. He had short messy hair with very chopped looking bangs. He was the shortest of the three, but still stood a little above average.

 

The next man was Ernest. He had the lankiest build, and was the second tallest of the group. His hair was a platinum blond colorization and he kept it very neat and tidy. Infamous for his pessimistic outlook on...everything.

 

The last soldier was Xenos, a big brute of a man with a tanned complexion. He had reddish brown hair and stood several inches taller than the other two. He normally served as the peace keeper for his two squabbling teammates.

 

They had just participated in the Timber War. While Timber's army fell quickly enough to Galbadia's military might, the Timber nationals took to the forests to fight a guerilla war. While Wein, Ernest and Xenos were involved, they ended up lost due to Wein's poor navigational skills. The three soldiers didn't have much choice but to make an evacuation back to Deling City. Which brings the men to their current situation.

 

"Are you sure this is the right way?" Xenos could barely see through the smoke. To flush out the Timber soldiers, the Galbadian army set the forest on fire.

 

It made navigating even more difficult. And for someone like Wein who had none of those skills to begin with, their current situation was next to impossible.

 

"Of course I'm sure! Who do you guys think I am?" Wein to continued to remain cheerful and brimming with energy despite their current circumstance. "I'm almost positive there's a military vehicle nearby!"

 

"Considering that you were the one who got us lost in the first place, I wouldn't count on it." Ernest was used to his friend's horrible sense of direction, but he'll be damned if it didn't continue to exasperate him.

 

"Hey, have a little faith in me you guys!" Wein cried out indignantly.

 

"Under normal circumstances, perhaps I would. But right now the side we're fighting for just set a forest on fire, and if an enemy soldier sees us first you can bet they're going to blow our heads off."

 

Wein frowned a little. "Okay, so maybe there IS some cause for concern, but you shouldn't dwell on the negative all the time Ernest! You'll age faster!"

 

"So be it. At least I'm not a man-child."

 

"HEY!!"

 

"Guys, shut up for a minute. Look!" Xenos was pointing to a Galbadian vehicle that was just up the road. "Our way out of here!"

 

"HA! See Ernest? I was going the right way after all!"

 

"Technically, Xenos spotted the vehicle, so…"

 

"Whatever! I still lead us here!"

 

"GUYS!!"

 

Wein and Ernest were interrupted by Xenos, who was already inside the vehicle.

 

"I'm driving…"

 

//////////

 

"Xenos, what are you doing? You'll cause a traffic jam if you park there!"

 

"Eh, don't worry about it too much Ernest. Folks are too busy with the war to give a shit anyway. We'll be fine."

 

The three soldiers stepped out of the vehicle, all looking worn down and roughed up, their uniforms covered in soot. At least they finally made it back to Deling City.

 

The enormous cosmopolitan center was right smack dab in the heart of the Galbadian continent. The president, who the city was named after, runs his administration from here. As the capital of Galbadia, Deling City is a hub for the transcontinental railway, and is connected to various other stations within the country.

 

For Wein, Ernest, and Xenos…it was home. While Galbadia and its president have some glaring flaws, home was home nonetheless.

 

"Now, who's up for a drink guys?!" Wein looked at his two companions excitedly.

 

"Pffft…" Ernest made a face at the shorter man.

 

"What's so funny about that huh?!" Wein was feeling insulted again.

 

Xenos gave the man a firm pat on the back. "What Ernest is trying to say is that…you just want to go there because you've got a crush on the piano lady."

 

"Who probably has no idea you even exist," Ernest added.

 

"HER NAME IS NOT PIANO LADY!" Wein shouted at the top of his lungs. His face flushed with embarrassment as he looked at Xenos and Ernest, both of whom were smirking at him. Wein mentally slapped himself for basically giving them the confirmation they were looking for. The messy haired man began to twiddle his thumbs, shyly looking at the ground. "…it's Romina."

 

"I rest my case." Ernest said with a hint of pride in his voice. He didn't need to add anything else. Wein's reaction was priceless enough for him.

 

"Look, whatever man," Xenos said. "Booze, women…what does it really matter right now? We've got a war to fight. We should head back soon."

 

"We'll get to that Xenos! We will! But we've gotta get smashed first!" Wein pumped his fist in the air, attempting to get the other two hyped up.

 

At the blank expressions on their faces, Wein decided to try again. "Come on guys, what's wrong with a friendly drink between buds? You know, comrades-in-arms? Huh? Huh?"

 

Ernest sighed, then looked over to Xenos. "What do you think?"

 

Xenos scratched his chin. "Well, since we're here, a beer actually sounds pretty good right now. Might taste even better."

 

"Hahaha!" Ernest wasn't opposed to the idea of a little rest and relaxation. "Alright Wein, count us in."

 

"YEAH! Come on gents! To the Galbadia Hotel!"

 

//////////

 

"See you guys, look! We're not the only troops here. Almost everyone at the lounge tonight is a soldier!"

 

"It's like this all the time because of Romina. And unlike us, I'm sure most of these guys are either on leave or stationed nearby."

 

"You just love stomping on my happiness don't you Ernest?" Wein whined.

 

The lanky soldier smiled slightly. "Well someone has to do it."

 

"Speaking of doing," Xenos interrupted. "Shouldn't you grow a pair and just go up and talk to Romina?"

 

Wein gulped. "W-what are you talking about Xenos? How do you know she's even playing at the lounge tonight?"

 

"…because she plays there every night?"

 

"You have no proof!"

 

"Can you not be such a candy ass for once and just go up and talk to her? Make an impression, approach her when she's playing! Obviously you shouldn't say anything but at least prove that you're confident enough to get in front of the crowd and make your presence KNOWN to her at least. Seriously dude, don't become a stalker."

 

"I never stalked her!"

 

"True, but desperation is an ugly thing…."

 

"Tch…some help you are Xenos."

 

The soldiers grabbed some seats close to the bar. As they were ordering their drinks, a beautiful young woman descended down the stairs, her shoulder length hair tucked behind her ears.

 

She wore a long red satin dress that had a split on the left side. Her footwear consisted of black high-heels with criss-crossing straps.

 

Wein nearly jumped out of his seat once he noticed her.

 

"Guys! Romina's here! She's here!"

 

Ernest eyed his friend as he took a sip from his mug. "You act like this every time you see her man…"

 

"You don't understand Ernest!" Wein had a dreamy look in his eyes as he continued to look at Romina. She had already taken her seat at the piano. "She just gets more and more beautiful each time I see her. How does she do it Ernest?"

 

The platinum blond almost puked. "You're so fucking cheesy…and you haven't even touched the booze yet…that's the scary part."

 

"TALK.TO.HER." Xenos forcefully shoved Wein off his chair. "Maybe she digs the socially awkward types."

 

"Grrr, fine!" Wein yelled out, clearly annoyed. "But if she runs away screaming, it will be both of your faults! You hear me?!"

 

Ernest waved a dismissive hand at his nervous friend. "Yeah, yeah. Beat it dude. And don't come back here until you actually do it."

 

Xenos gave Wein a thumbs up for encouragement, but the shorter man just gulped and looked more stressed out than ever.

 

Summoning up what little bravery he could muster, Wein walked towards the stage where Romina had already started playing. She looked so lost in the music. Her face was serene and calm. The wolf whistles and catcalls from the soldiers didn't even seem to be reaching her.

 

"Should I…really be…?" Wein was slowly inching his way closer, but he was beginning to lose his nerve. Suddenly, just before he could make it to the front, his leg began to cramp up. Wein let out a small yelp at the sudden onset of pain. "No way…not now!"

 

Wein limped towards the pianist for just a few more feet, a look of longing in his eyes. With one final glance and a sigh, he headed back to his companions.

 

"Wow, that actually wasn't bad Wein!" Xenos praised. "Look at all those jealous stares in the crowd! Hahahaha!"

 

"Thanks Xenos," Wein said, a smile on his face.

 

"Of course…the limp calls for a deduction on the scale of manliness. -3 will have to do." Ernest was being his usual negative self, but his tone of voice hinted at some speck of happiness for his friend.

 

"That was really touching of you Ernest." Wein already knew what the platinum blond was about to say, though it didn't make it any less annoying. "At least I did it….man, Romina really is a beauty, though. Almost…ethereal you know?"

 

"Uh…" Ernest's eyes were about to pop out of their eye sockets.

 

"Ernest?" Wein looked at his friend curiously. "What's wrong?.....Xenos?"

 

When Wein turned to the large man, he had the same expression on his face as Ernest did.

 

"Drinks are on us tonight Wein! Relax! Stay a while!" Xenos quickly got up from his seat, with Ernest hurriedly following after him.

 

"What?! What's the hurry?" The messy haired soldier got up as well, but Ernest shoved him back down onto his chair.

 

"We've got an errand to run, so we'll catch up with you later. Right Xenos?"

 

The large man nodded his head vigorously. "Yeah…what he said."

 

The two soldiers left their dumbfounded leader behind to deal with what was to come. In just a few seconds, Wein's day was going to get even stranger….but Xenos and Ernest got the feeling that he wouldn't mind at all.

 

"Tch, some friends they are…" Wein laid his head on the table, fully intending to mope for the rest of the night, only to hear a familiar voice address him.

 

"Excuse me, but is this seat taken?"

 

Wein just assumed that he already dozed off and was dreaming, because there was just no way….

 

But there she was. Romina herself, standing in front of the star struck soldier.

 

"Aaaaaaa…..you're….ah, I mean….t-there's…it can't be…" Wein mentally cursed himself. She was right in front of him! Yet here he was making a fool of himself. "W-would y-you care to s-sit down?" Better….but it still came out stupid.

 

"Thank you." Romina slid into a chair next to the soldier, her sweet smile never once leaving her face.

 

It was putting Wein in a daze. He never imagined that he'd ever be sitting so close to someone like Romina. It felt so unreal.

 

"Are you alright? You were limping back there…"

 

Romina's melodious voice broke Wein's train of thought. He looked away from her as the blush on his cheeks got more noticeable. This was a terrible start…he couldn't believe she saw him like that….she looked so damn focused! He didn't think that she'd actually…..

 

"O-oh, you don't have to worry about me. I'm f-fine, just a little nervous." Wein took a big gulp from his mug of beer.

 

Romina tilted her head at him, a soft giggle escaping her lips. "I make you nervous?"

 

Another gulp. "…a little. Y-yeah."

 

"Well, you don't have to be so nervous around me. I don't bite, honest." She smiled a little wider as she stared at him, her eyes twinkling with unspoken amusement.

 

"O-oh, sorry…" He just downed the whole mug.

 

Romina decided to scoot her chair closer to Wein. The sudden action did not go unnoticed.

 

The soldier quickly sprang up from his seat, his nerves getting the better of him.

 

"Hehe, it's alright. I just wanted to ask you something." Romina did find him really cute however. They've only been chatting for a few minutes at best, but she knew there was something different about him.

 

"Ah, geez! S-sorry…I…" Wein felt like he was just digging himself in deeper. Every word that had come out of his mouth so far has been pure and utter nonsense.

 

"…if it isn't too much trouble, would you mind if we continued this conversation in my hotel room?"

 

"WHAT?!"

 

Wein knew how that sounded, and he was sure that Romina did too. So many things were going through his mind. What if she really did…want to…do stuff? But what if it was just completely innocent? Romina didn't seem to strike him as one of those…one night stand types…

 

"I know it's a bit sudden, but…it's a little hard to talk freely around here. Everyone seems to be listening in. Romina's eyes darted around the room. She looked mildly uncomfortable.

 

Wein realized she was right, now that he decided to pay attention. All the other soldiers and employees at the lounge had all stopped what they were doing and were just looking at them. They weren't even trying to be inconspicuous.

 

"Wow…I didn't even notice them before…"

 

"Hehe, well…I'm sorry if this is inconvenient for you, but I do really wish to talk." Romina stood up from her seat, adjusting her dress. "My room number is 303. Stop by…please."

 

"O-okay…I'll try." Wein attempted to flash her a big grin before she walked off, but it just ended up looking strange and lopsided.

 

Romina didn't seem to mind, as she gave him a smile in return, beautiful and sweet. A stark contrast to Wein's own attempt.

 

Once the pianist left the room, all eyes were on Wein, and none of it looked good.

 

"Why'd Romina pick YOU?!"

 

"Maybe they should station you in a country far away from here…..for a really long time."

 

"HOW COULD YOU?! This was supposed to be MY night!!"

 

Curses and complaints were everywhere, all of them directed towards Wein, most of it coming from disgruntled soldiers.

 

Wein let out a nervous laugh, slowly slinking out of his chair. "I, uh, should get going now…"

 

No one made an attempt to stop him, but they were probably waiting to ambush him when no one else was around to bear witness. It made Wein feel slightly uneasy. Still, he made it up the stairs in one piece, and managed to get to the receptionist's desk without much incident.

 

The receptionist, a small elderly woman, offered Wein a kind smile. "How may I help you today young man?"

 

Moment of truth…

 

"W-which is…you know, Miss Romina's…" The soldier trailed off.

 

"Ah, I know who you are. Miss Romina did say she was expecting company. Come, I'll show you to her room."

 

Wein was sure his entire face resembled a tomato. He was also sure that the old woman was having laugh about this. Just not out loud. Her facial expressions spoke for themselves.

 

//////////

 

"Thank you for coming. I really appreciate it." Romina welcomed Wein with that same glowing smile as he walked into her room.

 

"Not at all. In fact, I should be thanking you for having me over." The soldier felt a little more relieved. He was able to finish a sentence without stuttering in front of her. At least it was progress.

 

"Please, have a seat."

 

"Huh? Y-yeah, thanks." Damn, he did it again. So much for progress.

 

Wein, at first, chose to sit on the bed, but hopped back up when realizing that he may give off the wrong impression. He sat on a dining chair at the opposite side of the room, causing Romina to giggle at his awkwardness.

 

"Don't be afraid. We haven't even talked yet."

 

"R-right. Look, I don't mean to be rude or anything like that. That's not my intention at all! It's just…I'm such a huge fan of yours. Your piano skills are second to none! W-well….opinions and whatnot, but I don't care about those. I'll always think you're the best at what you do, and that's why I've been freaking out so much this whole time…" Wein stopped for a moment, suddenly looking incredibly shy and embarrassed. "Guess I rambled on for a bit there, heh…."

 

"So…that's why you come to hear me play so often…" Romina had never heard such a confession before. It was clumsy, but honest. And the way his eyes lit up every single time he looked at her…..

 

For the first time in her young life, she could feel the beating of her heart speed up, as if threatening to burst right out of her chest from joy and….something else. "…thank you…" She was beginning to feel shy as well. This man who she barely even knows…was stirring up emotions in her that she wasn't even aware that she had.

 

"Wait a minute…" Wein's eyes widened in realization. "You saw me all those times I had come here?!" He became frantic, pacing back and forth across the room.

 

Romina giggled again at his antics. "You…you were always smiling when I would catch a glimpse of you in the crowd, even when it was obvious that you had a bad day….you have such kind eyes, did you know that? And gentle…it's still surprising to think that those eyes were always looking…at me…"

 

Wein had stopped pacing, and was instead gazing at the pianist intently. He felt humbled by her words. Touched.

 

"Don't be afraid." Romina returned his gaze with her own. "I just…really wanted to talk to you."

 

"Yeah," Wein smiled softly. "So I've heard."

 

"Hehe…"

 

Romina turned, heading for the kitchen. She reached into the refrigerator, pulling out a bottle.

 

"You've had a drink already, but…would you like to try this champagne?"

 

Wein nodded. "Yeah, sure. I'll try some of it."

 

//////////

 

Several hours had gone by, and by this point, Wein had already loosened up. The champagne he drank certainly helped things along. He had several glasses, and coupled with the beer from earlier, it was an inevitable conclusion for the poor lightweight. He kept talking and talking all throughout the night.

 

Romina didn't seem to mind at all. She sat patiently on the bed, her eyes always following Wein and her ears fully open to listen even as he spoke of the most random things. It was refreshing. He was a delightful man with much to tell, and it fascinated her.

 

"Hey," Wein said. His speech was a little slurred, but his mind was still pretty kept together. "I guess I've been rambling on about myself huh? This…tends to happen when I'm tipsy…"

 

"I loved your stories," Romina answered truthfully. "Life in the military has taken you and your friends to all kinds of places."

 

"Yeah, that's true. I don't care much for fighting, but I wanted to do my part somehow. Help with the war and all that. Ernest and Xenos are with me all the time, so it's not so bad…"

 

"Have you ever thought of what you wanted to do after the military?" Romina could tell he wanted more out of life. Her expression saddened as she noticed Wein's eyes grow dim.

