Song of the Heart Redux: GX Arc

by zeroblackdragon15

(Continuation from G arc) Eighteen months after the events at Frontier, all seems quiet. But unknown to S.O.N.G., a new threat stirs beneath the surface, sparking a clash that threatens to burn everything they had fought for to the ground. As the fires of alchemy spring to life, the wielders' next battle begins.

1. When There's Smoke

Song of the Heart: Redux-GX Arc-

Author's Notes: Welcome to the next stage, or so they say. Welcome back to "Song of the Heart Redux". It's finally time for the GX arc to begin! There's a lot of things to get to today, so I'm not going to waste any time here; I think you'll enjoy what's in store. Please note that outside of a small piece at the start, GX arc takes place a year after the events of G Arc's Interlude 2; as such, we'll get to see these characters having grown a bit further than before. And don't worry; I promise that this is the last highly lengthy skip in time that you'll see.

I'd like to once more thank the author of the original "Song of the Heart", Ada1229, for allowing me to adopt her story and idea and make it into my own from there. Also, I'd like to thank both solopy567 and StealthyTanub for being beta readers on this chapter, as well as being amazing with help sorting through ideas when needed. Let's go.

Disclaimer: I do not own Senki Zesshou Symphogear, Senki Zesshou Symphogear G, Senki Zesshou Symphogear GX, Senki Zesshou Symphogear AXZ, or Senki Zesshou Symphogear XD Unlimited. It is owned by those who own it. I also do not own any music used as insert songs here; they are owned by the respective songwriters and artists.

Please note; the record label used in this fic, Galactic Music Japan, is NOT a real music label as far as I know, but is a parody made solely for the purposes of this story. The same goes for JAM TV; as far as I know, it's not a real music channel on TV, again a parody made up for the purposes of this story. This also applies to the EUROBEATS Festival as well; I don't believe that it's a real festival, but I could be wrong.

Also, no music quoted within the story belongs to me. The rights to any and all pieces used belong to their artists and record labels. I did buy a copy of the single CDs that the songs are from though, so thank iTunes for most of that. This chapter, "Ambiguous" and Grilletto" by Garnidelia will both be utilized; please support the official releases (I purchased a copy of both songs' singles). Also, credit goes out to lyrical nonsense for their translations of both songs.

Acknowledgements: Once more, I would like to thank the author of the original "Song of the Heart", Ada1229, for her support in adopting this idea and making it my own. I would also like to thank a couple of friends of mine outside of (they know who they are) for acting as sounding boards when I have ideas for this that may seem a bit on the wild side.

'Insert thought here'=character thoughts

Flashback Is in Italics with nothing around it

-Song lyrics are shown in italics between dashes-

GX Chapter 1: When There's Smoke

S.O.N.G. Storage & Testing Facility "Byakkou", Unknown location near Mt. Fuji, 1 Day After Lydian Graduation

"What's going on out there?" The doctor asked, hands bound in handcuffs as he sat on the bed of his holding cell, alarms echoing outside his chamber. Climbing to his feet, Ver walked over to the edge of the window looking outside, his eyes taking in the sight of the mountain pass around the facility. "Answer me! Aren't you supposed to tell me just what's happening?"

"It's none of your concern, Ver. Now keep your mouth shut and settle down," The guard posted outside his cell shot back, a sharpness to his voice tipping the doctor off that something was decidedly wrong. Returning to his spot sitting on the bed the mad scientist fell silent, an agitated look on his face as he listened to the comments of the guard outside.

"Understood. I'll keep an eye out for them," Ver's guard said, voice muffled slightly before the alarms went quiet. Listening as the sound of the guard's footsteps echoed just outside the door, Ver spoke once again, a questioning tone to his voice.

"I'll ask again. What's going on?" The doctor had spent the previous six months in isolation since the incident on Frontier. And while it had dispelled any notion of being a hero from his mind, he still couldn't help but feel as though he had been in the right, his Nephilim-enhanced arm tensing at his thoughts.

"If I tell you, will you shut the hell up?"

At the doctor's silent reply, the guard shook his head slightly, an annoyed tone entering his voice as he continued to speak.

"There's an intruder on the grounds. We're not sure what they're here for, but we're not taking chances."

"And what does that mean for me?"

"How should I know? We don't know what they're after, or even where they are. It could even be a false alarm. But I will say this much; you're safe here. We're not taking any chances about your protection.. Not with the trial being this close, and your transfer to another location coming tomorrow."

"An intruder, huh…" Ver muttered to himself as he sat back on his bed. Falling back onto the bed and staring at the ceiling, its gray gunmetal greeting him, he felt a sense of dread swell up within his core. "It couldn't be one of them, could it? No; it's too soon for them to make their move…"

"What are you muttering on about in there?" His guard said, an exasperation to his voice as he spoke. Before he could say anything further, the sound of additional footsteps reached the doctor's ears, as the guard outside spoke up again, a relieved tone in his words. "About time you showed up. The prisoner's been a bit of a problem tonight. The guy just won't shut up."

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind," The new voice said, a cheery tone to their voice which sent chills down Ver's spine.

"I'll leave him to you, then." At that, the doctor heard the sound of his previous guard's footsteps fading further and further away, leaving him all to his lonesome with the new guard tasked with watching over him. And while he felt as though he should be secure, the sense of dread that had risen previously only continued to grow. Turning to look away from the entrance to what he considered his cell, the doctor tried to stay calm even as the footsteps finally became too distant to be heard.

"You know, finding out that I'd be assigned to this was a real pain in the ass," His new guard said, their voice filling the room and sending shivers down Ver's spine as he continued to look away from the doorway. Moments later, the sound of the seal on his holding unit opened with a hiss, the entrance sliding open and admitting the guard into the cell. "After all, there's plenty of other things I could be doing with my night right now. I could be out on a different mission or dealing with other, more important things for the future. But alas, here I am. Asked to clean up the mess that you made."

A pause, the sound of the speaker's footsteps drawing closer to him sending shivers up Ver's spine.

"It's really too bad, Doctor. Our leader was VERY pleased with the results you had forwarded us regarding the serum you had made. Unfortunately, you just had to go and try to destroy the whole world with that Nephilim of yours. And then you also got yourself captured, so now command can't take the risk of you spilling any info about us," The footsteps came to a stop, a cold metal pressing itself against the back of the doctor's skull. "Not when the fragments are only just now starting to spread."

"H-H-HELP! ANYONE! SHE'S GOING TO-" Ver started to scream, the shrillness of his voice being cut off by his assailant's gloved hand smothering his mouth. Not feeling the metal pressed against his skull moving at all, the doctor froze, his assailant speaking up once again.

"Tsk tsk, Doctor. I was going to have my fun with this, too," She said, a sadistic tone entering her voice. Stepping around to enter his field of vision, her weapon doing the same, she continued, the vicious smirk on her face becoming evident to the scientist. "No one else is anywhere near here; I made sure of that. And that last guard of yours is too far away now. Oh well."

Bringing her weapon back up to bear and placing it under the Doctor's chin, the young woman frowned before speaking one last line, her flowing locks illuminated under the moonlight and making her face known to him. It would be the last thing he ever saw.

"Sayonara, Doctor. May you rot in hell where you belong."

She pulled the trigger, the doctor's brains flying across the room and splattering against the pristine storage chamber's wall. Standing up and away from Ver's now deceased body, his assassin wiped clean the barrel of her weapon before returning it to its holster.

"What a disgusting person," She said, her disgust tattooed across her face as she started to arrange things around the room. Quickly finishing her handiwork and stepping away, she keyed her radio and prepared to speak, being sure to shroud her voice in feigned panic.

"H-help! This is Security officer zero-two-theta-omega. We have a situation at the special holding area. Doctor Ver is...is…" She trailed off, before cutting the radio feed and awaiting the reply of the facility's emergency management group. And as she left the area later that evening, a devilish grin found its way onto her face before she pulled a phone out of her pocket and dialed the only contact number listed. Waiting a brief moment and checking to see that no one was around, she finally spoke.

"It's done, sir. Doctor Ver has been eliminated. What are your orders?"

A pause.

"Very well then. I'll return to ground and await future orders."

Silence again, the voice on her phone stating something brief before disconnecting.

"It's still too early to reveal our purpose..." A sigh. "But, when we do…"

"This planet won't know what hit it."

-GX-

Unknown Time, Unknown Location

Smoke filled her lungs, stinging her eyes as she ran. All around her piles of rubble and debris filled the streets of the formerly busy metropolis, fires blazing uncontrolled around the area. And yet she couldn't bring herself to stop moving, a sense of dread filling her stomach. As if to taunt her, a wall of green fire rose above the damaged buildings nearby, its emerald flames tickling the sky and causing an ominous glow to cover the streets as she entered the nearby intersection, the area deserted except for herself and who knew what else could be out there.

