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 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 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 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 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 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." They 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?"

__________

Notes: Planned on doing a double update since Chapter 6 is pretty much finished anyway, but...way too many mistakes. I'll try to fix it later on and see if I can post it up later tonight or tomorrow. Depends I guess.

Not particularly happy with either chapter since I had to switch things around. I wanted to get Luna's introduction as a permament cast member out of the way, but in doing so I had to move around the dream sequence. Plus, it's extremely frustrating that I can't think of anyone to replace Laguna....