 

"Journalism….I've always wanted to go into journalism. One of my stories got published once!" Wein's eyes started to light up again as he continued. "It was a pretty cool experience!"

 

"I'm happy for you. It must've been nice to see that your hard work had been paying off." Now it was Romina's turn to look depressed. This topic was hitting too close to home for her.

 

"Romina?" Wein sat down next to her, his face showing concern. "Is everything alright?" He paused for a minute. "So…what are your dreams for the future? Is there anything you'd like to do?" Wein was aware enough to know that something about this conversation was hurting her. He didn't mean to pry, but….

 

"I…I want to become a singer," Romina confessed. "Not just play the piano, but sing too…"

 

"Wow!" That caught Wein off guard, but he wasn't opposed to it at all. "I would love to hear you sing!"

 

"But I can't write lyrics. I was never any good at that…"

 

"Oh, I see." Wein deflated a little. She really seemed broken about it. "That must be pretty hard. Maybe you just need some inspiration!"

 

"That's what I've been wanting to tell you…"

 

"Hm?"

 

"Thanks to you…I think I'll be able to come up with my very first song…"

 

"I'm your…inspiration?" Now Wein was positive that this must have all been just a dream. A dream that he never wanted to wake up from.

 

Romina took one of his hands into both of her smaller ones, that stunning smile back on her face as she looked up at him. "The faces you've shown me over the years…whenever you were happy, sad, hurt or worried….yet you always remained so unabashedly positive…and confident." Her smile grew as she felt his hand squeeze hers. "Your expressions, your eyes…you've shown me something…"

 

"Heh," Wein chuckled a bit. "Never felt this happy about anything before….just wish I could've talked to you sooner…"

 

"It's alright…we're talking now aren't we?"

 

"Y-yeah…yeah, we are…"

 

Nothing but a comfortable silence passed between them. Wein could feel himself moving closer to her, bending down to meet her height as she stood on her tiptoes to reach his.

 

Their moment came to an abrupt halt when a loud knock on the door interrupted them.

 

"Wein? You in there?" It was Ernest. Dammit.

 

"What's wrong man?" Wein had to answer. It really could have been important.

 

"We had to ask the receptionist where you were. Thought you left. Anyway, Xenos is waiting for us down at the lobby. We've got new orders, so on the double!"

 

Wein glared daggers at the door. It figures he'd be the one to kill the mood. But he was right to trust his instincts. It really was important. If the orders came straight from HQ, which they probably did, he couldn't ignore it.

 

When he looked back to Romina, he could tell that she was just as regretful as he was…

 

"Wein…will I see you again?"

 

Wein sure as hell wasn't going to worry her even more.

 

The soldier gave her the biggest grin he could muster up. He didn't know what awaited them in the future, but he really wanted to spend more time with her, this woman whom he had gotten to know so much in just one night. Yeah….once this war was over, he'd come back…..he had to.

 

"Of course! I have to come hear you sing!"

__________

 

"Amber!"

 

The voice sounded oddly like Amy. But it was so far away. Amber could barely make it out.

 

"Yo, chief! Say something!"

 

That one was definitely male. Jackson maybe? She can't recall anyone else calling her 'chief.'

 

"Hold on, I think she moved!"

 

Instructor Song…or Victoria, as she liked to be called now. Regardless of her position, her authoritative voice was easily distinguishable.

 

"Amber, please…please wake up."

 

She wasn't sure how to feel about this particular voice. She remembered it being so soothing and divine when they first met. She loved listening to it. However, now there were times when that voice would be filled with anger and disappointment. She didn't like hearing it then….because she knew that some of the fault was with her too.

 

Now…now the voice was just filled with worry and anguish.

 

Was that her fault too?

 

……..

 

"…Luna?"

 

Amber slowly opened her eyes, only to find a distraught Luna hovering over her.

 

"Amber! You're okay!"

 

Luna quickly reached down to give her a hug, cradling the confused soldier's head close to her chest.

 

Amber was vaguely aware of the fact that she had probably been lying on Luna's lap for quite some time, but she chose not to comment on it. In this position, the smaller girl could easily deck her….

 

"I'm fine…" Amber gently pried herself away from the other girl's embrace. She pretended not to see the quick flash of hurt on Luna's face. The younger woman probably thought she was being an ass again…..

 

"Victoria, what exactly happened?" Amber asked. Business as usual, and it was for the best.

 

"I honestly don't know. The three of you just dropped and there was no waking you up…."

 

"Um…" Jackson just thought of something. "Did…you and Amy have a dream about…these three weird Galbadian soldiers?"

 

Amy jumped up. "Oh my gosh, yeah! Then there was the pianist lady who that one super cute soldier had a crush on! Did I get it right?"

 

"Wein, Ernest, Xenos…and Romina," Amber recalled. There's no way this was all just some weird coincidence.

 

"That's right!" Jackson and Amy said in unison.

 

"Look," Victoria said. "This is all a lot to process, even for me…and I wasn't even in it! So I can't say I know how you all feel, but…" She looked to Luna.

 

"Oh, um…the leader of the Silver Foxes said that the coast was clear not too long ago. Some soldiers have left town since they think we left already. That should give us enough space to really book it."

 

Amy ran a hand through her hair, sighing. "Sorry for delaying the escape Luna. Hopefully you guys didn't run into any trouble while we were knocked out."

 

"Oh, no! No trouble at all! I'm just glad you guys are okay…" Luna gave Amber a sideways glance. The soldier didn't seem to take notice…

 

"We should head out," Victoria stated. "This is our chance. We can discuss this more later. Let's go."

 

"Ugh…" Jackson was still feeling a bit dizzy, but he hurriedly followed Victoria down the stairs.

 

Amy yawned and stretched out her arms before going after them. "Still feeling a bit sleepy right now…"

 

"Um…Amber?"

 

The mercenary was just about to head out as well, but Luna's voice stopped her. She turned to look at the younger girl.

 

"What's wrong?"

 

Luna shifted uncomfortably where she stood.

 

"About what I said…before you all blacked out…I'm sorry."

 

Amber turned to face her fully this time. "No, no apologies are necessary. I know a lot of my comments tend to cross the line…."

 

The soldier froze for a moment when Luna grabbed hold of her hand, a smile gracing her features.

 

"Well, from now on…we should try to understand each other more. You know, get to know how the other thinks…"

 

Amber blinked. "What for? I know what we said earlier, but..."

 

Luna blushed a little. "Well, so there's less misunderstandings between us in the future…..don't give me that look!" The younger woman huffed. "I'm still your client remember? Besides….I…just want to get to know you better….is there really anything wrong with that?" Luna's voice softened at the end.

 

"So…is that an order?" Amber asked quietly.

 

Luna just flashed the tomboy another one of her bewitching smiles as her response. It was extremely reminiscent of the smile she threw her way when they first met at the ballroom….

 

In that moment, Amber knew she wouldn't be able to say no.

 

"Sure…"

 

"Promise?" Luna asked hopefully.

 

Amber subconsciously squeezed her hand.

 

"Yeah…I promise."

Notes:

Important Notes: Okay, so I have a lot of explaining to do for this particular chapter.

1) So, I've finally chosen my Laguna, Kiros, and Ward. Obviously, that would be Wein, Ernest, and Xenos. Before anyone asks, no, they're not OCs. These three gentlemen come from a very obscure game series called Growlanser. Same goes for Romina, and another character appearing later on. So no, they're not my characters. I've heavily altered their personalities, but their descriptions and physical appearances are still the same as they were in the video game they originated from. For you gamers out there who like tactical RPGs with an anime-esque character design, then feel free to check this game series out. It doesn't get much love outside of Japan...

2) I didn't want to pick anyone from the KPop world to play these particular characters. I felt a little uncomfortable with it. Stating my reasons would spoil some plot lines. Although, for the the folks who played the game, you should know what I'm talking about.

Chapter 10: Catching Feelings

Summary:

Amber comes up with a convoluted plan with even more convoluted results.

Notes:

This chapter is going to stray from Final Fantasy VIII. I felt like I needed to throw something else into the mix. Overall plot will still be the same, but new places will be involved. Suppose the next few chapters will end up looking more like Golden Sun....

Things were not going as smoothly as the group had anticipated. There was one final train that was scheduled to leave Timber before the station shut down. It seemed like a lucky break. They'd be able to get out of the city without a hitch. Unfortunately, due to the dream incident involving the young SeeD trio, time was not on their side…and the train was no longer a viable option. It was nothing more than a hope spot. Adding to that, several of the soldiers who left town searching for them had come back. This left the group no other choice but to rethink their current plan.

 

"Let's just smash our way through!"

 

"Amy…that's your answer to everything."

 

Amber and Amy volunteered to scout ahead for the rest of the group. The duo clung to the shadows of the buildings as they tried to look for another exit or weakness in the enemy's defenses. Soldiers patrolled the streets normally with a partner, but as the SeeDs rounded another corner, they realized that the soldier that was present was by himself. And fast asleep.

 

"You see that Amy?"

 

"Yeah, how can someone just sleep on the job like that? He should be fired!"

 

Amber flicked her on the forehead, an annoyed scowl on her face. "No. Look, this part of town is a lot more run down in comparison to the rest of the city. It isn't a big leap to assume that this is the slum area."

 

Having failed to take notice of their surroundings earlier, Amy glanced around the area. Some of the buildings had collapsed roofs, others were missing doors or windows. The civilians wandering around the area were dressed in rags. The neighborhood looked as if it just got hit by a tornado. "Holy hell, how long have we been skulking?"

 

"Long enough…"

 

"Man…this place is the pits. And it smells like mold!"

 

"That's probably why you don't see many soldiers around here. A few maybe, but no one really gives a shit. The war hit Timber hard…these slums are a heavy reminder of that."

 

Amy wiped away a tear that slid down her face. "Aw, Amber! Now you've got me all emotional. What was the point of telling me that anyway?"

 

"The point is that this might just be the exit we're looking for. If we're able to nab the keys from that guard we'd be able to get access to his vehicle. Look, back before the war, this area of Timber was used as a bazaar. Traders had their own routes, and if Galbadia is as stupid as I think, the tunnel should still be there."

 

"Wait, you've never been to Timber…"

 

"True."

 

"Hold it bossy pants…you're just basing this on history books again aren't you?"

 

"I'd prefer to just call it a hunch Amy." Amber stated, a small smirk forming on her face. "You've come up with crazier shit, so why are you so surprised?"

 

"That's exactly why I'm surprised. This kind of plan doesn't sound like you at all." Amy pinched Amber's cheeks. "And here I thought that dream was making ME loopy."

 

"You've always been loopy, and this could actually work if we play our cards right. We just have to time the distractions."

 

"Fine…but taking out one guard will send every single one in the city running this way. Their stupid uniform has that sensor shit. If we don't take it him out fast, he WILL activate it. As far as I know, the commander is going to get wind of that pretty fucking quickly. We're still going to have issues escaping…ugh, I'm so confused. Forget the keys for now. Can we just regroup? We should ask Luna or maybe that fox lady about this. They know Timber better." Amy was desperate enough to try anything at this point. They'd be trapped in Timber forever if risks were never taken.

 

"If the Galbadian army is going to swarm us for this, then let me handle it." If she had to, Amber would use herself as the decoy to allow everyone else to get away. It wasn't a pleasant thought, but if they were this tightly cornered already, then a sacrifice had to be made. It might as well be her.

 

"…I don't like that look on your face Amber."

 

Amber just smiled at her friend. "You ordering your boss around now?" She wanted to lighten the mood somehow. She didn't want Amy catching on to her secret last resort. Then she'd NEVER bother with the plan altogether.

 

"Pfft, some boss you are!" Amy flipped Amber the bird, only to have her hand smacked away. Stifling a laugh, Amy said, "Luna treats you like a dusty doormat anyway."

 

"Excuse me?" Amber exclaimed, obviously offended.

 

"Hehe." It was getting harder for Amy to hold back a laughter. "L-Let's just head back okay?...ha!"

 

"Tch, fair enough. It isn't safe here anyway. But this isn't over Amy."

__________

 

Victoria couldn't help staring out the window every few minutes, anxiously awaiting Amber and Amy's safe return.

 

"Perhaps I should have gone with them…"

 

"They'll be fine instructor. Too many people going at once is too risky." Jackson himself was pretty stressed out, considering all they had been through. But he needed to put up a strong front.

 

"Yes, I'm aware of that…" Victoria massaged her temples. "But this is unfamiliar territory."

 

"Um…I could've gone," Luna said quietly. "I know my way around. Maybe Amber would be back by now if I had come along…"

 

Victoria stared at the younger woman for an uncomfortably long time.

 

"Y-yes?" Luna managed to squeak out. Victoria was…intimidating, for lack of a better word.

 

"Amber and Amy."

 

"H-huh?"

 

"You said that Amber would be back by now. Amy is with her too…"

 

"…oh…" Luna looked away, silently berating herself for her choice of words. "I'm sorry. I'm not exactly in the right state of mind."

 

"Right…if you say so." Victoria clearly didn't believe her.

 

Luna didn't want to look at the older woman again. She could feel the judgment radiating off of Victoria….it just made her want to run and hide. Luna herself was feeling confused. All Amber did since coming to help was yell at her. She knew that SeeDs were highly trained…that's why they were hired in the first place.

 

But she wanted to help too. And Amber…Amber just made her feel stupid and useless. Unlike Krystal. The temperamental cadet was always so encouraging and confident…Luna loved that about her. The moments they had together were some of her happiest memories, and she could never forget them…

 

"So…why?" The short woman asked herself. "Why…have I been thinking so much about that dumb jerk?" They didn't know each other for that long, but the grumpy tomboy seemed to have invaded her thoughts…and possibly her heart.

 

The young resistance fighter blushed. "I…I can't, I mean…how could I?" It probably explained her growing fascination with the moody soldier, but…all these new feelings seemed to be hitting her too fast. She had to slow it down. It was-

 

"We're back."

 

Speak of the devil.

 

"You guys okay?" Jackson looked over his two friends to make sure they weren't injured.

 

A snort came out of Amy's lips. "Hehe, yeah, w-we're fine…hahaha!"

 

"Uh…okay." Jackson had a bewildered expression on his face. "Did something happen?"

 

"Forget it." Amber shoved her cackling companion out of the way, heading towards Victoria. She caught sight of Luna, who was facing the wall. The younger woman didn't even seem to acknowledge their presence. Amber frowned slightly.

 

"Don't worry, she's not mad at you. Probably a tad upset with me though," Victoria said, amused at the soldier's subtle mood shift. "Were you guys able to get any useful information?"

 

"Uh, well," Amber said awkwardly, choosing to ignore her first comment. "I haven't really found anything….but I've managed to come up with a plan…."

__________

 

"That plan seems to have a whole lot riding on chance chief…"

 

"Jackson's got a point," Victoria said. "We could easily get into trouble with this. And I take it that you don't have a back-up for it either."

 

Amber inwardly grimaced. Yeah, she was afraid of this. They weren't going to listen. "Then allow me to give you the slightly altered version….what if I serve as a distraction? Amy knows where the guard is, you guys could make a break for it while I'm causing a scene elsewhere. It shouldn't take you all very long to find his vehicle."

 

"WHAT?! That's even dumber than your original plan! What are you going to do if you're captured huh?!" Amy was about ready to freeze Amber into place with a blizzard spell, if only to stop the stubborn mule of a woman from putting her suicidal plan into motion. "You dumbass! I should-"

 

"I'll go with her."

 

All eyes in the room turned to Luna at that point, her declaration sudden and unexpected.

 

"I know my way around this place, which you guys should be fully aware of. If Amber gets into trouble, then maybe I could-"

 

"Too dangerous." Amber's objection didn't come as a surprise, but it still made Luna bristle a little in frustration.

 

"Oh, so you'd rather just die alone then?"

 

"That would be preferable to getting a civilian caught up in this. So yes, if I had to make a choice, I'd rather die alone." Amber's tone gave a sense of finality, but it didn't deter Luna.

 

"Amber! I'm not some helpless bystander okay?! Sure, I'm not a soldier like the rest of you guys, but there's more to survival than just combat skills!"

 

"Stop being so stubborn."

 

"Look who's talking!"

 

"Take her with you Amber…"

 

"Huh?" Amber looked at her former instructor in shock. "Victoria? You can't actually be serious?"

 

"I most certainly am."

 

"B-but why?" Amber stuttered. She could scarcely believe what she was hearing. "You of all people should know how ridiculous this is."

 

"As should you," Victoria said sternly. "If you insist on continuing this suicide mission of yours, then I cannot stop you. It is your right as squad leader. But…at the very least, take Luna with you as a sort…precautionary measure. A SeeD, no matter how skilled they might be themselves, still requires assistance. Why do you think you’re all put into squads?"