'What's happening…' she thought, her ears filled with the crackling sound of destruction around her as she came to a stop, her pajama top fluttering in the harsh, smoke-filled air. Looking around her, she frowned, her eyes scanning for any sort of survivors before the sound of nearby combat entered her ears. Turning towards where the sound had been coming from she started to run, feet pounding against the cracked pavement beneath her. 'I have to hurry…'

The sudden scream of a familiar voice nearby brought her to a halt, eyes darting upwards just in time to see a beam of light rip through a nearby building, consuming it in what looked like liquid fire. Looking up as slabs of hardened concrete fell alongside shattered glass to the deserted street below she narrowed her eyes slightly, reaching up towards her neck for where her relic's necklace usually sat...only to find it missing.

"What? Where's…." she whispered, before the sound of one of her friend's pained cries got her attention. Running in the direction she heard the voice, she raced past piles of rubble, fires sizzling where stores she had been familiar with had stood before. Rounding a corner and entering a square in front of the local government building had stood, she looked up just in time for an agonized scream to garner her attention.

"That was…" she trailed off, only for a small explosion to resound from nearby, something striking the ground outside of the local coffee shop as she spoke, a scream of agony that sent chills down her spine as the storefront collapsed. "No...please no…" she managed to gasp out before running over and trying to remove concrete and glass from atop the pile. Soon enough she found what looked to be the arm of the person she had heard scream in pain, the white and blue gloved limb sticking out from within the rubble and causing her to dig faster, even as the sound of nearby battle raged through her ears.

"Hang on...Tsubasa…" she grunted out, clearing away more rubble before the sight of the bluenette caused her to step back, eyes wide. "What...happened to you…" she gasped out, her friend's entire right side seemingly blasted away. Turning away, the image engraving itself into her memory against her will as her mentor's blood dripped onto the cracked ground beneath her, she looked towards where the sounds of combat had resumed in time for another pained scream to ring out, her anger rising at the sound.

"No…was that Maria?" she whispered to herself before running towards the damaged government building, its twin spires riddled with what looked like missile impacts on their surfaces, large chunks of windows missing. But as she approached, something else also made itself apparent, a large shadowy structure floating high above the ground in between the towers.

"What the..." She gasped out, her eyes widened at the sight before her. Before she could say anything else, the sound of her girlfriend's voice crying out in anger got her attention, a trail of energy arrows lancing up into the air. 'No...Chris…' she thought, her feet moving on autopilot as she ran towards where the sound of conflict made themselves known. Arriving atop a nearby pile of rubble where a small office building had once stood, she felt her anger boil over as a mysterious figure stood, one hand holding Chris up by her neck before she spoke up.

"PUT HER DOWN!" She shouted, only for the shadowed figure to turn its head her way and reply, a mocking tone to its voice.

"Oh? And what will YOU do to stop me if I don't? Your friends all tried to stop me already, and you've seen what's happened to some of them," The figure said, its hand squeezing at her girlfriend's neck slightly harder, Chris struggling to breathe. Laughing quietly as if to mock the redhead, the figure pointed its free hand towards Chris' body, a mysterious sigil appearing in front of it before a wave of light blasted forwards and punched straight through, killing her instantly as her blood fell to the cracked pavement below.

"You can't save anything," The shadow said. "Not them...not her...and not yourself." Raising one hand towards where Hibiki stood, the shadowy figure fired, the redhead's world turning a brilliant white despite her screams…

Boudica Hotel, London, England, 18 hours Prior to EUROBEATS Festival, 1 Year After Lydian Graduation

Hibiki awoke with a start as she sat up in bed, eyes wide as she stared at the wall across from her hotel room bed with only the raggedness of her breathing filling the room. Hands clenching the sheets tightly she broke the silence, her eyes narrowed in frustration at what she had seen.

"That dream again…" she whispered, her hair sticking lightly to her face as she stood up, the small sheen of sweat covering her body making her pajamas cling to her. Walking to the window overlooking the busy streets of the city around her, she continued, one clenched fist resting lightly on the window. "Damnit…"

Turning to look outside of the window she tried to calm herself down, the breathing techniques she had learned from her time in training over two years prior coming back to her mind in earnest. 'It's okay...it was just a nightmare…' she told herself, the unfamiliar cityscape outside greeting her with its brilliant glow. 'Chris is safe at home...everyone else is fine too…' she thought before turning back to her bed, taking note of the time on the clock next to it. 'Two Thirty in the morning…' she noted, her tired mind trying to focus enough to do the time conversion.

The thought of figuring out what her girlfriend would be doing caused the images of her dream to return to the front of her mind, shivers running down the normally composed young idol's spine. 'It's been like this for months now…' she thought, her frustration growing even as she took a seat on the window ledge. She had lost count of the number of nights she had woken up in the middle of the night screaming; the dreams occurred regardless of if she was at home with Chris next to her or when she was on tour. But no matter what, there were always certain similarities; a damaged and destroyed city, as well as the mangled and destroyed figures of her friends around her before something she couldn't see finally killed the young woman she had fallen in love with in front of her eyes.

'And every time, I'm powerless to do anything to stop it…' she thought, fingers reaching up and tracing lightly around her neck, the familiar silver chain that held her relic pendant resting exactly where it always was. Pulling the crystal out from underneath her pajama top she stared into it, a ruby glow filling the room as it refracted the city lights outside, the red glow reminding her of her snow-haired girlfriend and causing her to smile softly.

"At least I'll be able to get home soon," she whispered. The redhead had been asked to perform as part of a charity event for Noise victims alongside numerous other artists as a result of how her career had taken off, including some that she had never heard of before. And while she was honored to be a part of the concert, it would be her first time performing on stage outside of Japan, something that was causing her nerves to shoot through the ceiling.

"I'm not going to be able to sleep like this…" she whispered, voice trailing off as she stood from her seat and walked over to the closet she was using for her stay. Reaching inside and grabbing a pair of yoga pants along with an orange athletic shirt, she quickly got changed before pausing, her phone sitting on the nightstand and calling out to her. 'Maybe talking to her will help…' she thought, walking to where her phone sat before picking it up, sliding her finger to open the lock on the device. Pulling up her contacts and finding a specific number, she started a call before walking into the main area of the hotel suite, the sound of the ringtone greeting her ears as she took a seat by the window. Soon the ringing came to a stop as the person she was calling finally answered, bringing a small smile back to the redhead's face.

"Hello?" Chris said, her voice coming through the phone easily, the sound of people talking in the background fading away as Chris continued to speak. "Hibiki? What are you doing awake? Isn't it...two thirty in the morning over there?"

"Yeah, it is," the redhead replied, her small smile growing slightly. "But...can't I call you just to hear you?"

"B-b-baka…" Chris trailed off, the image of the snow-haired girl's blushing face appearing in Hibiki's mind as she spoke. "You can do that, you just...caught me by surprise." Taking a moment to pause, the sound of activity fading away as she entered a quiet room, she continued, a worried tone entering her voice as she spoke.

"Still...what's going on? Don't you have that concert tonight?"

"Yeah," the redhead replied distantly, her words drawing a small hum from Chris' lips. Before she could really say too much more Chris answered back, catching onto the unspoken hints her girlfriend was providing.

"Hey...are you okay? How's London? I know Maria was supposed to meet you when you got there."

"Ah…"Hibiki said, eyes looking out of the window towards the cityscape around her. "I'm okay; Maria picked me up and showed me some of the sights already, and we had the dress rehearsal yesterday. If anything, it's just as rainy as I thought it would be. How are things back home?"

"It's…quiet," Chris replied, her tone softening slightly and saying so much more than just the two words themselves could. "You didn't answer the question though. Are you okay?"

"Yeah...just having trouble getting to sleep, that's all."

"Hibiki…" Chris said in response, the worry she felt returning to her voice full force. "That dream again?"

Silence, the redhead's lack of a response confirming Chris' suspicions on the spot.

"Hibiki, I'm here. I'm okay. You know that."

"I know, but...I just have this feeling that something's going to happen."

"Then if it happens, we'll-" At this, Chris paused, the sound of one of her coworkers trying to speak with her coming faintly through the phone. Sighing slightly she spoke up again, a frustration to her voice.

"Look...I know you're worried. But I'm here, and I'm alive, you baka…so please, don't worry about it. If...if something happens, we'll face it together, okay? I don't want you being an idiot and trying to solve it all on your own."

