"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 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 …"

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 …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. 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 said hand almost immediately when she felt Amber flinch. "I'm sorry! Does it still hurt?"

"Yeah…but it only gets 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 ?!"

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 ing 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…"

" 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 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……."

__________

Notes: Toooooorn between two lovers! Feeling like a fooool......*coughs* eh, old song, but it might as well be the theme for this particular chapter.

Hope everyone's new year is off to a great start!