(This fic is a collection of interrelated, short stories, each depicting various sides of the fateful war, and is based off of the original Sega game and its GBA remake. If you're looking for happy endings, look elsewhere- you probably won't find many, and those that are tend to be very bittersweet. Each chapter ties directly to the one before it. I do not own Shining Force. :3)

Prologue: Longing

She couldn't stop thinking about him. Trite, perhaps, but true.

Whether it was in the baths, on the battlefield, alone in her cot, nursing a cup of ale, or even huddling in the arms of another lover, she still thought of him. His face haunted her every thought, the intoxicating sound of his voice shook her senses, and his touches- however rare- were causes for a sensory overload. Without knowing when, where, or why it'd happened, it still took her a while to realize that she'd become obsessed with the current leader of Guardania's small but powerful mercenary group.

Whenever she'd see a sword, she'd think, "Max would like this."

If she saw a small child, she'd think of the possibilities- however small- of possible children she'd bear if she were wed to him.

But seeing lovers- or worse yet, being with another lover- painted by far the most painful pictures of all. Thoughts of him, leaning over her with longing in his eyes for her, and no other. Intimacy. Love. Impossibilities.

Heaving a sigh, Tao closed her eyes slowly as she felt her lover rouse beside her- she had no need to look at him. Both she and her partner alike knew that their relationship was strictly for sex- friends with benefits, as it were- and both were well aware that they thought of others amidst their sessions. While she stroked his hair and thought of Max's chocolate locks and passionate blue eyes, he likewise was enraptured in imagining another archer, whose hair color just happened to match perfectly. They'd made it a habit to close their eyes during the height of their evenings together, truly encasing themselves in their own private fantasies.

His slim arms were nothing compared to the swordsman's physique- a fact all the more emphasized when he leaned his weight against her, nuzzling against her from behind and inhaling her scent with a regretful sigh. She'd almost taken to wearing the same perfume as Diane, and had only ended up refusing due to the sheer expenses involved- the woman had quite the expensive tastes, or the beastmen in the area had rewarded her handsomely when she still lived in the cliff side bluffs. When his delicate fingers brushed against her arm, however, she gave in, responding and turning over just enough to stare upwards at the ceiling.

"It can't keep going like this, can it?" The rose-haired woman asked hesitantly towards the sky, listening to her lover's breathing hitch momentarily before resuming back to its normal pace. Clearly, he'd given the topic some thought, as well. Wrapping one of his arms around her body, he nuzzled her ear and answered in turn.

"…I'm not sure, Tao. But what can we do? It's far too late to simply stop. There's nothing either of us can do, now." Her partner responded breathily against her, pulling the covers over the both of them. He knew how much she hated being exposed to the cold, after all, and how vulnerable she felt after nights like this. But he also knew that she needed to feel wanted… or the woman he knew would simply fall apart. She wasn't hungry for attention- it was the only thing that could get her over the hurdle that her own family had thrust upon her.

"Is it, though? What if we go too far?" To prevent the unsung question, she pulled his hand slightly to her bare abdomen, his skin still warm from their rendezvous. Immediately, he understood- pregnancy had always been an innate fear for the both of them. Neither of them wanted this commitment to go any farther than it was now. Though they cared for and supported each other, what they felt for one another was far from what one would consider to be love. His fingers moved slightly- almost as if testing for any signs- before his response came.

"I don't know. But you know that we can't make this through on our own. I need you. We need each other." And his words were true- she had no doubts about it. Closing her eyes and letting him kiss her lightly on the neck, Tao resigned herself to her lover's words for only a moment. Sweet poison- that's what his words were. Offering hope of a better future, if only they relied on a crutch- such crutches were always painfully difficult to remove. Already, she feared becoming too attached to this man.

"We're cowards, aren't we?" The mage murmured at last, her voice low and forlorn. "Truly cowards in love."

"Perhaps," Hans replied, pulling her close and closing his eyes, "but we're cowards together. That has to count for something."

And for the first time in weeks, she smiled.