~Request for Iniphineas~

~Crowe F. Almedio x Reimi Saionji~

Unforgettable

The room was dark, illuminated only be the blinking lights on the computers that rested on the students' desks. The air was a mild, artificially generated cool temperature. The only sound that reverberated throughout the small square dormitory room was the soft mechanical hum of the ventilation system replenishing the oxygen throughout the underground school dormitory.

Not even the sound of a clock ticking pierced the omniscient silence. The residential area was completely quiet, as no students prowled the halls at such an early hour of the morning. No employees or teachers resided in that particular area, as it could get quite noisy during the weekend.

There wasn't a window in the room, and even if there was, the only view would be of metal or cold stone. Military and educational facilities weren't graced with screens in place of windows. It was night, but not a single ray of moonlight or sunlight could reach the underground city.

Two girls shared the dormitory room, though only one could be described as sleeping peacefully. The student who had the bed on the right side of the room didn't stir in the slightest, likely dreaming of something trivial or meaningless if any visions passed through her mind at all. The same couldn't be said for the slightly younger girl who had the other bed.

Her hands clutched at the sheets tightly, making her knuckles a pale shade of white as lifeless as the material. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead as her breathing became hurried and shallow. A few words such as "monster," "freak," or even less revealing things like "false hope" escaped her lips.

"I'm sorry."

"It's alright. We're the same; you don't have to be so afraid."

Reimi Saionji sat up abruptly, all but completely awake. Her eyes were wide with panic and fear as she glanced around the dark room several times. She half expected to see soldiers and doctors in airtight suits gathering around her; the one who was unable to die. Her painfully tight grip on the sheets loosened as her perception of reality returned to her, and she remembered where she was.

The nightmare's vividness had been agonizing. All the senses of the memory were present; she'd half expected to hear the screams that tore from the children's throats, voices turning in to hoarse sobs, and finally silence. The event was too traumatic not to appear time after time in her dreams.

Instead, she was more than ten years older and in the safety of the dormitory room she shared with another teenage girl attending the Academy. She let out the breath she'd involuntarily been holding and glanced over to her roommate. The girl, who also attended the mandatory classes she did, was still sleeping peacefully.

The nightmare was never accompanied by the far less unnerving conversation she'd had with Crowe after the incident and after her parents explained what she was. A few lines would surface, but it was only because she remembered how she fell apart knowing even someone she respected so unconditionally was a monster as well. In a way, it explained a lot, but the revelation had been a shock to her younger self. It had confuse her and even put distance between them for a while.

She tried to calm her irregular breathing and erratic pulse with a few deep breaths, struggling to ignore the pounding ache in her head. There was also a much less easily ignored burning sensation on the back of her neck.

She placed her hand over the familiar location where her crest was undoubtedly glowing. There was no light more ominous than what was given off by the accursed emblem; it was the symbol that marked her as a monster. She shivered and kicked the sheet aside, gaze falling to the floor. She glanced up at the clock display on the blacklit computer screen, unsurprised at the time it displayed.

Not even four AM yet…still three and a half hours before the first class starts…but I'll never be able to get back to sleep. She stared at the blood red digital numbers for another moment before deciding to get ready for lessons early and go to the training room beforehand. It would almost definitely be empty at such an early hour; that would probably calm her tumultuous mind. The nearly perpetual silence and complete focus on the target she was aiming at always helped her to escape her inner thoughts.

Crowe F. Almedio walked down the desolate hallway with a purposeful stride, unsurprised to find it empty. It was far too early for even the eagerest student like Edge Maverick to be prowling about, never mind the (somewhat rabid) group of schoolgirls from the young teenager's classes to be following him around. (They were quite taken by the appearance of his hair and heroic personality…or so they worded it.)

They'd been particularly determined not to give him any peace outside of class when the announcement approving the Valentine's Day celebration they'd been opting for was permitted. It was a distraction he, as senior student, was not looking forward to. But unfortunately it was a mandatory event at the school, and the majority of the students enjoyed any frivolous events. They were few and far between for the war torn planet.

