By Starlight

This is a Skies of Arcadia/Skies of Arcadia Legends fan-based fictional story.

It all started with her question.

"Umm, Vyse?" she began. "Yes Fina?" he asked back. "I want to talk to you, is that alright?" She asked, a little timidly. "Sure Fina, anything," he answered. "I mean, in private," she re-phrased, minding the small crew their new ship had. "Oh. Alright, where to?" He asked. "Would you mind, c-coming into my room?" She asked, forcing out the last bit. "That's fine." He replied. "Thank you, Vyse," she said, smiling her usual weak smile.

She proceeded ahead of him to where the cabins were, stepping lightly along the way.

Vyse had admitted that Fina had an unusually quiet way of presenting herself, but even this was a little too shy, even for her. Ever since the defeat of the Gigas and Ramirez, and the three (Vyse, Aika, and Fina) had set out in their own ship, Vyse and Aika, but especially Vyse, had tried to accustom Fina to their world. Which was no easy task, as Fina had been essentially "locked up" all of her life, and was quite kind and sensitive in nature.

Vyse hummed along the way, a bit of a cheery difference to Fina's solemnity.

Fina reached her door and hesitantly reached for its handle. She opened it slowly and stepped in, not uttering a word. Vyse stopped humming and blinked, stepping after her as such. When he got inside, Fina shut the door behind him and stepped past him, so that she could sit upon her bed. Vyse just stood and looked at her, staring at him. She seemed a little desperate then, her eyes hinting at a bit of sadness or want, he couldn't tell, maybe both.

"Vyse, I wanted to ask you about something." She re-started. "Yeah, what's that?" He said grinning to her, trying to cheer her up.

He noticed the corners of her mouth twitch slightly; a small victory.

"Well, it's just that I've been feeling, I-I mean, uhh," She paused, blushing slightly. "When someone feels, different, about someone else, and by different I mean that in a good way, but, when you feel something towards that person, almost like you want to touch them, and hold onto them a-and." she trailed off again. "Is it love?" She asked him.

Vyse stood still, a little shocked.

"It.sounds like love. When two people love each other, they are like friends, only closer, much, much closer. When someone loves someone else, they're always happy around that person and well, it seems like they'd do anything for that person."

Vyse tried to explain though truthfully, he didn't know much about love, as he had been a carefree person who never really thought much about it.

"Why Fina, do you feel that for someone?" he said, also moving to sit on her bed.

Fina thought about what he said for a second, and then looked at him again, when she saw him advancing on her, her breathing quickened. He sat next to her and smiled his genuine smile. Fina loved that about him.

"Vyse, I do feel that for someone," she started calmly,

But before Vyse could respond, she let it all out.

"Vyse, that person is you, I love you," she finished, smiling.

Vyse was shocked but didn't show it, instead he just smiled, and followed suit.

"I love you too, Fina."

The fact was, Vyse had had a soft spot for her, and he would admit to loving Fina, he figured it was about the time when they rescued her from the Grand Fortress that he finally felt something stir inside of himself about her, but he didn't say anything too blatantly loving, should she ever have to go back to her home and he would never see her again, once her mission was fulfilled.

But since things turned out quite the opposite, his love for her wasn't all for naught.

"Oh, Vyse, this makes me so happy," she said, beaming. "I'm glad it does," he added soothingly. "Vyse, w-will you hold me?" She asked. "Like the night before "the battle?" He queried. "Just like that," she said softly.

Vyse scooted next to her and put his arm about her shoulder, but also wrapped his other around her mid-section. Fina lowered her head on his shoulder and shut her eyes and fell into a light slumber.