"Yeah...we will," Hibiki replied, nodding slightly as she smiled, her tone coming through the phone and reaching her girlfriend's ears.

"I've gotta get back to work. Tsubasa, Miku, Kirika, Shirabe, and I will all be watching, so do your best. And...I'll be waiting for you when you get home."

Nodding in response to the snow-haired girl's words, Hibiki spoke up again, her smile widening slightly.

"I know...I can't wait to get home and see you."

"Mmm…I'll be waiting," Chris hummed slightly in agreement, her smile appearing in the Gungnir wielder's mind as she spoke. "You ready for your concert?"

"Yeah...and I think you'll like what I'm performing tonight."

"Oh? Now you've got me intrigued," Chris said, drawing a small laugh from the redhead. "I'll talk to you later on, okay? And Hibiki, please...take care of yourself and get some sleep. I love you."

"Love you too, Chris."

At that the call ended, Hibiki bringing the phone down from her ear to her side before closing her eyes slightly, her girlfriend's words filling her mind. Taking a deep breath, she stood from her seat before going towards the door to the hotel room, grabbing her keys and the small workout bag she had kept there before heading out the door toward her destination, her mind preparing for the lengthy day ahead.

Unknown Location, Unknown Time

Carol opened her eyes, a scowl of frustration written across her face as she sat on the throne. 'Another one...another one of those dreams…' she thought, her eyes glaring out at the seemingly empty space in front of her. Raising one hand up into the air she concentrated, a ball of light appearing above her hand before separating, each portion floating over towards the glass orbs across the room and sparking them to life.

"Those fires have meant nothing but hell for me…" she trailed off, a quartet of smaller platforms rising up across from her on the platform at the center of the room. "They've destroyed EVERYTHING I love and care about. From my home to my father, they've done nothing but cause more pain and suffering."

Pausing for a moment as the first of the figures atop the platforms in the center of the room stirred to life she continued, her eyes narrowing further in frustration as a smirk came onto her face.

"I guess that makes it all the more...ironic how the force that they used to take EVERYTHING from me will soon leave the world with NOTHING." Pausing mid-rant, she frowned slightly, a brief image flashing into her mind before she continued, her eyes glancing towards where the slowly stirring figure relaxed its pose.

"So I see that she's finally making her move, eh? So foolish…" the young woman said, her cloak billowing around her as she stood from her throne. Descending the stairs towards the central throne, she continued, her voice low and holding a dangerous edge. "Such a foolish little being...thinking that her taking that will stop me…" Finally reaching where the figure took a brief bow, she paused, mind quickly formulating an idea.

"On the other hand...perhaps I can use this," she said, the figure in front of her standing in front of her as if awaiting her orders. "Leiur, follow our foolish friend, will you? And try not to draw too much attention to yourself this time."

"Just follow?" The figure replied, a neutral expression on her face. "I'm surprised; you normally would want me to kill her or capture her."

"Scare her a little, I don't care. Just don't kill her this time." Pausing as she turned towards where another pair of figures stood, she continued, a small smirk coming onto her face. "Our plans might need her to survive, after all. Now go."

At the young woman's command, the figure bowed before departing, her body vanishing in a flash of golden light. Not even turning to look Carol continued, even as the remaining pair of figures began to stir, their frames moving stiffly as if they had been holding their poses for an extended time.

"As for you two…" she ordered, a vicious gleam entering her eyes as they slowly danced their way over to their mistress. "I have special missions in mind for the two of you. You know what I need you to do, don't you?"

"Yes, my mistress," The pair of figures replied, bowing before the young woman as she grinned, a twisted feeling filling the air around them as she prepared to speak once again.

"Good. Then get into position and wait for my signal. I think it's time that we introduce ourselves to the world…"

Another sphere of light appeared, this time showing an image of what looked to be a domed building, festival-like banners wrapped around itself to promote the event that would occur inside

"We might as well have a little bit of fun before everything the people of this world love gets turned to ash."

Yokohama Port, Yokohama, Japan, 12 Hours Prior to EUROBEATS Festival

'So far so good…' the young woman thought, stepping out into the late afternoon harbor air as the small portal she had used to escape the alchemist's lair closed behind her. Quickly checking her surroundings she began to run, her mind focused solely on where she was trying to go, as well as on the precious cargo she was carrying.

"It can't be this easy," she said, running around the corner of the shipping container and towards the main office of the port. Cloak billowing behind her as she went, she continued to run, her arms clutching the ancient box she held tightly. "Carol...she always sends them after her targets. I couldn't have gotten away cleanly, could I?" Rounding the corner towards the gate leading out of the port she paused, quickly checking the area around her before the sound of a familiar laugh caused her to freeze in place.

"You're smart," Leiur called out from her place on top of the office building, staring down towards where the young woman stood. Flipping a coin up into the air she continued, her eyes glowing hauntingly in the early summer night sky as the cloaked figure looked up to meet her gaze. "For you to realize that you didn't likely get away unnoticed, and to know how my mistress normally reacts when she has a target in mind, but still act like you have anyways...that tenacity and intellect makes it obvious why you're her favorite, Elfnein."

A vicious grin appeared on her face, as Elfnein stared at her defiantly while slowly backing towards the gate leading out of the port.

"But even though you're her favorite, you're still turning your back on what Carol-sama is trying to do...and I can't allow you to escape." Flipping her coin up into the air one more time, she smirked as a number of small pools of light appeared around her before they opened fire, small coins streaking downwards towards the young woman and impacting the concrete she stood on, shattering it and sending debris soaring into the night sky and filling the area with dust.

"I know that you're not done in by something that simple, you runaway," Leiur called out, her oddly mechanical voice echoing through the warm summer air. As if to respond, a soft glow made itself known within the dust cloud, the veil parting to reveal a panting Elfnein with one arm raised towards the sky, a pale yellow barrier fading from existence. Lowering her arm, the young woman stepped backwards before turning and running towards the gate.

"Heh...still using that damn barricade trick? How...plain," Leiur said before shooting another barrage of coins towards the young woman, missing her only to impact the shipping container to her left, shredding it to bits and scattering twisted chunks of steel into the evening air while knocking the young woman to the concrete beneath her. "Oops...I guess I missed," she continued, the twisted grin she wore not melting in the slightest.

"She's sharper than this normally…" Elfnein whispered to herself, slowly pushing herself off the pavement while checking to ensure that her cargo was still in one piece. Satisfied with what she found, she continued, shaking her head slightly before starting to run once again, eyes glancing towards the nearby gate. "It doesn't matter though. I can't let her catch me. Not yet...not when I still have to warn them…"

Watching somewhat silently as Elfnein exited the port and continued to flee, Leiur scoffed before moving to follow, her movements mechanical yet still fluid. Leaping to a nearby rooftop outside of the port and scanning the area below she spotted the last vestige of Elfnein's cloak disappearing into a nearby alleyway, her vicious grin returning to her face as she moved to follow.

"Well...let our game of cat and mouse begin. I hope you keep this entertaining for me..."

S.O.N.G. Headquarters, Tokyo, Japan, 12 Hours Prior to EUROBEATS Festival

Alarms blared within the command center of S.O.N.G. Headquarters, the small group of bridge bunnies on duty quickly responding as the alert made its presence felt. Looking up at the monitor in concern, Genjurou felt a frown come onto his face as he spoke up.

"A reading in Yokohama, huh? Do we have anything that it could compare to?" he asked, eyes narrowed as he stood at the head of the room. As if to answer the commander's question, Aoi replied from her seat to Genjurou's right, her fingers flying over the keys to her station as she tried to take in the data.

"No, taichou," she began, her eyes taking in the information as quickly as she could. "We haven't seen anything like this at all, but we're searching as quickly as possible." At her words the alarms suddenly fell silent, the reading on the monitor fading away as a single word came onto the screen, framed by a yellow border and causing Genjurou's frown to deepen further, his fingers drumming slightly as he crossed his arms in contemplation, the activity on the bridge returning to normal.

"Great...so it's gone, just like that. Fujitaka, were we at least able to get it recorded?"

"Hai, taichou," The brunette man replied from his seat to Genjurou's left, eyes quickly scanning over the data that had been taken. "Do you want me to pass it to analytics?"

"Do it," the mountain of a man ordered, his nod accentuating the urgency of the situation. Visibly decompressing as he retook his seat at the head of the room, he continued, eyes shutting lightly as he tried to think of what could be happening. "Whatever that was, I have this feeling that we're only seeing the start of it."

"Yeah, and add that on top of how we still have that investigation going on…" Aoi replied, her words causing her brunette coworker to look at her, a contemplative look on his face as he spoke up.

