I finally got a chance to play Days of Ruin on an emulator a little while ago, and while I didn't enjoy it at first, it turned out to be one seriously badass rendition of Advance Wars. The dark and serious plot was a nice new twist on the series, and c'mon, let's be honest; who doesn't love Lin? How much more of a sexy badass could a character be? It's almost not even fair.

In fact, I liked DoR so much that after I'm done with this fic, I might write one for that too.

But back to the story at hand, right?

Sitting alone on a bunk in the currently empty barracks of Kanbei's forward operating base, Ryugeki Suzukai was wracked with anxiety. Why wouldn't he be? The man who had assaulted the Emperor's daughter was currently within walking distance of the Emperor himself. And since he had been summoned here by a higher officer, chances were it was Yellow Comet's supreme commander who had done so. Even now, Ryu feared for his life.

He found it funny that he was more scared of a lone man, Emperor or not, than he had been of five Neotanks. Perhaps that was because he half expected to die in battle. Facing death on the battlefield was somehow less frightening to him than doing so in a setting where he should have been safe.

In fact, Ryu may have felt a little better if some of the other men had been there; there was a certain degree of understanding and respect shown to someone who had been maimed fighting for their homeland. Unfortunately, everyone on the base was preparing to deploy to a new battlefield tomorrow, and every unit was performing combat exercises at the moment, leaving Ryu alone in the barracks to fret over his fate.

He had been brought to the base hours ago, and had not interacted with anyone since, turning the scarred man into a nervous wreck. The only thing this solitude was better than was interacting with the Emperor.

Other than him, Ryu would have wished for anyone else to speak with. In fact, he really wished he could call his mother right now, if only to receive some comfort from her. But he did not want to worry the woman who had birthed him with his current troubles; she had enough to deal with as it was.

Ryu's thoughts were stopped short when a light knocking emanated from the door to the barracks, causing the man's heart to leap into his throat. A soldier would not have knocked on the entrance to his own barracks, and technically speaking, the barracks was supposed to be empty anyway. Whoever had come here had done so to see him, that much was obvious.

Then again, Emperor Kanbei would never have knocked on a door, essentially asking for permission to enter. At least that was some relief. In fact, no one of rank had to really knock, so there was no reason to be alarmed at all...

This feeling of security was quickly dashed as a soft, feminine voice, laced with precision and thought, called out to Ryu from the other side of the door. "Suzukai, despite your failure to answer my initial knock, I do know that you're in there. May I come in?"

Well aware that there were no enlisted women in Yellow Comet's strictly traditional army, Ryu realized who had come to see him all too quickly. This was a combat base only, so there were no nurses or other female personnel that would be here. There was only one girl who was likely to be behind that door.

"O-of course... Commander..."

With his invitation made, Sonja gently pushed open the door to the barracks, her face, bruised as it was, a calm mask of neutrality. Even the sight of Ryu's bandaged face did not seem to faze her.

As he met the gaze of his CO, Ryu was filled with conflicting emotions. On one hand, he was filled with fury. He still hated this woman for the way she had so casually used him and his friends as sacrificial pawns. On the other, the sight of the ugly blue and black bruise on her cheek filled him with guilt. Ryu knew he should have had more self-control that that, to have hauled off and punched a young girl like Sonja as he did, no matter how angry he was.

With that thought in his mind, Ryu lowered his gaze to the floor in shame. He expected only the worst at this point...

Sonja, on the other hand, was filled with hesitation at the sight of the man who had once been a tanker in her division. She had rehearsed countless lines and scenarios in her head before coming here, but actually coming face to face with someone she had undoubtedly failed and scarred for life left Sonja without words to immediately say. Even though she managed to keep a neutral expression, Sonja's inner thoughts were a tumultuous mess.

First of all, what did she say? That she was glad he was alright? He was most certainly not alright. He never would be. And she could not immediately start with an apology...

But she had to start with something, and Sonja was a smart girl. If she could win battles, surely she could start off a conversation. "Suzukai, I'm glad to see that you have been released from the hospital so soon. I was worried about your health."

Stunned at her delicate choice of words, Ryu found it hard not to cast an incredulous look at the short girl before him. She had been worried? What kind of fool did she take him for? She could drop the theatrics, he knew she was furious with him.

"My wounds were only... superficial. There were other men who needed more attention than me."

While he had tried to maintain a neutral expression, Sonja had quickly seen through Ryu's attempts to hide his inner thoughts. He did not believe her words, not one bit.

"Suzukai, would you take a walk with me?"

While this earned a look of confusion from the disgruntled soldier, he got up to follow Sonja outside regardless. He was not about to get in even more trouble by disobeying or even questioning orders. No matter how he felt about her, Sonja was technically still Ryu's Commanding Officer. He had not been court-martialed yet.

Since most of the personnel on the base were currently away on drills, patrols, or scouting missions, it was mostly empty, leaving Sonja and Ryu to walk awkwardly together past the cherry blossom trees that were not yet in season. Something about an empty base was eerie to Ryu; he had always thought that a place designed to have many people was off-putting with few. Schools were one such example.

