Disclaimer: I do not own Starcraft or its affiliates.

Pocket Watch

The story of how Cain and Anthony met.

December 25th, Year 12

Bam! Bam! Bam!

The bullets slammed into the painted wooden plank, sending parts of it flying as the board quivered slightly from the impact.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

Shell casings clattered to the floor from the smoking blaster pistol, the metal hot from the gunpowder ignited within.

Bam! Click.

General Cain of the Terran Dominion grunted in annoyance as the blaster pistol's hammer slammed on an empty chamber, indicating the end of the clip. He leaned over and pressed a red button on the side of the window and waited as the target board moved closer for inspection. Upon seeing the results of his shooting, he cursed. "Dammit!"

Six of the shots were square in the forehead area. The seventh drifted to the side a bit, theoretically piercing the enemy's skull all the same. But to him, it was less than perfect. And if he were to protect the Commander from the threat of aliens, he had to be spotless with his shooting, especially if it was just at a shooting range. "Not good enough!" The blond yelled, angrily slamming the button again as a new target board was swapped in.

"Don't get frustrated, that's how you actually lose accuracy." Cain turned to see an unfamiliar red headed woman strolling up to him, one army in a cast tucked against her body while the other waved. "Hello Cain."

"Who are you, and how do you know my name?" The General growled, meaningfully cocking his blaster as he took aim at the practice target. "I'm busy if you haven't noticed."

The woman snorted and turned to the target, stepping up to the window right next to Cain's. In one smooth and practiced motion, her free hand snatched up the sidearm from her thigh holster and fired one handed. BAM! BAM! BAM!

Splinters of wood went flying everywhere as the painted board exploded from the bullets' impact, the organic material giving in to the pure force placed behind the shots. Cain watched in shock as the newcomer smirked at the all but destroyed target, raising up their pistol to blow smoke off its barrel. Then he saw what model it was: A Flak Pistol.

"Woah, woah, are you alright?!" The General exclaimed, shoving his blaster pistol back in its holster and dashing over to the red headed woman. He grabbed the flak pistol from her hands and slammed it onto the counter, gingerly examining her fingers for any possible recoil damage. To his great surprise, she responded to his treatment by socketing her knee into his gut.

"The hell do you think you're doing, touching me like that!" She yelled, trying to hide her red face as Cain stumbled back, not in pain but from shock. "You don't go grab girls by the hand all of the sudden! That's harassment!"

"Okay, okay, chill!" The blond man held up his hands in a surrender fashion, looking oddly at her unbroken hand. "But tell me: how did you fire the flak pistol barehanded?"

"Huh?"

"Flak pistols are known infamously for breaking their owner's bones when used," The Marine General explained, pointing at the said weapon. "Even using power armor, I'll have trouble using one! I only know one person who could use it one handed, and that's because he's a regular giant."

"Well, now you know two people." She huffed, taking the flak pistol and holding it out to Cain. "Here. Reload it for me."

"Huh? Why do you need me to do it?"

The woman sighed and waggled the arm in a cast meaningfully. "You know, it's kinda hard to reload a weapon with only one hand."

"Oh, right. Sorry." The blond man took the offered weapon and pulled back its slide. The depleted ammo clip popped out smoothly and Cain robotically pressed in three more rounds into its top, ensuring that the clip was full before pressing it back into the handle. A click sounded and the Marine pulled back on its slide once again, making sure that the weapon was theoretically operational before handing it back.

"Thanks." The red head took the sidearm and holstered it on her thigh. "You seem like you need to blow off some stress about Commander Anthony. Don't worry, he'll be fine! My sister hasn't botched an operation yet!"

"Your sister?" That piqued Cain's interest and he turned to look at the woman in a new light. "Your sister is General Thea? That would make you…"

She grinned and pointed a thumb at herself. "Yep. I'm Commander Madeline."

O O O

"So what's up with your arm?" The Marine General asked, passing his superior the Styrofoam cup of hot coffee. "I don't see how you could supposedly have saved the Commander with only one working hand."

"Oh, I normally have a power glove that allows me to use this." Madeline meaningfully moved her sling, taking a sip of the coffee and exhaling deeply as she let the warm liquid trickle down her throat. "Say what you may about the food, but the cafeteria's drinks are at the very least good."

Indeed, the two were currently sitting at a booth in the Asgard's cafeteria, the positioning of the table allowing them a private corner of sorts. There were other people eating and chatting in the middle table area, but none of them seemed to be very interested in Cain and Madeline's chat. So, in a way, it was just a private conversation between the General and the Terran Commander. "What caused your arm to just go limp?" Cain asked with some interest, drinking from his own cup of coffee as well.

"I…my world isn't exactly as nice as the one you came from." Madeline seemed to grimace as painful memories were drudged up, things that nobody should ever have to experience ever. "Let's just say that, long story short, I lost usage of my arm when something broke it…"

"Woah, woah, wait. How do you lose an arm when it breaks?" The General pressed on and the red head shook her head, obviously not wanting to discuss it further. "Fine then, but…I can tell you're a soldier. You hold your cup ready to throw it at a moment's notice into my face, and I can sense your foot cocked at the angle to take me off guard."

