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 ing 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 b 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 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 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 ing 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 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 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."

___________

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.

3) I didn't want to make an OC either. It's just not something I'm into. A well-developed OC would make a great character, but a lot of the time they become Mary Sues or Marty Stus. For a minor character, maybe I'll make one, but never for a major role. Don't trust myself enough with character development yet.

That's about it. Hope you enjoyed. Feedback would be helpful. You know, how you feel about this chapter, all that good stuff.

Also, if you don't know the roles that Wein, Ernest, Xenos, and Romina will be playing....feel free to guess. I actually left several hints in this chapter.