Happy birthday to me! Well, another year goes by, and I still don't feel much different; though, I'm legally old enough to go drinking now (sucks for all you 'muricans, waiting until you're 21). I also splurged and bought myself the Zelda Wind Waker Wii U because I felt like it…

Hmm, I honestly don't know what to say this time around. I can't think of anything exciting going on in my life, so I'll just get to the story.

Disclaimer: Refer to chapter one

Reconciliation
(Edward)

The next few days were quite dreary compared to the exciting night that had kickstarted my winter vacation. I'd blame it on the concussion, which allowed my mom to turn me into a bedridden potato, but I was still able to contact people via phone and computer. No, the bleakness was mostly due in part to the fact that out of all the people I really wanted to talk to, Leo seemed to be the only one responding.

My phone buzzed a couple of times, as I had managed to fix it in the time I'd been stuck at home (though I was a bit irritated that I had to go through the mass of missed calls and texts I'd received while it was broken). I glanced at the screen, sliding my finger across it to check my new text. Of course, it was from Leo.

"Hey, think you can get out of the house today? You aren't even in a bad enough condition that you need to be in bed all the time…"

I sighed, rapidly tapping the on-screen keyboard with my thumbs. It wasn't my fault that I was stuck like this. Like I said, my mom didn't want me to leave. Call it a grounding, an unnecessary precaution, or whatever, but to me it's just an annoying way of keeping me out of trouble. Not that I'd be trying to get into any in my current state…

Placing the phone back down, I contemplated whether or not it was worth it to try and escape. I'd probably get in a crapload of trouble, but I don't know if I can handle wasting another day of my vacation in my room. Concussion or not, a guy needs some fresh air every now and then, y'know?

According to Leo, Boyd was planning something or other, and I didn't want to turn down another opportunity to hang out with my friends. I'm not stupid enough to think that I can go drinking, but I've been told that it's just a get-together with whoever can make it. Makes sense, since a handful of our friends went off on vacation for the holidays. It didn't look like a whole load of people could make it anyway, but it'd still be nice to see whoever's there.

Deciding that I would rather risk getting in trouble for sneaking out than staying locked in my room all day, I slowly stood up to get dressed for the weather.

I probably should have thought about this before I got all bundled up in warm clothes, but trying to sneak out of a house in broad daylight is probably one of the more difficult things I could think of. If I go out the front door, then the alarm is going to beep, and I'm sure my mom would be able to hear the actual door itself closing behind me. That option is out of the question.

Shrugging, I turned towards the window above my desk. I guess this is one of those times I should be thankful that my house is built on a slant. Because of that, my room, despite being on the second floor of the house, is on ground level just outside the window.

Carefully climbing up and sliding the window open, I took one last glance back towards the door before creeping out and sliding it back closed. If luck is on my side, the lack of responses coming from my room will be taken as my poor concussed body needing a nap.

Satisfied with that logic, I stealthily made my way through the backyard and onto a path that would lead me away. I fumbled in my pocket before managing to pull out my phone. Clicking on Leo's number, I waited for him to pick up.

"So, you managed to get out, eh?" a voice from ahead of me called out. Quickly looking up, I was relieved to see Leo standing there with his phone in front of him.

Ending the call and stuffing mine away, I hurried over towards him. "Yeah, I couldn't stand being cooped up like that," I chuckled, readjusting my beanie.

"I can imagine, what with you being the energetic freak that you are," he responded smugly, earning a shove from me. "Heard from L'Arachel lately?"

My face dropped noticeably, and I shook my head in response. "I don't really know what's going on with her, and I'm not sure why she won't talk. I figured she'd have gotten over whatever she was upset about within a couple of days, but it's been almost a week now!"

The blond shrugged, turning away from me as we continued trudging through the snow. "Sometimes girls need time," he said flatly. "I'm just glad Nino never seems to get upset, otherwise I'd be feeling the same way as you right now."

As if on cue to hearing her name, Nino suddenly whizzed out of nowhere, pouncing on Leo's back. I couldn't resist my urge to laugh at how unfazed he seemed to be. No change in expression, no physical strain from holding her up; it was as if he didn't even realize she'd just jumped him!

"Hey, Eddie, I haven't seen you in a while!" she exclaimed happily, giving me a big grin.