"Heh, I can say the same for you." The Commander winked as she glanced downwards at Cain's holster. "It may not look like it to outsiders, but you are in a position where you could snatch up your blaster pistol with one hand, kick the table with one foot, and throttle me with your free hand as well as a secondary blow to my gut."

"I guess that we are both soldiers then." A chuckle passed through both of the veterans, both of them already understanding whatever pain the other knew. They both instinctively raised their plastic cups and toasted one another, downing more coffee in one gulp. Then, Madeline rummaged around her belt and drew out two brown and fat cigars, offering one to Cain. "You smoke?" He remarked, taking the stick and sticking it in his mouth.

"You'd be surprised by how many cigars survived my world's apocalypse." With a nimble flick of her fingers, the Terran Commander drew a flame using a battered silver lighter and lit up her own smoking item. "You need a light?"

"I do. I normally don't carry one on me." The blond leaned in and lit up his cigar using the fire from Madeline's lighter, inhaling and exhaling deeply as smoke drifted from his mouth. Then the General coughed violently, placing his mouth into the crook of his arm as his lungs got settled on the feeling. "Damn, I ought to do this more. But I don't think that Anthony would approve."

"Well, according to my sister's initial blood tests, he is apparently an alcoholic."

"He is." Cain smirked as he recalled how many times he had found his superior surrounded by empty whiskey bottles. "Apparently, being immune to getting drunk gives him the excuse to drink a lot of alcohol. It's quite weird when I think about it now."

"How so?" Madeline asked, lifting the cigars from her lips with her working arm. "Isn't it normal for someone to develop a bad drinking habit when they're leading a nation?"

"Yeah, but here's the thing." The Marine General glanced sideways and leaned in, practically whispering the words. "That's not the Anthony I grew up with."

Madeline's eyebrows shot up as she slowly processed the words. Unbeknownst to Cain, her cigar puff was most abnormal as she took in a rather long draught, trying to drown in her mind memories of another person. One of Holly, a normal teenager from the planet Earth. Someone who was blissfully unaware of the need for rationing, the need to kill for survival, the needed act of severing one's nerves-

"Hey. Are you listening?" Cain's voice sounded and Madeline shook herself out of her stupor. "You seem to be blanking out. I don't blame you if you do, it's not a very interesting-"

"No, please, I want to hear it," The Terran Commander said in a very forceful voice, her fingers slightly quivering as she took in another deep draught of her cigar. She needed something to keep her mind away from the old Holly. "I'm…interested. Please, tell me the story of how you and Commander Anthony met."

"…very well." Cain sighed and leaned back in his chair, absently placing the brown cigar in his coffee cup as he recalled the events. "Well, it started on a rainy afternoon I guess…"

O O O

The burial had taken place hours ago, and yet, a young blond boy was still kneeling down in front of two freshly dug graves. He was soaking wet from the rain that cascaded down around him, soaking into the dirt and creating mud stained clothing (not that it mattered whether or not the practical rags were ruined). And yet, Cain didn't care.

"Mom…Dad…" He murmured, placing a hand on the mud. "You…why'd you have to leave me? Why?!" He sobbed through tears, the bodily fluids barely indistinguishable from the rain.

As he was too busy crying, Cain didn't even realize somebody was coming until they spoke, positioned right next to him. "Your father did what he thought was best for the town," A calm and smooth voice answered Cain's rhetorical question and the blond looked up.

A young black hair boy was standing there, cloaked in what looked to be a woolen robe. Cain immediately recognized the face to be that of the town mayor's son: Anthony. A prominent young lad, already looking to perhaps succeed his father one day as mayor of this small area. "What do you want?" Cain asked, venom dripping from his voice as he stood up slowly. "Don't you have something better to do than hang around riff-raff like me?"

"No, not really!" Anthony chuckled, surprising Cain with his easy going attitude. "But I think that I can sleep easier tonight if you take this." Reaching under his robes, the black hair boy rummaged around until he pulled out a small black bundle. It unfolded to reveal a matching woolen cloak, something that could keep Cain warm in this rain storm. "Here you go!"

"Keep it, I don't need it." The blond bitterly said, turning back to his parents' grave. "Leave me to mourn in peace. Can you at least respect that privacy?"

"Alright, alright, I can respect that." Squelching footsteps were heard as Anthony presumably walked away from the drenched orphan, leaving Cain alone. But then, he felt something warm coat his shoulders and head and realized it was the woolen cloak Anthony had presented. Cain whirled around and saw the black hair boy still there, but this time closer. He was…praying? "What are you doing?"

"Paying my own respects," Anthony replied, never lifting his head. "These two souls gave their mortal lives to protect this town. That is certainly something that I feel deserves my respect, no?"

"Protecting this town? It was a bandit raid, plain and simple as that," Cain bitterly replied, not even bothering to disguise the disgust in his voice. At the very least…his hand unconsciously touched the dagger at his belt, remembering what had stained it only a few days ago. "This world punishes the valiant and rewards the greedy; Look at that Lord Gilbert fellow. Living in a castle separated from his own people!"

"Indeed he does. However, I believe in living with the people you are ruling." The mayor's son turned and held out a hand to the orphan. "That's why I'm offering you a place to stay with me at my home. I know that your home was destroyed during the raid- you need someplace to stay."

