A/N: It was really late last night, that's my excuse for why this is late. Also for those of you who don't know, when I put someonexsomeone that equals a pairing. When I put someone&someone it either means a friendship or they're the two main characters featured.

This one came completely out of left field. I'm not a huge fan of GI, but I did watch it… Granted as it got nearer and nearer to the end I started just watching it to get to the end of the episode to the trailer cause it got kinda… meh.

But when I heard this song, I dunno I just thought of the group fighting an enemy, and when I heard the line 'There is an enemy, dressed as a friend' it made me want to pick a character who's betrayed the brawlers. And I mean looking back I could've picked like say Alice or Mira, but I felt that it wasn't as big of a betrayal, after all Alice didn't know she was betraying them and Mira's betrayal didn't have that big of an impact. So I went with Ren. I don't know why Dan keeps being intelligent in my fics, I think Masquerade's rubbing off on him… XP But anyways here's the 8th story!

We are the Brave – Veridia

Featuring: Marucho and Dan

There is an enemy,

Dressed as a friend

Marucho sat down on one of the cliff edges of Neathia looking out at the alien scenery lost in thought.

He could see the craters and the scorched ground where the Neathians and Gundalians had clashed, all over the Sacred Orb. Looking out over the damaged landscape and thinking about the Neathians who had suffered at the hands of the Gundalians made Marucho's stomach turn.

It made him think about Ren, the one who he'd thought was his friend. The one who had helped him finally get Interspace online and globalize it. But then he found out Ren had laden it with traps and pitfalls to capture the kids who came to play in interspace and turn them into drones for the Gundalians.

Worse, he'd tried to convince Marucho and the other brawlers that it was his people who were innocent while the Neathians were the aggressors in this conflict.

Marucho clenched his fist tears pricking at his eyes, it still hurt. That his friend could betray them, play them like fools, use them to hurt the people of Earth and Neathians alike.

"Marucho?" Dan's voice came from behind making Marucho turn to look at the other boy dressed in his castle knight garb.

Marucho blinked and quickly wiped at his eyes. "Oh hey Dan, what's up?" He asked trying to sound cheerful.

Dan didn't say anything just sat down beside Marucho and turning his gaze to the view, "Wow this view is great isn't it?" He asked looking at Marucho.

Marucho blinked and looked out as well, before he shrugged. "It's all right."

Dan wrapped an arm around his friend, "I know you're upset about what happened with Ren, but don't worry about it,"

Marucho lowered his head. "But it's my fault! I-I trusted him."

"We trusted him," Dan corrected. "But it's okay," He said gently, "Because now we're here helping Neathia,"

"But he almost convinced us Neathia was evil! He almost got us to fight them, and I almost believed him!" Marucho shouted clenching his fists. "I was so foolish."

Dan turned his head away. "So you made a mistake it happens, and you're not alone,"

Marucho blinked. "Huh?"

Dan smiled slightly. "When you and Ren were together the two of you were just so, in-sync and you seemed really happy. You finally had someone else who understood what you were saying and who could actually keep up with you." He sighed. "Sometimes when you talk my eyes kind of glaze over, so when you had Ren you two just clicked, and to be honest." He chuckled. "I'm getting the feeling that he doesn't really want to fight us either,"

Marucho's eyes widened. "You –you think we could convince him to come back to our side?"

Dan laughed and shrugged, "One step at a time! I'm saying it is possible, but I'm just telling you, don't regret trusting him. It was your friendship that got us interspace despite its flaws, and I think," He looked out towards the landscape the light shining on his face. "That your friendship could be what'll show Ren where he truly belongs."

Marucho thought about it for a moment, nodded. "Yeah, you're right."

Dan grinned, "'Course I'm right, now come on we don't want the others to wonder where we went." He said getting up to head back, turning to wait for Marucho.

Marucho smiled and followed after his friend, feeling a little lighter than he had before.

A/N: Blech, some of these moments that should be touching are kinda meh. I prolly forgot so much of what happened in GI I couldn't really dig a whole lot deeper into this. So forgive me.

As I said before the line of 'there is an enemy dressed as a friend' really set this one off, hence why its about Marucho dealing with Ren's betrayal.

Please leave me a review, they are the mental bread and butter for the writer's muses :D