How could she have been so happy for so long? It was because of him. He made her happy, he made her smile every morning waking up and every night before falling asleep. Shuyin had kept his promise to her that he made a year ago, taking care of her always. She was able to salvage whatever that was left from her own home and completely move in with Shuyin, the two of them living happily in his little apartment for the past year. He continued with his bliztball career while she continued her life as a songstress, the two of them always having time for each other though. That's what was most important and both of them knew that the other would always drop everything to be with each other.

While the two of them lived their happy lives though, the world around them didn't stop changing. The war between Beville and Zanarkand raged on and Lenne was able to experience it first hand, it getting worse and worse. She was able to help as much as she could with her summoner powers, against Shuyin's approval without him there to protect her, and had saved many people through each attack.

Her father would have been so proud, and her mother as well Lenne truly believed.

She became not only Zanarkand's favorite songstress, but Zanarkand's favorite summoner as well. With all the attention she was getting, she knew somewhere down the line that this was going to happen sooner or later. She stared at the government sealed letter in her hands and sighed, opening it up and looking over the contents. It was her third letter already this week, another request for her to join the front lines and help Zanarkand with the war. They were losing so badly that they were requiring every summoner within the city to fight in the war; how Shuyin hadn't heard of this yet Lenne had no idea.

He wanted to move after the first attack happened with them here; Lenne simply couldn't though. This is where she grew up, this is where she started her career and sang with her mother, this is where she lived happily with her father and mother for a short amount of time before both of them left her; this is where her mother died and this is where Lenne wanted to die. She loved Zanarkand with all her heart and soul, and of course she wanted to help in the war anyway she could because that's why she became a summoner, to help people she cared for... but Shuyin...

He wouldn't allow her to. He wasn't going to let her go, and even if he did, he wasn't going to let her go without him. Lenne wouldn't be able to live with herself if anything happened to him, to her real emotion. She was a summoner, she was stronger than him even though he was her guardian. She would stand a better chance of returning, but with Shuyin there... he would only distract her and- and- Lenne crumpled up the letter in her hands and sighed out, lying her head on the table.

The letters were coming more and more frequently and sooner or later they were going to come knocking on their door, demanding her answer. Shuyin would find out then; she needed to tell him though, with her own words.

Shuyin, I want to help Zanarkand, the place where we both grew up and met each other and started dating.

Simple. To the point. He wouldn't understand though and overreact. Lenne moaned and mumbled, lying her cheek against the table as she stared at the wall.

"Why are we fighting?" She asked herself.

The door started jiggling and the sound of keys could be heard. Lenne immediately sprung into action and ran over to the trashcan, throwing the crumbled up letter in there before making herself look busy in the kitchen as she turned the stove back on and started reheating the food.

"Lenne? I'm back! I'm about to take a shower and wow! Something smells delicious!" Shuyin grinned walking into the kitchen.

Lenne smiled back kindly, "welcome home Shuyin."

"I'm home," he smiled right back kissing her.

She tasted chlorine and a little bit of sweat, she still kissed him though fully and entangled her fingers in his soaking wet hair. Shuyin started laughing as they kissed and dropped his gym bag on the floor, picking her up and spinning her around in the kitchen as they kissed. Lenne pulled away squealing and started laughing.

"Put me down Shuyin, you're all wet." She laughed.

"I know, and sticky, maybe you should take a shower with me since we're both covered in sweat now?" He suggested with a wink.

Lenne giggled and turned the stove back off, kissing Shuyin again on the lips before racing to the bathroom.

"Last one there is a rotten egg," she teased.

"Hey! That was my idea! And you got a head start!" Shuyin yelled, but he was laughing as he chased after her to the other room.

Lenne sang a soft tune under her breath as she brushed through her hair, a kind smile on her face as she stared at herself in the mirror. She looked so happy, her cheeks a glowing red color as the smile on her lips was bright. Her lips were bruised and red a little; he was way too rough with her. It wasn't like she didn't enjoy it though; Lenne giggled to herself as she finished fixing her hair.

She danced back to the kitchen, getting ready to reheat dinner again for the two of them to enjoy. She spotted Shuyin sitting at the table, his back against her, probably looking over the mail she placed out there. She ran her hands through his now really clean and semiw-et hair before dancing over the stove, turning it on and waiting for the fire to flicker on. It just kept flicking through making Lenne pout.

"Shuyin, could you fix the stove again? You remembered what happened last time I tried to Fire it; I'm surprised our apartment didn't light on fire." Lenne giggled remembering that day.

"What is this, Lenne?" Shuyin asked.

Lenne hummed and looked over to what he was talking about, her giggles dying out and her smile fading as she saw the crumpled up letter in his hands.