Cain blinked in surprise, but then snarled and shook his head. "I'm not placing myself at your beck and call! I'll build my own home with my own hands! I'll do so on the remains of my old home!"

Anthony sighed, but instead of pressing further, he reached into his robes again and then took out a sheet of parchment, making sure that water didn't drench it as he held it out. "Then you'll need this. It's the deed to the land that your parents worked on."

"Fine!" Cain snatched it up and roughly tucked it under his shirt. "I'll show you that I don't need anyone's help then!"

"If you insist." With a smooth flick of the wrist, Anthony reached into his pocket and drew out a golden circular item, looking specifically at the face of it. The blond caught a glimpse of its odd face, consisting of numbers and black arrows. "I must get going now. I'll see you another time then."

O O O

"Hold up." Madeline frowned and tapped the table. "Why did Anthony have the deed to your parents' land? Surely it must be yours by birthright in your world."

"It is. By law, all possessions of the parent go to the eldest child if no other contradictory documentation arises," Cain agreed. "So, think about it: how could he technically own the land my parents plow on?"

"I don't see how…unless…"

"That's right. My parents didn't actually own the land; they were just tenants living on it. So, in a way, Anthony actually gifted me a ridiculous fortune. Of course, I didn't know that at the time, and he carefully worded his statement.

"I would eventually find out, but not until much later. By then, he'd already started bugging me…"

O O O

The young blond grunted as he hefted the wooden beam, able to lift it off the ground and shift it a few inches before being forced to drop it. He sighed, using the collar of his ragged shirt to wipe off the sweat that had formed from working with large heavy materials. But, as Cain stepped back to admire his work, he could already see the shape of a house forming. It was hard labor, but it was starting to perhaps pay off.

Friends of his parents had occasionally dropped by to help out, but they often only worked a few moments before taking off, apparently finding better to do. Cain admitted, building a house alone was a very difficult and laborious task, yet he could not dare stoop down and beg for shelter at another home. To make things worse, the first signs of winter were coming- the air was getting chilly and the forest was beginning to lose leaves. He needed to finish this house fast, before the first snow came down.

Unbeknownst to him, Cain would receive aid from the one he insulted. "That's an amazing house you're building there," A familiar voice remarked and the blond boy sighed, ignoring the obvious presence of Anthony as he continued shifting wooden beams. "You did this in what, a week? That's pretty hardworking of you!"

"Yes, because unlike a few certain others, I can do manual labor without flinching away from it," Cain dryly responded as he worked, never taking his eyes off his hands. "And this thing needs to be done quickly, I don't want to end up sleeping in the snow."

"…how many people are working with you on this construction? Like, actual dedicated effort?"

"So far, I'm the only one who's building my own house." He grunted as he lifted yet another heavy piece of wood, but this time had the task of moving it to the other side of the framework. It was going to be tough but, he could-

All of the sudden, the beam lightened up on its load and Cain blinked in surprised. He craned his head and saw, with a jolt, that it was Anthony lifting up the other side of the construction material. Instead of the black hair boy's normally formal and stiff clothes, the grinning mayor's son was wearing an outfit that was not unlike that of Cain's: raggedy and loose fitting, made for hard labor. Had he come dressed in these clothes? "What the-? Anthony, I thought you detested manual work!" Cain exclaimed.

"So I did. But, if to help a friend out, I'll gladly get sweaty. So where do you need this?"

"…over here. Just follow me, don't touch anything dangerous without my permission, and try to avoid whacking people on the head when you swing this thing."

O O O

"Alright, that should be it for the day," Cain triumphantly said, clapping his hands together as he and Anthony looked over their fruits of labor. The house was now looking even better than before, with an additional dedicated set of hands tremendously aiding in its construction. At the very least, it had four shaky walls. "You ought to be heading home now. Darkness will fall upon us soon."

"Oh, I'm staying with you until your house is finished!" Anthony excitedly said, walking over to what looked to be a bag of sorts and fishing out a camping bag. "That way, I can maximize the time with which I can help you build!"

"What?" The blond asked incredulously, watching the naïve boy drag the portable bedroll into the half-finished house. "Okay, this is getting ridiculous now. What gave you the idea that you were going to sleep here?!"

"Well, I thought you might need some company, especially on these long nights before winter," Anthony explained, setting up the thick roll of blankets and padding. "And since nobody else seems to be coming, I decided that I would sleep and work with you!"

"But, but-" Now, Cain's mind was struggling to come up with an excuse for the mayor's son to dissociate himself with a mere peasant. "Won't your father be angered?"

At this, the black hair boy laughed and shook his head. "My father knows that I sneak off often, and yet he does nothing about it. Why, you may ask? Because he supports my actions, as he knows that I'm trying to help the people."

"Are you really helping the people, or are you just annoying them?"

"Well, spend the night with me and you'll find out."

O O O

Against his better judgment, Cain reluctantly allowed Anthony to sleep in the half built house with him. It was actually quite peaceful and quiet that night, the only noise being the gentle snores from the black hair boy. And even that somehow settle Cain, the sound of somebody else nearby instead of the absolute silence he had to endure beforehand.