"Yeah...Didn't Ogawa-san say that he was following a lead that he had, but that it had gone completely cold?"

Genjurou nodded, his mind turning back to what his subordinates were discussing. 'To have been able to get to where Ver was being held without too much of a disruption, get in, and kill him like that…' he began, the frown on his face growing wider at the thought. 'Whoever did that...they were damn good, that's for sure…'

"That doesn't matter at the moment," Genjurou said, his eyes opening as he pulled up the data they had been able to record. "Right now, we should focus on trying to figure out just what that signal was." Drawing nods from the bridge bunnies on duty, he frowned, a worried look flashing onto his face briefly as he focused in on where the reading had been and what it could have been. After first dealing with Finé and then the Frontier Crisis, he had begun to develop a feeling for these types of events, a major reason why he had been appointed commander of S.O.N.G. on its reconstitution.

'And right now, I can't help but feel as though that blip was just the beginning…'

Restaurant "Red Clover", Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan, 9 Hours Prior To EUROBEATS Festival

"I'll be right back with your orders," the waitress said, walking away from the table with menus in hand and leaving Miku and her girlfriend to themselves. Smiling slightly as she looked at the younger girl across from her, Miku reached out, lightly squeezing her hand and causing her to blush softly.

"You look great tonight," she said, the smile on her face and tone of her words causing the now-junior at Lydian to smile softly in return before replying, her eyes looking towards MIku as she spoke.

"You too, Miku," Yuri replied, the brunette's hair hanging lightly over her shoulders as she spoke. "Where'd you hear about this place from? It looks…really high-end, but the prices don't seem too out of this world."

"Ah…" Miku began in response, the smile on her face growing slightly as she spoke. "Both Hibiki and Chris recommended it to me a couple months ago. I have to say that they're right though; it really is a nice spot."

A pause, the dating couple falling into a comfortable silence as they tried to absorb the environment of the restaurant. They had been seated and served immediately, something which seemed unusual to the duo for a Friday night. 'Guess we arrived at the right time…' Miku thought, reaching up and lightly brushing her long, dark hair back and over her shoulder, fingertips lightly tracing the lavender t-shirt she was wearing. Leaning in and taking a sip from her water glass, she spoke up again, green orbs locking onto the younger girl's own brown ones.

"So...I wanted to apologize for missing our Friday night last week," MIku said, her words drawing a grateful smile from the brunette across from her. Before she could say anything more, Yuri spoke up, the smile she wore softening slightly.

"It's okay…" the brunette said in response, a grateful smile appearing on her face as she placed her hand on top of Miku's own, fingers trained from years of playing the keyboard stringing between Miku's own and intertwining them. "You had that exam you needed to get ready for. I'm not even remotely mad about it."

"I still want to make it up to you though," The older of the two girls replied, forest green meeting earthy brown as the duo smiled softly. "You deserve that much from me. I know that I've been busy with pre-med classes, but I still managed to make time for us until last week."

"Well, you don't need to," Yuri whispered, a small smile on her face as she squeezed the older girl's hand briefly. "Besides, our time together…has been more than I thought it would be."

"Why's that?" Miku asked, a single eyebrow raised in response. Before she could say anything else, the brunette continued, hands not untangling from the older girl's as she spoke, the smile on her face causing Miku's heart to flutter rapidly.

"I mean...I'd like to think that I've come a long way since we first started going out," the brunette said, her smile causing Miku's own to grow in response. "I was so nervous when I first asked you, remember?"

Quiet laughter from the duo, the memory of Yuri's presenting the love letter to Miku appearing in both girls' minds.

"And now look at how far we've come…" she trailed off, the now-familiar warm smile refusing to dissipate. "It's hard to believe that it's been a year though. Next year I'll be getting ready to graduate too."

"Well, don't wish that time away," Miku replied teasingly, causing the younger girl to pout slightly. "You're the president of your club this upcoming year, right?"

"Yeah," the brunette beamed, an excitement entering her voice. "We don't have too many returning members though, not this year." Listening in as the younger girl started to discuss her plans for the year, Miku found herself lost in thought as she took in the sight of the brunette in front of her speaking excitedly.

'She's right...it really has been an interesting year…' The dark-haired girl thought, nodding as her date continued to talk about some of the potential new members of the club. 'She's so engaging...and always so open. It's nice…and feels so different from back then…'

The young couple dating for a year was not the only major thing that had gone on in Miku's life however. Continuing to smile as Yuri kept talking about her standing in the light music club, she allowed herself to reflect on her first year of medical classes and the work they entailed.

'It's been a tough one too…Almost everyone else in my classes seem so much further along than I am…' She thought, the images of the hours she had spent studying causing her to frown slightly, something that didn't go unnoticed.

"Miku? You okay?" Yuri asked, causing the older girl to blush slightly before replying, a small smile on her face.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just kinda thinking about how much has gone on this past year, that's all," She said, a look of relief washing over the younger girl in response. "I'm sure the club will do great this year, Yuri. You guys crushed it back at the Spring festival for your performance."

"Miku...you're just saying that," Yuri responded, face flushing pink. "We didn't do that well. It felt a tick flat at times."

"Well, I thought you were great."

Silence fell over the couple as the younger girl's face turned bright red, a relieved smile on her face. Trying to break the silence, Miku continued, her eyes catching a glimpse of a promotional billboard nearby.

"So, excited about the concert?" She asked, her words causing the younger girl to nod in silence, her face flushing deeper.

"Yeah, I am," Yuri said, voice going somewhat quiet. "I guess...I'm just nervous. i just hope Chris-san doesn't mind me coming with you for it."

"Relax," Miku responded, her hand reaching back across the table and squeezing the younger girl's reassuringly. "Chris was the one who asked if I was going to invite you to begin with, so I'm sure she's okay with it. So just relax and try to have some fun tonight, okay?"

Looking up towards where her girlfriend of almost a year sat, the brunette responded, the smile on her face as their waitress came back with their orders on the tray.

"Okay," Yuri said, the red-clad waitress placing her meal in front of her. "I"ll try to. But how about you? Isn't there any particular artists that you're looking forward to seeing?"

Smiling softly, Miku laughed quietly before replying, an amused look on her face.

"Just a couple," She said, turning her attention to her meal. Looking back towards her date she continued, an amused look in her eyes as she watched the younger girl eat her meal, the medium-sized caesar salad on her plate being steadily consumed. "You already know one of them, but I'm also looking forward to seeing that one artist from Germany. How about you?"

"Ah...I'm the same way," Yuri replied, the lighting of the room only accentuating the sleeveless white blouse she wore. As the brunette launched into an explanation of the performers at the festival she was looking forward to seeing, Miku smiled, a serenity falling over her that she had found herself experiencing many times over the last year. Allowing the feeling to surround her, a single thought ran through her mind as she started to consume her own meal.

'I guess that those feelings I had for you really could be given to someone else, huh, Hibiki?'

Tachibana-Yukine Apartment, Chuuou, Tokyo, 8 Hours Prior to EUROBEATS Festival

"Sorry we're late," Shirabe said as she entered the apartment with a small box held in her arms, the twin-tailed girl's pink backpack hanging over her shoulder. Smiling softly as she turned her head to look behind her she continued, her eyes looking towards where her blonde friend was following close behind. "We couldn't figure out what type of drinks we wanted to get."

"It's fine. It's not like you missed anything," Chris replied, holding the door open and waiting for her juniors to walk in. "I just got home fifteen minutes ago, and the others haven't even gotten here yet." Pausing for a moment as the younger girls removed their shoes, she continued, her long snow-colored hair hanging loosely just as it had since graduation as she walked past the duo. "Shirabe, can you help me get some of the food started?"

Nodding in response to the older girl, Shirabe made her way into the small kitchen that was linked to the common area, setting down the small box she had been holding on the small dining table next to its entrance. Smiling softly as her friend made her way over towards what she truly enjoyed doing, Kirika spoke up, a curiosity to her voice as she looked at the older girl next to her.

"Anything I can do to help?" The blonde asked, the energetic look on her face growing slightly as Chris paused, lost in thought. "And what ARE you making, anyways?"

"Kirika, I'm pretty sure that Chris probably doesn't want you in her and Hibiki's kitchen," Shirabe replied, a small smile on her face as she finished washing her hands. Laughing softly in response to the younger girl's words, Chris spoke up, her normal fire evident as she turned her gaze towards the younger blonde.

"Damn right I don't, not after what I've heard about her cooking abilities," Chris said, glaring directly at the younger blonde. "As for what we're making...you'll just have to see."