"Heh, yeah, sorry, I've been trapped at home," I responded lightheartedly. It's hard not to absorb some of Nino's enthusiasm. "What have you been up to lately?"

She tightened her hold on Leo, giggling a bit as she leaned her head onto the top of his. Again, his stoic expression forced a breathy chuckle out of me. "Nothing much, just hanging out with Leo all the time!"

Even though they're together, it's still hard to tell that Leo likes her at all. Well, objectively anyway; I've known him long enough that I can tell by his very slight change in overall personality. I'd say that I'm one of the few people who can actually notice.

"Any luck talking to Rebecca?" Leo said, continuing our conversation and ignoring the fact that he was now carrying his girlfriend.

"Uh, not really," I responded unenthusiastically. "I mean, I've had short little conversations with her, but nothing past the small talk really. I don't think she's mad or feeling uncomfortable, but I'm not sure why she won't talk to me either."

He shrugged again, readjusting Nino so that she wasn't sliding too far down his back. "Like I said, girls need time sometimes." There was a short silence before he turned his head a bit to ask Nino a question. "Hey, Nino, you wouldn't happen to understand L'Arachel's logic for being…upset(?) with Eddie, would you?"

"Nope," she answered in a way that would make it seem like he had asked her if she wanted an ice cream. "I think she's being kind of a downer right now. Never thought of her that way, but everyone's got their own quirks."

"And yours is that you never settle down," Leo muttered, the sides of his mouth curling up ever so slightly.

"Hey, don't be mean!" she laughed, lightly pounding his head with gloved hands. In response, he started shaking around so she would lose her balance without holding onto him.

Not feeling like a third wheel at all, I chuckled lightly at the sight of them play-fighting. It almost seemed as though they'd forgotten about me for a moment, happily messing around without a care in the world. I have to admit that I'm a bit envious of how well they get along. They're the perfect foil, and while that would usually imply that their personalities clash, I don't think I've ever seen a couple understand one another so well.

Straining to hide any jealousy from showing, I brought up the rear, following the scattered footprints Leo had left from jogging ahead in a disorderly manner. I shouldn't be feeling too bad anyway. It's not like something awful has happened; L'Arachel and I are just going through some kind of weird rough patch. Every couple does, and even though we never "officiated" our relationship, I think I can call us a couple.

We kept walking for a while, following the trail until we'd made it to a snow-covered sidewalk. I hadn't even bothered asking Leo where we were supposed to be meeting everyone, but it didn't seem to matter, as it looked like he knew where he was going. At first, it seemed as though we were heading towards the cliffside park, but that wouldn't have made much sense, given that only Leo, Bec, and I know about it within our clique.

I realized we were heading towards the rec centre when I noticed the large, stony building looming up ahead. It's a good a place to meet as any, seeing as it's got a whole bunch of stuff we can do. Approaching the door, Leo held it open for Nino and I, and the three of us filed in, all sighing as the warmth enveloped us.

"Are we the only ones here?" Nino asked, noticing the unfamiliar faces in the sitting area.

"Yeah, we're early," Leo explained, walking over to a small circle of cushiony chairs. "Boyd said that he and Gerik would be working out in the weight room for a while, so we can just hang out here until they're done."

"Aw, you don't wanna go peek on them?" Nino giggled.

The blond raised an eyebrow, smirking sarcastically towards her. "You can go ahead if you'd like. I'd rather not watch a bunch of sweaty guys flex their muscles."

I laughed at his comment, taking a seat next to him as Nino twisted her face and ran off. I guess she wanted to go see them, despite her boyfriend's attitude.

"Why'd you want to show up early?" I asked him as I leaned back in the squishy seat. Wow, I could fall asleep in this chair…

"No reason," he said plainly, copying my action as he exhaled deeply. "I just figured it'd be more fun to hang out with you guys than sit around at home until it was actually time to meet up. Besides, I can't imagine they'll be working out for that long."

I chortled, glancing at the relaxed blond briefly before letting my head fall back again. "You say that, but this is Boyd and Gerik we're talking about. They'll probably compete to see who can work out for the longest without passing out."

"Heh, true that," he responded, closing his eyes in relaxation. "But if Feena and Marisa show up, then I bet the two of them will be a bit more eager to come hang out than continue their contest."

The two of us kept talking for a while, saying whatever we felt like to pass the time. It's good to have a close friend like this; I can talk about whatever I want and he'll just get what I'm saying. I'm sure all of you have a person like that, someone who you can discuss the most mundane things about for hours on end.