When the blond woke up at the crack of dawn, he quietly got up and started a fire outside the house, making sure that the slumbering companion in the open house wasn't woken up. When the black hair boy woke up, he did so to the smell of roasted pork and immediately salivated, crawling out of his bed roll and into the gradually growing light of the morning. "Food?" Anthony drooled. "Coffee?"

"Well, I've figured out a way to make you wake up. And I don't know how to make coffee." Cain gave a slight chuckle as he gingerly took a slice of the pork off the fire and offered it to Anthony. The black hair boy took it with his teeth and rummaged around, digging out a small bag of beans and canteen of water. Within a few minutes, the aroma of steamed coffee beans was wafting around and the two young men had mugs of the warm liquid.

"Ah, nothing like a nice drink to get you going in the mornings," Anthony remarked, taking in a deep sip of the rejuvenating drink. "Don't you agree Cain?"

"I would prefer a good splash to the face with water, but this will do just as well," The blond replied, taking a taste of the bitter tasting drink and savoring it. "It's quite a treat to be honest. You must have it good, drinking coffee every day."

"Oh, I don't drink it every day, only when we have it in stock. And it just happened that a shipment finally got through to us."

"About time something got past Lord Gilbert's 'security checks'...what else did we get?"

"Seeds, thankfully. Father had mentioned that we were going to run low this year had this batch not gotten through." Anthony sighed and stood up from the beam he was sitting on, taking the now empty coffee mug and splashing some canteen water onto it. "We also got a few tools, which should again hopefully help with farming next year."

"That's always good. Do you happen to know how much they're selling for?" Cain chewed his lip thoughtfully, trying to figure out a budget for buying the tools. "I'll have to raise money from friends, maybe take on some debts-"

"You don't have to worry about a thing," The mayor's son said with a glint in his eyes. "Just trust me, you won't have to worry about getting those tools."

The orphan sighed, knowing better than to press on. Instead, Cain placed down the mug and grabbed his work gloves. "Let's get back to building. I wanna be done with this by the end of this week if possible…"

O O O

"It sounds as though Anthony, even back then, was a caring friend." Madeline smiled, looking down at her own cup of coffee. "I wished that more people in my world could've been like that. But desperate times call for desperate measures…anyway, so did you finish the house in time?"

"We did. It was quite a shoddy job, but it was done the day before snow began falling down, so I didn't catch pneumonia or something else dreadful," Cain said, tapping his chin. "You know, when I think about it, Anthony wasn't that affected by the cold because he came to visit me pretty much every day."

"Oh, what did he visit for?"

"Usually to bring food or books. He actually taught me how to read and write at his insistence, saying 'Everyone has the right to an education.' I called it folly back then, but now, it's actually almost second nature to me. Of course, nothing in this world comes free, and Anthony wanted something in return…"

O O O

"Alright, let's see here," Cain muttered, giving a glance over the burnt tools from his parents. "The shovel…damn, it's fried. Can't use. Um, the plow…too weak."

As if to emphasize the point, the metal practically snapped in half the minute the blond picked it up. The orphan sighed and tossed it to the side, grimacing as his pile of discard grew by the second. Eventually, he sighed and confirmed his awful realization: nothing from the ruined house was usable. "Dammit, I have to borrow some gold already, and I still have to buy seeds!"

"I told you, don't worry about it," A familiar voice reminded Cain and he sighed, knowing who it was. "I also told you I've got it covered!"

"Really? Can you provide and entire set of-" His sarcastic question was cut short when the boy turned around and saw what Anthony bought with him. "Holy cow!"

"Well, I can't provide holy cows, but I can provide farming tools." The black hair boy laughed as he slowly climbed off the horse, careful not to injure himself as his boots crashed into the fine dirt. Attached to the horse was a small cart filled with various farming tools that Cain would need for both basic and complicated crops if he wanted to. There was a small bag dangling over the side, containing what Cain wagered was seeds for pretty much anything. "Sorry I'm a bit late today as well, it took a while to load all of these!"

"Don't you have servants or people like that to help you with that?"

"Yes, but I insisted on doing most of the work, else it just doesn't quite feel right. Well then!" A quick flash of gold was seen as the mayor's son checked his mysterious device once before hiding it again. Anthony clapped his hands together and rubbed them. "So where do we begin?"

"I beg your pardon?" The boy asked with blatant surprise.

"Teach me how to farm, so I can help you with this year's crops!" Anthony firmly requested, grabbing the bag of seeds from the cart and holding them out. "This is repayment for teaching you how to read and write. You need to teach me how to farm now, so you can have some help in this year's work! Please Cain!"

"I, I, I don't even know how to respond to that frankly," The blond stammered, his mind befuddled by the mess of words. "So…you want me to teach you how to farm as payment for your lessons…but you want to learn how to do so to help me?"

"Indeed, that is correct," The mayor's son said, completely straight faced as he stared. "So? Deal or no deal?"

"Well…I really don't think that's a deal I can turn down, is it?" The orphan laughed and took the bag of seeds, signaling that he accepted terms of purchase. "Alright, so I think we'll be planting something basic this year, probably potatoes just to make sure the dirt is fertile."

"Sounds good. Let's get to it then!"

O O O

"It was a good planting year," Cain recalled, absently chewing on his cigar. "Anthony never complained about it being hard work. He was always asking 'What can I do better?'"

"Well, sounds the same Anthony to me from what I heard when I saved him. What exactly is different?"