 

"That's not what you told me before…" Amber leveled a glare at Victoria. They were SeeDs…handling suicide runs like this was what was expected of them. That's what they've been told…over and over and over again.

 

"Goodness, you really are stubborn aren't you?" Victoria sighed. "Listen to me Amber. Ignore what I've taught you in class. Listen to what I'm saying right here and now."

 

"….."

 

Victoria placed her hands on the tomboy's shoulders, a look of concern on her face. "We cannot afford to lose you, alright? As I've said before…because you insist on doing this, I cannot stop you. I could voice my opinion on the matter, but in the end it's your decision to make. But please…ease your ex-instructor's heart by taking SOMEONE with you…Luna knows her way around. You'll be safer with her. Please."

 

Amber could do nothing but stare at her elder, speechless.

 

Victoria ruffled her hair affectionately, like she used to do before. "Do not worry about Amy and Jackson. I'll keep watch over them until you return…we'll be at the station close to Galbadia Garden."

 

She didn't say it. She didn't have to. Amber knew an unspoken promise when she heard one.

 

Don't die.

 

Amber could see a tearful Amy and a depressed Jackson behind the older woman. They had gotten so close in such a short amount of time. She couldn't let them down. Genuine friendships are hard to come by in this day and age.

 

The young soldier squeezed one of Victoria's hands with her own.

 

"I'll be back before you know it."

__________

 

The plan had been set in motion. Victoria, Amy, and Jackson had taken up their positions near the slum area. The guard was still there, except now he was wide awake.

 

"Ah, should've nabbed the keys off the big oaf while he was in la la land! Stupid!" Amy bonked herself on the head a couple of times.

 

"We'll get our chance Amy, just be patient." Jackson felt a drop of sweat slide down his cheek. This was so nerve-wracking.

 

"And that chance is now." The guard decided to sit back down. Victoria pulled out her chain whip, and wrapped around the guard's neck.

 

Just as Amy had feared, the guard managed to activate the emergency button that would signal the rest of the guards.

 

Victoria yanked on the chain, snapping his neck. But it was too late.

 

"Damn…"

 

"Oh man…Amber! Wherever you are…do something quick!" Amy screamed. She could see the red flashing on the now lifeless guard's arm.

 

Jackson quickly snatched the keys. "Okay, where the hell is his car?!"

 

Just then, a blaring alarm sounded across the entire city.

 

It was a Code Red.

 

However….it wasn't meant for them.

 

"Amber's on the move!" Jackson exclaimed. He could see several guards rushing past them, as if they weren't even there.

 

Victoria nodded. "Good. The soldiers will prioritize a public disturbance over the help signal here, so we've finally got some time."

 

"Whoooo! Leave it to Amber and her uncanny timing!" Amy cheered. "Now let's go find that car!"

__________

 

"They're right on our tail Amber! Go faster!"

 

"I'm trying! But this is as fast as this thing goes!"

 

Thanks to Luna's connections, the duo had managed to acquire an old motorcycle from an inactive resistance member.

 

Safe to say that Amber used it to cause absolute mayhem. She ran over a guard, who's partner, upon recognizing them, called the commander. The Code Red was near instantaneous.

 

While the chase was entertaining at first, Amber noticed that the motorcycle was beginning to struggle.

 

"Dammit Luna, this thing is as old as the hills!"

 

"Well don't yell at me! You weren't complaining earlier!"

 

"I didn't think it was going to give out! Ah, looks like we've got no choice!" It just wasn't Amber's day. In fact, if these were indeed going to be her last moments, they were pretty depressing.

 

"Huh?"

 

By some miracle they had made it out of Timber. Amber would have been jumping for joy if it weren't for the hundreds of soldiers hot on their trail. It wasn't a victory. Not by a long shot.

 

Amber could only think of one solution. She drove up until the path split in two. She took neither one, going off-road instead.

 

"What are you doing?!" Luna panicked.

 

"Escaping."

 

Amber kept going, the sounds of gunfire and wheels tearing through the landscape were far too close for her liking. But they were almost there.

 

"AMBER?!" Luna practically screeched. She finally realized what the mercenary was about to do. "ARE YOU CRAZY?!"

 

"You knew the risks! You wanted to come along!" Amber squinted her eyes as the wind whipped across her face. She could see it now.

 

The edge of the cliff.

 

"I'll apologize to you later Luna! I swear!"

 

"KYAAAAAAH!!!" Luna screamed at the top of her lungs as they went sailing over the edge.

 

They were going to die.

 

That was the last coherent thought Luna could remember having as they crashed into the murky depths of the ocean.

__________

 

It felt like she was…moving? Or floating? But that couldn't be right…she should have drowned by now. The ocean…the eaves that tossed them around like a ragdoll. They should be dead…sinking to their watery grave thousands of leagues under the sea.

 

But…could the dead actually think? If all these thoughts were running through her head, she must still be alive. Right?.....

 

She had to try.

 

The world was all sorts of blurry shapes and colors. There were polka dots where they shouldn't be, and bits of grain everywhere else. She was definitely lying down on something…solid. Still soft…but it wasn't an ocean, that much she could tell.

 

Still, Luna was alive. And if it weren't for the fact that she was dazed and exhausted, she would've been showering the ground with kisses.

 

Her vision was coming back to her, a little at a time. Luna could finally see the mountains of Galbadia in the distance, and see the wet sand cradling her body.

 

"Okay…so I'm on a beach…but…where?" Wow….even her voice was borderline gravelly. It didn't sound like her at all.

 

Luna turned her head to the other side, wincing as her neck cracked. She could see a few shells, some branches that had snapped off a tree from who knows where, and these tiny little crabs scuttling about. But there was no sign of her brooding companion anywhere.

 

"Stupid Amber…" Luna couldn't believe the nerve of that woman, criticizing her for her so called 'half-baked' plans. Then she decides to go off and do something like this. Luna wanted to give the mercenary a piece of her mind…if she could only find her.

 

A sense of dread began to creep up on Luna. What if Amber didn't make it? What if she…she…

 

Luna forced her aching body to stand before her fears took hold of her.

 

"No, that can't be possible. That dummy…she's too stubborn to die. S-she's gotta be around here somewhere…"

 

She had to remain positive.

 

The young woman began her search across the long stretch of land, limping the whole way. Luna realized that she had a gash on her leg. But…she just had to make sure that Amber wasn't-

 

"What am I thinking?" Shaking her head furiously, Luna frowned. "I shouldn't be worried about that jerk. My leg could get infected if I leave it like this for too long…."

 

Luna tried to will herself to sit back down and try to clean her wound. But a voice in the back of her head wouldn't leave her alone. What if Amber IS alive, but injured? What if she bled out?

 

"Oh no!" Luna couldn't stop herself from freaking out. All those worst cast scenarios running through her head….she hated herself for worrying so much about the soldier, but she would hate herself even more if her fears ultimately came true and she wasn't able to stop it.

__________

 

Her leg throbbed, her arms ached, and her head was pounding…but Luna pressed forward.

 

After what seemed like an eternity, her efforts were finally rewarded with a clue to the missing soldier's whereabouts. Laying on the sand, just a few feet in front of her…was Amber's gunblade.

 

"S-she wouldn't just leave her sword here on purpose…Amber!" Luna tried calling for her. The sword was there…maybe the owner herself was nearby.

 

Luna picked the sword up by the hilt, then dragged it along behind. It was far heavier that she expected it to be, and she was in no condition to lift it up.

 

Her eyes continued to scan the beach, looking for any other sign of Amber. As she strayed further away from the shore, the sandy beaches made way for massive cliff faces that blocked out the sun. Large trees also started to appear.

 

Very soon, Luna was off the beach entirely and was getting further inland. Her instincts were telling her to be cautious. The new surroundings may have also been home to some strange new wildlife. Whether they were dangerous or not, Luna didn't want to find out firsthand.

 

More possibilities of what could have happened to Amber plagued her, and Luna found her pace quickening. Soon, she had broken into a full blown run.

 

"Amber!" It wasn't wise…the wildlife that she was just so worried about seconds ago could just jump her at any time. "Amber! Where are you?!"

 

Because she was no longer paying much attention to where she was going, Luna failed to notice the tree roots popping out of the ground.

 

"Ah!" She tumbled, rolling a few times before ending up in a heap next to the mouth of an eerie looking cave. "…as if today could get any worse…"

 

Luna was able to hoist herself up to a sitting position. And began to cry her heart out. She'd never felt so helpless in all her life. Everything was going wrong. Everything. The liberation, the bad timing…Krystal…Amber….it was all so wrong.

 

"….stop crying."

 

Luna nearly bit through her bottom lip in surprise. As she tried to stop her sobbing, her tear filled eyes gazed into the mouth of the cave. She scooted away, frightened as a bloody hand reached out to grab the gunblade that Luna dropped.

 

"…you found…the old girl….thanks."

 

And so she prayed. Luna prayed and prayed that the voice belonged to who she'd been searching for the whole time.

 

"A-Amber?"

 

"…who else would it be….?"

 

Luna stood up on wobbly legs. She had a few new scrapes and bruises to deal with, but she would deal with that later on.

 

As she got closer to the cave, se realized it wasn't that big to begin with. The end was visible to her before she even set foot inside.

 

Her fascination with the cavern ended once she caught sight of the soldier.

 

Amber was lying down, her head propped up on a rock. Her breathing was labored, and she looked even worse off than Luna. Blood was running down the side of her head, the obvious cause being a deep gash. Amber had attempted to stop the flow of blood by ripping off her shirt sleeve, but the wound was still painfully pronounced. She had many other cuts all over her body…..and her right arm was bent at an unnatural angle. Luna didn't need to look at it twice to know that it was broken.

 

"Amber, what happened to you?!"

 

"Heh…the ocean beat the shit out of me is what happened…my body slammed into a few rocks before I finally washed up on shore…..crawled my way to this cave…..and now here you are. I guess I should be lucky that those rocks just nicked the side of my head huh?" Amber tried to smile, she really did. The way Luna was looking at her…like she was about to start bawling again…she didn't like it at all. "You took quite a tumble out there….you should check on that leg of yours first….."

 

Forget about that right now! You need more help than I do!" Luna kneeled beside the immobile mercenary. She closed her eyes and placed her hands on Amber's head wound. "I-I know SOME spells, like Cure. It's not very strong, but it should be able to close the wound a little bit…h-here, let me just take that off your head….."

 

Amber hissed as Luna slowly took off her makeshift bandage, the blood that soaked it was making it cling to the skin.

 

"Got it…" Luna nearly gasped as she was finally able to get a clear view of the wound. "Amber…."

 

"Hey, quit it already. If you can heal it, even a little, it would help out a lot…I know it's ghastly." Amber added in the last part as something of an afterthought since Luna looked so horrified.

 

"But you're alive…conscious…"

 

"I won't be if you just keep looking at me…"

 

The injury was horrific. And it was probably as painful as it looked too. It was as if someone had taken a rusty knife and just tried to rip through the side of her head with it.

 

"Amber….this is going to leave another scar…"

 

"That's cool, that's cool….I'm used to that anyway." Using her good arm, Amber pointed at the scar between her eyes. "Just…try your best."

 

"I will," Luna said determinedly. "Hang in there…okay?"

__________

 

By the time Luna was finished, it was already nightfall. Amber's wound wasn't completely mended, but at least she got the bleeding to finally stop. The soldier had slipped into unconsciousness while Luna was healing her. Her breathing had evened out though, so Luna sighed in relief. Hopefully Amber would be okay.

 

Luna tended to her own wounds while the soldier was out. She was able to close up all her scrapes and scars. While she was still sore from the day's events, Luna decided to go out and collect some materials to start a campfire. She wished she could just cast a fire spell, but healing and barrier magic were the only types of spells that she knew how to use. Offensive spells weren't really her forte.

 

After gathering everything she needed, Luna set them all down in a pile and got to work. She placed her bundle of tinder in the middle of her little circle of rocks, then put some kindling above it in a kind of teepee form. She then grabbed a piece of quartzite, some fungus, and the broken remains of her pocket knife. Luna struck the steel against the quartzite several times until the sparks flew off and landed on the fungus, eventually making it glow.

 

"Finally…geez."

 

"….you're pretty good at that."

 

"Amber! Are you-"

 

"I was worse off before you came along…don't worry about it."

 

Luna could feel her face heat up. She would have liked to say it was just the fire warming her up, but….

 

The younger woman shook her head again. It wasn't even romantic, just a compliment…sort of. She really shouldn't be making such a big deal out of it…..

 

"You're a lot nicer to me when you're injured…"

 

"…I'd like to think I give credit where credit is due….I owe you for this."

 

Amber smiled at her. Like…an actual genuine smile.

 

Seeing her like that reminded Luna of when they first met at the ballroom. The lonely young graduate standing by herself in the corner….surprisingly shy. Luna felt as though…she caught a glimpse of the real Amber that night…..and right here, in this cave in the middle of nowhere….she got the feeling that she was getting another rare look at the person behind that mask of bravado.

 

Luna was getting the butterflies again….flying around her stomach like an angry whirlwind. She thought the phrase was always a tad corny, but now that she was experiencing it herself….

 

"I also know that this whole mishap is my fault Luna…I'm sorry. I gave you shit before, but this just proved that I'm not ready for a leadership role. The parade of stupidity that happened today was because I cracked under pressure. It wasn't…wasn't…Luna?"

 

The younger woman had stopped listening. Instead, she was reaching out her to tenderly caress Amber's cheek.

 

Luna didn't know what was coming over her….but she didn't want to stop it.

 

"….."

 

"…Luna?" Amber knew that it wasn't a hallucination, though she did briefly toy with the idea of possible brain damage…

 

Luna was absolutely smitten, that much she knew. What attracted her to Amber so much….that was still the big mystery for her. Amber was just…so different from HER. It wasn't as if she had an exact type, but Amber and Krystal are on opposite ends of the spectrum. She never wanted to feel this way for anyone else, not since Krystal. But Luna couldn't deny what the feeling was now….

 

It was getting so strong….growing…..and it frightened her.

 

"H-hey, are you even listening to me?" Amber was nowhere near well enough to put any sort of physical distance between her and the other woman. If Luna wanted to punish her for her attitude towards her before, then fine. Amber could take a hit or two, even in her current state.

 

But…this wasn't at all what she had in mind. Luna's face seemed to be getting…closer. Far too close.

 

Her bubble was being breached…..

 

Before Amber could fully register what was going on, a pair of lips were pressed against her own.

 

They were…warm and tender. Soothing in ways words would've never been able to express in a million years.

 

Amber's brain urged her to push Luna away. It was the logical thing to do. Not to mention all the possible issues that could…arise from something like this…..

 

And yet…as her heart fluttered and their breaths mingled together, rationality flew out the window.

 

The soldier's good hand found itself drifting towards Luna's hip, like it had a mind of its own. Amber pulled Luna closer against her until the younger woman's body was lying on top of hers and there was no space left between them.

 

The added weight may not have been good for Amber's injuries, but she couldn't bring herself to care.

 

In that moment in time, everything else in the world had fallen away.

Chapter 11: Party of Two

Summary:

Things go from bad to worse for Amber and Luna.

Luna wished for some fairytale happy ending once they woke up. Amber wouldn't be so deep in denial and they wouldn't have to yell at each other so much.

 

Sexual tension. It wasn't difficult for Luna to understand what was going on between them. And she was almost certain Amber knew what it was too. But she refused to acknowledge it.

 

"Listen, about last night…"

 

And there it was. The dreaded words.

 

Amber wasted no time bringing up the moment they had, and Luna should have figured that her happily ever after wasn't happening in the near future. A fairytale romance was too much to hope for if your Prince Charming was as stubborn as a mule.

 

"I know what you're going to say Amber…"

 

But that didn't mean it hurt any less.

 

"…I'm sorry Luna. That wasn't supposed to happen. In a moment of weakness…I-"

 

"Just stop." Luna didn't want to hear anymore of her flimsy excuses. The tears were beginning to prickle her eyes. Luna cursed under her breath. She had to work on being so sensitive all the time. "It's…alright."

 

No. It really wasn't.

 

"Please, just don't bring it up again."

 

"…are you really okay Luna?" Something wasn't right…Amber could feel it. She was getting off a lot easier than expected.

 

Luna sighed tiredly in response. Of course she wasn't okay. To think that Amber had the nerve to ask her that…it was a little ridiculous.

__________

 

Several minutes of awkward silence followed as the two of them prepared to leave their camp behind.