Nino rushed back after a short while, plopping herself onto Leo's lap without consent. She teased us about how we looked so scrawny compared to them, but I explained that I'd rather not look like a sack of potatoes. Being that it was Nino, she laughed quite a bit harder than she should have at that joke.

It wasn't too long before other people we knew started wandering into the building, and we had to relocate to a spot that had more chairs. Mia showed up first, adorned in her neon-coloured winter clothes, giving her the appearance of some kind of eighties workout instructor, except that she wasn't in workout clothes. Marisa followed shortly after her, looking just as drop-dead gorgeous in her jacket and scarf as she did in her bikini. Well, okay, maybe not as good as that, but she still looks pretty friggin' hot!

Feena and Tethys showed up at the same time, and I'm not sure how to really describe my reaction to their appearance. I expected both of them would come, but secretly I hoped that Tethys wouldn't have for Marisa and Gerik's sakes. Feena, on the other hand, was giving me mixed feelings. I knew she was here for Boyd, but I somewhat wanted to talk to her about L'Arachel. I mean, it's only natural that I'd want to know what's happening with her, right?

Seeing me, she gave me a slightly awkward smile, and it didn't look as though she knew if she was supposed to be keeping eye contact with me or not. Honestly, I was feeling the same way. Being that she's close with L'Arachel, she must know that something's going on right now; otherwise, explain to me why she would look all shifty as soon as she saw me.

"Hey," I greeted them as they sat down with us. Luckily, since Marisa was sitting across from me, she and Tethys took spots right next to me.

"Hey," they responded, though Feena seemed a bit more distant than Tethys.

"Um, how's it going?" I directed at Feena. Nice one, Eddie. Bring up the awkward small talk…

She eyed me rather uncomfortably, tapping at her chin in a way that made her look freakishly similar to Anna. "Not too much," she spoke slowly, as if making sure she didn't say anything out of line. "Just, y'know, stuff…"

"That's…not very specific," I chuckled uneasily in an attempt to lighten the mood. Needless to say, it didn't work. "Have you…talked to L'Arachel lately?"

"Mhm," she answered quickly, shrugging as she looked away from me a bit. Geez, all this weirdness makes me feel like I did something wrong. I still don't know why she's upset!

I didn't want the conversation to die out so quickly, but at this rate it seemed almost inevitable. I would have to think of something to say pretty soon if I wanted to keep it going, but what can I say? It's not like Feena seems particularly willing to continue this conversation, and I have no clue how to keep it going!

"Oh, um…" I began, buying myself only a couple extra seconds to think of something to blurt out. "H-How…is she?" Wow, that sucked…

"She's the same as usual," the dancer explained to me, keeping her voice rather plain, as opposed to her usual bubbly tone. It's weird to see Feena acting so serious… "I guess you haven't talked to her at all?"

Unprepared for the return question, I didn't say anything for a moment, probably making myself look stupid in the process. "Well, I, er, tried to a bunch of times, but she won't answer my calls or messages. I hope I didn't make her mad at me… I can't really think of a way that makes this my fault…"

All I got in response was a shrug, thereby ending the conversation. I was hoping that having a longer response like that would have gotten me a bit more, but it looks as though Feena doesn't want to talk about it. Why do things like this happen to me? If I could just talk to her, then maybe this whole thing we're going through would be over! It's kind of a rude awakening: waking up from a concussion to have your girlfriend yell at you before staying away for a week. All of this just…just… It blows…

I started sulking while the others around me chatted away. I mean, with only six other people, you'd think that it'd be easy enough for me to just jump into a conversation, but I'm not really up for it now that I've put myself in a bad mood. Maybe things will get better once Boyd and Gerik show up, but things are kind of…bleh right now.

"Oh good, you guys are here!" one of the muscleheads bellowed from somewhere behind me. I turned to see the both of them walking over with sports bags over their shoulders.

"Is this everyone who said they could come?" Mia asked, silently counting out the people here with her fingers.

"I think so," Boyd said, walking up behind Feena and leaning on the back of her chair. "Actually, wait…looks like we're still waiting on-"

"Ah, sorry I'm late!" a voice called out, cutting him off on cue to the name he was about to say. I turned around to see none other than one of the green-haired girls I'd been trying to speak to.