"Hang on, I'm getting there! Now, the reason why he wanted to know how to farm became clear when it was harvesting season…"

O O O

"Hurry up, we're going to miss my father's speech!"

"Wait a moment, I just need to grab my gloves…"

"They're right here! Put them on quickly, he's going to start soon!"

"Fine, fine, let's go then." The two boys made their way quickly out of Cain's house and onto the town's main road, the blond slightly shivering as the chilly air brushed against his open face. Anthony, on the other hand, seemed to relish in it and took in a deep breath.

"Winter is coming. I'm half-looking forward to it," He cheerfully stated, slipping a hand into his pocket. Then Anthony made a sudden jolt and pulled out a golden circular device. "Oh no! I completely forgot I took this today!"

"Huh? That thing?" Cain had always refrained from asking about things that puzzled him, and this item was no different. It moved by itself, without anyone cranking it up! And there was a weird clicking noise emanating from it that somewhat scared the blond. "What is it?"

"It's something called a 'pocket watch.' It's been apparently passed down through my family for centuries." Anthony held up the face of the device to Cain, showing all the little black painted numerals on its edges. "Supposedly, it tells you what time of the day it is. My father often lets me borrow it to use as a channeler to practice magic."

"Magic?" The orphan's eyebrows shot up. "You can do magic?"

"Well, yeah, but only with this pocket watch. And it's nothing too big, just a few ice crystals." As if to prove his point, Anthony's fingers closed over the watch and a loud ticking noise was heard, followed by the sound of something cracking as a small crystal made of ice formed in his other hand. "Well, at the very least, if you need something chilled, I can do that."

"That's something new I didn't know about you! Why have you never told me before?"

"It's something very minor. Father insists that I can get better, so he constantly lends me the watch. But today is a bad day for that!" The black hair boy clutched his temples. "He needs the watch to know when to speak! Else he may not be able to speak at the exact time and that'll bring misfortune upon the village!"

"…I never took you for the superstitious type."

"I'm not, but it's better to be safe than sorry. Come one, now we have to hurry and tell him or he'll miss the exact midday timing!"

O O O

"Woah, woah, wait. I think I'm missing something," Madeline protested, holding up a hand. "What's a channeler?"

"On our world, when people use magic- well, it's technically just psionic energy in a specified form- you need something called a channeler." Cain fell silent before perking up as he managed to draw a parallel to something the female Commander knew well. "You've met Vance's Specters right?"

"Yeah, they're creepy and weird!" She shivered, remembering her brief encounter with one. "They're always fiddling around with weird tokens- oh."

"Yes, those tokens must be their channelers. So Anthony's was his family's Pocket Watch, and it allowed him to cast magic."

"Well, what happened to it?"

"Let me continue. We rushed to the site and barely made it in time for the speech…"

O O O

"Hey, don't push!"

"Be patient, can't you see him from here already?"

"Oh, it's Anthony! Let him through, let him through!"

Through this, the two boys were able to make their way to the front of the crowd, both of them slightly out of breath as they observed the scene. They were standing in front of a golden field of wheat, the chilly air resulting in multiple clouds of breath occasionally obscuring the scene. However, there was no doubt about who was the man in formal clothing at the base of the crop field, holding what looked to be a ceremonial sickle. He seemed to be somewhat frazzled.

"Father!" Anthony shouted, holding up his pocket watch. "The time is now! It's midday!"

"Ah, thank you." The mayor of the town sighed in relief, turning to his constituency and clearing his throat. "Apologies my good people! There was a slight issue regarding the timing of this annual event, but that has been resolved now. I would like to say a few words before beginning this year's harvest.

"First of all, I must remind everyone that it has been one year since the death of-" Somebody shuffled in front of the two boys, obscuring their vision and hearing for a brief moment. "- and their son, Cain is still with us. He has had to survive on his own for an entire year, but according to my son here, is doing well for himself."

"Hear hear!" Anthony cheered and Cain gave a bark of laughter.

"Remember Cain, your parents were friends to us all. Should there ever be something you need from us, all you have to do is ask." Anthony's father smiled at the blond boy, who suddenly felt elated on the inside from the look. "Now, we must also be thankful that Lord Gilbert has generously allowed for a shipment through this year-"

There was some grumbling and the black hair man frowned. "Well, better than a single shipment than none I say! And the batch is enough to last us a couple more years; by then, peace will have been brokered between the town and Lord Gilbert.

"In other news, we have received word from the Kingdom of Terrazine that they are interested in a trade agreement with us, provided that we ensure a safe route…"

"Terrazine…I want to go visit it one day," Anthony whispered to Cain. "I hear that the princesses are master of magic. I would love to learn from them!"

"Visit? Why not move there?"

"Do you jest? I don't want to leave this town behind in my memories; it's far too close to the heart."

There was the sound of a throat clearing and both boys looked up to see the mayor meaningfully chuckling at them. They then realized that the entire town was looking at them and flushed red, mumbling apologies and facing forwards. Anthony's father then turned and moved to the wheat field, raising the sickle upwards. With a smooth hiss, the first crop of the year was harvested and the work began.

O O O

"So that's why he wanted to learn how to farm!" Madeline realized, slamming a hand on the table. "Anthony felt that he needed to understand all the parts of growing a crop, not just harvesting it!"