 

Amber got to her feet, her sword arm still limp beside her. They seriously needed to find professional help. Plus, her head still stung like crazy. At least now it was nothing compared to before. She had Luna to thank for that.

 

"…we should, uh, try and see where we are. Can you stand?"

 

"I'm fine."

 

Luna's response was curt, and she swatted away Amber's extended hand as if the mere sight of it offended her.

 

It probably did.

 

"L-Luna! Hey, wait up. Don't go by yourself!" Amber hurriedly tried to catch up to her shorter companion. The young woman had some surprisingly quick strides.

 

"I said I'm FINE."

 

The soldier visibly winced at the other girl's tone of voice. She knew she was getting off too easy earlier.

 

Amber had been mistaken several times already. This was one situation where she actually hoped that she was wrong. Perhaps Lady Luck grew bored and moved on to someone else. The entire situation was a mess. Their tempers and mindsets had already been in a frizz ever since they got stuck on this island. But with all these…personal developments going on, things were just getting worse. It was just something more to add to their growing list of problems.

 

Seriously, Amber wasn't used to…whatever THIS was between her and Luna. She'd never had to confront a scenario quite like it, and if she was being perfectly honest with herself…she was at a complete loss. This wasn't some enemy that you could just chop in half and be done with it all. And that's what Amber hated the most about it.

 

So…she approached the subject in the only way her social abilities knew how.

 

"You don't seem fine at all…"

 

Silence.

 

She tried again.

 

"It was one kiss…Luna…I don't see what the big deal is…"

 

Luna whirled around, fury in her eyes, even as they glistened with unshed tears.

 

That got her attention…

 

"It may not have meant much to you, but it meant a lot to me! And for you to just callously toss away this connection we have means that you aren't ready to face the truth anyway! So DROP IT!!"

 

Normally, Amber would have retorted with something rude and condescending. But…the tables seemed to have turned overnight. She couldn't bring herself to even squeak.

 

All she could do was wait for Luna to finish.

 

"So, you're right, I'm not fine. I feel used…and it hurts. Happy now? That's what you wanted…"

 

"….." No, this wasn't what Amber wanted at all.

 

"I remember where the beach is…." Luna said. "We should just head there." She didn't look up to see Amber's face. It would've been to much for her.

__________

 

The walk to the beach was silent and uncomfortable, even more so than before. Luna lead the way, not even bothering to glance back to make sure the soldier was keeping pace with her.

 

Amber trailed behind her by a few feet, not wanting to be in close proximity should she decide to blow up on her again.

 

It shocked her momentarily…realizing that Luna intimidated her. She initially thought that it was her head injury making her soft….but…

 

"We're here…"

 

Amber looked up at the sound of Luna's voice. She was right. They were back at the beach already.

 

"…now what?"

 

"You're asking me?"

 

Amber winced again. Luna clearly wasn't in the mood, though she couldn't really blame her.

 

The soldier surveyed their current surroundings, trying to pinpoint where they were. There was nothing but ocean for miles. No land in sight.

 

"Shit…middle of fucking nowhere." Amber kicked up the sand in anger. And after a few more pointless attempts at venting, she plopped down onto the sand.

 

That was when she finally realized something.

 

"What the…?" She stood back up, not moving for at least a solid minute…and felt it.

 

"Luna…the island…is moving."

 

"What?!" Luna finally emoted. Her arms waved around in a panicked fashion. "That can't be possible Amber. We didn't notice anything before!"

 

"Probably because we were focusing on the physical state of our bodies. You don't exactly notice much when you're looking out for your well-being…"

 

"I-I suppose so, but this is still so insane...you must be kidding. Y-Yeah, that's it!" However, the grave look that was on Amber's face told her otherwise. Of course, Luna should have noticed that something was off sooner. The mountain range in the distance that she saw when she first awoke…it was gone. And she was certain that this was the same beach. She could still see her old footprints from yesterday.

 

"This island must have been drifting for sometime," Amber said. "We were just lucky enough to stumble upon it…"

 

"You mean when you decided to go daredevil and hurl us off a cliff?" Luna angrily retorted. Her shock at a moving island was wearing away a tad bit too quickly, and her bitterness towards Amber was coming back. "In that case, yeah…we're super lucky we washed up on some island headed to who knows where?"

 

"Look, I'm sorry alright?! I don't know what else to tell you!" Amber shouted. "I know I fucked up-"

 

"Big time."

 

"Dammit Luna!"

 

"Hey! You don't get to be angry right now! It should be me! All the hell you've put me through…you're impossible Amber!"

 

"Luna…" Amber was starting to get the feeling that this was about more than just the cliff falling incident. "I thought…you didn't want to bring it up again…?"

 

At that, Luna stopped her own impending tirade against the tomboy. "I know what I said!"

 

Amber reached out a hand in an attempt to comfort her, but…once again, she found said hand getting harshly rejected.

 

"Come on Luna, what the hell is it that you want from me?"

 

What she WANTED was a certain dark haired soldier with constant mood swings who had a penchant for getting on her last nerves. And she didn't know why she was falling, because said soldier was a dense asshole nearly half the time.

 

And yet…Luna wanted her anyway. But she couldn't tell Amber that…at least not directly.

 

"You should know by now!" Her cheeks were now tinged with red as she waited for Amber's response. Hopefully the soldier wasn't THAT bad at realizing things…

 

Amber glared at the other woman, trying to decipher her meaning. "That wasn't exactly specific Luna…I mean you can't just-"

 

"AMBER."

 

The soldier straightened up. Luna was getting upset again. Okay, she really needed to focus this time. Amber looked her over once more. She took in the flushed cheeks, her parted red lips…and the eyes…those eyes….and then it dawned on her.

 

"I…t-that's…uh…" Now Amber couldn't formulate a proper response as the implications set in. She found herself blushing slightly too. "That's pretty damn…I mean I can't say it's forward, but…"

 

Luna said nothing. She just continued to gaze at the taller woman. At least she gets it now.

 

But before the situation could get anymore awkward, a pounding deep underground caught their attention. It was slow at first, but it was steadily getting stronger.

 

"The hell? Now what?!"

 

"Amber, look!"

 

The ocean waves crashed violently against one another. Soon, trees on the island were toppling over, victims to the sudden tremors.

 

Amber and Luna began to panic. There was nothing to hide under, and it was too late to try and make it back inland.

__________

 

That's when it came.

 

Mother Nature's wrath in physical form.

 

It broke through the surface of the water, its long serpentine-like body looked as if it could stretch up all the way to the heavens.

 

"…Leviathan." Luna whispered. Her face held a look of pure terror. "Amber…Amber we have to take cover now!"

 

"Wha-oomph!"

 

Before Amber could finish, Luna had tackled her to the ground.

 

"Keep moving! But make sure to lay low!"

 

The whole island felt like it was going to be ripped apart. The almighty Sea Goddess had been awoken, and she was not happy in the slightest.

 

Amber and Luna looked like ants compared to the massive sea serpent. There was no use in standing up to her power, so the only thing they could was scramble for any type of shelter, all while making sure the tides didn't sweep them away, or get smacked by flying trees.

 

The tides kept coming in, each one more powerful than the last. It was as if Leviathan was merely toying with them until the grand finale.

 

"Luna! Over there!" Amber pointed to a small crevice tucked away on the mountain side. "It can probably fit the both of us!"

 

"Then let's go!" Luna slung the injured soldier's good arm around her shoulders, supporting her weight as they made their way over to the crevice.

 

Neither of them had any intention of looking back at the damage. They just kept pushing forward.

__________

 

They still had an ounce of luck with them it seemed, as they were able to make it in one piece.

 

Amber shoved Luna in first, much to the smaller girl's surprise.

 

"Amber!"

 

"Don't worry about me. I'll cover the opening!"

 

"With your backside?! Are you crazy?!"

 

"Do you even need to ask that?"

 

"Stop smiling! This isn't even close to funny!"

 

Ignoring the rest of Luna's comments, Amber turned her back to the opening of the crevice. She tried to push down her own fears as she listened to the force of the tides and the howling of the winds. Leviathan continued to wreak havoc upon the small island, and it wasn't clear when she was ever going to let up…

 

Why the fuck was the Sea Goddess even awake? It was a frightening thought. Leviathan was one of the old gods charged with keeping mortals in line…its' been that way since the dawn of time. But, for some strange reason, all the gods went to sleep about 1,000 years ago. Ever since then, humanity had been charged with reigning themselves in. But, considering the state of the world now…they didn't seem to be doing a good job. Is that why the Sea Goddess has returned? Punishment? And if she had woken up…then did that mean the rest of the gods will rise from their slumber as well?

 

Amber shook her head violently. The very idea of it sent shivers down her spine.

 

Instead, she enveloped Luna in a tight embrace. She didn't want to think about anything else. Right now, she desperately needed human contact.

 

"Amber?"

 

"Just pipe down alright? This crevice is kind of a tight squeeze…"

 

"And just how exactly is THIS helping?" Despite her questioning tone, Luna couldn't help the smile that was creeping up her face.

 

If they managed to live through this, Amber was probably going to deny anything ever happened again. Even if she DID start it this time….it was like a never-ending cycle in regards to the state of their relationship.

 

Luna was well aware that this wasn't the time to be thinking of such things, but…she wanted to savor the moment while it lasted. She buried her face into the warm crook of Amber's neck, her arms slowly wrapping themselves around the soldier.

 

A small whimper escaped her lips.

 

"Luna, what's wrong?" Amber asked. She was about to pull away to get a better look at Luna's face, but the shorter woman refused to let go.

 

"I'm sorry Amber. It's just…"

 

"We're not going to die Luna."

 

"You don't know that…" Luna's grip on Amber tightened.

 

"…..well, do you have any regrets?"

 

"A few…what about you?"

 

"Er, a few too. Who doesn't?" The soldier sighed. Okay…she had a lot more regrets than she let on. "That doesn't really matter though. We'll make it through this in one piece."

 

Luna sniffled. "There's worse ways to go right?"

 

Another sighed escaped the soldier's lips. "Cut it out Luna."

 

"As long as you're here…I'm not alone."

 

Luna only managed to get a gruff snort as a response. But she could feel the taller woman's hand soothingly run down her back. The Amber way of comfort without having to say anything.

 

But Luna smiled. She understood.

 

"Jerk…"

Notes:

This could be my most Lunber-centric chappy so far, but it's also relatively short compared to my other chapters. I guess I didn't want to get too heavy with it yet.

Chapter 12: Sorceress Knight

Summary:

Old faces and new places.

"Luna?"

 

Someone was calling out to her.

 

"Come on, you're drooling!"

 

The voice sounded rather annoyed. Something about drool?

 

"Just a few more minutes," She could hear herself saying to the voice. Her eyes still felt so heavy, like she hadn't had a good night's rest in days. Why was that?

 

…..She was too sleepy to care.

 

The sound of shuffling feet reached her ears. Whoever it was seemed eager to move around. Fine with her. As long as she wasn't dragged along, they could do whatever the hell they wanted.

 

"Lazy woman…" The voice muttered. Luna's eyebrows knitted together. The nerve of this person!

 

"Tch…she's lucky she's cute."

 

Luna smiled. That's more like it. The voice wasn't so bad after all. Satisfied, she rolled over, drifting off to a deep sleep once again.

__________

 

Amber decided to leave the safety of the crevice to see how much damage had been dealt.

 

The events of the day before continued to haunt her, replaying again and again in her mind. Amber couldn't shake off the feeling of dread. There was already so much shit going down with Galbadia. Now old gods were awakening from their slumber to terrorize a land already bathed in chaos.

 

"And if any of them are as nasty as Leviathan…then the world is in deep shit…"

 

The soldier wished she could contact the others…she was so worried about them. And they were supposed to meet up too. Who knows what they think could've happened? She never showed, Luna never showed…they all probably thought they'd gotten captured. Or worse.

 

"Damn!" Amber slammed a fist to the ground. "Guys…I hope you're okay."

__________

 

She continued her trek around the island. Suffice to say, it was in ruins. Amber thanked her lucky stars that the crevice didn't collapse and bury them in the rubble.

 

After a while, Amber figured that it was time to turn back. She didn't feel comfortable leaving Luna by herself for too long.

 

But, just as she was making her way down the slope she was standing on, her gut instincts kicked in, compelling the soldier to head towards the beach instead. It may not have been anything, but she needed to at least take a look. If she was wrong, then she was wrong. Not that she hasn't already gotten used to that….

 

Luckily, her little detour wasn't for nothing. When Amber finally got there, what was supposed to be a beach was instead an enormous landmass.

 

The soldier could hardly believe it. Leviathan's attack must have sent the island careening across the ocean, ultimately having it smash into what looked to be a whole different continent.

 

"Holy shit…I need to tell Luna about this. It looks like we won't be drifting aimlessly anymore."

__________

 

Luna looked at the jagged line that marked the place of collision. Her mouth hung open in awe. The beach was gone, consumed by the two landmasses. Now…they were just a few steps away from setting foot on an honest-to-goodness mainland. At least that's what she was hoping for…

 

"Amber…are you sure this is a new continent? What if our island just got stuck to a slightly bigger island that happens to be JUST as devoid of civilization as ours?" Worry was evident on Luna's face. "What if we're forced to live out the rest of our lives on this teeny tiny island?! I need to be around other people Amber!"

 

"Luna!" Amber grabbed her shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "It'll be fine. Don't go jumping to conclusions."

 

"Well, what about Leviathan? I don't think you realize how lucky we are to be alive right now!"

 

"Of course I do! I was right there with you when it happened, so how could I not?!"

 

"If we're still drifting, then we would be a target AGAIN!! We barely survived that last attack!"

 

"Look," Amber said firmly. "You're going by the assumption that we're still floating around in the middle of nowhere….can't you at least have SOME inkling of hope that this IS a new continent? And that maybe, juuust maybe….there's some sort of town nearby?" Her voice was practically pleading by the end. "My arm Luna…"

 

The young resistance fighter glanced at the tomboy's broken arm. She ran a hand down the length of it, retracting her hand immediately when she felt Amber flinch. "I'm sorry! Does it still hurt?"

 

"Yeah…but it only get worse under pressure…"

 

"Sorry Amber," Luna said sincerely. "Y-You're right. We need to stay positive and get off this little baby island!"

 

"That's the spirit Luna! Now let's go. I know I've mentioned this before, but it wouldn't hurt to say it again. We need to stick close. Obviously, my sword arm is pretty useless right now."

 

Luna looked at the soldier curiously. "Amber…what about the GFs? You can still call to them for help if we're in a bind right?"

 

Amber fell silent, and for a moment, Luna thought that she didn’t hear her.

 

Truth be told, Amber DID try. Before she met up with Luna…when they first washed up on the island. The problem was…

 

"Nothing," the soldier stated. "No response whatsoever. I fear they've gone dormant, or worse."

 

"What?! Why didn't you tell me this earlier Amber?" Luna shoved the older woman in frustration. "That's pretty important information you've been withholding."

 

"I didn't want you freaking out. You know, much like you're doing now?"

 

Luna said nothing, only answering her remark with a glare.

 

But, it was certainly enough to cause Amber to backtrack.

 

"Er, what I meant was…that is…ugh! Look, I know you're right and I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get snippy." Amber almost had to do a double-take on herself. Did she really just say that?

 

"Well…as long as you know." Luna spun around, taking her first steps onto the new land. "We've had more than our fair share of problems lately. I guess I can't be mad at you for trying to lessen the load…"

 

"Y-Yeah," Amber said awkwardly. "I'm sorry Luna." She was apologizing to this woman way too often lately. She suspected that Luna must had done something to her, stupid as that was. "I have a theory…that perhaps the Guardian Forces going silent has to do with the awakening of the old gods, but…"

 

"You don't have concrete proof," Luna finished. "Is that it?"

 

"Basically. So…just put it out of your mind for now okay? We have enough on our plates as it is."

 

"…Alright." It took all of Luna's willpower to keep herself from smiling, especially since the topic of conversation was actually quite dire. Yet she just had to make note of how agreeable Amber was being. She was probably just tired, and didn't feel like arguing…but Luna hoped there was a little more to it than that….

__________

 

It didn't take them very long to confirm that they were, indeed, on a whole new continent. The duo had only been walking for a few minutes, when a young man in an ox-driven cart greeted them. Upon noticing their haggard appearances, he offered to give them a ride to the nearest town: Kalay.

 

"It's rare nowadays to see travelers. The roads have become so much more perilous over the years. In fact, it's become something of a hellhole in just a few days." The man sighed, then glanced back at Amber and Luna, who were sitting quite comfortable on a tall stack of hay. "You ladies look like you've been through the wringer…."

 

"Oh, trust me…we have," Amber deadpanned. "More than you know."

