Serah rummaged through the closet, before dusting off an old suitcase. She packed quickly; Noel and Mog were still out in the car, and she didn't want to keep them waiting. Serah paused, moving towards her dresser. She opened a drawer, and pulled out a bundle of silk. Unweaving it gently with her hands, a shimmering bit of silver fell out, landing on her lap. Serah cradled it between her fingers, watching the light reflect off the engraving. She opened the clasp, a photograph tucked inside the locket.

Their foreheads rested against one another, noses bumped together. A gentle smile played on Snow's face, and Serah's eyes were closed with a laugh.

Serah closed the locket, and fastened the chain around her neck. She stood, flipping the light switch as she left her room.

Noel looked up from a magazine, dropping it in a side compartment as Serah sat down.

Serah lifted a small suitcase on her lap, covered in various stickers.

"Gran Pulse, eh?"

Serah looked up, and followed Noel's gaze. "Oh!" She tilted the suitcase, giving Noel a better view of the sticker. "Lightning and I went there once... It's amazing."

Noel smiled, turning the ignition. "My family's from over there."

"Really?"

Noel nodded.

"There were still people living out in the wilds when we went." Serah paused. "I mean, they had houses and running water, but it was pretty isolated."

"Part of the appeal, I suppose." Noel turned a corner, wincing when the next stoplight turned yellow. "But honestly... I would miss having a grocery store just down the road, and stable internet."

Serah laughed a little. "We went hiking on the second day. Lightning studied a map of the trails for weeks before we arrived, and she lead the way up." Serah paused, a wistful smile on her face. "When you can see that many stars... Being back in the city is the last thing on your mind."

Serah closed her eyes and drifted off for a while, no longer in the car. There was grass beneath her toes, and wind in her hair. A million lights flit across her field of vision, distant galaxies churning in the beyond. Her sister was there, sitting next to her.

"There's Orion." Lightning pointed out a line of three stars.

"Yeah..." Serah was almost in a daze.

Lightning narrowed her eyes. "It's a little harder to find with this many others around it."

Serah gasped when something streaked through the sky.

Lightning laughed, a quiet chuckle. "Gonna make a wish?"

Serah bit her bottom lip. "It'll be too late when I think of one."

"I'll get it, then." Lightning lay on her back, resting her head atop her hands. "I'll wish... To come back here, again."

"But I thought..." Serah paused. "Do you still believe in that kind of stuff?"

Lightning blinked once, her eyes half lidded. "There's something about this place." She exhaled, holding her breath for a moment, before inhaling deeply. "It's so... Detached from everything." A tiny smile twitched across her face. "Like floating away."

The car pulled to a stop, and Serah opened her eyes.

Five stretched out, her toes curling in the grass. She had to give the humans credit; being let outside nearly every day was doing wonders for her mood. Five loped through the forest, before jumping up on a boulder. She lay on her stomach, and her eyes closed, basking in the sun. The rock was warm, even against her carapace. Five gave a low, happy rumble.

Something clicked from beside her, and Five opened her eyes. She looked up to see One sitting on the rock as well, her stance a bit bristled and jittery. Five sat up, and tilted her head. One looked to the side, wringing her hands together. She started to move away, but Five reached out to hold her arm. Five tried to catch her gaze, and clicked questioningly. One looked at the ground, before slowly moving her free arm to gesture at the side of her head. Five opened her mouth in shock, before closing it, and she gave a happy hum. She reached over, and gently massaged the base of One's ears.

One sighed, relaxing into the touch with a purr.

Hope paced through the trees, flexing the muscles in his throat. He stopped, and took a deep breath, before making his way out into the clearing.

Two dozed by the pond, his tail twitching every so often. Hope paused beside him, and gently poked at his shoulder. Two snorted, stirring in his sleep, before he woke up with a grunt.

"Hey..." Hope sat down. "I need to talk to you."

Two looked up at Hope, before rising into a sitting position. He tilted his head, his eyes still blurry with sleep.

Hope tapped his fingers together, his eyes narrowed in thought. "I have a plan to get us out of here, but I'm going to need help."

Two yawned, but he nodded at Hope.

Hope paused, glancing at Two's throat. "It would help if you could talk back..."

Two whined, and looked at the ground.

"Maybe..." Hope gazed off into the distance, before his shoulders jumped a little. He looked back at Two, his eyes a little wider. "When I first tried to shift... I thought about seeing my parents again; being able to talk to them. Why don't you try that, too?"

Two tilted his head, his eyes narrowed in concentration. Parents... He couldn't remember what those were, exactly, much less having any. His throat clenched, and Two shook his head, looking at his feet.

"No good, huh?" Hope was quiet for a moment. "Well, is there anyone out there you miss? Who you want to talk to?"

Two thought back, but grasping at his memories was akin to catching fish with bare hands. They would sometimes burst from the surface, but he could never hold on to them very for long.

But there's always her... A constant thought; tiny, but always there.

He was hers, and she was his.

That certain moment held on, still vivid and alive in his mind. Two tried to remember the details, and concentrated on the memory.

They'd been walking in the park, the sound of laughter all around them. They were laughing too, hand in hand. He glanced at his coat pocket, a bead of sweat on his brow. He'd waited until they were alone, sitting beneath a giant oak tree.

He could still picture the look of shock on her face, the wonder in her eyes when he lay the pendant around her neck, clasping it at the back.

Two's eyes squeezed shut, and he tried to hold on to that moment for as long as he could. His hands twitched, grasping on air. He held his breath.

I know her name; it's right there! But why can't I say it..?

You promised to never leave her... Now look where you are.

Two nearly choked, his throat distending beneath the carapace.

I love her! I didn't mean to leave...

You promised.

He let the breath loose with a hiss. "S-serah..."

Hope's eyes widened.

"Serah... Serah. T-that was her name..." He coughed, clutching his throat. "Feels like it's... Burning!" He nearly cried out, a jolt of pain splintering through the muscle.

Hope leaned up on his back legs, meeting him at eye level. "But you're doing it, Snow! I can hear you!"

"Snow..." His eyes were distant for a moment. "Yeah, that was..." He coughed, his entire body trembling.

"Let it go, if you need to." Hope said, "I have to change back after a while, too."

Snow nodded, and let the muscles in his throat grow back into place.

Hope shook his head, incredulous. "You did it..."

Snow let his hand fall from his neck, his eyes wide and blurry. There was a sudden shift in his mind, a wave of clarity blooming through his memories.

Her smile; the feel of their hands intertwined.

Snow's eyes misted over, and his heart raced.

She leapt into his arms, the necklace pressed against his shirt, while her arms wrapped around him.

Hope tilted his head. "Snow... You did it, why are you crying?"

Snow blinked, and lifted the pad of his index finger up to his eye. He brushed away the tears; the edges of his eyes crinkled, and softened. Snow turned to look at Hope, sitting up expectantly.

"You want to hear the plan?"

Snow nodded, his tail swishing back and forth.