"Indeed. He believed that he must only reap what he himself has sown- in this case, it would be the crops he and I planted. However, had not the future changed with the Terran advancement, he would be reaping the benefits of being mayor from the people's happiness he sowed." Cain frowned and sighed. "He's always pushed himself too hard. So in hindsight, what we discovered back at the farm must've been devastating to him…"

O O O

"So you don't want to leave the town?" Cain asked with a confused expression. "Why? With an attitude like yours, you can easily find a better occupation somewhere else than this little corner of the world."

"My father had the same choice, but he stayed because he loved this place and didn't want to see it change a single bit." Anthony shrugged, tossing his pocket watch up and down. "And I am of the same opinion. I can't afford to see this place go to ruins when I leave it."

"You care that much about this little old town? You could explore the world! There has to be so much more out there than the small plot of land here."

"I would love to visit other places, but it's just not possible. Father is soon reaching the age at which he wants to retire, and who am I to deny him that wish?" The black hair boy sighed, but smiled. "If every year passes on like this, then I'll be happy."

The two friends laughed as they rounded the corner of the dirt road, expecting to see a small field of green leaves, the sign that the potatoes were ready for harvest. Together, they would painstakingly dig out each and every potato plant, ensuring that their handling of the specimens wasn't too rough lest it rip out the dirt that had been so gingerly worked on. The first harvest that Anthony would ever do.

And then they saw the carts. Men in armor were bustling around, gathering up…the potatoes! Anthony and Cain watched in horror as the soldiers ripped the precious crops up, giving no regard to the condition the dirt was left in as bundle after bundle was tossed wildly into the carts. They were damaging the field and stealing their crops!

Cain found his voice first and bellowed, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MY CROPS?!"

The soldiers paused in their actions and turned. One of them, presumable the leader, stepped up and took out a scroll from his waist. "On the authority of Lord Gilbert, ruler of these lands, tax is demanded," The man read. "The tax has been overlooked for several years and is now being collected."

"To hell with the tax, this land belongs to me alone!" The blond shouted, his face red with rage as spit flew. "If Lord Gilbert has an issue with that, then he can go smack a-"

"The tax will be collected here and now," The helmeted soldier interrupted, rolling up the parchment. "If you are unable to pay your fees, then your labor's fruit is forfeited as payment. That is acceptable, no?"

"Again, I owe no taxes to a man who claims my land as his!"

"Any resistance will not be tolerated!" The lead soldier shouted and the sound of many swords being drawn was heard. "If you get in the way of Lord Gilbert's representatives, you will be prosecuted to the extreme of justice!"

"Justice?" Anthony finally spoke, his voice quiet. "You call this justice? Robbing the people blind and making off with their hard earned work? And without proper reason?!"

"We are representatives of Lord Gilbert!" The man shouted. "All his actions are dictated to us! If you dare strike against us, you will be essentially declare open resistance to rightful rule!"

"Then I declare that by taking the goods that rightfully belong to Cain, you have invoked the wrath of this town! As son of the mayor, I shall take offense!" The black hair boy shouted, clutching his pocket watch and holding its face outwards with both hands. Immediately, crackles of blue energy began to spark as massive icicles pierced the cuts from below, impaling the cart and its goods. Cain stared with wonder as he watched his friend's powers at action, only noticing at last minute the soldiers' reaction.

They were laughing. Immediately, Cain realized they weren't here for the crops. They could give no damns about them. Rather, Lord Gilbert must have his eye on something far more powerful, something that would make the town bow to his every will.

Anthony. The blond immediately moved to tackle his friend down, but it was too late as the lead soldier slammed the flat of his blade against Anthony's temple. The magic immediately stopped as the boy crumpled to the floor, dazed as he was restrained. Cain roared and charged, but was swiftly taken care of by a sword hilt to the head. His vision grew blurry and dark and the boy fell limp to the ground, the last thing he saw being his friend tied up and dragged to his feet.

O O O

"Holy mother of Amon!" Madeline exclaimed. "Anthony sure has a knack for getting captured!"

"You don't say," Cain chuckled. "But of course, it wasn't you who saved him. Rather, it was a scared but determined blond boy, wanting his only friend back…"

O O O

With a start, Cain slammed his eyes open and jolted upwards, breathing heavily as he took in his surroundings. The impaled carts were still there, the potatoes spilling out of them. He had been out for only a few minutes, it was a miracle! He felt refreshed and ready to go!

But without hesitation, the blond got on his feet and began searching. He quickly found foot prints leading away from his farm and began trailing them, one eye on the footprints while the other looked for more clues. They couldn't have gotten far into the forest!

In his haste to find the soldiers, Cain didn't notice a flash of pink as somebody dashed away, unseen save a rapidly disappearing trail of papers.

Eventually, the blond orphan heard voices nearby and paused. He moved quickly but silently, avoiding the main path he was trailing and skirting around on the side. It ended up that his side of the forest was higher than that of the main road, but it gave him full vantage of the situation. His eyes make note of the soldier's formation, particularly how exposed they were for they were lax.

Altogether, 8 men in armor. All were armed with what looked to be a short sword. Cain's waist suddenly felt empty without his sword sheath, but the blond brushed it off and felt his trusty knife at his side. It had avenged his parents- now, he would use it to save Anthony.

