Welcome to the second (and most likely final) chapter of 'Faith'. I didn't intend on composing an additional chapter to this, but after watching an emotional film in History class, I solidified the decision to post extra Faith/Snake love. Ever since the submission of the first chapter, I've been hard at work on their adventure. It does not have an official title, but it's running through the mills nonetheless. I hope you enjoy the second sample of their upcoming adventure, especially since it's an emotional journey for me.

Faith Connor and Leon Scott Kennedy are the best angels for Old/Solid Snake. Their tales will forever be engrained in my heart. Oh, and before we begin, please remember this: I'm using Old Snake instead of Solid Snake. I really am fond of the old fogey. XD

To love, and all that it brings.


Another night had arrived at its end. Inside of a modest abode, four individuals pursued their hopes for tomorrow. Hal and Sunny were engaged in a collection of warm words, exchanging smiles and bedtime stories. The little girl was the anime otaku's anchor, able to calm him whenever waves became rocky. Her ability to soothe him was a little odd, given the gap in their ages, but she embraced her job with the warmest of smiles. Hal, in return, greatly appreciated her presence. The winds of fate would have swept him away long ago, if it hadn't been for the small maiden in his life. His life's other maiden was in Snake's bedroom, taking a well-deserved rest period. She and her newly acquired partner had been through a harrowing adventure. It occurred over the course of several hours, but those hours were no different from painful minutes. Time had throttled them, wringing each and every one of them by the neck. Luckily, the night had come to an end. It was time for rest and relaxation.

The word 'proud' didn't do full justice to Faith's feelings. Human vocabulary could be horridly unreliable at times. But they had shared their first mission together, endowing her with a staggering tsunami of affection. She had already been tremendously fond of her charge, but his aspirations for recovery touched her heart like nothing else. No longer were the drugs keeping him down. He was doggedly determined to stand on his feet, no longer comfortable with being bedridden. No longer comfortable with being helpless. Hal had warned her against that, but she accepted Snake's unbreakable spirit with a smile. She accepted Dave's spirit with a smile.

"I'm impressed. You kept with me! And you thought you'd slow me down."

He sat upon his bed, concentrating on his shoes. He said nothing, but his eyes spoke everything Faith needed to hear. The orbs she had become so fond of were bright, alive with the beauty of a child's soul. He was not only shy, but mesmerized by something. Always curious, inquisitive and clearly unbreakable. "You could become a Runner, you know," she continued, sitting next to him. "You were pretty awesome out there!"

As if she had abruptly stabbed him, he directed his eyes to her in a flash. "Are you kidding me? I don't think so," he exclaimed, voice ringing with disbelief. Faith put forth a rare show of laughter. "I can't believe anything that happened out there! I was scared shitless! And what are you made of? Wind?!"

An infinitely affectionate smile spread across Faith's face. "I ride the wind," she explained with a shrug. "I trust the wind. It's the way a Runner works. You trusted the wind too."

"Yeah yeah yeah. I trusted you. And you carried me. You flew, Faith, and I was in your arms. You can fly!"

Sempiternal love grew as an angel's wings. "You're cute," the maiden said, sending a wildfire of ruby red flames onto Dave's cheeks. She was always one for honesty, and didn't hesitate to express blossoming affection for the other. "You're like a child. Investigative, anxious and incredibly adorable. I wish I could hug the living daylights out of you."

Dave's spirit made its descent into black sadness. Missing it at first, Faith turned her concentration onto her shoes. Silence strolled between the two, intolerable for the male and unnoticeable to the maiden. Once she lifted her head, though, everything changed. Her face, always a pristine portrait of raw emotion, plunged into concern. "What is it?" she asked, cupping his wrinkled face in her hands. "Your spirit fell in a matter of seconds. Did I really frighten you that much, flower?"

The old soldier shook his head, gently taking her hands into his. His eyes were laced in tears, radiant and mournful. "No," he said, voice wavering. He teetered on the edge of sobs, body shivering from pent-up emotion. Evidently, he had carried certain thoughts for quite some time. Faith, her face a picture of apprehension, realized he had something to confess-and wished he hadn't kept his confession in a cage. Holding onto a confession or secret never did a soul any favors. "It's not that," the old male said, wiping rain water from his eyes. In a flash, she sent her hands to his face-and attended to the rest of his tears. I'll wipe away all of them, her eyes said, even if you shed a million.

"Faith...you and I have been through a lot, haven't we?"