"Ah...I'm not that bad, am I, Shirabe?" Kirika whined, eyes glancing at her best friend. Staring back, a stoney look on her face, Shirabe responded, looking up from where she had been reading over the recipe cards Chris had gotten out.

"Kirika, you nearly lit the school's student-use kitchen on fire when you tried to make that Beef Stroganoff recipe they asked us to make last week for class."

"Ah…" The blonde muttered, a sheepish look on her face as she tried to think of an excuse. "It was an accident though."

"Kei-san looked like she was going to strangle you."

"Okay, I get it…" Kirika said in response as she took a seat on the couch across from the plasma flatscreen mounted on the wall, the monitor dark in its inactive state. Taking note of the younger girl's despondent state, Chris let out a sigh before speaking up, even as she moved to join Shirabe in the kitchen.

"Look, Kirika, keep your head up," she said, a small smile on her face before pausing to pull out some ingredients from the refrigerator. "Even though there's no way in hell you're helping cook, tonight's about watching the concert and supporting the artists performing. Aren't there some of them that you're looking forward to seeing?"

Silence filled the air, the younger girl stopping to consider her answer, even as the sounds of Shirabe and Chris starting on the first of the desserts they would be making filled the room. Taking a deep breath, the blonde spoke up, her voice causing the duo to pause and look up towards her.

"Well, I wanna see how well Hibiki-san does," she began, her eyes looking towards the ceiling in thought. "It's her first time performing outside of the country, isn't it? And then there's another couple of bands that I wanna hear too."

Returning her focus to what Shirabe was helping her with, Chris allowed her thoughts to drift off, the younger blonde's enthusiasm causing her to think back to her previous conversation with the Gungnir wielder and leading her to smile, something that didn't go unnoticed.

"What about you, Chris-senpai?" Kirika asked, half-hanging over the back of the couch as she spoke. "Isn't there anyone that you're wanting to see? Well, besides Hibiki-san."

Silence, the snow-haired girl trying to figure out some answer that she could give. Taking note of Chris' hesitation to reply, Shirabe spoke up, her eyes narrowed in a quasi-glare at her blonde friend.

"Kirika...why does it matter what Chris likes to listen to musically?" The twin-tailed girl asked, looking up from where she had finished cracking eggs into a large bowl. "Besides, even if there's not anything else she likes on the list of performers tonight, she's still gracious enough to have us all over here for this."

"B-but she asked me…"

"Kirika…" Shirabe said, voice trailing off as she shook her head in mock dismay. Moving towards the sink and washing her hands quickly, she continued, a disappointed look on her face. "Stop already. Let's just try to have fun with this tonight, okay?"

"No, it's fine," Chris finally said, shaking her head slightly. Letting out a small sigh, she continued, her eyes glancing towards the rack of CDs near the TV. "There really isn't anyone other than Hibiki on the list of scheduled bands that I want to see."

"No one? Not even that one band from Germany that I heard Miku wanted to see?" Kirika asked in response, drawing a small shake of Chris' head in response, the older girl starting to pour the batter that she had made into the cake pans she had gotten out previously.

"Nope, not even them, even though Miku says that they're the closest there'll be to what I normally listen to."

"Then who would you want to be there?"

Another pause, the snow-haired girl thinking briefly as she closed the over door behind her cake pans. Standing back up and moving aside as Shirabe started work on the second of the desserts they were making, she spoke up, her eyes looking towards the rack of CDs.

"Well...it'd be cool if someone like Bullet for my Valentine was there," Chris replied, her words causing the blonde's jaw to drop and even causing Shirabe to look up form what she was doing. "What?"

"Chris-senpai, your taste in music is weird. Everyone knows only edgy teens listen to Bullet for My Valentine." Kirika said, drawing a glare from the older girl before Chris replied, a cocky smile appearing on her face.

"Fuck off, my taste in music is great!"

"Kirika…" Shirabe sighed, shaking her head slightly as she spoke with exasperation. "You really don't know how to stay out of trouble, do you?" Returning her focus back to what she was trying to help with, she allowed herself to just zone out, the sound of her blonde best friend and their host debating the finer points of their respective favorite genres causing her to smile softly as a single thought went through her mind. 'Kirika, you shouldn't be talking. You're one of those edgy teens yourself…'

"Shirabe?" Kirika asked, shaking her shorter friend from her thoughts and causing her to look up. "Isn't there anyone you're wanting to see?"

"Kirika, you already know the answer to that," She said, her eyes returning back to the strawberries she was cutting. Before she could try to elaborate however, the doorbell rang, drawing Chris' attention to itself as the younger girls discussed Shirabe's music preferences. Shaking her head slightly, she walked over to the door, opening it to welcome the next of her friends to arrive.

-GX-

"It's almost time," Yumi muttered, blinking heavily as she took a sip from the mug of hot cocoa she held in hand. Letting out a yawn and rubbing her eyes, she turned, looking back at where the others were sitting before continuing. "When does she perform again?"

"Yumi, she's the second person to go," Kuriyo replied from right next to her friend, the taller girl barely managing to smile before letting out a yawn of her own. "How could you have forgotten about that?"

"Not all of us are that sharp when half-asleep, Kuriyo-san," Shiori said from where she stood before making her way over to the duo of friends with a small mug of cocoa of her own. Taking a seat next to them, she continued, small bags underneath her eyes as she spoke. "Besides...out of all of us here, we know that Yumi's the most forgetful to begin with. Maybe staying up all night like this was a bad idea after all."

"Says you! We haven't seen everyone in a while, so it's been good to catch up a bit, " Yumi shot back before letting out another small yawn, her words drawing a small chuckle of laughter from her two friends. Watching from across the room with a small smile, Chris shook her head slightly before taking a sip from her own mug of cocoa, eyes turning towards the flatscreen on the wall, the broadcast feed of the festival filling the monitor.

"Glad to see everyone having fun…" she said, eyes looking across the room to where Shirabe and Kirika were engaged in conversation with Yuri and Miku, the quartet of girls talking somewhat excitedly about the performers they were most excited to see. "I'm still wondering just what she has in mind though…"

"I'm sure that whatever it is…" Tsubasa replied, sitting next to her at the table and letting out a yawn before sipping from the hot glass of tea she had made for herself. "It should go over well. Ogawa-san said that she'd been working on it for a couple months now."

"Heh...I'm sure you're right," Chris responded, before the rest of the room fell silent, the two of them joining in as a countdown appeared on screen. Watching the numbers tick down one by one to the start of the festival, Chris felt a sense of nervous excitement fill her stomach, the lights at the stadium on screen going dim as the first artist took the stage. And as their song began, Chris found herself caught up in the excitement, one single thought entering her mind as the music filled the room.

'Give it all you've got, Hibiki...We're all watching…'

Backstage, Riverside Arena, London, England

"Ready to go?" Maria asked, hand resting lightly on her friend's shoulder as she stood backstage, microphone in hand. Looking back towards where the rosette stood Hibiki smiled softly, the silvery dress she wore rustling slightly as she spoke.

"Ready as I'm gonna be," she began, the sound of the band in front of her performing their final song filling the arena, even backstage. "Thanks for coming tonight, Maria. It would've been a lot to ask if I didn't have anyone familiar besides Ogawa here tonight."

"You make that sound like it would have been a bad thing," Ogawa said, speaking up as he returned from where he had been watching the performance on stage and drawing a light bit of laughter from both girls. Stepping in front of his charge and kneeling down to look her in the eye, he smiled slightly before continuing to speak. "Everything will be fine. You've practiced for this so much over the past couple months that you're more than ready to do this. Go out there and show them what you've got."

"Yeah...that's the plan," Hibiki replied, eyes turning toward the main stage again, a frown making its way onto her face again as she tried to focus herself for the start of her brief segment, the pair of songs she would be performing appearing in the front of her mind as she continued to get herself mentally prepared to perform. Before she could get too much further in however, a stagehand appeared backstage, his voice snapping her from her thoughts and drawing her attention.

"Two minutes! You're on in two!" he said, drawing a nod from the redhead as she turned towards the speech, the music of the previous band finally falling silent.

"Okay...here we go…" she whispered, turning back to her manager and to her guest with a shaky smile on her face. "Thanks again for being here. That goes for both of you."

"Hibiki, I'm your manager. Of course I'd be here," Ogawa said, a small smile of his own appearing on his face. Placing his hands on his charge's shoulders, he continued, a calming tone to his voice. "You've prepared for this, so now it's time to just go out there and do it. You'll do great, I'm sure of it." Releasing the redhead's shoulders and stepping back, he nodded, Hibiki nodding back in kind as she turned towards where Maria stood, a warm look on her face as she spoke.