Speaking of whom, the black hair boy was in the middle of the convoy, hands bound together in front by ropes. But Cain saw the glint of gold in his hands and knew that the soldiers had failed to search him for weapons. Knowing that his friend was most likely trying to figure out an escape plan, the blond took a chance and let out a bird whistle- an unnatural sound for the region at this time of year, but the soldiers couldn't know that.

The soldiers all paused and glanced around, but passed it off as just the sound of the nature and continued trudging on. Anthony, on the other hand, rotated his neck and blinked three times, a signal showing that he recognized the presence of someone friendly nearby. Cain knew that the best chance was coming up soon, as his friend was ready to cast powerful magic. All he needed was to distract the soldiers with something, anything.

Looking around, Cain saw a rock and picked it up, tossing it in his palm for a second before hurling it across the main road and into the other side. As expected, it made a certainly unusual noise and the entire line stopped. The leader barked and four of the men drew their swords and moved to investigate the noise, disappearing into the forest. Now was his chance.

With moves befitting that of a warrior, Cain swiftly threw himself out of the forest and down the slope, causing much noise as he approached the first soldier. The man turned and made to draw his sword, but was far too late as Cain slammed into him and rammed his knife up his unprotected jaw. Swiftly, his grip loosened and the blond grabbed onto the half drawn sword, kicking the corpse in the chest so as to send it toppling down, allowing for the blade to be drawn fully. He had barely any skill with a sword, but it would do!

To demonstrate his determination, the blond rapidly advanced and swung just as the second soldier was finished drawing his own blade. The sharp metal sheared through the armor and sent the man reeling back, his life ended as Cain finished the attack with a thrust to the stomach. However, before he could yank the blade back out, the third soldier was upon him!

"Glacial Domination!" Anthony suddenly shouted, his pocket watch in his hands suddenly glowing brightly as it recognized the owner's will and responded. All around him, massive crystals of ice sprouted out from the ground, disrupting the earth below and changing the shift of the battle as the attacking enemy's foot was suddenly impaled by the ice, unable to dodge out of the way as he was too preoccupied.

He screamed, but Cain had the decency to disarm his foe and use the man's own sword to slit the soldier's throat. The final foe, the leader of the entire party, roared and raised his sword. Cain parried, and the two fought, sparks flying as blade met blade. But it wasn't long before the inexperienced blond made a fatal error and his stolen sword was sent flying. "Die, die, die!" The soldier screamed, raising his blade again to finish the fight.

Cain instinctively raised his unprotected arms to fend off the blow, but it was not needed. A shape darted in front the blond and raised his bound wrists, the sword slicing through the ropes with little effort. But then, when it met Anthony's pocket watch, it shattered upon contact, the shards flying off in all directions as the blade broke. One such piece lodged itself into the soldier's chest, the man clutching weakly as he fell back, dead.

"Anthony!" The blond shouted, grabbing his friend roughly off the ground and placing him back on his feet. "Are you hurt?!"

"N-no," He stammered. The black hair boy opened his clutched hands to reveal the pocket watch, completely shattered like the sword it broke. The glass was cracked, the frame scratched, and the internal mechanisms falling out. "The watch…it broke!"

"No time, for that, let's flee!" Cain quickly found his bloodstained dagger and wiped it hurriedly, sheathing it and grabbing Anthony's hand. "Let's go, let's go! The other four won't be distracted for long!"

"But I could've dropped a piece-!"

"You got it all, I'm sure of it! Let's go!"

O O O

"Wow! That sounds as though you and Anthony made the perfect team in combat!" Madeline said, her eyes shining as she imagined the fight. "It's just like me and Nightwolf! That's so cool! What happened next?!"

"Well, we headed back, and of course, Anthony's father wasn't pleased to discover his son had just suffered an attempted kidnaping," Cain told, frowning as details of that night became clearer and clearer. Why? "He said…he would immediately demand reprieves from Lord Gilbert. Surprisingly, he was alright with the pocket watch being broken, just laughed it off and said he could fix it somehow. And then…oh."

"What is it?" The red head woman asked excitedly. "Did you guys siege this Gilbert's castle? Did you receive a peace offering? Did ninjas come an attack you?!"

The Marine General shot a look of disdain at the last question and sighed, looking into his coffee cup as he recalled the night. "None of them ever happened. That night…it was the last night of the Anthony I once knew…"

O O O

As soon as Cain heard the fire bell, he took a look out his door to see what was going on. As soon as he saw the manor on fire, his heart dropped. As soon as the shock disappeared, the blond found his feet pounding against the ground, his heart thumping as he almost crashed into a hooded man on the way. "Out of the way!" He shouted, shoving.

"Relax." The man suddenly grabbed Cain and looked at him in the eyes. The blond didn't even realize the stranger's abnormal pink hair as he yanked out of the grip and continued running. He sighed, but grinned. "Well, he's the perfect choice for Marcus then…"

The manor's door was aflame, but Cain didn't care. With a loud grunt, he smashed it down by ramming it with his shoulder, coughing as he entered a room filled with flames. "Anthony! Anthony!" The blond shouted, trying to navigate his way through the burning room, ash flying everywhere. His body felt hot as flames threatened to burn through the thin clothing her wore, but Cain ignored it and pushed on. "Is anybody there?!"

