Hello, hello! It's been a while, hasn't it? This is my talesofexchange assignment on livejournal for tenshi-kain. Since I adore Jade so much, I couldn't rsist writing this! Please enjoy, and I hope your winter season was fantastic ;D

Progress

It was indescribably gloomy that day. Ominous, grey clouds covered the usually perfect sky over the floating capital of Grand Chokma, the streets missing the melodic harmony of voices that usually echoed through the streets. But perhaps it was fitting for the occasion taking place that day.

On either side of the street, a sea engulfed by teal stood perfectly parallel, as a smaller fleet paraded through the space between them. But this was no happy parade, for today was the funeral ceremony of General Aslan Frings.

Stone-cold faces shifted their focus to the Chokma Bark coffin. After all, life as a soldier made one accustomed to the deaths of close companions. This was no exception. But in the drowning silence, there was a single sniffle, a single tear sliding down the fair complexion of a young woman. Instead of her usual Kimlascan uniform, however, the woman was clad in a simple black dress accompanied by a grey scarf around her neck. A black, silk ribbon was the only thing holding her blonde locks in place, as she brushed the moisture away from her cheek with her hand, the salty substance being quickly absorbed into the fabric of her gloves. The woman known as Jozette Cecile watched on as the coffin, the remains of her lover, were lowered into the water. The sound of the trumpets never reached her ears. Bringing a fist to her mouth, she resisted the urge to let the tears spill. How could things have gone to wonderful to wonderfully disastrous so fast?

As the speeches begun, she remembered the first time she had met Aslan. Back then, however, they had been enemies on the battlefield. It was certainly unexpected to find a Malkuth general aiding Kimlascan loyalty, but bitterly, she did suppose the platoon that had tailed the Princess had served some good. But even so, she had drawn her sword. If Princess Natalia had not convinced her that the man was an ally, she certainly would have driven her blade through his flesh that instant. But the blonde supposed he did show a fine display of loyalty, willing to take his life if anything happened to the Princess. That had earned him a bit of her respect, and she silently wished she would not have to encounter the silver-haired man on the battlefield.

But such a wish was not granted, as not even a week after, she found herself face-to-face with him once again. But not quite in the predicament she had expected. Of course, at the sight of Malkuth troops, Cecille had no choice but to attack. The same went for the enemy. The clang of metal against metal, hacking and slashing, cannons from the landships, and the screams from the subordinates from either side had filled the air. In the heat of battle, no one had expected the sudden rumble of the earth. In an instant, the battlefield was leveled, plateaus jutting out of the earth one after another. The Kimlascan general herself had fallen onto the earth. Scrambling up as fast as she could, she looked around frantically for her troops. A shout reached her ears, and she spun around wildly before realizing that one of her own soldiers was hanging on for dear life onto a tuft of grass, threatening to fall into the abysmal fissure that had appeared out of nowhere. Rushing over to the poor soul, she quickly grabbed his wrist and heaved, trying to the best of her ability to pull him up. But to the blonde's horror, she found that the ground beneath her own feet had begun to crumble. Losing her footing once more, her mind was set on the idea of death. Her family, she would see them again soon. She was sure of it. Closing her eyes, she prepared herself for the worst.

Which, surprisingly, never came. Instead, she felt a steady grip around her wrist, and a voice calling to her from above. Opening her eyes, she let her mouth hang open in confusion as she saw none other that the silver-haired Malkuth general from before. The fog in her brain cleared, as he yelled "I've got you!" and proceeded to lift her, along with the terrified soldier who had taken a hold of her leg, back onto the soil. The sky had turned a horrifying shade of deep purple as a poisonous smog overtook the land, lightning flashing overhead.

"You shouldn't stay here." He told her as he lifted her back onto her feet. "Pull back your troops and head to Engeve. The Malkuth forces should be heading there as well."