"Where did you find that?"

"So you read this... when were you going to tell me?"

Lenne looked down at her feet, "I was going to tell you."

"I asked when?"

She didn't say anything and turned her head to look out their window, admiring the beautiful sunset dyed sky right now.

"Lenne, I'm trying really hard not to be angry at you right now, you need to answer me though and answer honestly. When were you going to tell me that you've been requested to the front lines of the war?" Shuyin asked very slowly.

"When I was ready to, when I thought you'd be able to handle it."

"Is this the first letter? Or has there been more? Have long have you've been getting these Lenne?"

Lenne fell quiet again.

"Lenne!"

"For a few months, alright! It was only once a month, but this time they sent three and that's the third one this week!"

"You do know that this is mandatory, right?! If you don't respond they're going to come here and drag you away from me, is that what you wanted?! Why didn't you tell me sooner?!"

"Because I knew you would react this way!"

"What way? Scared that you might get dragged off to war and killed?!"

"No, that you would react negatively to this opportunity I've been given!"

"Opportunity- opportunity! Op-... oh my, you think this is a good thing?!" Shuyin asked.

Lenne could hear the disappointment in his voice and didn't want to listen to it at all. She clenched her hands into fists and walked into the other room, heading to their bedroom.

"Lenne! Lenne! Don't walk away from me Lenne, we need to talk about this!" Shuyin yelled following after her.

"Well I don't want to talk about it because I know what you're going to say! So let's just drop it!" Lenne shouted right back.

"How can we drop it when you're about to get pulled away from me?! We need to figure out our solution now! We need to leave Zanarkand as soon as possible before they come for you!"

"I am not leaving Zanarkand!" Lenne screamed stomping her feet on the ground as she turned to him.

"And I'm not going to let you die for Zanarkand." Shuyin said gently, tired for their yelling.

"I'm not as weak as you think I am Shuyin; I'm not going to die-"

"That's what everyone is saying Lenne, but we're losing this war. All our troops are dying and so are the summoners. No one is volunteering for the war anymore, which is why they're pulling people away from their families and making them enlist. Summoners are being forced to- why didn't I notice it before?... We need to leave Lenne."

"I'm going to bed, that's all I'm doing right now Shuyin," Lenne said walking into their room again.

"Dammit Lenne, listen to me! You can't fight this, leaving is our only option! I'm not saying... I'm not calling you weak, but I love you Lenne. I don't want you dying, I want to be with you for the rest of our lives and grow old together. Please don't do this."

Lenne froze, her whole body coming alive and heating up. It wasn't everyday that Shuyin told her he loved her, but whenever he did she would always react this way. All heated, all embarrassed and filled with all sorts of emotions. She wasn't able to say it to him quite yet, she knew she felt it, but couldn't be for certain never feeling this real emotion before. He understood, he loved that even more about her. It hurt Lenne so badly not being able to tell him yes after hearing his confession.

"I love Zanarkand Shuyin, and I just can't let it die." She whispered.

Shuyin's heart clenched and he sighed out, having enough of this for tonight. He was exhausted practicing all day when all he wanted to do was be here with her and he was far too hungry and tired to have this argument all night.

"Fine, tomorrow... are we going to eat or go to bed?" He asked.

She hated the tone of his voice and hugged herself, "you can go ahead and eat, I'm just going to go to bed," she whispered getting into bed.

Shuyin sighed out again and dropped the towel around his neck on a chair, "bed it is then. Scoot over."

Shuyin forced his way on and laid right next to her, hugging her tightly and pulling her against his chest as he repositioned his head on the pillow. Lenne frowned deeply and laid there.

"Shuyin-"

"I'm not going to say anything, we'll finish this tomorrow. Just let me hold you Lenne," he told her pressing his lips against the back of her neck.

Lenne shivered in his arms and began to move around, turning in bed to face him and stare at his tired face. His eyes looked so exhausted, the light out of them today and she reached out to cuff his cheeks.

"I'm actually hungry, can we eat first before bed?"

Shuyin kissed the palm of her hand and nodded, "sure."

It was a quiet dinner, the first one they've ever had in their apartment before. There was nothing to be said or could be said with the argument about the war going on in the back of their minds. What she wanted and what she believed in wasn't wrong, right? Her mother didn't believe she should be a summoner, but Lenne did it anyway and there wasn't anything wrong with that. She was able to help a lot of people just like her father. Shuyin was acting the same way now, not wanting her to do something she believed in when there wasn't anything wrong with it. She would be helping and maybe even saving a lot of people's lives if she joined...

What her mother and Shuyin were worried about, Lenne finally seemed to understand, was about her dying because she was a summoner, because she was going to the front lines on the losing side... just like her father.