"He's right. You've done a ton of work to get ready for this, so relax and let your preparation and practice take over like you always do, Hibi-san," Maria began, her cyan orbs meeting the amber of the younger girl. "I know I'm not Chris, or even Tsubasa. But I'm sure that their thoughts and mine are the same. Go out there and do your best, Hibiki."

"Right...I will," She replied, turning back towards the stage and walking her way towards the ramp leading to the stage. "Here we go…" she said, stepping beyond the veil separating the backstage area to the ramp leading to the stage and disappearing from their view, leaving Ogawa and Maria to themselves backstage.

"She seems on edge about something," Ogawa said, his eyes narrowed in confusion as he looked towards the Airgetlam wielder who stood, a look of concern on her face from his words. "Any idea as to what?"

"No...none," Maria replied, shaking her head as she scanned the area for anyone who could be listening in. "But...she did seem tired earlier. I hope it's just nerves…"

"So do I, Maria. But we need to keep an eye out for anything. I'm not allowing a repeat of what happened nineteen months ago to happen tonight."

"Right." Grasping at where the relic pendant for Airgetlam rested underneath her teal blouse, the rosette allowed her thoughts to drift before turning towards where the redhead had gone, a concerned frown appearing on her face as the countdown to Hibiki's performance began.

-GX-

"It's almost time," Yumi said, the group of friends' eyes locked onto the flatscreen as the final seconds ticked away between performers. Turning toward where Chris and Tsubasa sat at the dining table, she continued, a joyous smile gracing her face. "Come on, you two! Aren't you gonna watch with us?"

"We'll be right there, Yumi-san," Tsubasa replied, an amused look on her face. Turning back to look at where Chris was sitting at, she continued, a contemplative look on her face. "Well, time to see how Hibiki does."

"Yeah…" Chris trailed off, the last few seconds ticking off the clock before revealing the stage, a small band gathered towards the back while a single silhouette stood in the center, shrouded from view by the lights as the band began to play, an unfamiliar song coming through the speakers…

-GX-

(Insert song: "Ambiguous" by Garnidelia)

Hibiki stood silent in the center of the stage, a small circular platform beneath her as the music she had chosen began to play. Staring out at the crowd, many of which had started to cheer as the music started, she allowed a single thought to pass through her mind as she brought the microphone she held up to her mouth, the small platform she stood on rising into the early summer evening.

'This is for you…'

As the guitar swelled, she began to sing, the words coming freely from her mouth as the platform began to hover out over the crowd, the lights on the underside of the platform shining brightly and illuminating the Gungnir wielder.

-Once I cut the ties of fate, what lies ahead…

I've been getting taller,

in a world too small to fit, full of shoe sores…

I walk the runway thinking I've hidden the pain,

On the backside of a smile.

But it's always you,

who sees right through me:

I've never felt something like this before,

and it takes me off balance.-

The roar of the crowd brought a smile to her face as she continued, launching into the chorus as the lights under her changed color to a brilliant blue, the platform she found herself on floating around the arena just above the crowd as they continued to roar.

-An indescribable heat, unfit for anyone but me,

burns in my chest;

As I pull in my thread of fate, what lies at the end,

Is a new dawn coming upon us!-

The lights in the stadium flashed once again, changing to a now red and yellow pattern to match the lights on the platform as it settled to a stop in the center of the arena floor. Standing atop it, Hibiki continued to sing, her eyes looking towards the camera directly.

-Biting my finger, I've always been searching,

For the secret to this shining world…

But the answer's always been in my tea cup,

Simply reflected there

At a temperature that seems hot enough to burn,

Too sweet, too bitter,

So let's each drink down our own preferred flavor.-

Leaping on the balls of her feet as the lights on the platform underneath her changed yet again to a brilliant white, Hibiki continued, her eyes not leaving the sight of the crowd underneath her as she turned around, the platform heading back to where it had started.

-The indescribable heat that you made me realize that day,

Makes its way down my cheeks;

All our feelings are jumbled up, but what lies at the end,

Is a new dawn coming upon us!-

Falling silent as the guitar solo took place she strode upstage, the small ramp at the center of the stage which led to a small central platform coming alight in a brilliant silver glow. Making her way to the detached platform just as the guitar solo came to a stop she brought the mic back up to her mouth, the lights turning back into a brilliant blue.

-I have nothing but the reckless feeling,

That I want to protect this beautiful world…

But the fact that you're beside me is my shining ray of hope!-

A pause, the music falling quiet in the background as she stared into the camera. Bringing her free arm up towards the ceiling as if reaching out, she resumed, striding back up the ramp towards the main stage behind her as the lights changed to a fiery red in color, catching her in their glow.

-An indescribable heat, unfit for anyone but me,

Burns in my chest;

As I pull in my thread of fate, what lies at the end…

Can you see it?...is a future that continues on endlessly!

That indescribable heat that you're still making me feel today,

Makes its way down my cheeks;

All our feelings are jumbled up, but what lies at the end,

Is a new dawn coming upon us!-

Making it back to the main stage and turning around, she smiled widely before reaching back out in front of herself. Her mind drifting towards a certain someone she knew would be watching back at home, she finished the song, a final line coming to mind.

-Our hearts are surely one and the same!-

(End Insert song: "Ambiguous")

Bringing her free hand back down from where she had held it, Hibiki smiled brightly as the crowd roared. Pausing for a moment to take in the sound of the crowd in front of her and to figure out what to say, she took a deep breath before speaking, her voice ringing clearly throughout the arena.

"Thank you," she began, her words drawing a cheer from those packed into the venue. Pausing to allow the crowd to settle slightly, she continued, the smile she wore not shrinking in the slightest. "How's everyone in the crowd doing tonight?"

Pausing to allow for them to respond with an affirmative cheer, she continued, a small amount of surprise entering her voice.

"Everyone excited for the festival?" At the crowd's roar, she nodded before speaking again, a small smile on her face. "Glad to hear it! It's such an honor to be here tonight, performing for you all."

"I've had a great time here in England while getting ready for this festival. All the people I've met here have been so helpful since I arrived. And all of you are so hyped for tonight. It's been so much more than I thought it'd be, so thank you!"

Another pause, the crowd roaring positively to her words as she waited for them to calm down. Bringing the microphone back up to her mouth, she continued, a single thought coming to to her words, the band behind her started to play, the intro chords to her next song filling the arena yet barely able to be heard.

"I have one more song for you tonight, so I wanna hear you get as loud as you can!"

Looking back over her shoulder to where the band members sat, she smiled before returning her attention to the concertgoers in front of her. Bringing the microphone back up once again and letting out a deep breath, she began to sing one more time.

(Insert song: "Grilletto" by Garnidelia)

-I extend my hand, reaching out for you;

My true love, which knows no imitation,

Will pierce right through you.-

Falling briefly silent she strode forwards down the central pathway, lights along the way alternating between a brilliant white and a soothing blue while the band behind her played, the sound of the band playing the high-paced piece behind her. Stopping halfway down the walkway she brought the mic back up, resuming the song as the band fell back into the background, the lights flashing in rhythm to the song as green lasers lights flashed behind her.

-How far you can go is really up to you, so take off your limiters,

Nobody knows… no one has a clue what's still to come.

When I look around me, it seems the second I trust someone, I face betrayal,

There's nobody else; so stop relying on another.

Within each precious secret,

Is something that beckons me towards it,

But I'll never move forward like that.

I extend my hand, reaching out for you:

Merely acting tough won't protect anyone, but this feeling is ultramarine.

I take aim and pull the trigger:

My true love, which knows no imitation,

Will pierce right through you.-

-GX-

"Well, this is a surprise," Tsubasa whispered, a pair of mini-glowsticks in her hands. Turning toward the Ichaival wielder she continued, her voice low enough that only Chris could hear it as the concert continued on screen, Hibiki's voice filling the room as she went through the chorus. "This almost sounds like something you'd sing, Chris."

"Wh-wh-what do you mean?" The snow-haired girl whispered back, a strawberry blush on her face as she continued to watch the screen. "I...I don't sound like this, do I?"

"No, but the words sound like it," Tsubasa said, her azure eyes not leaving the screen as the guitar interlude between verses began to play. Turning back towards the younger girl she continued, a small smirk on her face. "You didn't help write this song, did you?"

"N-n-no," Chris replied, the blush on her face growing deeper still in response before Tsubasa laughed softly as Hibiki resumed singing. "But she did say that she thought I'd like what she was performing when I talked to her earlier…"

"Oh?" The older girl asked, her eyes looking back towards Chris who was silently staring at the screen as her girlfriend dove into the second verse. Shrugging lightly, Tsubasa did the same, a small smile rising onto her face as she allowed herself to fall into the rhythm of the piece.