No response. However, Cain was undeterred by it and pushed on, quickly climbing up the stairs and kicking down doors, only to find a torrent of flames sprouting from within and forcing the boy back. "Dammit!" He shouted, reaching the last room of the home, which seemed to be the least aflame but most damaged part. With a grunt, the weakened wooden door caved into Cain's foot and he found inside a horrid sight.

There were bodies, burnt to a crisp in the midst of burning books. However, one form in particular caught Cain's eye, and it was also the sole unburnt body in the pile. "ANTHONY!" The boy bellowed, barging in and grabbing him. The mayor's son was unconscious, most likely from smoke inhalation. A glint of gold was seen and the blond instinctively grabbed it, not knowing what it was as he stuffed it into his pocket. As Cain turned to get out, a burst of flame engulfed the doorway and the boy cursed, looking around wildly with Anthony in his arms.

The window caught his eye and, with a deep breath, Cain ran and smashed through it, landing roughly on the outside of the manor with a thud. His head slammed hard against the floor and everything went dizzy as people approached them. But even then, all the orphan did was hold Anthony tighter, shouting for medical aid.

O O O

"…and the story comes full circle," The blond man finished, slumping his chair. He didn't want Madeline to see the faint tears in his eyes from remembering that awful, awful fire. The inferno that took away Anthony's family, his old life…even discarding the old and content Anthony with the more ambitious and far reaching Anthony of today. "He…he's changed in the way for the better of the world. He's no longer just content with just aiding one area; he wants to help his friends thrive in this harsh world we live in."

"You, Rorke, Takeshi, Abe, and Xana? That sounds like a lofty goal, but…I guess that's what makes him a good Commander." Madeline smiled, her grin wide as she admired Cain's loyal spirit to his friend. She had no doubt that all of Anthony's Generals felt the same way, wanting to shape the world into a better place for all of them. Then something struck her. "Hey, whatever happened to that pocket watch? I know it got broken, but you mentioned it…"

"It was indeed broken when I found it in the fire, and is still is today." Cain reached into his pocket and pulled out a golden chain, a heavy item at the end of the chain as it was dangled in the air. It was indeed Anthony's old pocket watch; the glass casing was cracked, the frame was burnt and battered, and the hands no longer moved. "I've been trying to fix it for 12 years. Even Rorke's had a look at it! Whatever this thing is…it's beyond our ability to fix as the Terrans."

"But what about Anthony? Could he know how to fix it?"

"Maybe, but every time I bring the topic up, he dismisses it and goes back to business, as if he's tired of his old life." The blond General sighed, scratching his chin. "I was thinking about throwing away to be honest, it's not as if Anthony really needs it now…"

"No!" Madeline slammed her hand on the table and stood up, glaring downwards at the Marine. "This pocket watch has to be given back! It's too valuable to him to be simply trashed! I'm sure he has a good reason why he couldn't take it!"

Her outburst drew looks from other people in the cafeteria and Cain sighed, gently pushing her back down into her seat. "Fine. If you're that insistent, I'll go give it to him after his surgery."

O O O

December 26, Year 12

And that was how Cain ended up in front of Anthony's door, sweating bullets as he cleared his throat. With slow and deliberate motions, he stepped inside and was greeted by a familiar grin. "Hey Cain, nice of you to visit!" The Terran Commander spoke, unperturbed by being in a medical bed. "How's everything going?"

"I've got some idiots to take care of back home at Fale, something about a bank robbery, but it's all going good." The blond closed his eyes and took in a deep breath as he reached into his pocket, getting straight to business. "Anthony…I've been holding onto this for far too long. The old days-"

"Are no more," Interrupted Anthony, sighing as he shook his head. Unbeknownst to his friend, the black hair man's hand was actually shaking under the blanket as his memories of the time period were fuzzy and he feared being questioned, in the case of his true identity being discovered. "Cain…I treasure our memories and all that, but you have to stop with this obsession with the old times. I understand that we can't just let go of the past, but-"

"No, enough!" The General cut off angrily and tossed the item in his pocket through the air. Anthony instinctively caught it and a warm feeling suddenly blossomed inside. "I'm sorry I couldn't fix this, but it's been with me every day since the day we started out."

The Commander slowly turned the pocket watch around in his hand, memories not belonging to him clashing in his mind as he tried to speak with a somewhat shaky voice. "Is this what you've been trying to give me all this time?" He asked, choking up as he realized his misbehavior after all these years. "You were just trying to give me back my watch?"

"I'm sorry sir, if I have offended you but-"

"Cain, I can't possibly thank you enough." Anthony finally broke and sobbed, at both the relief of Cain's intentions and at reclaiming his long lost family heirloom. "I thought- I thought-!"

"Think of this as payment for the deed," Cain finished, turning around and walking out. But just before he exited, he looked back and shot a slight smile. "In fact, we know that we owe each other nothing and the world at the same time. That's why we help each other, right?"

"…you know, the soil is still fertile back home. What not go back to it and escape the horrors of a winter war coming up?"

"Because, Anthony, my home is wherever you go. And I'm sure as hell not leaving my home for others to take!"