 

"Yeah…we're not from around here sir. But, trust us when we say that we've seen enough…" Luna was dreadfully tired, but she still found it hard to suppress the joy building inside her heart. Civilization….for once, she was so glad to be wrong.

 

"Heh, yeah, I can tell you're not from here. Your clothes, your mannerisms…bet you guys are from that land across the sea."

 

Luna smiled slightly, nodding. "Yes, you're right."

 

"Never been there myself actually, but I heard you guys have your own problems to deal with."

 

Amber chuckled a little. "Well, you're right on the mark there too."

 

"Then, I guess I better cancel my vacation plans," the young man jokingly stated. "And let me say that it's a pleasure to be the first person to welcome you ladies to the continent of Angara. Enjoy your stay haha!"

 

"I get the feeling we're going to have to…" Luna answered rather weakly. "We're…"

 

"Ah, say no more ma'am," he said sympathetically. "Hopefully you can make it back someday."

 

"Thank you."

__________

 

"This is our stop ladies."

 

"Whoa….this isn't our homeland at all…." Amber took in the sight of the village. It was like stepping back in time…a few decades at least. Tiny old women sat out on benches, possibly to gossip or swap other interesting tales. Then you had the merchants with their wooden stands around every corner, trying to entice the occasional passerby to buy their goods. Carts drawn by horses or oxen were clearly the norm.

 

There wasn't an automobile in sight. Farmers tending to their crops, shepherds caring for their sheep and cows…the closest thing their homeland had to this was the port town of Balamb, and Amber was plenty sure it was still more advanced than this.

 

"If you all need to go see a healer, then head up to the large hut sitting atop of that hill over there." The man tipped his straw hat to the duo. "Well then, I'd better get going. Good luck ladies."

 

Luna waved goodbye to the man, shouting out a 'thank you' before turning her focus back to Amber. "Come on you dummy, we need to get your arm fixed up."

 

"This place is really something isn't it Luna?" Amber was too busy taking in the sights to pay very much attention to what her companion was saying. "It's so homely…has this touch of intimacy to it that you can't really get from the big city…"

 

"That's great Amber, but look at it later please…your arm is what's important right now." Luna fought off the urge to roll her eyes. "Honestly…you were so damn worried about your arm earlier." It astounded her that the soldier could forget so quickly. Though even she had to admit that Kalay's more…rustic charm was a surprisingly pleasant change in scenery.

 

"Right…the ol' sword arm. My bad."

 

"Ugh, you're impossible…"

__________

 

They soon spotted the hut that the man mentioned. As the duo headed up the steps, they noticed that there was already some people at the front door. Three, in fact. They were all wearing a similar black cloak, the hoods over their heads. From the looks of things, their intentions weren't very friendly.

 

"Open up old woman! We know you're in there!" One of the hooded figures started banging on the door relentlessly. The voice was feminine, so it was almost certainly a girl. She was probably the leader, judging by how bold she was.

 

"Huh…she sounds familiar," Amber muttered. But it couldn't possibly be who she was thinking about.

 

Luna's eyes widened slightly. "Actually, she sounds a lot like - "

 

"Krystal, would you knock it off already?" The shortest of the three took off their hood, revealing herself to be none other than Jessica. Not only that, but she also confirmed the identity of the ill-tempered woman up front.

 

Krystal.

 

"The old hag is in there Jessica, I know she is!"

 

"Threatening her isn't going to accomplish anything. Isn't that right Sulli?" Jessica cast her glance over at the tallest figure in the group, who at that point already had her hood removed. It was definitely Sulli, and she looked just as annoyed, if not more so, than Jessica.

 

"She's right Krystal. You're going to get us kicked out of the village. We're not getting back home this way…" Sulli tried to place a hand on Krystal's shoulder, only for the angry gunblader to roughly shove her away. "Sorry…" The taller woman backed off, suddenly going silent. She wasn't very good at masking her pain.

 

"Are the two of you actually going to help me, or are you just going to stand there and criticize me all day? Sorceress Edea is - "

 

"What ABOUT Sorceress Edea?" Amber's sharp tone cut Krystal off fast. It was about time she made her presence known to them anyway. "Last time I saw you Jung….the sorceress was turning you into her lapdog. That wasn't just some elaborate ruse now was it? Tell me! What ARE you to Sorceress Edea?!" The SeeD felt her blood boil at the sight of her rival.

 

"Amber…cut it out," Luna whispered worriedly. "I don't want the two of you fighting."

 

Upon seeing Luna again, Krystal's demeanor took a swift turn. Her usual scowl had been replaced with a rare and genuine smile. She practically didn't even notice Amber.

 

"Luna….never thought I'd see you again. You're even more beautiful now than when I last saw you…"

 

Jessica clicked her tongue, mildly annoyed at their leader's cheesiness.

 

Sulli tried to form a smile, but her efforts fell flat. She sighed, casting her eyes to the ground. She refused to let her jealousy get the better of her. After all, Luna was a kind girl…she didn't deserve any sort of scathing remark.

 

Luna, meanwhile, looked rather delighted at the compliment. She honestly did feel happy to see Krystal again. There were still so many things she hadn't told her. "Thank you Krystal…you always knew how to flatter a girl…"

 

Krystal winked at her, then took hold of one of her hands. "My compliments are reserved only for you."

 

'The fuck?!"

 

Just as Krystal was about to bring Luna's hand up to her lips for a kiss, a seething Amber blocked her off.

 

"Hey, what’s your problem Liu? Get out of my face…now."

 

"Don't fucking ignore me when I'm talking to you Jung, because we're not done here. Leave Luna alone."

 

"Amber! What's gotten into you?!" Luna was about to start panicking again. She had to apply more and more pressure on her grip on Amber. She could feel the soldier's barely restrained fury pulsating throughout her body. At this rate…

 

"Oh, I get it." Krystal's voice dropped to a deadly low pitch. She got right in Amber's face, their noses practically touching. "Don't think that you can just steal her away Liu. I understand her. More than you ever will…"

 

Amber was one step away from spitting at her face. "She's not property Jung. And as far as I can tell…the two of you are ancient history anyway."

 

That was all it took to send Krystal flying into a rage. She kicked Amber with enough force to send her flying off the steps.

 

The tomboy landed on her back with a bone-crushing thud. Her eyes grew in size as she gasped for air, the wind having been knocked out of her.

 

But before she could get a chance to recover, Krystal was already towering over her.

 

"No! Stop!" Luna rushed towards them, but was stopped by Jessica, who had grabbed her by the wrist, successfully pulling her back. "What do you think you're doing?!"

 

Jessica shook her head, seemingly unmoved by the situation. "This is between Amber and Krystal. It always has been. Leave them be."

 

"That's just stupid!" Luna cried out, struggling against Jessica's firm grip. "The last thing I want is for those two to be fighting! And Amber is in no condition at all! What she needs right now is a doctor!"

 

Jessica chose to ignore Luna's pleas. She instead turned her eyes to the two gunblade specialists.

 

Sulli narrowed her eyes at Krystal. She knew this was wrong. But she also knew as much as Jessica that once Krystal got like this, reasoning with her was near impossible. All she could do was stand and watch the horrific events that were about to unfold right before her very eyes.

__________

 

"I noticed you've been awfully protective of your sword arm Liu…"

 

"Fuck you Jung…"

 

"Aw, come on…it can't be THAT bad, can it?"

 

"ARGH!!!"

 

"NO!!"

 

Amber barely registered Luna's anguished cries, much less realize what just hit her. The pain was so excruciating that she could hardly recognize the sky. It was an array of random colors that just continued to flash before her eyes as she valiantly tried to stay conscious.

 

Krystal did it again, stepping on her arm with such force that Amber was sure her bones were shattered to pieces. She was far too weak to fight back, so she just forced herself to endure it.

 

When Krystal did it a third time, Amber let out a half-stifled yell as the pain rippled throughout her entire arm.

 

Krystal snorted at the sight of her fallen rival. "Still with me there Liu?"

 

"Rrrrgh…" The SeeD growled viciously at her attacker. She absolutely refused to give Krystal the satisfaction of her admitting defeat. If she could only use her gunblade….

 

"Awww, poor Amber Liu…" The mock concern in her voice was just infuriating. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, I'll answer your earlier question." Krystal hauled up the weakened mercenary by her collar.

 

"Urgh…" Amber was listening, despite being so close to passing out.

 

She had to know.

 

"The Sorceress Knight," Krystal whispered into Amber's ear. "That's what they call me now. My romantic dream…remember?"

 

Yes…Amber could vaguely recall her mentioning that during their field exam in Dollet….seems like a lifetime ago now.

 

"Tch…alright…and what exactly…has the great and powerful sorceress instructed…her beloved lapdog to fetch?"

 

Amber was struck with a blow to the stomach, causing her to start coughing violently. What little strength she had left faded, her body going limp. The only thing that kept her standing was Krystal's vice grip on her collar.

 

"You've sure got a mouth on you Liu, even when the odds aren't in your favor…" Krystal was about to strike Amber again, when two hands reached out and pulled her arm back.

 

"Krystal! Stop it!" It was Luna. She had finally managed to break free of Jessica's hold. "I-I can't watch this anymore! Please…."

 

"Luna…" The fiery tempered knight had fizzled out upon seeing the hurt look on the shorter woman's face. Now that she'd finally gotten a good look at it…a spark of who she once was briefly resurfaced, and her eyes softened at the sight.

 

"Y-You weren't like this before Krystal….always had to be flashy and loud…but never so cruel. I have no idea what's going on, or why you and Amber can't seem to stand each other…I just don't get it, but please…please just stop." By this point, the floodgates had opened and Luna couldn't stop the tears from falling. She wasn't even sure who or what she was crying for anymore: the slow and heart-wrenching change she was witnessing in her first love….or the fact that her possibly second love may never fully recover from this. Amber just looked so helpless….and in so much pain. So much agony…..

 

Luna felt bits and pieces of herself slowly dying on the inside. She didn't know what to do.

 

"Alright…quit with the face…." For all her ruthlessness, Krystal still couldn't bear to see Luna look so lost. So, with great reluctance, she gently set Amber's limp body down on the ground. "This idiot isn't worth it if you're gonna turn on the waterworks…"

 

"….."

 

Luna didn't respond. She just held Amber's body close, wiping the sweat off the mercenary's face and stroking her hair, hoping it would bring some small form of relief to her, regardless of whether she could actually feel it or not.

 

Krystal watched the scene before her, and she was immediately starting to regret letting Amber off the hook so easily. She would have had to be blind to not realize how close they had gotten, and she hated it….

 

"We'd better get going Krystal," Jessica called out to her. "You've caused a scene. The townsfolk will be on our asses if we don't get a move on. NOW."

 

"Jessica's right," Sulli chimed in. "We can look for a boat elsewhere."

 

Krystal looked at her two companions, then back to Luna and Amber. The very thought of leaving them alone together for much longer disgusted her. The way Luna looked at her….she knew that look. For them to grow so close in such a short amount of time…..

 

"Krystal, hey!" Jessica snapped her fingers in the younger woman's face. "OTHER things need to be taken care of. Don't tell me you're going astray already…"

 

"Yeah, I heard you guys….let's head to the next town." As much as she didn't want to, Krystal knew that Jessica was right. They had a mission to accomplish. Before leaving, Krystal yelled out, "Luna! I'll be seeing you again soon. I promise!"

 

Luna wasn't quite sure how to respond. The best thing she could come up with was a small nod.

 

Satisfied with her answer, Krystal put up her hood once more, making a speedy getaway before the townsfolk could catch her or her companions.

__________

 

"What's with all the ruckus out here?! Can't you leave an old woman in peace?"

 

"Obaba! It's Mayor Felix! We need help!"

 

"Oi! You people always need my help!"

 

"Obaba! We're pleading with you!"

 

"Grrr, hold your horses! I'm coming already! Bah, rushing an old woman, the nerve…."

 

When the elderly healer finally opened the door, she genuinely seemed surprised to see the mayor with an injured stranger in his arms. Next to him was another unfamiliar face, a young woman who seemed to have been crying her eyes out, judging by the streak marks on her cheeks.

 

"Ma'am, my name is Luna, and my partner, Amber, s-she -!"

 

"Save the explanations girl! Mayor Felix, set the other one down on the bed over there."

 

The mayor complied, rushing over to where the bed was. He set Amber down, making sure to mind her arm.

 

"Not quite sure what happened myself Obaba. The townspeople informed me that she had already been in this horrid state when they got to the scene."

 

"We'll figure out the details later Mayor Felix. Now shoo! I've got work to do!"

 

The mayor nodded. "I'll leave it to you then Obaba." He made his exit soon afterwards.

 

"Alright," Obaba said, looking at the distraught Luna. "Girl, you'd better turn away if this type of thing is too grisly for you to handle."

 

"No, I-I want to help!" Luna vigorously rubbed at her eyes, fighting to keep the tears at bay. "This is…all my fault anyway."

 

Obaba gave Luna a bored look, before turning her attention back to the herbs she was starting to grind for Amber. "Huh…guessing this has to do with all that ridiculous yelling I heard earlier…" She could hear Luna holding back a sob. "Well, what's done is done. And as long as you're not part of the group of nimrods that tried knocking my door down, then it's fine."

 

"T-Thank you…" Luna said, taking a seat near the bed. "Will…A-Amber…"

 

"Oh, her body will be fine, that much I can tell. Lots and lots of scrapes, bruises, and some nasty looking slashes here and there, but it's mainly fatigue. Her arm though….hooo boy….I've got my work cut out for me there. I need to assess the damage some more, but it's not going to be pretty."

 

"Oh no…" Luna's whole body began to shake.

 

"Hey! Don't start crying girl! If you stayed to help, then HELP!!" Obaba handed Luna a towel and a bowl of water. "I hope you know what to do with that…"

 

"Y-Yes!" Luna stammered.

 

"Good, so stop gawking and get to it then!"

 

Luna wet the small towel, then placed it gently onto Amber's forehead. The soldier groaned, thrashing her head from side to side, causing the towel to fall off.

 

"Amber…it's okay," Luna cooed. She wet the towel slightly again before placing it back on Amber's head.

 

Seeing the soldier looking so frail and vulnerable….Luna just had to allow a few tears to escape.

 

"Divines, I beg you…please, please don't let it be a lie. Let it all be okay……."

Chapter 13: This Feels Like Falling

Summary:

Amber comes to a conclusion.

It had only been a day since the incident, and Luna was already growing accustomed to the role of a beleaguered assistant to Obaba. Not that she minded. No, that wasn't the case at all. Luna was more than willing to do what she was asked of. After all, most of it involved Amber's welfare.

 

Yesterday, the tomboy had been running a high fever that lasted all throughout the night. Luna worked around the clock, using her cure spells and forcing the patient to guzzle down several ounces of water for the sake of keeping her hydrated.

 

It eventually paid off, since Amber's temperature had stabilized by morning. Still, Luna couldn't be too careful. The soldier wasn't out of the woods quite yet. Her arm was still a cause for concern.

 

Obaba would say nothing of its progress, no matter how many times Luna begged. The young woman was beginning to wonder if the old healer was torturing her for her own personal amusement.

 

"Obaba, please? Can't you tell me anything at all? I always see you changing the wraps on her arm and applying some weird stuff to it…." The old woman must have grown tired of Luna's incessant pleads for answers by now. Barely a day had gone by and yet it must have felt like weeks. "I know you don't say it…but I'm getting on your nerves aren't I?" It felt stupid to ask. She bit her bottom lip, anticipating any kind of response from her elder.

 

The 'click-clacking' of plates and the sound of running water filled the air as Luna's question was, once again, met with nothing but silence. Obaba whistled a little tune as she washed the dishes, but that was it. Luna was being completely ignored.

 

"Dammit, I know you can hear me! Stop pretending like you can't!" It wasn't like her at all, to be lacking in common courtesy, particularly towards her elders. Luna realized this soon after the words flew out of her mouth, and suddenly she felt so much smaller. "I-I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me. I'm just…very worried about my friend, that's all…"

 

"Friend eh?" It was the very first words Obaba had said to Luna since yesterday. The old woman had been such a firecracker when they first met, but once she was done barking out orders and Luna knew what to do without being told, she just hit the mute button, all her attention given to Amber. While Luna thanked her lucky stars for the old woman's dedication, she wished Obaba would update her. "You sure that's all she is to you girly?"

 

Luna's prayers had been answered. The elderly healer was talking again. It just happened to be a subject Luna wasn't completely comfortable with. "Of c-course…why would you think that I-"

 

"Because you're acting like the sky is falling down. She'll live, so quit worrying!"