-GX-

-As we become adults, we forget something important;

I lose my way and can't even trust myself.

All I can hear is a dissonant noise, like I'm about to be swallowed up,

But you must never forget that you're not alone!

When we get lost, we wound deeply. But before I knew,

I was touching the love you gave me,

Becoming stronger and stronger.

I extend my hand, reaching out to take hold of freedom,

I'm strangely fearless and this feeling is so pure.

I take aim and pull the trigger:

My true love, which knows no imitation,

Will pierce right through you.-

-GX-

'How much longer is this going to go on?' Elfnein thought to herself. Peeking around the corner of the building she had hidden herself behind and not detecting any sign of her pursuer, she allowed herself to relax slightly, the toll of the past twelve hours starting to catch up. 'I knew that she was persistent….but to have been chasing for this long and show no sign of tiring….Carol really designed them well…'

Looking down to check the condition of the box she held, she spoke up softly, her glance reminding her of why she had left.

"I need to warn them about what's coming. Maybe if Leiur tries to attack again, I can use that to get their attention?" A pause, the young woman stepping out from her hiding spot and onto the streets of the district. "But warning them alone won't be enough, will it? No; they're going to need more than that. If they didn't, I wouldn't have grabbed this from where Carol had been storing it."

Feeling comfortable that her pursuer was nowhere nearby, she stepped out from the alleyway and onto the bustling early morning sidewalk. 'I don't see her anywhere, but I can't help but feel like she's not far behind me. It's almost like she's...toying with me. But why? That goes totally against everything Carol usually does!'

As she was losing herself in her thoughts, the sound of excited screams nearby seized her attention. Looking up and turning towards where the sound was coming from, Elfnein felt herself freeze briefly, only for the footage playing on a monitor above a nearby store to capture her attention along with the crowd of people cheering in front of it.

'I'm being too paranoid...but after how Leiur has chased me for all this time, is that even possible?'

Shaking her head slightly she looked at the video monitor once again, a fast-paced electronic rhythm echoing from the speakers around the screen as she took in the sight of the person performing. 'What is this?' She thought, listening to the unfamiliar rhythm as the singer fell silent, the instrumental section sounding loudly through the early summer morning. 'It's so...catchy…'

Feeling herself bouncing on her toes slightly in time with the beat, Elfnein shook her head slightly before looking around the area, eyes searching for any sign of her pursuer. 'I can't stay here. If she attacked now, then so many would get caught in Leiur's attack that don't need to be. I wouldn't be any better than her if I allowed that to happen…' Sighing quietly and taking one last quick look around the area, she moved on, a brisk pace consuming her as she left the area.

"So boring…" Leiur said, looking down on where her target had been from her perch on a nearby rooftop. "I wish that miss Elfnein would provide me with SOME excitement." Turning to look toward the nearby bridge and taking note of a small park nearby, a devious smirk appeared on her face as a plan pieced itself together. "Maybe I can MAKE some excitement for myself after all…"

-GX-

-With the one life we have,

Crying, laughing, so busy…

Bargaining with the only numbers we know,

Adding, subtracting, so busy…

More...More…

Hey, go ahead and draw the next card…

I wonder who will win?-

The sound of the electric guitars echoed slightly behind her as Hibiki fell quiet before bringing the mic back up and resuming.

-This empty reality feels about to break:

There's no such thing as an eternity,

So we'll draw our own trajectory.

I extend my hand, reaching out for you:

Merely acting tough won't protect anyone, but this feeling is ultramarine.

I take aim and pull the trigger:

My true love, which knows no imitation,

Will pierce right through you.-

(End Insert song: "Grilletto")

-GX-

"Thank you, everyone!" Hibiki's voice echoed over the speakers as the arena lighting faded to dark in order to allow for the next artists to enter. Watching the monitor on the wall and the feed it showed, the group of friends sat in quiet amazement, their minds reflecting on the performance they had just witnessed. Smiling softly as she turned towards the snow-haired girl sitting across from her at the table, Tsubasa spoke up, drawing Chris' attention to herself.

"Looks like someone likes what they heard," Tsubasa said, amusement written across her face as Chris could only nod in reply, eyes still wide as a single hand had risen to her chest. "Chris? You okay?"

"Y-yeah," Chris replied, face a crimson red in a mix of happiness and embarrassment. Turning back towards the screen where the next band to perform was being revealed, she continued, a wide smile appearing on her face. "I-It's not like I'm happy or anything! Even if that was about me..."

"Ooh, do you two have a song now?" Yumi asked, breaking into the conversation and causing their host for the evening to blush even brighter. "It's TOTALLY like something out of a romance anime! One of the two people decides to write a song for the other, and then sings it on live TV!"

"Yumi, will you shut up? The next group is about to start!" Shiori interjected, her words causing the excited girl to glare at her mockingly before she returned her attention to the screen. Turning towards where Chris and Tsubasa sat, the blonde walked over to join them before taking the third chair at the table. "She hasn't changed a bit since we graduated. And to think, she's one of the more popular waitresses at that maid cafe she works at, too."

Quiet laughter passed between them, the trio of friends smiling softly before Chris stood up, face a brilliant red. Taking a look at the band that was about to perform on stage, she sighed before Shiori continued, a wisened smile on her face.

"Relax, Chris. I'm sure that Yumi was joking around. Come on, let's relax and get back to the concert, okay?"

A pause, the snow-haired girl mulling over Shiori's request.

"Okay."

-GX-

"That was amazing, Hibiki," Maria said with a smile, as they walked quickly from backstage towards where the car back to the hotel was waiting. "The whole arena felt like it was shaking, especially that second song."

"Thanks, Maria," The redhead replied, taking a large gulp from her water bottle before continuing. "I'm just glad they liked what they heard. I don't think I've been that nervous in a while."

"Not even when you pulled that stunt at Lydian a year ago? Last I checked, Ogawa-san said that you had to convince the head of the whole label that it was going to be a good thing for sales."

"That was different though," Hibiki shot back, the flustered look on her face causing her companion to laugh quietly as they rounded the corner towards where their transport waited. "I'm through hiding myself from people, you know that."

"I do, and we all know you were," the rosette said, voice falling silent as she listened to the sound of the music being played above them. Making their way to where they had been told to meet their vehicle in relative silence, Hibiki spoke up, her eyes staring toward the rafters above the duo as the summer night air came in from the outside.

"I can't wait to get home," She said, voice echoing around the area. Turning to look at the Gungnir wielder, Maria responded, her own smile widening slightly.

"Oh?" She asked, the redness on her friend's face being a giveaway for Hibiki's reasoning. "Can't wait to see Chris, huh?" Before the redhead could respond, a loud roar filled their ears as the ground beneath them shook, almost bringing the duo to their knees.

"What was that?" Maria whispered, her eyes scanning for any sign of what happened.

"I don't know, but I'm not going to stand here and wait to find out," Hibiki responded, eyes taking note of the massive plume of smoke that was rising a short distance away from them along with the screams of festival attendees filling the summer night's sky. Reaching up underneath the orange and white blouse she had changed into and bringing the chain of her relic pendant into full view, she took off running towards the commotion before the light of another explosion filled the sky, Maria right behind her.

-GX-

"So insolent, all of them," Carol whispered as she stood atop the entrance to the arena, eyes staring down at the group of partygoers as they proceeded to listen to the song performed on stage. "They're all so happy, enjoying their little festival. Wasting away their lives...and they aren't the only ones. All of them are so blind to how the world actually works."

Raising a gloved hand and pointing it towards the group of partiers in the square below her, she continued to speak, even as a circle of light appeared in front of her hand.

"Well...it's time that I give them a little bit of a wake up call."

Smirking widely as the circle in front of her turned a blazing red, she whispered to herself quietly, an arcane symbol appearing at the center. Seconds later a massive ball of flame appeared in front of her, its heat causing the part of the entrance she stood atop to start to melt beneath her feet. Moving to throw the ball of flame, she spoke one final time, a singular phrase coming from her mouth as she spoke.

"All of these eyesores can just disappear!"

A single flick of her wrist was all it took. As the sphere of flame shot forward towards the crowd, it took all Carol had to not want to burst out in laughter as it made contact with the square and detonated. The resulting smoke cloud did little to hide the damage, small chunks of brick and mortar raining down from above alongside the cries of the few remaining partiers in the square. Nodding to the being that stood beside her as she leapt forth, Carol turned her attention towards the traffic crossing throughout the square, a sadistic grin emerging on her face.