"Rebecca!" some of the group greeted, waving over as she quickly made her way over to us. I smiled to her, receiving a warm one in return. Well, if she's feeling uncomfortable around me, she certainly is good at hiding it.

With everyone who had supposedly confirmed, the ten of us headed over to the games room, which is probably the best part of the rec centre; the rec centre of the rec centre, if you will. Please, hold your applause.

A few billiards tables sat on one side of the large, square room. On a rather isolated wall, a number of dartboards were set up, and the floor even had a few lines to mark where to stand. Though I've never been in one, the only way I can describe this place is that it looks like what I imagine a bar would look like, with the slightly dimmed lights, and cool interior. I guess that can be blamed on the empty bar counter over in the far corner, but still. However, moving away from the more ambient stuff, a small arcade situated itself in a separate room on the far end of the bigger area, past a bunch of tables and couches set up for card and board games.

Though I wasn't trying to show it, I was extremely thankful that Rebecca showed up. I'd been meaning to speak with her ever since that strange hospital incident, but I hadn't really gotten an opportunity to ask her about it. While I can't exactly talk about it with everyone else around, at least this situation has created somewhat of an opening for me to go about doing so. I'm not the smoothest guy when it comes to these things (as you probably guessed from seeing my conversation with Feena…), but I have to try.

Naturally, we all wanted to do something different once we were in the games room, so most of us split off into little groups. Surprisingly, though at the same time unsurprisingly, Leo and Nino wanted to do different things, so I watched as Nino scampered off to play pool with Mia, Boyd, and Feena. Leo, being the sly guy that he is, looked at me and nodded his head in Rebecca's general direction before going to see whatever Gerik and his lovers were up to. I don't know if I should be throttling Leo or thanking him, because I wasn't really expecting to get some alone time with Bec just yet…

"Heehee, looks like it's just the two of us," she giggled, catching me completely off-guard. I'm not complaining that she seems a lot more like her old self, but this past while has just been so weird with her that the feeling is…foreign.

"Heh, uh, yeah, looks that way," I let out a chuckle in response. "What do you wanna do?"

"Hmm," she hummed, looking around the room. With such a variety to choose from, I'd be okay with pretty much whatever. "Well, I don't really want to play an arcade game right now, so do you want to play Jenga?"

I shrugged, feeling indifferent as we headed towards the cabinet where the games were kept. Finding the tall, rectangular box, I walked back to the table Rebecca had seated herself at and flopped down on the couch adjacent from her. Dumping out the blocks, the two of us started setting up the tower of wooden bricks.

"You seem like you're in a good mood today," I said, attempting to make conversation. It feels weird to try making conversation, especially since it never used to take any sort of effort to do so with her.

"Yeah, I'm feeling pretty good," she responded, her voice sounding uplifted to give her statement credibility. "Why, did you think I wouldn't be?"

"That's not what I meant," I chuckled, nearly knocking over the tower as I dropped a piece onto the top. "You just seem awfully cheery is all. Not gonna lie, it feels like it's been a while since I last saw you in a genuinely happy mood."

She glanced up from the blocks, smiling before concentrating on the tower again. "I guess it has been. First you were avoiding me, then I suppose I wasn't being very close to you over this past week."

"Sorry," I apologized, taking her words to be a bit more accusative than they actually were.

"Hm?" she questioned, placing the last block on the top of the tower. "What are you apologizing for?"

I stopped for a moment, contemplating what to say. I thought it seemed obvious and that she just wanted to hear me say that I shouldn't have avoided her, though with her mood right now I can't say that seems to be out for blood…

"I… You know, I'm not completely sure," I chuckled dryly, pulling a loose block out and placing it on top. "But I should apologize for avoiding you for all that time before. Really, I should have…well, I should have just talked to you about it. I mean, even after all this time, I still haven't explained myself, though I'd rather we not talk about it while everyone else is here."

She let out a soft chuckle, carefully sliding a block from the middle of the tower and dropping it on top. "Everyone has their reasons, Eddie," she said simply, no venom lacing her voice. "I'll admit that I was really upset about it before, but after some…things happened to me, I can't really say that I can blame you for wanting to keep those reasons a secret."

I looked up at her as I mindlessly removed another piece from the tower, causing it to wobble. She gasped a bit at my recklessness, but I was able to place the piece back on top again. "I guess you have a few secrets of your own. I kind of assumed that after the whole hospital thing."