Cecille opened her mouth to protest, but found herself beaten as he cut her off. "It's not a plot, I assure you!" He let out, piercing blue eyes meeting hers. Could he really be trusted? He had done a fine job in protecting the Princess, but he was still an enemy soldier…

Biting her lip, she reluctantly shouted, "All remaining troops, pull back! To Engeve!" The Kimlascan army didn't even bother to gather, all bodies rushing north to the Grocer's Hamlet, including herself. What she could not comprehend, however, was why that blasted General Frings insisted on staying by her side. This continued to tug at the blonde's gut for the remainder of the journey, but she told herself there was no time to think. The most important thing right now was her survival.

After reaching the small town, she and her remaining troops were given about a day to rest before the enemy general showed his face once more, this time, at Rose's home, his fleet of soldiers outnumbering the ones behind her tenfold.

"As you know," he began in a serious tone. "This is Malkuth territory. And you, being the enemy…"

She knew what was coming, but it didn't stop her seething gaze.

"We must take you and your remaining soldiers as prisoners of war." He finished, sounding just a tad apologetic. Her expression though, did not change.

"Very well." She replied, no objections. After all, this was war. There were no ways to cheat your way out of the punishments. "Were shall we stay, then?"

"The Inn." Frings said, earning a sea of complaints from the men behind him. "Silence!" He barked, before turning his attention back to her. "The homes in the area are enough for my men, we'll let you stay here."

She gave no response until the remaining soldiers had cleared out. Before Frings could step out the door, a "Why?" slipped out of her mouth, catching him by surprise.

"I'm sorry?" He replied, not exactly catching it.

"Why?" Cecille repeated. "Why are you treating us like this? As an enemy general, I'd expect you to issue harsher conditions."

To her shock, he merely shrugged. "Perhaps I'm just soft." He let out, before leaving her in the deserted room.

'What!?' Her mind screamed, but her thoughts came to a slow as she told herself to be thankful. If she were in his shoes, her approach would have been much different. He was certainly an odd one. But maybe that was why she…liked him. Not like as a petty schoolgirl crush, of course, but as a comrade of some sort. And after all, she did owe him her life.

Over time, the blonde really had grown fond of his company. Never did he treat her or her soldiers as prisoners, but as equals. She admired him for doing so. It was different for her to tolerate enemies of her beloved Kimlasca. The Malkuth soldiers, however, were a different story. Around their general, they usually kept quiet. But away from him, they were no better that the convicts in the castle catacombs. Rude, uncivilized, brutes. They even had the nerve to throw their food on the ground and tell them to eat it! But in the end, General Frings had taken responsibility for the incident. He always seemed to come to their aid somehow, and the Kimlascan General found it hard to take a share of the work. He assured her that his kindness was not because of the fact that she was a woman, but somehow, she doubted that.

After the visit of Princess Natalia and Luke Fon Fabre, the prisoner exchange had been issued. A pang of an unknown feeling hit her heart that day, and it was certainly strange not being in his presence. But she convinced herself it was better this way, which was her reasoning for the dagger. But to her surprise, he had refused it. What on Auldrant could that man have been thinking? But his persistence had shown itself, as they ran in circles. After he had proposed to her, saying she was the bride described in his score, she had almost cried. How she wanted to be with him! Her family history was the only thing standing in her way. Marrying into Malkuth would have deemed her a traitor like her Aunt Eugenie, and she was determined not to let history repeat itself. But eventually, with a push from the Kimlascan royals, she had accepted. Now, she only wished she had done it sooner.

Biting her lip and forcefully shutting her eyes in order to prevent the moisture from seeping out, she recalled the day of his death. She had gone from genuinely happy to an all time low in an instant. She remembered getting the news. The blonde had left her post at the castle immediately and rushed down the many levels of the Capital of Light. Baticul was enormous, but it seemed like time had quickly passed by the time she had reached the lower levels. She had shoved through the usual crowd of citizens, trying desperately to make her way to the docks. But by the time the ships had come into view, it was too late. The last ship to Grand Chokma had already departed, and she was left with tears as salty as the seawater.

