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 . 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 , 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 . 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 ing 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 ! 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 it 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 waves 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 couldn't 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 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 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 hand 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.

__________

Notes: No, they will not become a couple in the next chapter. Making that perfectly clear. It's not that easy. Especially after Amber regains her senses...

Not sure how I feel about this chapter as a whole....because my brain flew south for the winter while I was writing. It was extremely frustrating. Writer's block. Big time. Also, Final Fantasy XV came out yesterday....and I got distracted from posting this haha

Anyway, please give me your thoughts, feedback, and what you'd like see in the future, all that good stuff. In the meantime, I'll be working on the first chapter of my new story, so get ready for that!