 

Luna's cheeks flushed to the color of scarlet. She looked away, but Obaba had already seen the red glow.

 

"Tch, friend my ass…"

 

"No, really!" The young woman tried to think of an excuse, but the ones off the top of her head seemed idiotic. "I-I mean, we're just close. S-Sure it LOOKS…a bit…suspicious…" She trailed off. That certainly wasn't helping. If anything. She just dug a deeper hole for herself.

 

"Look kid, I'm not here to judge. Hell, if you weren't bugging me about her condition every two seconds, I'd say it's quite endearing."

 

Luna looked down at her feet, the healer's words causing her already reddened face to darken another shade. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, her shyness close to overwhelming her.

 

"Heh, no sense in hiding it now right? Good for you girly. Told her yet?" Obaba pointed a finger at Amber's still form on the bed, wrapped in a blanket and sleeping soundly.

 

"I-I sort of did…" Luna wasn't sure how to feel, opening up to a woman she hardly even knew. But…she was doing so much for them. It was part of her job description of course. And yet…Luna felt that she could trust her. "We kind of k-kissed. I-I mean…I made the first move." It felt different to actually say it out loud. Luna's heart pounded rapidly in her chest as she recalled the events that took place that night.

 

Obaba pulled out a few herbs she had placed on the shelves, intending to grind them as she listened to Luna struggle with telling her story. "You've got it bad. And here I thought you still had something going on with the dimwit who tried to break into my house before…"

 

"Huh?" Luna's stomach churned. The urge to just crawl under a rock and remain there forever took hold. The subject of Krystal was some painful territory, and wasn't something she was willing to tackle with Obaba just yet. The mere thought of it made Luna horribly queasy. "I don't know what you're talking about…" She wanted to change the subject. Anything but this right now. And she hoped that Obaba was getting the hint.

 

The old woman was no idiot. She could see it…from the way Luna's tan complexion paled to how her hands quivered over her heart. She looked like the very definition of 'tense.' But Obaba didn't feel particularly kind or sympathetic, at least not enough that she was willing to let Luna go so easily. "I may be older than parchment, but my ears are still functioning child. Especially when you're right outside my house!"

 

"I-I'm so sorry!" Luna yelped out. It was a story she had no interest in revisiting so soon, especially under current circumstances. But if Luna thought hard about it, if she really put herself in Obaba's position, then she could see why the old woman was so insistent on having her tell her side of the story. Krystal and company didn't come off as friendly in the slightest, and Obaba actually heard Luna interacting with her on…awfully familiar terms. It did look kind of suspicious. And she supposed that the main reason why she even got inside the house without being questioned up until now was due to Amber's condition. "It's hard to talk about…my history with Krystal…it was a really long time ago."

 

"Well, I'm right here, and so are you." Obaba pulled up a chair and sat down, smirking as Luna continued to fidget in place, clearly uncomfortable. "Go on girl, let's hear it."

 

"Y-Yeah, sure…" Luna no longer seemed to have much choice in the matter.

 

"Hey…she doesn't have to…if she doesn't want to…"

 

"Amber!" Luna cried out. The tomboy's timing was simply amazing. She didn't know how she did it. And even more important than that was the fact that she was FINALLY awake. A wave of relief washed over Luna as she heard that husky voice once more. A completely irrational urge to throw herself on the soldier rose up. For obvious reasons, Luna forced the feeling down, and settled on giving her a loose hug instead….far more appropriate.

 

"Well, look who's finally decided to join the land of the living eh? Good for you child." Obaba stood up from her seat, walking over to Amber's bedside to get a better look at her patient. "Hmph, well, the color is coming back to your face, that's a welcome sign. But I don't want to see you jumping out of bed anytime soon." She stared at the old clock on the wall, her face scrunching up as she realized how late it was. "I'll let your girlfriend deal with you for a bit. I have some business to take care of around town. Luna!"

 

"Y-Yes?" Luna didn't like how jumpy she was that day. Everything seemed to startle her.

 

"Make sure to change the wrapping on Amber's arm later on. And don't forget to slather on those herbs I ground earlier before putting on the new wrap."

 

Luna nodded, her face still feeling a bit warm. "Y-Yes ma'am, I will."

 

"Good. I'll be heading out then. I'll be back later tonight."

__________

 

"So…girlfriend huh?" Amber decided to tease her a bit. Being knocked out for so long compelled her to lighten the mood. She figured Luna must have still been a bit shell-shocked after witnessing….that scene with her and Krystal. "What have you been telling her Luna?"

 

"S-She just drew her own conclusions! I didn't say anything!" Amber was awake, and Luna couldn't be any happier about it. But it was the situation with Obaba all over again. The sheer awkwardness of it all just made Luna so exasperated. "Why do you care about what I said anyway?" Yeah, she needed to just play it off.

 

Amber smiled slightly. "Hey…could you guess how long I've been awake?"

 

"….."

 

Luna didn't like the direction in where this was going.

 

"I mean…you did tell her that you kissed me and all…" Amber looked like the cat that ate the canary. Luna wanted to smack that grin right off of her face. To think that she was so ecstatic to finally have her awake….

 

"How could you?!"

 

"You said it, not me…"

 

'That was a private conversation Amber!"

 

"I was unconscious, I woke up. You can't exactly blame me for this you know." Amber found it pretty funny how frazzled Luna was getting. While a part of her felt bad for the younger woman, the other half was getting a kick out of it.

 

"Oh, I hate you!"

 

"You sure about that?" It was just too easy.

 

"I…I…" Luna paused. She gazed into Amber's eyes. They suddenly looked so serious. The way she was teasing her, Luna understood, somewhere in the back of her mind, that Amber already knew the answer. She was just looking for clarification…even if she was making fun of her. But Luna was afraid. It was difficult to define what their relationship was…where their relationship was…where they stood. Luna knew what she wanted, but Amber…

 

"You jerk…how can you even ask me to tell you such a thing…" Luna's voice wavered as she spoke. "This isn't f-funny anymore."

 

Amber forced herself to sit up, beads of sweat rolling down her face as she supported her weight with one arm. She leaned back against the headboard of the bed, settling down once she got herself into a relatively comfortable position. "Don't be so sensitive Luna…"

 

"I'm not being sensitive! You're just being insensitive!" Luna wanted to tell Amber to lie back down, but she was supposed to be annoyed, not concerned…

 

Amber held back a laugh. Luna's face was a myriad of emotions, and she found it so delightful, despite said woman being so cross with her…or at least attempting to be.

 

"Stop smiling Amber! I can't see how my feelings are something to laugh about!"

 

"Luna…" Amber needed to stop the rant before it began…but it was too late.

 

"Listen tough girl! Just because I'm better at expressing myself doesn't mean that you get to-"

 

"But Luna-"

 

"No! Stop cutting me off! I'm not done here! This isn't easy for me you know! First Krystal, now you! I don't even know why I like girls in the first place. My life would've been much less complicated I bet….nowadays it's like some weird soap opera-"

 

"I was jealous."

 

"All because of…of…huh?" Luna, still red in the face and sweating a little more than before, halted her mini tirade. The expression upon Amber's visage hadn't changed much, but her eyes had anchored Luna's attention. There was a luminous glow in those chocolate orbs, but they remained as mellow as the sky at sunset. It was almost…accepting. Luna was left speechless.

 

"What did you say?"

 

Amber's cheeks dimpled slightly as the corners of her mouth turned up again. "I was jealous…of Krystal."

 

Luna lost her voice once more at the confirmation, but her heart radiated with so much joy. Maybe Amber…maybe she really did feel the same way.

 

"I didn't know what it was at first," Amber continued. "The two of us haven't gotten along for a really long time. Obviously, seeing each other again wasn't going to be some happy reunion. But…when I saw her reach for your hand…I just snapped. Nothing else mattered at the time…all I knew was that I didn't want her touching you…" Amber rubbed the back of her neck, her eyes downcast, lashes shielding them from view. The room was much too quiet, and with every second of silence Amber's confidence was being chipped away. She was just about to mutter out an apology, when her ears caught the sound of a faint giggle.

 

Luna was covering her mouth, failing to stifle her growing laughter. Two wet streaks stained her cheeks with tears, but they clearly weren't from sadness.

 

Amber wasn't sure whether or not she should have been insulted, though it did put her heart at ease to know that Luna wasn't depressed.

 

"Hey, come on, quit it would ya? As you can tell, I've got the social skills of a bear. It was hard enough admitting it to myself, let alone say it out loud."

 

Realizing Amber's discomfort, Luna used a towel to wipe away the remaining tears. And after getting over the giggles, she faced Amber, a huge grin practically eclipsing her whole face. "I'm sorry Amber. It's just…that was so cute. And you were so sincere, it really caught me off-guard! Like…you're really opening up to me. I wasn't trying to be mean. I'm just happy…" To Luna, it was a downright confession. Amber didn't have to say the particular word that Luna was looking for, but she could already tell.

 

"Hmph…" Amber sulked. This was the most honest with herself that she'd ever been for ages. She just couldn't understand why it was Luna of all people. Pushing aside the fact that they were opposites, they were also both…female. Amber twitched, thinking of all the issues that could arise from a non-heteronormative relationship. She never really thought about it too hard back then. Romance was the last thing that ever came to her mind. Somewhere deep down though, she had always been aware of her sexual preferences….it was something she just figured wouldn't ever have to come up. A mercenary, a soldier, a woman of logic rather than a woman of heart…that's just how it was. She expected herself to die on a mission somewhere on foreign soil…to die and never experience what it means to fall in love.

 

And yet here she was…very much alive and now fully aware that her feelings towards her female companion were far from platonic. Amber hated the facts that had been laid out before her…but she had to accept it now. Krystal coming back into the picture was the final push that Amber needed. She sighed, feeling defeated. Ever since she'd gotten to know Luna, she hasn't been in her right mind. But maybe that's just how it was supposed to be from the start…

 

Luna approached Amber slowly, not wanting to startle her. "What are you thinking about? You've been super quiet…" She sat on the edge of the bed, the shift in weight finally getting Amber to look up.

 

"Lots of things…the shit show that my life has turned into….all that junk. But, hey….at least you're here. I could've gotten worse company." Amber chuckled as Luna swatted her leg. "What? Were you expecting something romantic?"

 

"You're horrible." Still, Luna couldn't keep the smile off of her face. "Does this mean…?"

 

Amber shrugged. "Maybe it does, maybe it doesn't." Luna took another swipe at her leg. "It's still hard to process! There's so many things to weigh here Luna!"

 

"What's there to think about? You basically confirmed that you have feelings for me! And it's clearly been mutual for a loooong time already Amber!" The soldier was pussyfooting around again, and it was riling Luna up. Amber really was quite an enigma at times. She'd be calculating and decisive one minute, then the next would have her flying into a situation by the seat of her pants. This was one moment where Luna wished she would've gone for the latter.

 

Not wanting to offend her any further, Amber tried to choose her next words as carefully as possible. "Well…what about Krystal? It seems like she still has a thing for you. And even though I don't want to jump to conclusions…it looks like you still have feelings for her as well…" It was hard for Amber to swallow, but she wasn't THAT thickheaded. The tension she felt between Luna and Krystal….she could've sliced through it with a knife.

 

This was EXACTLY the type of conversation Luna was hoping to avoid with Obaba. Her body tensed up, lips going dry and fingers shaking profusely. But…it was Amber, not Obaba. And she needed to know…regardless of how uncomfortable it made Luna feel.

__________

 

"She's changed…the Krystal in the present scares me. I-I don't know what she's gone through. But it doesn't e-excuse what…she did to you."

 

"Luna…"

 

"It's okay. I can finish this. I want you to hear it."

 

"….."

 

"We didn't really start out as friends, but I liked her…a lot. Me, Zone, Watts…the three of us had just barely begun planning our own liberation group. We talked about it all the time. But we seemed overly eager in comparison to the older resistance fighters. Battling Galbadian oppression for so long made so many of them cynical. And I don't hold that against them…but it hurt to know that they had so very little confidence in us at the time." A jaded smile slowly crept up Luna's face. There was a bitter taste in her mouth, but she continued. "Krystal…I saw her at the bar in Timber so many times, but we never really talked at first. She was always surrounded by the patrons, always listening to her drunken tales. Hehe…I eventually became one of her admirers. Then…one day, I guess I caught her eye, because she just started talking to me. And that's when we started to get to know each other on a personal level. She would talk to me about life in SM Garden…" Luna giggled at the thought of a particular memory. "Come to think of it…she always boasted about how she was one of only two gunblade specialists in the entire academy….and how the other one was just a salty loser with no friends."

 

Amber snorted. "That's typical of her. Why does she always have to be so damn-"

 

Blinking several times in surprise, Amber lifted a hand to her cheek, where not just a second ago Luna had kissed her. It was honestly like a hit and run, and Amber wasn't even sure it actually happened until she stole a glance at the younger woman. She was beet red in the face, fingers twirling a few strands of loose hair while her other hand played with the hem of her shirt. Amber didn't know how to respond, whether it was due to the shock or Luna's beauty…she couldn't decide. Such a simple action solidified everything for the mercenary.

 

She was a goner.

 

"Dummy…can I finish my story without you interrupting now?" Luna felt incredibly embarrassed…it was on the spur of the moment. But, seeing the look on Amber's face was just absolutely priceless. It was definitely worth it.

 

"Y-Yeah…go ahead." The sudden surge of emotions just made Amber feel weird. She looked away, but still paid attention.

 

"Well…Krystal was just so many things I wasn't. She was so confident in everything. Even when people put her down…she didn't care. She gave as good as she got. Sometimes even more…and when I told her about my plans, my dreams…she encouraged me to pursue it, and that I would always have an ally in her…no matter what. And…I fell in love. She was so sweet to me, and there were times when I just felt like I was walking on air, like I was seeing the world for the first time."

 

Amber clenched her fist, feeling a bit stupid for being jealous over a memory. The worst part of it all was that she could ACTUALLY remember a time when Krystal was like that. Well…not like she was with Luna, but she could still recall the days where they were able to talk to each other as human beings…and not as some obstacle with legs.

 

"Our time together didn't last…she had her duties and I had mine. We still exchanged letters now and again, but…I didn't realize…" Tears began to trickle down Luna's cheeks once more. "The Krystal Jung I once loved is gone. I want to believe my own lies…that maybe one day she'll be back to the way she was before. But…it's most likely just wishful thinking on my part."

 

The soldier was silent. She was angry about everything. She was angry for being so far away from home, angry for allowing Krystal to get the better of her. But most of all, she was angry at herself for unknowingly heaping more pressure upon a woman who was already hurting from day one. Amber had a shit ton of her own baggage, there was no denying that. But in regards to Luna…she was tactless from the start. They were both hurting in their own way…

 

"I shouldn't have belittled your feelings Luna," Amber said, her voice full of remorse. "We all have our crosses to bear, and I should've been more sensitive to that…I'm not Krystal, I'm not…as in sync with people as she is…"

 

Luna sniffled, her eyes puffing up. Upon realizing where Amber was going with her train of thought, she interrupted. "Amber, don't compare yourself to Krystal. You're two different people…." Luna scooted further up the bed, tears still dripping from her eyes. She mimicked Amber's current position, resting her head on the bed's headboard. Then, she took Amber's hand in her own, lacing their fingers together. She sighed in relief, as the soldier made no move to remove it. "…I wouldn't have it any other way."

 

"…Are you sure?" Amber wanted to tell Luna that she deserved better, but she knew she was just going to get scolded…

 

"I'm positive." The younger woman could see the clouds of doubt that were forming in the soldier's eyes. It was going to take a whole lot to convince her completely, but Luna didn't mind at all. At least now…they were getting somewhere.

 

They were both so caught up in their own worlds, that neither woman noticed the gathering storm outside. The sky began to darken, and large grey clouds blotted out the sun's rays. The fist few splatters of rain could be heard as they hit the roof of the small cottage.

 

Eventually, the rain intensified, drops coming down heavy like war drums. In a way, it perfectly suited the beating of Amber and Luna's hearts, and the inevitable hardships that would come their way. It was beautifully tragic…but it was a relationship that would be worth every bit of heartache that came their way.

 

Amber's hand was faster than her brain. She just mustered up her courage and pulled Luna close. Before they knew it, their lips were locked tight against each other. The kiss was soft, but there was an urgency to it, a silent plea from both to make sure that this was all real. It wasn't some cruel dream that they would wake up from…it was actually happening.

 

As they reluctantly pulled away, Luna, with her eyes still closed, rested her forehead against Amber's. Her lips were slightly parted, and her cheeks were flushed red with warmth. But, her face as a whole emitted such a blissful glow, and Amber once again found herself being stunned into silence.