These thoughts aside, Ryu couldn't help but feel out of place walking next to his commander as casually as he was. She should have been furious with him, but so far he could see nothing of note on Sonja's face beyond the rather cute intensity of her gaze on the ground ahead of them. Ryu berated himself for even thinking such a thing, but his thoughts were quickly interrupted by Sonja's even tone.

"Suzukai, may I ask you a question?"

Ryu wondered why the girl even bothered to be so polite; not only had he disgraced her in front of both her peers and her subordinates, but Ryu had also physically harmed her. Beyond that, she was his commander, she didn't have to ask for anything from him. She could just make it an order.

"Of course, ma'am."

"Why did you join the army?"

Caught off guard by the question, Ryu fumbled for an answer. "W-well... I just... I'm from a small town in the countryside. When news came in that Black Hole was invading again, I was worried that they would come in and take everything, or kill everyone. I signed up to protect my town and my mother, that's all."

This answer earned the slightest of smiles from Sonja, who was glad to hear such a reassuring reason from this man. Selfless convictions often made for good soldiers. "I see. So, would you be willing to give your life for this cause of yours? Joining the army, you must have been prepared for the worst..."

Ryu glanced at her questioningly. "Of course I would risk my life for that. What's the point of being a soldier if you aren't willing to die for your convictions?"

Sonja nodded. "Indeed. Every soldier must be prepared to die on the battlefield. Anything could happen out there."

Ryu had no words to offer back, as he got the feeling that Sonja was making an allusion to Baek and Shen, which angered him. They had been ready to die, sure, but they had not needed to.

Seeing that he had nothing to say, Sonja pushed forward. "Let me ask you another question, Suzukai. Do you believe that everyone makes mistakes?"

"Of course I do. Nobody's perfect."

"In that case, what must someone do to earn forgiveness for a mistake? How accountable must you hold someone if everyone makes mistakes?"

While she managed to stay neutral in both tone and expression, Ryu couldn't help but know what exactly was being insinuated here. "Doesn't that depend on the nature of the mistake?"

"And what nature is that? Is your criteria severity or reasoning? Does something wrong committed on purpose bear more condemnation to you than the weight of that sin itself?"

Ryu avoided looking at Sonja as he answered. "I... don't know. Both matter. I'm just not sure which one matters more."

Sonja nodded once more, as though she had expected this very answer. "I have one more question for you Suzukai. Please answer honestly, and do not worry about any repercussions. I want you to be frank with me."

"If you say so."

For the first time since they had exited the barracks, Sonja made eye contact with Ryu, who was slightly taller than her. "Do you hate me, Suzukai?"

Stunned by the sudden, blunt words Sonja proffered to him, Ryu was momentarily at a loss for words. What kind of question was this? Of course he hated her, but to actually say it to her face... did she honestly expect him to do that?

"I... don't quite get what you mean..."

"There's no need to lie to me, Suzukai. I'm well aware of the blame I carry for the deaths of your comrades, and for what happened to you. I am not so naive as my father, to think that sacrifice is merely some necessity in war that should not be judged. My orders caused the deaths of your friends; I doubt any feelings you have for me are pleasant."

While Ryu knew it wasn't really her fault, he hated the sound of Sonja's voice right now. She just had such an analytical, factual tone when speaking about something so terrible... he knew that was just her natural voice, but it irked him nonetheless. "...yes. Yes, I hate you. It's your fault Baek and Shen died that day, even when the battle was so close to being over. We were so close to surviving another battle, but because of you... yeah, I hate you. I hate you more than anything."

If these words had any effect on Sonja, they did not show on her bruised face. Her expression was an impeccable mask, as always. "I understand... in that case, I..."

For some reason, Sonja suddenly found herself at a loss for words. In her heart, she wanted to say that she was sorry. She wanted to apologize for being a poor leader, for failing both Ryu and his friends, and for causing him the suffering she had. That felt like the right thing to do, even though it would not change the past. But in her mind, Sonja felt differently. Not for the first time, her pride was getting in the way.

Who is he to accuse me of failure? This man knows nothing of the difficulties of winning a battle. He doesn't know the burden of a commander like me; if I truly fail, all of Yellow Comet could fall to the enemy. It's up to commanders like me to really defend the nation... one soldier makes no difference if he doesn't have a good commander to lead him! My struggle is far more important than his!

Even though this conflict of morality and selfish pride conflicted within Sonja's mind, she still managed to keep a straight face. Nothing betrayed the maelstrom of thoughts she was having. She wanted to make amends for her mistake, but she also did not want to admit that she had made a mistake. Unable to come to any real decision, Sonja decided to leave the topic completely, carrying her earlier words into a new sentence.

"In that case I can have you transferred to another unit, if you like."

Expecting some sort of rebuttal for claiming to hate her, Ryu looked at the girl in surprise. "What do you mean? I'm not even going to be enlisted for much longer..."

"Untrue. I have spoken with my father, and you are not going to be court-martialed or otherwise punished for your conduct in any way. In fact, if you would still like to leave the military, I can arrange to have you honorably discharged, if you wish. If not, I can have you transferred to any unit you desire, though I would not recommend my father's personal army."