Humorous thoughts aside, he slowed his pace when he heard activity in one of the rooms down the hall to his right. He stopped for a moment and listened, frowning slightly when he discerned the sound of an arrow meeting its target. It was easy to recognize the echo down the desolate halls, as the various devices the academy used for training traditionally produced a tell tale bong when an attack met its target.

He turned down the hall, approached the door to the archery training room, and slipped his ID card into the reader console beside the door. The only thing that separated the pain white door from the many others that lined the walls was the metal plague identifying the room's name. The red light above the lock flashed green and the automatic door slid open before him.

He stepped inside the lonely room, to find only one person in the training room. It was spacious, with a long distance between the target and assigned place for the archer to stand. It was one of the simpler rooms, with a setup that focused on working on the distance in which one could shoot. There were other types of training rooms for archery in the Academy, many of which were more extravagantly designed so the person training could also improve their accuracy and speed.

Reimi…

Large racks that were hung on the wall held various types of the lightweight, metal bows and arrows. The arrows were likely where the most technology was, as the variety of secondary effects they could have was vast. Much of the time there would be poison contained in the arrowhead, set to release its deadly contents upon impact. The weapons were far more advanced than they had been centuries ago, when they were very common on Earth.

I should have known it was her down here again.

There were two targets at each set distance, and the further one got away from the entrance, the further away the targets were. Needless to say, the young Reimi Saionji couldn't have been further away. She had graduated from the relatively short range targets much earlier in her training.

There aren't any other students who would be up this early…she must have had that nightmare again. When we were younger, it was always the same one.

Her expression was determined and serious, but her eyes reflected a degree of fear, or general unrest. Her demeanor was rigidly tense and as he got closer, he could see her hands were shaking slightly. Her long, elegant brown hair was died back to keep it out of her way, though it looked to be held in place with a hurriedly grabbed string since her ribbons were missing.

It's been too many years since she's ever mentioned it to me.

Even though she was clearly preoccupied and turned away from him, she was still beautiful.

It's better for her to be closer to Edge, but his obviousness must be hard on her sometimes…

He stopped a few feet away from where she stood, his expression becoming somewhat wistful. They had always possessed a bond she and Edge simply could not share - the knowledge they were both Seeds of Hope. It was a controversial matter on their hope planet of Earth, and the unpleasant way she'd learned the truth justified her hatred of the fact. No amount of reasoning or comforting could erase her traumatic memories. She was, although it was simply untrue, convinced those children she'd befriended so many years ago had died because of her.

However, it's impossible for him live without ever knowing about it.

It was probably the exact thing on her mind as her trembling hands loosed another arrow. It missed the target entirely, instead hitting the wall with a crack. She sighed heavily, staring at the arrow in disappointment. She sighed a second time in exasperation as she lowered her bow.

The burden we three carry as Seeds of Hope can't be washed away so easily.

He took a quick step forward and snatched an arrow off one of the racks on the wall. He placed his hand over her hand and lifted the bow back up into firing position. She jumped, startled by his sudden appearance. His suspicion she hadn't heard him coming was confirmed as she looked up and their eyes met.

Reimi…she's been crying.

"C-Crowe!" she stammered, blushing ever so slightly at their closeness as he fit the arrow to her bow. "I thought I'd be the only one awake this early. Why are you here already?"

He couldn't have been looking for me…right?

"You need to empty your mind and focus on the target before you shoot," he said impassively, ignoring the question. "You need to clear your thoughts."

She looked to the floor, seeming ready to step away from him. He reached out and pulled her other hand up to the arrow. Her fingers were cold to the touch, but still held the weapon tightly.

"If you don't, you'll never make a good shot."

"I-I know…," she trailed off; adjusting her grip as she reluctantly took aim. They were very close; she could feel his warm breath despite the chilly contrast to the air in the room. Most of the underground facility carried a nip of cold air, especially when it was winter and the planet's surface was well below the point of freezing.