 

"I…think that was our first real kiss," Luna spoke quietly. "It felt…official?"

 

Despite the weather outside, the two of them could hear each other, their close physical proximity attributing to that.

 

"Yeah," Amber smiled, her eyes filled with a kind of softness and passion that she hadn't had since her childhood. She felt alive again. "Heh…I didn't take it back this time…"

 

Luna giggled softly at the remark, remembering all too well the events that had transpired not too long ago. "Mmhmm…you shouldn't play with a lady's heart like that."

 

Amber's smile just grew even wider. The simplest things, like the tickle from Luna's breath, gave her inner peace. It was such a foreign feeling, but the soldier was able to fully embrace it. It felt wonderful. "I've learned from my mistakes…"

 

"Hehe…I know."

 

"Hey, Luna…?"

 

"Yeah?"

 

It wasn't as smooth as it was in her head. Again, words were not her strong point, but Amber sincerely hoped that they would still manage to convey her feelings towards Luna.

 

"I think…I might…love you a little bit."

 

Judging by the look that blossomed across Luna's face, Amber was sure that it did.

 

"Good…because I think I might love you a lot."

Notes:

Inspiration from Ed Sheeran and Shacam....*sighs*

Chapter 14: Into The Night

Summary:

Jessica and Sulli have a little chat.

"Have you lost your mind?! We didn't come all the way over here just to rile up a village!"

"You worry way too much Jessica. Quit being such a drama queen."

"I wouldn't have to be so fucking dramatic if you didn't always give me a reason to be!"

"Knock it off you guys!"

Sulli was sick of it. Jessica and Krystal had been arguing nonstop ever since they left the village. It was grating on her last nerves. "Would the two of you PLEASE just stop and listen to yourselves right now? You're being ridiculous."

"How the fuck am I being ridiculous? Jessica keeps blowing things out of proportion." Krystal sent a death glare in the older woman's direction. Unsurprisingly, she was getting one right back.

"Krystal," Sulli started in the nicest tone possible. "If we're going to be fair here, your…approach when it came to dealing with Obaba wasn't exactly…appropriate."

Krystal shook her head disapprovingly. "You always have to serve as some kind of voice of reason don't you?"

Sulli wasn't sure what to say at that point. Krystal wasn't listening to her. "Ever since you made that deal with Edea, you-"

"SORCERESS Edea," Krystal corrected her. "Show some respect Sulli."

The taller woman threw her hands up in exasperation. "You see?! This is what I'm talking about! You're changing! I'm your FRIEND Krystal! It hurts me to see you like this…"

"Forget it Sulli, she doesn't hear shit when anyone else talks." It was Jessica again. "She's probably just upset that her ex is fucking someone else now."

Knowing what was coming, Jessica quickly leapt into the air, gracefully landing several feet away from a furious Krystal, who had just unsheathed her gunblade with lightning speed, attempting to hit a nonchalant Jessica.

"Take that back Jessica….I'm warning you right now…"

The older woman looked at the fuming cadet with an uninterested gaze. "You're still such a child. But that witch is just making it worse."

"What the hell would you know?!" Krystal swung the Hyperion in a frenzy, hitting nothing but air yet not at all caring. "Luna wouldn't go for someone like Amber Liu. I don't even think Liu knows what an 'emotion' is!" She was in denial, and was perfectly aware of it. But the idea of Luna falling for her rival of all people…was almost impossible for her brain to process.

"Get with the program princess," Jessica sneered. "Luna can tell you're going batshit insane….we can all see it! Look at what you did to Liu back at the village….it'd be asking too much of her to hold on to someone who no longer exists." She balled up her fists in anger, nearly drawing blood as her fingernails dug into the palm of her hands. "Can't you see idiot? That BITCH of a sorceress-"

"ENOUGH!! STOP!!" Krystal stumbled backwards, clutching her head as it throbbed with a searing pain. She felt it then, in her small moment of clarity…something fueling her rage…or someone. It was naught but a whisper, but she could hear it. The pain travelled down to her chest, threatening to swallow up her heart.

"T-The fuck is wrong with me?" Her impulses were getting much more difficult to control. This was something else…it wasn't just anger. "I-I can't stay here….no, not here." Taking one final look at her companions, Krystal wandered off into the forest, her only source of illumination being the moon up above.

'Krystal! You don't know what's out there!" Sulli shouted out. "It's dangerous by yourself!"

The gunblade wielder ignored Sulli's cries, her figure slowly fading away into the shadows of the night.
__________

"I have to go after her Jessica!"

"And exactly what do you plan to do when you catch up with her? Can you actually help her?" Jessica was perfectly aware of how insensitive and cruel she was being, but it couldn't be helped. Sulli's feelings for Krystal have been painfully obvious for years. But she shouldn't throw her heart on a sword like this. Sulli was willing to be a martyr, but Jessica wasn't about to have it. "You don't have an answer do you? What is the point then? You have no plan, so stay put. If…Krystal ever finds herself again, then she will."

Sulli visibly winced at the older woman's biting remarks. Jessica always did have a reputation for never holding back, and while she was used to her doing it to other people, it stung like hell now that it was being directed towards her.

"I just-"

"You're chasing after a fantasy."

Another jab to the heart. If Sulli felt like keeling over…she didn't show it. Instead, she steeled herself, preparing her next words. It was going to be a low blow, but Sulli figured that Jessica might just change her mind if it was brought up.

"…She's your sister….she may not know that, but the least you can do is quit being so fucking aloof…she's struggling, and you know this Jessica."

Sulli could tell that she hit something. Jessica's face just did a hundred-meter sprint from shocked, then confused…until finally deciding to settle on annoyed.

"She doesn't need to know I'm her big sister. It's not going to help her psychological turmoil. Revealing it now would just make things even worse."

"I'm not ASKING you to tell her Jessica! I just want you to ACT like one!"

"Heh," Jessica chuckled, but there was no humor in it. Her voice was laced with nothing but bitterness and disappointment. "You think I don't care about Krystal. That's what you're getting at right?"

"Well, you sure as hell don't act like it," Sulli spat out angrily. She didn't care if Jessica tore her to shreds in anger. Krystal deserved better than this. It was like Jessica wasn't even trying.

"Unlike you, Sulli, I don't let my feelings dictate every decision I make. Living like that is just plain stupid." Jessica did not lay blame on the younger woman for speaking her mind. She actually respected her a little more for standing up to her. However, her immaturity and failure to grasp the more complicated matters needed to be addressed. "Don't think that some 'Power of Love' nonsense is enough. I think even Krystal herself is becoming aware she's fighting an entity that's robbing her of her free will."

"All the more reason why we should be supporting her instead of pushing her away!"

"We can't do SHIT Sulli! That damn sorceress…you've seen it firsthand by now. She already has her hooks in Krystal. While my baby sister's willpower is fierce, she ALLOWED Edea into her mind in the first place."

"W-What are you talking about?" Sulli felt her hairs stand on end, a shiver of dread passing through her body.

"Krystal…she wanted to help Luna out so badly…" Jessica lowered her head, eyes closing as she tried to paint a clearer picture for herself. "You know as well as I do how much Luna desired to free Timber from Galbadian oppression. My idiot sister never shut up about it…"

"Yeah…I remember…" She tried so hard to force it down, but Sulli could feel the currents of resentment towards Luna drowning her heart. She'd never felt so dead inside…

"But, obviously, it never came to pass. When Krystal heard about Amber's teaming being sent to Timber to help out some 'small resistance'….she knew right away that it was Luna. She figured it was her chance to make up for not being able to help her out before. So, she busted out of the disciplinary room and headed straight for Timber. 'I've gotta make it up to her!' is what I remember her telling me." Jessica glanced at Sulli to see if she was still listening. She felt some pity for the poor woman. This must have been hard for her to hear.

"…I'm alright…continue. Please." Sulli's expression was unreadable, but her voice sounded so…distant.

"Ah, let's see…well, you saw what happened on broadcast. Obviously, it was another failure. Krystal…she told me that was when the sorceress appeared before her. While it was true that she was there as a supposed ally to President Deling of Galbadia…I believe Edea had her own ulterior motives…Krystal is just another foot soldier to her…dispensable. The idiot COULD have resisted harder, but the temptation of fulfilling her lifelong dream, as well as gaining the power she so desperately sought after so she could help Luna out…it was enough for her to submit to Edea's control. The sorceress knew this, and fed upon her insecurities. Now, here we are."

"….."

"….."

"…I see. Would you…say that was accurate?" Sulli's tone was even, and her expression just as stony as before.

"Don't…quote me on it. It's just a theory of mine…" Though Jessica was almost sure she was right. She may have been a little off, but it was the only scenario that made any sense to her, and also kept in line with Krystal's personality, as well as her personal motivations.

"You're just trying to soften the blow Jessica. You stink at it, but…thank you for trying anyway." Sulli knew the older woman was more right than wrong. It must have been her sibling senses. Krystal didn't have to know they were related for it to take any sort of affect.

"Don't know what the hell you ever saw in my baby sister, but…in a way, I'm relieved to know there are still people out there who care about her…even now."

"….."

"That doesn't mean I'm giving you permission to go running after her. She's confused…and she might just end up hurting you." Jessica caught the flash of rebellion that briefly made itself known in Sulli's eyes. No, it wasn't going to happen. They had enough problems already.

"She must have gotten pretty far by now," Sulli whispered. "Even if I ran after her…I wouldn't know where to start." The taller woman scooted closer towards their campfire. The extra warmth provided little comfort. "…I hope she's alright."

"She is…" Jessica wasn't quite sure if Sulli was referring to Krystal's physical condition or her mental state, but either way the older woman knew that the gunblade specialist wasn't about to go down without a fight…her pride would never allow it.

"Jessica?"

"…what?"

"How'd you know?"

Jessica sighed, then reluctantly decided to sit down beside Sulli. She could already tell what this was about. "That Krystal is my sister…correct?"

Sulli nodded. "You were both so young when you got separated during the Sorceress War, I just figured…"

"I wasn't THAT young. At least I was old enough to remember…it helps though…that Krystal hasn't changed much over the years. She just got taller, heh."

"So…what happened though? I know Krys ended up at an orphanage, but what about you?"

"An elderly couple who had lived through the chaos…they were sifting through the rubble of what I assumed used to be their house. I recognized them straight away…neighbors. I was delirious, didn't know what the fuck was even going on. I just recall them seeing me standing there. My ears were still ringing from all the fighting that had just happened…but I think they were calling my name…I passed out." Jessica shook her head fiercely. "It was all a blur after that…I was eight years old when they took me in….left to join SM Garden when I was about fourteen, and I haven't seen them since then…"

"Huh?" Sulli seemed rather surprised. "You haven't talked to them at all?"

"…..no."

"Jessica…?"

"It's getting late, and I'm pretty tired. At least the rain stopped before we made camp….otherwise our supplies would be all wet…." Jessica stood up, dusting off her pants before heading towards her tent. "I'm going to get some shut eye for the time being. You've got sentry duty Sulli. But get inside your tent if the rain starts up again. And….if you see Krystal, give me a holler."

"Okay…" Her senior was clearly hiding things. There were so many blanks in her story that hadn't been filled. Sulli could tell, but pushing it was going to get her nowhere fast, especially with someone as stubborn as Jessica. She'd probably tell her when she was ready. So, for now, Sulli decided that it was best to just be agreeable.

Seeing that the fire was dying a little bit, Sulli picked up a few sticks they had collected earlier, and tossed it into the flames.

Aside from the crackling of the newly restored campfire and the occasional chirp of a bird, the night was awfully quiet. Sulli's heart felt so heavy and alone…

"…Oh, Krystal……"
__________

"ACHOOO!!"

"Told you not to dive in Amy. It's a cold fucking night and it was a small ass fish anyway. Not worth it."

"Aw, shut up Jackson! I'm suuuper hungry right now!"

A shivering and wet Amy Lee sneezed again, this time purposely aiming at her friend Jackson's direction.

The young man jumped out of the line of fire, a look of disgust on his face. "Seriously?!"

Amy stuck her tongue out at the angry blond. "Serves you right! Would've been a whole lot better if I didn't miss though…"

"That's enough you two. It's not safe here. We need to keep moving." The eldest of the SeeD trio, Victoria, emerged from the forests. Earlier, she had decided to scout ahead for their small group to check for any traces of civilization.

"Did ya see anything Instructor?" Jackson asked hopefully. "Camping was fun for the first few days, but I really need an actual bed right now. All these monsters prowling about at night aren't helping either…."

"Yeah!" Amy piped up. "I'm tired too! And hungry…AND cold! I'm getting sick Instructor!"

"Tch, that last part was your own fault…." Jackson muttered under his breath.

"What did you say?!"

"Amy, knock it off." Victoria ran a hand through her thick black hair, exasperated at their constant bickering. "And Jackson, stop antagonizing her. Look, I understand how you both feel. If the dark circles around my eyes are any indication, I'm worn out as well…"

Jackson merely smiled apologetically in response, while Amy could do nothing more than sneeze.

"Anyway…I went on ahead to see if there were any signs of human life. And lucky for you guys, there's a village just up ahead. The smoke coming from rooftop chimneys gave them away. Looks like we won't have to spend another sleepless night under the stars for a while."

"But…Instructor, are they friendly?" Amy asked rather worriedly. "I mean…what if it's some village of cannibals that will act all nice and welcoming at first…but then once we're well fed it's into the oven we go?!" Amy sneezed again, her theatrics getting cut short.

Jackson snorted at his dramatic friend. "You watch way too many horror flicks to be thinking something like that. Besides, we're SeeD! If we can beat up house sized flying monsters and creepy zombies that like puking their guts out, then we can handle some cannibal village!"

"Also adding to that, if Amber and Luna are being held hostage by these cannibals, then surely they'd need our help." An amused Victoria looked on as Jackson and Amy's faces twisted into looks of horror. "I'm kidding, goodness. I'm sure it's just a regular village. We've come this far to find our lost comrades…let's see it through shall we?"

"YEAH!!" Amy pumped a fist in the air. "Friends stick together. We've gotta find them no matter what!"

"Well, you know…unless Amber snapped and killed Luna or something," Jackson said half-jokingly. "Last I checked, our team leader and our client didn't exactly see eye to eye…"

Amy gasped, horrified at the thought. "Amber wouldn't go THAT far! You know how seriously she takes these assignments. She won't just off the client!"

"You two honestly seem to love jumping to conclusions," Victoria said, having no choice but to disrupt their conversation again. "I'm sure they're both fine. Besides…if everything between them has gone as I suspected…then I sense nothing but peaches and rainbows in our future."

Amy looked at Victoria bemusedly, taking a few seconds for her words to fully sink in. "Oooooh, yeah! I get it….I almost forgot about that." Amy started to giggle.

Meanwhile, Jackson watched the two women, still not quite getting it. "Huh? Am I missing something here?"

Victoria smiled, then placed an assuring hand on Jackson's shoulder. "Don't worry about it right now. Let's just head on towards the village…."

Chapter 15: Reunions and Revelations

"Sooooo…"

 

Luna tightened the grip she had on the fabric of her pants. It had already been a few hours since her relationship with Amber took a bit of a…drastic turn. And neither one of them was sure how to handle it now. Luna, for her part, couldn't get her face back to its normal color. She had a permanent blush that only intensified each time she so much as glanced in Amber's direction.

 

Amber, to her credit, would at least make an attempt to hold Luna's hand, only to pull back upon realizing how sweaty her palms had gotten. She could only look at her blushing companion with a visage full of confusion. She couldn't stand situations like this…it made her feel so vulnerable.

 

Fortunately for both of them, when Obaba came home that night, she had the decency to not ask them any questions, even though it was quite clear that something DID occur. The fact that the old healer didn't try to embarrass them was actually pretty amazing. Though she may have just been too tired to bother…or was secretly saving it as ammunition for a later scenario.

 

"…Some storm last night huh?" Amber tried breaking the ice again. "I mean, it was more like heavy rain, not an actual storm. Or if it is, it's…uh…" She decided to just give up. That was absolutely horrific…

 

Still, it seemed to have a positive affect on Luna. The younger woman inched closer towards her, until she was able to lay her head on Amber's shoulder. "…Thanks for trying dummy."

 

"You're welcome." Amber felt the corners of her lips tugging upwards as Luna pinched the skin on her forearm. "So how exactly are we going to go about this Luna…?"

 

"What do you mean?"

 

"Well…I don't think our relationship is the type everyone will have a positive reaction to. Besides the fact that we're both female, I'm still a SeeD you know…."

 

Luna frowned. They were talking about something at least. "It's not like we're going to flaunt it around everywhere Amber." She paused for a moment. "And…I'm not so insensitive that I won't take your position into account."

