Terra Branford -

Innocent Ambition

"Are you sure its safe to let her wander around the grounds like this?"

"What's the harm? She's been secluded her entire life. Let her wander the grounds now while she still has her senses. After all, after the experiment, she won't be doing much on her own."

Emperor Gestahl sat on his throne. He was speaking to a subordinate scientist who kneeled before him. The ruler looked down at the man smugly.

"Are you sure the prototype is near completion?"

"Positive. It will be able to be used in one year."

"One year," the monarch hissed. "You morons can't speed the process up at all!?"

"N-no sir. I'm sorry. Magic is a new field we have all had to research before we start tinkering with it. This takes time and--"

"Three months."

The scientist looked up with shock.

"I beg your pardon sir?"

"You have three months to finish the prototype. Any further delay and you'll be…excused from your position." A wicked smirk crossed the Emperor's lips. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Y…yes sir. I'll bring you the prototype in three months."

"I thought as much. You are dismissed. Tell General Celes to enter on your way out."

"Of course Emperor."

The man stood and swiftly left Gestahl's chambers.

He passed a young woman on his exit. She was dressed in rather risqué attire. She looked at him with deadly eyes as he scanned her form.

"Emperor Gestahl wishes to see you now General."

"Fine."

She walked into the large room.

"Hore…" he murmured.

The woman wheeled around on her heel. She stomped towards him fiercely.

"Do you think I wanted to wear this." She hissed coolly.

The man backed away from the young woman.

"I suppose not. But then why—"

"Recon. Now go back to tinkering with your little do-dads in that cave you call a laboratory." She turned and began to walk into the throne room once more.

The scientist scoffed as he began to walk down the Vectorian hallways.

"Little bitch. Perhaps I'll use the prototype on you instead of the other girl."

---

A young delicate woman leaned on the railing of a balcony. Her emerald eyes scanned the terrain of the kingdom of Vector. She looked at every nook and cranny with detail; her eyes looked truly innocent in the sunlight.

The girls features were classic, but exotic. Her pale skin made her stand out in any crowd. Her petite form made her look as if she were a rag doll. This girl would look normal…if not for her full head of light green hair.

"I wonder if every place in the world is like this." She questioned out loud. "It would be ashame if it was. I think more green should be in this world."

She peered down at a field with bare soil. Targets and stone platforms littered the ground. Men combated one another with swordplay.

"Why are they always fighting…" she murmured. "The world shouldn't be filled with such things. I think everyone should be happy."

Her eyes fell on a pale figure. It looked unusual to her compared to the others on the battlefield. It gracefully struck a soldier, knocking them off balance. It's hair flailed about with each strike. The young woman focused on that form fiercely.

"A woman!?" she sounded shocked. "I thought I was the only one in the army. Perhaps…" hope filled her emerald depths.

"Perhaps we could be friends."

She pushed herself off of the railing and ventured to the sparring grounds.

---

The girl had made it to the sparring ground. She hid from view, trying to scan her surroundings for the female soldier.

A few minutes passed. She had no luck finding the female warrior.

"Hm…" she whispered. "Maybe my eyes were playing tricks on me."

A pale hand raised in the air. The girl paid attention to what was soon to take place.

"Attention soldiers!" the voice rang through the grounds with authority. "We will cease training until tomorrow. You are all dismissed."

The girl hid behind an oil tank whilst the troops dispersed.

No one was left. The girl peeked her head from the shelter of her hiding place. She gasped.

There she was. There was the girl. She stood on a large platform, her imperial uniform covering her body. Her hair was long and pale; as pale as snow. Her skin matched her hair's hue.

Her sapphire eyes made her skin look even paler.

The green haired girl dared to walk towards the other woman. Hesitance filled each of her steps.

She approached the other girl with anticipation.

"H-h-hello." She stuttered.

The blond turned. Her eyes focused on her; their depths filled with ice.

"Yes?"

"I…uh…" the girl had to stop herself from taking a step back. For some reason, she shivered when she was near this girl.

"My name's Terra. What's yours?"

"Do you need something?" the other girl's voice was cool, like ice.

"I just thought…perhaps…well…"

"Cut to the chase, I'm busy. Either say what your going to say, or leave. Standing here and stuttering is a waste of both of our time."

"O…K…" Terra took a deep breath. "Well, I couldn't help but notice you're a woman."

The blond cocked her head and looked at Terra oddly.

"Did it take hearty investigation to figure that out?" the blond retorted sarcastically.

"No I didn't mean it like that." Terra hurriedly said. "I just meant your another girl in the army. I thought I was the only one."

"Your in the army? Hmph, I guess they let anyone in these days."

"Yeah…heh..." she wanted to humor the woman. "Well, I just thought…with us being the only girls, we could be friends. Maybe we could watch out for each other or something."

"No."

Terra jumped involuntarily. She was shocked at the girl's swift reply.

"But I—"

"You don't join the army to make friends girl. You join to serve the Emperor. If you wish to befriend a woman, why don't you join the chamber maidens in their infantile gossip? I hear the hens are cackling as we speak. So why don't you just rush along and join them, hm?"

"I didn't want to join…"

"Then you shouldn't have. It's not my fault you have regrets."

"Oh goodness…"

Terra covered her eyes. She ran as fast as she could out of range of the Ice Queen's glacial strikes.

The blond shrugged. She went back to what she was doing; polishing her blade.

"Light weight."