A sudden breeze whipping her bangs about her face, she gripped her elbows in order to keep warm. But nothing would help, she knew, mend that hole in her heart. Never again would she see feel the warmth of his embrace envelop her, never again would she see his smile, never again would she gaze into the icy blue eyes she loved so much…

Choking on the lump that had formed in her throat, Jozette was able to take it no longer. She didn't want to be here. She had suffered enough already, there was no need to remind her of her sorrow.

"I'm sorry…" She let out, before pushing her way away from the crowd. Once free of the suffocating air, she ran. Where she was going, she didn't know, but what she did know is that she had to get away from there. In a blind frenzy, she ran until she no longer could, past the shops, homes, everything, eventually collapsing onto her knees from grief in front of one of the city fountains, crying softly into her arm which rested on the fountain's edge. Why seemed like such a blunt question to ask considering the flurry spinning through her mind. Why? Why did this have to happen? Why was she so stupid as to not accept his proposal on the spot? Why were his troops sent out on that day to deal with the impersonator Kimlascan army? Just…Why!?

Not until she had remembered Luke and her cousin Gailardia's words to her did she decide to pull herself together. Aslan wouldn't want to see her like this, she was sure of it. Slowly but surely, she lifted herself back to a standing position, wiping away her tears. Jozette Cecille was not one to show weakness, and she would not make this an exception. She stood in front of the fountain, gazing at her reflection. No matter how much she wished for Aslan's to be next to it, she knew it was impossible. No amount of wishing could ever bring him back.

"Well, I never imagined seeing a woman such as yourself in a place like this." A voice suddenly declared, making her jump a bit. Spinning around, she found herself in the midst of yet another familiar face.

"Colonel Curtiss…" She breathed, not exactly expecting his presence either. What was he doing here of all places?

"General Cecille, was it?" He responded, piercing crimson eyes showing from behind the glasses he always wore. She nodded and he returned the greeting, establishing the level of mutual respect between the two. "I must say I'm quite surprised to find you here. I'd expect you to be at the ceremony."

"Yes, well," She began, averting her eyes. "I'm afraid I just couldn't take it." She said, deciding to admit her cowardice. "As a soldier, I should be used to funerals and such, but-"

"This is different." He finished. She brought her face up to look at the man once more. "I, myself, would like to experience what you are feeling at the moment, but I'm afraid all I am able to do is understand the basic principle." The brunette mused, bringing his hand up to his chin while beginning to ponder. Cecille tilted her head slightly in confusion.

"I don't exactly follow, Colonel…" She let out as the emotionless Malkuth soldier continued to think. She had heard that the famous Jade Curtiss was an absolute logical thinker, but did that affect his actual feelings as well?

"To put it simply, I must say I am incredibly jealous of you." He stated in an almost scholarly fashion as the blonde continued to absorb the necromancer's words. "I cannot pinpoint the exact reason, but because of some force beyond my comprehension, I am unable to experience the true significance of death."

The Colonel adjusted his glasses as he continued to speak. "And likewise, another ability I lack is the ability to love." He said, looking her square in the eye. "But you, General, have experienced both of these. And therefore, I am quite envious of that ability."

It took the Kimlascan general a moment to let the words sink in as the man opposite her gave a lazy shrug. "I suppose you could call me a monster of some sort. After all-"

"No." She suddenly interjected. "That can't possibly be right."

This seemed to catch the necromancer off guard. "Oh? How so?" He asked, intrigued by her sudden interruption.

"We haven't conversed much in the past, Colonel, but I know for a fact that it is absolutely impossible for the things you've stated to be correct." She began, regaining her former military composure. "You may say that you are an emotionless shell, bit in reality, you're not. Others do the same, but only to achieve the goal of hiding how they truly feel."

He did not speak, pondering her words instead and allowing her to continue. "I'm not sure what may have happened to you in the past to make you become this way, Colonel Curtiss, but I'm guessing you have gone through at least one traumatic experience in your lifetime. Perhaps the logical fascination of that incident overtook the intuitive emotions one usually feels. I've heard you were gifted as a child, Colonel, but that is no excuse."