"So much disbelief I see from all of you...well then, if you don't believe what you're seeing, I'll be MORE than happy to oblige you!"

Raising both arms in separate directions, she concentrated as a pair of circles of light appeared in front of her. Seconds later she fired, the golden circle on her right shining brightly as a veritable cyclone of golden light sprang forward, slamming into the building across from the arena and sending steel and glass raining down onto the horrified onlookers below.

Not waiting for the screams of the damned to reach her ears, Carol continued her assault, the light on her left crackling with power as it shone a dazzling green before another cyclone lashed forward, cutting through the pavement while tossing cars and bodies every which way, vehicles crashing into buildings before exploding into flames.

"Can you hear me, world? It's time that I made you PAY for your ignorance!" she cried out, the panicked screams of those who were fleeing the area acting as music to her ears. Bringing her arm back up she laughed as a number of smaller crimson rings of light spawned around her, a veritable rain of fireballs coming forth before falling in all directions, exploding on first contact and sending more screams and smoke into the air.

"Mistress Carol," A voice from beside her spoke up, causing the young woman to look away from the handiwork while she sent another emerald tornado into the scene.

"What is it, Garie?" She asked, her grin only growing as the sound of a large explosion reached her. Turning slightly to witness the scene of a tanker truck crashing back onto the ground from where it had impacted an office building, she grinned viciously.

"Looks like you'll be having company soon. A couple of those little bitches you had been monitoring since the Frontier incident are heading your way. Want me to take care of them?"

Carol's grin grew wider. Shaking her head as yet another cyclone of golden light ripped into the complex across from her, she finally spoke up, the demonic expression on her face only glowing more in the light of the flames.

"No. Let them come...Now might be as good a time as any to begin. You know what you need to do, so get to it, Garie."

"Yes, my mistress. I'll be MORE than happy to do so," her companion replied before leaping away, her dress fluttering lightly in the heat and smoke. Turning back towards the destroyed square in front of her Carol fired off another group of fireballs into the area, explosions erupting on contact while spraying asphalt and mortar into the air. Smirking viciously as a fresh round of screams rose into the sky, Carol's eyes glinted wildly in the blazing night as she processed the news she had received.

"It's about time that they decided to show up. Now...let's see just how well they can stand up against me."

-GX-

"Hibiki, wait a second, will you?" Maria shouted, her voice barely able to be heard over the sound of the festival attendees who were fleeing the area running past them. Coming to a halt as the crowd of fleeing partygoers continued to flood by her, the redhead stood, eyes staring ahead of her as the sound of another large explosion filled their ears. "Am I the only one who has a bad feeling about this?"

"No," The redhead whispered back, her voice barely able to be heard over the sounds of the fleeing crowd. "You're not. Anything from Ogawa-san or HQ?"

"Nothing yet," The older girl noted, a look of concern on her face. "Guess we're on our own to handle this then?"

"Looks like it. We'll just have to play it by ear," The redhead replied as they rounded the last corner towards their destination. Taking in the sight of the massive amount of smoke billowing into the sky, both girls grabbed their relic pendants, holding them tightly before they began to sing.

-Balwisyall Nescell Gungnir Tron-

-Seilien Coffin Airgetlám Tron-

Quickly a pair of spheres of light surrounded the duo before disappearing, revealing both girls in their Symphogear armor to the summer night. Turning to the older girl, Hibiki spoke up, voice nearly drowned out by the sound of another explosion.

"Let's go."

-GX-

Smoke rising all around them greeted the duo as they entered the square directly outside the arena, fires blazing out of control all across its expanse. Taking in the sight a crater in the center of the square where she knew there had been a viewing party taking place, Maria spoke up, her voice quiet yet biting over the sound of the sizzling flames.

"Who...could have done something like this?" Maria asked, the sight of the destroyed office buildings across from the arena garnering her attention, piles of debris littering the areas in front of the shattered husks. Taking note of the broken body of what looked to have been a gas tanker leaning against the side of a nearby skyscraper, she felt anger simmer within her as she scanned the area for any survivors.

"I...don't know…" Hibiki whispered as she stood by the edge of the crater in the center of the square, the shattered and charred remains of the viewing screen that had been showing the concert resting alongside scattered brick and mortar. Turning to look around the area, the sight of broken buildings and shattered asphalt greeted her alongside the charred and shattered remains of numerous partygoers, all of them killed with what had looked to be fearful looks on their faces. 'It's...just like my nightmares...' She thought, the images of the ruined city springing forth and implanting themselves firmly in her mind, causing her to tense up.

"I just contacted Ogawa-san. He said that they're evacuating the arena now via the opposite entrance," Maria said as she moved over to join the Gungnir wielder, the sound of her voice causing Hibiki to jump slightly in surprise. Taking note of her friend's startled reaction she prepared to continue, only for the sound of an unfamiliar voice to reach both girls' ears.

"I've been expecting someone to to show up…" The feminine voice said, her voice filling the area. As Hibiki and Maria tensed up, searching the area to see where the voice was coming from it continued, an amusement to itself. "But I didn't expect that I'd end up seeing you of all people."

'What does she…' Maria thought, her eyes searching area fruitlessly for the source of the voice amongst the scattered debris, damaged vehicles, and destroyed buildings. Next to her, Hibiki froze, the familiar sounding voice bringing the memory of her nightmare back to the front of her mind.

"So tell me," The voice continued, no longer echoing from around the area. "Have you been enjoying my handiwork?"

"What are you-"

"I wasn't asking you. I was asking your friend there."

Silence, Hibiki's eyes closed tightly as she grit her teeth, shoulders shaking in visible frustration. Turning towards where the redhead stood, Maria spoke up, a concerned look on her face.

"Hibiki? What is she-"

"Not like it matters much," The voice interrupted, the distinctly feminine tone sounding like it was coming from directly behind them. "It's not like she'll be able to stop what's coming, for all the strength she possesses."

Drawing her armed gear from its storage in her left arm gauntlet, Maria spun around, hoping to find whoever was speaking only to find nothing.

"So tell me. Does it make you angry to know that you're powerless to stop me?"

"Shut up…" Hibiki whispered, an angry tone coming to her as her shoulders quaked with fury. Hands clenched tightly into fists at her side, the images of her nightmares continued to bear down on her, even as the older girl reacted.

Spinning around again, Maria's dagger changed form into a whip-like sword as she slashed outward, her blade finding nothing but a disabled car and cutting it in half. As if responding to the older girl's reaction, the voice returned, its amusement growing deeper.

"Does it hurt to see this and know that it will only get worse?"

"Shut up…"

"To know that everyone and everything that you've ever cared about will BURN?"

"Show yourself already!" Maria yelled out, her whip-like blade flashing out again, hitting nothing but air and causing her to frown in frustration. Turning back to where the redhead stood, she continued, a concerned look in her eyes. "Hibiki, whatever she's talking about, don't listen to her!"

"And how does it feel to know that there's nothing you can do to stop me from killing them all?"

Appearing behind Maria, their opponent grinned viciously, a sphere of Golden light encircling her hand. Throwing her hand forward, a golden cyclone lashed out towards its intended target, winds cutting through the heated pavement and darting toward its target with reckless abandon. Turning around toward the onrushing cyclone Maria braced herself only to be pulled out of the way, the devastating spell passing through where she had been standing only to slam into the side of an already damaged building, the impact sending concrete flying everywhere as what was left of the structure gave way.

"That was close…" Maria said, turning to look at where her attacker stood. Beside her Hibiki stood, having pulled the rosette out of the way just in time to avoid the attack, her eyes focused directly on where the cloaked figure stood. "Hibiki. What is she talking about?"

Instead of answering her friend's question, Hibiki stayed silent, even as the heated summer wind blew their assailant's hood backward, revealing her identity to them. Glaring at the person standing just across from where they had stood, she spoke up, a controlled anger to her voice.

"I won't let you do it," she began, her gaze locked onto the blonde woman standing across from her. "I won't let you touch them…"

"Oh? What makes you think you can stop me? You don't have the power to protect anyone else, let alone yourself!" The blonde woman asked, spheres of light appearing and hovering around her at her will.

Eyes narrowing slightly, Hibiki tapped both gauntlets, orange lightning crackling from and around them as she slid into a loose stance, left arm coming in a cross guard while her right crossed underneath it, palm facing the asphalt as she spoke in response.

"We'll see about that. Bring it!"

End Chapter 1

Author's postscript: Sorry for the lengthier delay on this, but GX has finally begun. I would say more about what I have planned, but for now I'll just say that expect things to jump the ship fairly quickly from here. See you next time.-ZBD15