"It's just that I can't concentrate all the time, even when I am alone down here. I'm not strong enough to dismiss all my memories of the past. You know just as well as I do that I'm not able to do that like you do."

"The past is long gone," he began, releasing her hands and stepping away from her. "The only thing ahead is the future, just like that target. You'll miss your chance at succeeding in it if you don't let go of what can't be changed."

Talk of the future again…that's just like him…

A small smile pulled at her lips as she loosed the arrow. It sped through the cold air as it shot across the room. With deadly accuracy, the arrow met its target. The tip was embedded deeply within the target, at the exact center of the innermost circle. She lowered her weapon, inwardly thinking how unusual it was they way they conversed. So much could be said in so few words; it was a bond only they shared.

Edge still has no idea.

She and Edge had always spent more time together, since they were closer in age, and Crowe had always seemed more distant. Even when they were young, he had always been doing so much work at the academy to further himself. It had been difficult to keep up with him, even that many years ago. But even if they didn't always see each other or get time to talk every week, they always had a connection. It was, in her eyes, a rather sinister one; they were two only two surviving Seeds of Hope aware of what they were.

"You know, even if it's just a philosophical little phrase that sounds like you read it out of a fortune cookie, you really do know how to make people feel better. It's not a wonder you're such a good leader."

He smiled slightly at her remark. "A fortune cookie? Did it sound that cheesy?"

"I'm afraid that it did," she said jokingly with a nod. She looked away from him as she reached for another arrow and fitted it to her bow. "I'm glad we can still talk like this…but how long do you think we'll still all be together?"

"Well, after graduation, the SRF will probably have me leave this settlement. There are some other underground cities participating in research and testing in other countries. Japan has a very advanced network of underground facilities and they're active in technology development for the space program. I might have to go to the Moonbase for quite a while as well."

"I see," she replied simply as she released the arrow. It met the edge of the ring around the red circle in the center. "But they don't expect to have a first mission for a few more years, right?"

"That's correct. Though they have started work on more ships now; it isn't just the Aquila."

"Hm. So even if Edge and I are already official members of the SRF by then, there's a good chance the three of us will be split up, huh?"

"It's definitely likely…they'll probably only hire you as members of the crew. They'll need quite a few trained, young people if they can complete all of the ships in time."

"That wouldn't be so bad, if you were my captain," she replied lightly.

"Heh. Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves."

"They'd be foolish not to make you a captain though. Especially since you'll be working for them before the first actual mission. And it isn't like the USTA doesn't still respect the Almedio Conglomerate."

"If they offered, I'd most likely take the position. Although…there's still a lot to be done before the Aquila ventures into the star ocean," he added, tone sounding a bit distant at the thought.

"I hope…we'll get to leave together."

As she said the words aloud, even knowing it was only a distant wish, she released the arrow. Even unaided, just knowing he was there and standing beside her, the arrow met its target with perfect accuracy.

Final Hikari: -typing very slowly past two AM with a rather zombified look-

Reimi: …You look tired.

Final Hikari: -looks up blearily- T'is the only time to write requests, kiribans, and the like! XD

Reimi: -shakes head- Well, anything to say about this one?

Final Hikari: Actually, yes, regarding the title. I really wanted to call it 'Wasurenai Kara,' but I know Japanese titles are viewed as cliché in this day and age. Ohnoes. Thus, it was deemed the somewhat less elegant title of "Unforgettable." Anyway; the pairing is Crowe x Reimi. Don't read if you don't like! XD -shake fish-

Reimi: …The Final Hikari doesn't own anything from Star Ocean: The Last Hope.

Final Hikari: Do you think they'll eat me for pairing you with too many men? XD

Reimi: I've been paired with half the cast. -sweat drop-

Final Hikari: Well, I was the first to write you with Faize and Crowe! -laughs evilly- I hope you liked it, Ini! XD