Though her smile shrank a bit at my words, it seemed more because she was biting her lip to concentrate on not toppling the tower I'd made slightly more hazardous. Seeing that she had successfully removed her piece, she sighed and lightly placed it on top.

"I do, but, y'know, they're secrets, so I can't just go telling you outright," she laughed, crossing her leg over the other and leaning forward onto it.

"Fair enough," I returned her laugh as I made yet another dangerous move for the tower. I held my breath as it began to lean, but it seemed that the laws of physics were working with me, making the tower more difficult for Bec's next move. "I was a bit nervous that I did something to upset you, more so than I had by avoiding you for all that while. I kind of wish I knew what happened that night, but if you aren't bothered by it anymore, then it doesn't really matter, right?"

Unfortunately, I noticed the pink hue of her cheeks following my statement. Damn, so apparently she hasn't gotten over that whole ordeal just yet. And here I was thinking that things might be able to go back to normal now.

"Hehe, um, maybe we should save that conversation for another time," she chuckled nervously, refocusing herself on the game. "I…think we do need to talk about it at some point, but for now let's just enjoy this little truce we have."

I grinned at the idea we were having some kind of truce. I wasn't really under the impression that we were fighting, but truce does seem like an appropriate word for this calm thing we've established. Nodding in agreement to her proposition, I watched as her lightly quivering hand went to pull out a block. I jokingly cursed when she was able to successfully, albeit very slowly, pull out her piece and stick it on top.

"So, how are things with Wil?" I asked the first thing to come to mind for a topic change. Honestly, I didn't really care, but it was something to talk about.

"They're…okay, I guess," she said slowly, the pink colouration remaining in her cheeks. "I've been messaging him and stuff, but it's just a little weird not being able to talk in person."

"Heh, I hear you," I said bitterly as I made my move on the tower.

"Yeah, I sort of wish he'd come back sooner so I could figure some things out with him."

So, remember how I said I didn't really care about their relationship about four lines ago? Well, I can't really say I do, but what she said just now did pique my interest. Not that I particularly liked them as a couple, I think it's safe to call this one of those 'trouble in paradise' moments.

"Figure things out?" I approached the subject cautiously, playing it off coolly by pretending my focus was more on the game. "Did something happen between you guys?"

"Not…in particular, no," she answered a bit hesitantly, eyes following my hand as it brought another block onto the top. "It's just that…well…"

I gave her a hard look as she trailed off in her sentence. It didn't seem as though she was in a bad mood now, but her gleeful aura was dwindling. At the moment, she seemed to be a bit more unsure than unhappy; something that only made me more curious about the situation at hand.

"Eddie, can I ask you something?" she suddenly asked, ignoring the game so she could look at me seriously. Again, she didn't seem particularly upset, but I could see that something was troubling her. Man, if Wil did something to hurt her, I'll beat the crap out of him!

"I-I don't see why not," I stuttered, trying to go about this the right way, "but, if it's about guy problems and stuff, wouldn't you rather talk to Mia or someone? I'm…not sure how much help I'll be."

She chuckled a bit shakily at my honesty, an uneven smile forming on her face. "You're probably right, but…I…I feel like it's something I need to talk to you about…"

So, it's not a matter of talking to a close friend about it, but she needs to explain something to me specifically? It seems a bit odd, especially since we haven't really had a full conversation like this in a while. Well, not one that I remember anyway. What could I possibly have to do with this whole situation?

"If you really want, then I'll hear you out," I gulped, leaning back in the chair while noticeably gripping onto the armrests.

Of course, however, in my acceptance of her proposal, Bec seemed to hesitate, twisting her lip in a way that made me wonder if she really wanted to talk to me about it. "Maybe…we should save it for another time," she spoke after a somewhat extensive silence. "I do want to ask you about it, but…not right here or now."

With that, I sat a bit stunned as she collected herself, returned to her good mood, and went on playing the game as if we didn't just have some kind of intense moment. By the time she made her move, I'd hardly regained my own senses enough to realize that it was my turn.

"That's enough about me, though," she spoke as if we had simply discussed what she did over a typical weekend. "Are things all good with you and L'Arachel?"

It's weird knowing that she's just asking out of courtesy, since I had asked about her and Wil. Though, from the sounds of it, both of us are having issues in our relationships.