A frown fell onto the Runner's face. "Yeah..." she replied, not comfortable with the conversation's direction.

"You've been though a lot. You've been by my side ever since we first met. You've been with me. Even when you were out there, risking your life for me, you were with me. You weren't near me, but I could feel you. It was as if you never left."

Uh oh, were the words that crossed into Faith's mind. Sorrow was rising to a feverish, merciless pitch. Dave evidently had a colossal wave to release, and she was none too happy about it. Of course she was happy to acknowledge his trust in her, but she never liked seeing him in pain. If there was anything she could do to erase every last bit of his pain, she'd do it. In a heartbeat.

"You've been with me, Faith," Dave pressed on, tears flooding his voice. Sadness knew no bounds, emerging from a geyser that had formed over so many years. "You've been here, right by my side, when any one else would have given up on me."

Wishing to restrain an explosion of sobs, Faith drew him into an embrace. Don't cry any more, her heart said, sending its words deep into Dave's heart. Don't cry any more. Please don't cry any more.

"It's all right. Don't worry about it."

Those words added fuel to Dave's fire. Anger pierced his eyes, its intensity equal to his sorrow. "It's not all right," he snapped, eyes drenched in tear water. His voice was husky, hoarse and tear-stained. "You don't understand, Faith. I suffered back there! I went through Hell no human being should ever have to endure! I almost died back there, and would have if you hadn't rescued me!"

He pulled out of her embrace, longing for her warmth but determined to pour a pitcher of light. Silence tormented them for a minute, broken by a sobbing soldier. "They tore me down," he went on, hanging his head. Rage, frustration and pain were released as one unit, transforming his voice into a callow portrait of unbelievable heartache. "To them, I wasn't even human. They even had me branded. None of them listened to me, and according to the fucking bastards that raped me, I was only good for breeding purposes. I spent long, happy hours locked inside of a fucking tube, Faith! They tore me apart! I wasn't even human to them! And you got me out of that!"

She wished to put her arms around him, painfully uncomfortable with his agony. She wished to comfort him more than she wished to breathe. However, a part of her urged her to refrain. A mother bird could not hold a vigil over baby bird forever, regardless of how strong her love was. "I would've ended up as a pile of ashes," Dave continued, voice running through a dense sea of sobs. "They would have killed me. They would have taken everything I had, then killed me. When they weren't prodding me or screwing me, they kept me inside of that damned tube. I cried and cried for hours on end, but no one paid any damn attention. Then I couldn't even cry any more, thanks to the drugs. I was reduced to a whimpering, grumbling animal. I almost sounded like a wounded grizzly."

Faith wanted to perform several tasks at once. She wanted to behead every bastard responsible for Dave's pain, comfort Dave, and set a certain laboratory on fire. Wrath shot through her eyes, transforming her orbs into portraits of a lion's roar. Although fury scorched her black gems, love remained intact. It was strong, bright and immeasurably beautiful-matching the way she felt about her flower. "You brought me back home," an old legend trudged on, shivering from the exertion of tears-and the reconstruction of memories. "You brought me back here, and you never gave up. You gave me back to Hal and Sunny. You gave me my life, Faith. Not once have you given up on me. I was broken, broken into a million fucking pieces, but you were there. You never left me. Do you remember everything I told you about Meryl?"

"Of course I do," Faith replied with a nod, eyes filled with disquiet.

"She had it easy. She dealt with me when my sanity was intact. She walked out on me. She gave up on me, but you didn't-and you were drawn into the shittiest situations! You fought for me, Faith! You're still fighting for me!"

She could stand it no longer. Into her arms Dave went, wailing as she buried his head into her chest. "I want to be loved by someone like you," an old hero wept, holding onto Faith for dear life. "I want someone that will care for me. I may not deserve that kind of love, but...it's what I want. I want...I want to be loved. I want someone to love me the way I want to be loved. I want someone to love me the way you love me."

He released every bit of pain and suffering, showering her in the love he had to give. She held him, cradling him with the tenderness of a loving angel. The sound of love filled the room, taking two forms-the form of sobs and the form of soft, comforting whispers.


This was written to E.S Posthumus music. XD

I shall continue to work on Faith and Leon's adventures. I was supposed to post another chapter of 'Hymn', but History class compelled me to post this. With all of my heart, I hope you enjoyed it-and if you're not familiar with Mirror's Edge, take a gander at my profile. XD You'll find help thar, kids.

Peace out. XD