Her gaze did not waver as she, fueled by a newfound determination, continued to prove her point. "You may feel this way now, Colonel, but I believe that one day in the future, another incident might cause you to change your views. Everyone has the ability to love, as well as the ability to feel deep sorrow in response to the loss of a loved one, but you, Colonel, just haven't been in a situation to experience that yet."

"That might very well be so." He responded, taking in her justifications. "But I'm afraid, until I do experience such a situation as you stated, your theory is not valid." The necromancer finished, though with a somewhat joking smile appearing on his face. As if it was contagious, a small grin crept upon Cecille's once solemn expression as well.

"Very well, Cololnel." She said, realizing that arguing with this man would prove nothing but pointless. Instead, she decided to switch the original subject. "But, if I may, I was quite surprised to see you here as well. Were you not one of Aslan's companions?" She asked. "How come you aren't at the ceremony?"

The brunette sighed as if it were an inconvenience. "I, myself, am not fond of funerals." He said, sticking his gloved hands into his teal uniform pockets. "It's quite depressing, being surrounded by all the grief when you are unable to join in yourself."

Jozette shook her head in annoyance. "Are you always this frustrating, Colonel?" She asked, grateful for the slight emotional relief he was providing.

"I suppose so." He said, grin widening. "Have Princess Natalia and Luke not told you?"

She laughed at this, recalling some of the tales about the Malkuth soldier with the perpetual smile etched on his face. "Actually, they have. Although considering what they've told me, I imagined you as a sarcastic, unreadable bastard."

"And were your assumptions correct?" He asked her, showing a slight interest in her upcoming response.

"Partially." Cecille replied, stifling her laughter as a look of mock-hurt crossed the necromancer's face.

"Oh my," He said dreadfully. "And here I thought I might be able to humor you a bit in order to distract you from today's rather dreary ceremony."

"You're quite the character, Colonel." She told him, her mood much lighter than it had been a few moments before.

"Now if only I could determine whether that remark was a good or bad thing…" He mused, earning a pleasantly irritated sigh from the blonde. "And please," he added. "Call me Jade. I don't exactly prefer formalities."

"Very well, Jade." She said, searching for the particular flavor in the name as it lingered on her tongue. "You may call me Jozette as well, if you'd like."

"Well, Jozette, I do hope you have and will continue to enjoy your stay in the capital thus far, despite the earlier events." He said. "And I would, if you don't mind, I would like to escort you back to the ceremony if you're prepared. As I said before, a lady such as yourself should not be wandering the streets alone."

"Alright." She nodded, stepping to the brunette's side as they began to trail across the city. "Grand Chokma is indeed beautiful. I can only imagine what it would be like to live here." She breathed, admiring the elegant architecture of the buildings.

"If you're ever in Baticul, I would love to have you over at my own manor." The Kimlascan General added. "I would very much enjoy your company again."

"Perhaps…" He said, unreadable expression glued on his face once again. "And if you are ever in the area again, feel free to visit me at the Curtiss estate." The necromancer said. "It's rare for me to actually have some sort of company, after all."

"Why, Jade," the blonde said in surprise. "I do believe we're making some progress."

"Hmm?" He asked, genuinely perplexed this time. The woman just laughed at his newfound weak spot.

"Nothing." She replied, as the two continued to walk towards the crowd that was now in view. Overhead, the sky seemed to turn the perfect azure it was meant to be, as the sun began to peek through the dispersing clouds. The hole in the Kimlascan General's heart was there, and she doubted it could ever be mended, but at least she had gained something through this seemingly dreadful experience. A new friendship of some sort, if she even dared to call it that, as well as the dawn of a new day. And in her eyes, as well of the eyes of her companion, it was beautiful.

Fin.

I had a lot of fun writing this, and I really enjoy the turnout too. Please review. It makes me happy inside xD