At a loss for words, Ryu could only blankly stare at Sonja, who continued on when he had nothing to say. "While his forces do not rely heavily on tanks, I'm sure Sensei could use another tanker with some experience. Perhaps you would like to-"

"Why?"

Unused to being interrupted, Sonja had trouble stopping herself mid-sentence. "W-what?"

"Why would you do this for me? I assaulted you, my superior officer, and even flat-out stated that I despise you. Why on earth would you try to cover for me after such things?"

"You were emotionally distressed at the time of your outrage, for completely understandable reasons. I do not think you should be held accountable. Is that not reason enough?"

Ryu furrowed his brow at her. "The Emperor clearly does not think so."

This actually elicited the smallest of smiles from the girl across from him. "Well, I am not in the business of always listening to my father. Capable leader or not, he is not the smartest of men. Once, in a scuffle against Orange Star many years ago, he deployed a base on an isolated island, completely failing to realize that there was no way to move vehicular units off of it..."

Staring at Sonja in surprise, Ryu wondered why on earth the Emperor's daughter would reveal such an embarrassing thing about her father to a common soldier. Apparently, Sonja realized this quickly as well. "Ah... that is probably not something I should make common knowledge. I doubt it would be good for morale..."

"As a soldier, I can tell you that it most certainly isn't."

Up to this point, Ryu had not realized that he was speaking so casually with his CO. It did not occur to him that this kind of conversation was abnormal or weird. And if Sonja noticed it, she apparently did not care.

"Well, that aside, we should return to your situation. What would you like to do? As I said, you can leave the army without repercussions if you wish..."

For a moment, Ryu truly considered this option. It was an easy way out of the fighting, and it meant his own struggles would be over without any cost to himself. But such cowardice would make him exactly like Keima, and Ryu refused to be like that. To take such an easy way out now would be a betrayal of both his country and his comrades. Baek and Shen had died defending Yellow Comet. It would have been an insult to their memory if he ran now.

"I want to continue serving. I know that for sure."

This caused Sonja to smile once more, a little more brightly this time. "That's good to hear. And would you like to be transferred to another CO?"

Surprisingly, Ryu found that he did not. Even though he still hated her, though maybe to a lesser extent now, Ryu trusted Sonja more than either of Yellow Comet's other commanders. She was a capable leader who tried to win her battles with as few casualties as possible, even if she sometimes failed...

"No. I would... rather stay with the unit I'm in."

His answer earned a genuine look of confusion from Sonja, who had honestly expected Ryu to move to another unit. Surely he couldn't trust her after the last battle? "I-I see..."

"However, I don't want to be a tanker again. I'd... rather not be in the same situation again so soon."

For some reason, that simple statement struck Sonja surprisingly deep; deep enough to feel regret, but not deep enough to overcome her pride. She still didn't feel the need to apologize for what had happened. She had made the right decision on the field that day, she was sure of it. "In that case, would you prefer to work in recon? Operating the machine gun is essentially the same regardless."

With a few brief moments of thought, Ryu nodded. He didn't like the idea of being in a vehicle with even less armor than Sakura once had, but on the other hand, recon units rarely engaged the enemy, especially in Sonja's division. She valued units that could gather intel more than any other, and placed top priority on their survival. After all, every other unit was useless if they couldn't see what they were shooting at. He could be relatively safe, while still providing a valuable service to his comrades: seemed like a good deal to Ryu.

Sonja nodded, glad that Ryu had agreed to her suggestion. This was progress, for sure. Slow, but steady. "Very well then. I'm sure you're tired, so I'll leave you be for now. If it's fine with you, I'll return in the morning for you so that we may return to my own command post."

Now feeling more like a soldier again, Ryu tried to return to the professional state he was supposed to have been in the whole time. "That's fine, ma'am. Whatever suits you."

Hearing him return to such a rigid pattern brought a slight frown to Sonja's face, but she quickly subdued it. "Then I'll take my leave now. Please be ready by eight AM tomorrow."

With that, Sonja turned on her heel and walked away, for some reason feeling conflicted still. She could not tell why, not immediately, but somewhere, deep down, she knew she should have apologized to the man she had so grievously wronged. Unfortunately, the first step to doing that was admitting that she was wrong, and something of that nature was a long way off yet. Even someone like Sonja had her flaws.

Ryu watched the girl go with mixed feelings as well. He still hated her; how could he not, after what had happened to Baek, Shen, and himself? But on the other hand, despite the mistake she had made, Ryu could not lie to himself and say that Sonja was a bad person. Somehow, even though he hated her, he also kind of liked her. As he returned to the barracks, he just wasn't sure which emotion was stronger.

This chapter is kind of short, but then again, it is a short story. I like writing characters with major personality flaws, and I believe Sonja has always been a good candidate for that, since the line between confidence and pride has always been blurred for her. And of course, Ryu is an OC with some major personality flaws of his own, making for a pretty interesting interaction between the two of them.

Hope you guys enjoyed this. Until next time.