 

Amber raised a brow, an incredulous look on her face. "That's a change in tune right there, considering how frustrated you seemed to be about it before."

 

"I just wanted you to acknowledge your feelings!" Luna argued. "You know, so we wouldn't be in this constant push-pull scenario…I wanted 'us' Amber…." She tugged on the older woman's sleeve, a hurt look on her face.

 

The soldier heaved out a sigh. "Alright, I get it. There's no need for you to be doing that 'kicked puppy' impression. I'm sorry." Her good hand subconsciously caressed Luna's thigh, soothing her. When they didn't actually think about it, the physical intimacy came quite naturally….

 

"Good…" After all the arguments and insults, Luna was thrilled that they had managed to get this far. Sure, it clearly wasn't going to be a smooth transition, but she didn't mind. At least they were together now.

 

"…Amber?"

 

"Yeah?"

 

"What do you think…your friends will say about us?"

 

"You mean becoming a couple?"

 

"…Yes."

 

Amber contemplated that for a minute. She always considered what the student body in general would say about…well, any move that she made, regardless of what it was. But, how the closest people to her would react, particularly Victoria…she never actually considered it.

 

"Well, Amy never struck me as the judgmental type, at least not in this sense. Jackson will probably take the longest to get used to it, but I don't think he'd really mind. Instructor So-I mean, Victoria…I know it feels strange…wanting her approval and all that…but I hope that she does."

 

"Hmmm…"

 

"What?" Amber blinked rapidly. "Was it something I said?"

 

Luna giggled, a little amused as she noted how Amber's insecurities were easier to spot now. She was defrosting. Slowly, but at least it was happening. "You really care about them, that's all."

 

"H-Huh?"

 

"Don't play dumb! It's the way you spoke just now…it held such fondness to it. Especially when you mentioned Victoria."

 

"Look, it's just…ah, shit. I-I didn't have the best childhood alright? I never really had a solid…parental type figure. At least until Victoria came along."

 

Luna shifted uncomfortably, feeling as though she may have touched upon something personal without really meaning to. "Amber, wasn't there…anyone? Anyone at all that you could rely on?" She hoped that she wasn't pushing her luck.

 

"….."

 

The soldier was aware that Luna's heart was in the right place, but the ONE person to come to mind before Victoria came into the picture…she could barely remember her face.

 

"I'm sorry Luna, but I'm drawing a blank here. And even if I did remember something, I don't know how far I'd be willing to talk about it. It just…feels weird, you know?"

 

"…Does it hurt?" Luna got the feeling that this was as far as she was going to get with Amber for the time being, but one more question shouldn't be too bad. "Not being able to recall her?"

 

"….Yeah. Like…I'm grieving for a stranger, but it really hurts to think about it."

 

The admission came quietly, and without fanfare. Amber quickly lapsed back into silence, and Luna took that as a sign that they were officially done with the topic.

__________

 

"Instructor, you lied!"

 

"How so Amy?"

 

"You said we were almost there!"

 

"…We barely left camp. Calm down drama queen."

 

"What do you have against me Jackson?!"

 

As Jackson and Amy continued to squabble, Victoria pressed on ahead, like always. The familiar sound of people going about their day was getting louder. Despite Amy's previous string of complaints, they really were almost there.

 

"We wouldn't be in this mess if it wasn't for you!" Amy shoved Jackson away with her shoulder.

 

The blond mimicked the movement, shoving her right back. "How is this my fault? You always have to blame me for everything!"

 

"Well who else is there to blame?"

 

"You-"

 

"Hush," Victoria interrupted. "We're here."

 

"Here where?" The two younger SeeDs questioned in unison.

 

"The village." Victoria pointed to the large wooden gates that served as the entrance to the modestly sized community. It was open, with the townsfolk coming and going constantly. "Busy little place isn't it?"

 

"YEEESSS!!!" Amy ran towards the gates at top speed, with not a care in the world. "CIVILIZATION!!"

 

Several of the villages hurriedly stepped out of the way as Amy nearly barreled through them.

 

"Man, another weirdo within the span of a few days," One man said to another. "Obaba still has her hands full with the last couple of folks to come by here."

 

The other villager nodded in agreement. "Yeah, but I think she the said the tomboy has gotten better though. It's the girly one that looks like she barely gets any sleep. I saw her outside with Obaba not too long ago. The bags under her eyes were damn deep…"

 

Victoria, who couldn't help but overhear their conversation, perked up. A glimmer of hope ignited within her soul, but she didn't want to get overly excited about it quite yet. She could be wrong…

 

"Excuse me, gentlemen?"

 

The two men turned to regard the raven-haired beauty. One of them smiled, greeting her with a wave, while the other one took off his straw hat and did a slight bow.

 

"Welcome to our humble little village ma'am. How may we be of service?" The one with the straw hat asked.

 

"Well, I apologize…but I heard snippets of your conversation. You see, we're looking for our comrades. And, well, the people you described…could you tell me more about them?"

 

The men looked surprised, but were nonetheless willing to cooperate. They could tell that the newcomers were an odd bunch, but they didn't seem to mean any harm.

 

"Sure thing ma'am," the balding villager without a hat spoke this time. "We'll help you out."

 

"Thank you," Victoria said, sighing in relief. "Now, could you tell me more about them? Like what they looked like? Anything?"

 

"Hmm, well…the girly one with long hair was a lovely lass, though she was a bit on the nervous side. I guess she was stressed out. You see, by the time they got here, her travelling companion, a more tomboyish youngster, was in pretty bad condition. The kid had a ice cold pair of eyes. Looked like they could pierce through your soul. It was pretty unnerving, but we figured she was a warrior of some kind. We thought they'd get some medicine and leave within a day. But….things got worse for them within minutes of their arrival. Long story short….their stay got extended."

 

"Hey, don't forget that strange blade she was carrying with her," the straw hatted man chimed in. "Now THAT was a beautiful weapon!"

 

"Ah, yes! The sword! It was such an odd looking thing. Had this curved hilt that looked like a gun, trigger and everything!"

 

That was all Victoria needed to know. The gunblade was such a unique weapon…and judging by their descriptions, there was no way that the wielder was Krystal.

 

"Thank you so much gentlemen. Say, you wouldn't happen to know where I can find these two travelers now would you?"

 

"Huh? Oh!" The balding man pointed to a small hut at the top of a hill. "That's where our village healer Obaba resides. She's been taking care of the girls ever since their unfortunate mishap."

 

Victoria bowed her head. "You have my deepest gratitude. Thank you again!" She ran towards the hut, now absolutely certain that it was Amber and Luna.

 

Jackson, who had been busy sampling the local cuisine with Amy, saw Victoria run right past them. "Huh? Instructor?"

 

"Both of you! Follow me!" The older woman yelled out.

 

Amy and Jackson looked at each other, shrugging.

 

"What's gotten into the Instructor?" Jackson asked curiously, a piece of meat still hanging out of his mouth.

 

"No idea, but it must be important!" Amy hopped off the bench they were sitting on, and started following after Victoria. "Come on! We've gotta go!"

 

"Okay, okay!"

__________

 

Amber had slipped back into the warmth of the woolen blanket, feeling tired again. Her body was still rather sore, but at least she was making some progress.

 

Obaba came in not too long ago asking Luna to help her gather more herbs. While they sprang apart when Obaba opened the door, Amber was certain that she saw them cuddling. The old woman STILL didn't say anything about it and now Amber was getting paranoid…

 

"Ugh, maybe the old lady plans to embarrass us in one go…"

 

Just then, a loud knocking on the door startled Amber out of her thoughts.

 

"Hmph…Obaba doesn't need to knock…" She reached for her gunblade, being as quiet as possible as she climbed out of bed. The knocking was growing more desperate.

 

"Amber?! Luna?!"

 

The soldier froze up.

 

"It couldn't be…" Amber wanted it to be them. More than anything at that moment, she wanted it to be them.

 

"V-Victoria?" her voice came out shaky and frail. It sounded nothing like her at all. "Is that you?"

 

"Oh my-Amber!" The woman on the other side of the door was screaming now.

 

Amber couldn't take it anymore. She quickly unlocked the door, swinging it open so hard that it could have flown off its hinges.

 

Standing there was a wide-eyed Victoria Song, and right behind her…an astonished looking Jackson and Amy, who seemed to be on the verge of tears.

 

Victoria was the first to move, hugging the wounded soldier, but being mindful of her injuries.

 

"Aw, man," Jackson wiped a stray tear that rolled down his face." I'm gonna need a group hug now!" The young man was the next to envelop Amber.

 

"M-ME TOO!!" Amy bawled out, running up to the three SeeDs.

 

Amber's gunblade fell to the floor with a 'clang.' She could hardly believe that they were really here, safe and in one piece. "Y-You guys actually found me…" She could feel the tears rolling down her cheeks, but she paid them no mind. Amy and Jackson…she had grown to care for them so much in such a short time, even if she was reluctant to admit it. And Victoria…probably the first person closest to her age to make her feel genuinely welcome when she had first arrived in SM Garden. "But…how? And why?"

 

"The hell is going on in here?!"

 

The group's heartwarming little circle of tears was disrupted by a confused voice.

 

Peaking over Jackson's shoulder, Amber realized that Obaba had finally arrived, with an equally confused Luna in tow.

 

Amy was the first to spring away from the group hug, as if to prepare for a fight. "We're taking Amber whether you like it or not old lady!"

 

"Amy!" Victoria scolded. "I think…that's Lady Obaba."

 

"Oba-what?"

 

"Amy," Amber tried not to laugh. "Obaba is the village healer. She's the one who helped me out with my injuries."

 

"Oh! Shit…" Amy gave Obaba an apologetic look, suddenly feeling awkward. "Hehe…sorry about that. And kind of…sort of threatening you."

 

"Way to make an ass out of yourself Amy," Jackson snickered. "Beat up an old woman. How heroic."

 

"Rrrgh, shut it Jackson! It was an honest mistake!"

 

"I take it that these numbskulls are your friends?" Obaba asked, her tone rather dry. "I'm getting too old for this…"

 

"Uh…"

 

In the midst of all the verbal sparring, Luna shyly made her way to Victoria.

 

The older woman, who at that point left Amber to deal with Jackson and Amy, finally noticed the young freedom fighter.

 

"Luna! Thank goodness you're safe as well! Are you hurt at all?" Victoria looked over the younger woman, spinning her around to check for any obvious signs of damage, much to Luna's amusement.

 

"I'm fine, thank you. And I'm glad you're all safe." Luna smiled at Victoria, then at Amy and Jackson, who finally noticed her presence.

 

"Luna! You're okay!" Amy cheered. She gave the girl a tight squeeze, hopping up and down as they hugged.

 

"Man, no lie Luna…I mentioned this to the Instructor and Amy, but…haha, I thought our squad leader here ended up killing you or something!" Jackson grinned, ruffling the short woman's hair. "Seriously glad you're safe though!"

 

"Hehe…" Luna laughed nervously, throwing a cautious glance at Amber, who's expression became unreadable.

 

"Tch, kill her huh?" Obaba snorted. "Out with it twerps! Go ahead and tell your pals over here that you've been spending your time getting on my nerves and playing tonsil hockey when ya think I'm not looking!"

 

While Luna was once again doing her impression of a tomato, Amber groaned, shaking her head. She knew Obaba was just waiting for the right moment…

 

"T-Tonsil hockey? What??" Jackson eyed the old woman suspiciously. "Is something wrong?"

 

"HA! Ask them boy. Go on." Obaba headed into the kitchen, a satisfied smirk on her lips.

 

Victoria's eyes twinkled with understanding. She already knew what they were going to say. It was a feeling that had been gnawing away at her gut ever since she them together in the ballroom. Destiny was such a strange thing…

 

Though Amy was less oblivious than Jackson, she wasn't as certain as Victoria, despite Obaba's rather colorful choice of words. They HAVE discussed the possibility of a romance between Amber and Luna before…but it was just talk. And yet here they were…for once, the quirky SeeD wasn't sure what to say. She would be happy for them, no matter what. That much she was sure of. But, rather than jumping the gun, she would wait for Amber and Luna to outright confirm it themselves.

 

"You want to go get Obaba and just make her do all the talking?" Amber whispered to Luna.

 

"Amber…" Luna gave the soldier a disapproving glare. "After what she just said….you know she's just going to make everything sound dirtier than it is…"

 

"Eh, good point…"

 

"So…tell them." Luna decided to stand behind Amber, as the blush on her cheeks returned with a vengeance. "You've known them longer…I think they'll take it better from you."

 

"But-"

 

"I'm the client. Remember?"

 

Amber fought off the urge to do a facepalm. She didn't know her creed would come back to bite her in the ass like this. Still…her pride as a soldier simply wouldn't allow her to go back on her word.

 

"Listen everyone," Amber addressed her fellow SeeDs. "When we got separated, a lot of things happened. Some…weird things, confusing things, bad things…" She took a second to turn around and look at Luna. "…And good things."

 

"Uhmm…" Jackson was still at a loss.

 

"Shhhh!" Amy felt like she was being left in suspense, as if their life just turned into some sort of soap opera.

 

Victoria still hadn't said a word, her lips forming a small smile.

 

"Look, the dynamic of my relationship with Luna has changed. She's no longer just some annoying client-" Amber winced as Luna stepped on her foot. "S-She's my…girlfriend. And just so there's no misunderstandings…we're romantically involved. Not friends who are girls…actual GIRLFRIENDS."

 

The room was silent, minus Obaba's insane cackling from the kitchen. Amber groaned again. The old healer was enjoying this too much.

 

"Wooooohoooo!!" Amy broke through the silence with a deafeningly loud cheer. "Instructor Song was right the whole time. I can't believe this!"

 

"Wait…what?" Amber stared at Victoria, curious. "What's Amy talking about?"

 

"You're not surprised at all?" Luna piped up.

 

Victoria chuckled. She had to admit that their shock was rather endearing. "Was I supposed to be? There was always something about the two of you…when I spotted you at the ballroom, I mean. I've never seen Amber look so mesmerized before. If only she paid at least half as much attention in my class as she did to you in that one night, then maybe I wouldn't have had to yell at her so much over the years. Hehe, you were practically her scenery that day Luna…"

 

Luna didn't know how to respond. The night they first met, she never realized Amber had been staring at her THAT intensely…

 

"I-I caught you glancing at me a few times, but I figured you were just looking at everybody. I didn't think that…." The shorter woman felt the heat rising to her cheeks for the umpteenth time that day. She pressed her face to Amber's back in an attempt to hide it.

 

"…." Amber, if it was even possible, was blushing harder than Luna. She was glad that the younger woman was behind her. "…Your dress stood out. That's all. Way too many fancy outfits and graduation uniforms. You stuck out like a sore thumb….."

 

"…It's not because you thought I was attractive?"

 

"…You already know the answer….why do you want me to say it out loud?"

 

"Because it would be nice to hear once in a while…." Luna gently wrapped her arms around Amber's mid-section, her smile widening as she felt the soldier's body start to relax.

 

"Man…" Jackson pulled at his hair, still trying to wrap his head around the whole thing. "This is a LOT to take in you guys…I mean, we barely just found you, a-and now all this? It's all moving so fast!"

 

"Shush Jackson!" Amy said, annoyed. "Look at them! They're adorable! Don't be such a hater!"

 

"I'm not hating!" Jackson argued. "I'm stressed out over here! I'm not a sponge. I can't just absorb every bit of info thrown at me right away!"

 

"It's okay Jackson," Amber said. "Just take your time with it okay? I know this wasn't tactfully explained, and you have every right to be upset. I'm sorry."

 

"Listen chief…it's got nothin' to do with you liking girls," Jackson reassured her. "It's just…so out of the blue. You guys were fighting like cats and dogs last time we saw you. Are you really sure that you like each other that way? It wasn't just because of all the shit you went through by yourselves?"

 

"You're such a killjoy Jackson!" Amy pinched his ear, earning her a high-pitched yelp from the young man. "Stop dwelling on the negative so much!"

 

Luna finally chose to step forwards, wanting to give her two cents on the matter. "Jackson…I know me and Amber haven't known each other for very long. But I assure you, our feelings are genuine. If anything, the hell we had to endure just caused us to realize things sooner rather than later…."

 

"…I want to believe that, I really do." Jackson muttered quietly.

 

"Well…" Amber approached him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Hopefully in time, we'll be able to prove it to you."

 

Jackson was silent as her stared at Amber. He then looked to Victoria and Amy, who nodded their heads slowly. Though he still felt conflicted about the whole matter, he could feel something akin to a spark of hope in his heart.

 

"Thanks chief…"