"Not so much," I responded downcast, leaning forwards to take my turn. "I can't tell if she's mad at me or just upset over the whole hospital incident, but she hasn't been talking to me at all this past week. Leo says I should just give her some time and space, but it's not so easy to do that when you don't know what's wrong."

"Hmm," Bec mulled over the situation as I dropped another block on top. "I think it's unreasonable for her to be angry that you got hurt and couldn't answer your phone. Maybe it's something else?"

Somehow I get the feeling that what she really wanted to say is that L'Arachel is an unreasonable person, so she's probably mad that I wasn't answering my phone, even though I was passed out and it was broken. I'll admit that she can be a bit unreasonable sometimes, but I don't think it would ever go to that extent. Being that unreasonable seems…well, unreasonable!

"I can't think of anything else I've done," I responded, trying to think of anything I might have said or done before the hospital incident. "I'm drawing a blank, though. We were spending time together normally during school, then the party was on the first night after school let out, and now we're here, at a place where I haven't spoken to her in a week. Of course, Feena, being the great friend to L'Arachel that she is, wouldn't tell me anything."

Rebecca glanced at the dancer with the yellow ribbon in her hair before dropping her block on the top of the tower, causing it to wobble quite a lot. "I guess you'll just have to find a way to talk to her yourself," she said matter-of-factly. "You know where she lives; couldn't you just drive over to her house?"

"I would, but mansions all have locked gates," I explained, gesturing out an invisible number pad. "Even if I showed up, I would have to get buzzed in, and somehow I don't think she'd be willing to let me in if she doesn't even want to talk to me." Then again, it's probably Dozla or some security guard that would be the one buzzing me in… Still, they would probably have to get permission from her, and then this whole cycle just repeats itself.

Rebecca simply shrugged, apparently unsure of what else to say. I couldn't blame her, since I didn't have a clue how I could see her either. I'd probably set off the alarm system if I tried to climb over the gate at night, and waiting out in front of it all day and night seems like a waste of time, not to mention the fact that my mom would kill me if she noticed I was gone. That reminds me, she hasn't called, so it looks like she hasn't noticed my absence yet.

"Heh, it's funny," I chuckled sarcastically, carefully sliding out a piece and dropping it on top, "I assumed that it was some kind of woman logic that I couldn't understand, but you couldn't figure it out and neither could Nino, so I guess this is just some kind of personal issue I'm going to have to figure out."

Rebecca eyed me curiously as she effortlessly extracted an upper piece from the precariously unsteady tower. I couldn't help notice how her green orbs seemed to flick between the block and my face, seeming unsure of which subject to concentrate on more. It made me feel uneasy, but at the same time I felt comforted. Maybe I'm reading into it too much, but the way she seemed to focus on me seemed as though she genuinely wanted things to work out, or at least for me to come out okay. Placing the piece on the top, I noticed that she seemed to have rebalanced its tilt.

"Eddie, um," she said as I tried to find a loose block to remove, "I'm not saying that I think it'll happen, but…i-if things don't work out between you and her, you can talk to me. Me, Leo, Mia, everyone's here for you, so don't close yourself off if things go south."

Surely I hadn't imagined things would go that far; after all, couples have lover's spats all the time, and this couldn't be that big of a deal. Still, I don't think she meant to imply that she wants or believes that L'Arachel and I will break up; she just wants to reassure me in case things take a turn for the worst. I won't lie, that makes me a bit nervous to imagine, but I'm grateful that she's willing to make sure I know she's here.

Thanking her with a sheepish smile, I reached to pull out a block, which caused the tower to finally topple over.

Well, it was kind of slow to start, but I did get pretty into this chapter once Eddie snuck out of the house. Haven't really had a whole lot of LeoxNino in a while, and it is necessary for something I have planned. Usually I'd give a small hint as to what that might be, but I can't think of something without giving it away.

Initially this chapter was just going to be a setup for the next one (Rebecca's POV btw), and it still is to an extent, but as I was writing it became a bit more of a rebuilding relations type of chapter, hence the chapter title. And for those of you who are literary analysts (BritRecon), yes, the game of Jenga is meant to be symbolic, but for what I can't say. I'm sure you can guess anyhow. There's also another literary thing in here, but I won't say what it is, lest I accidentally say too much about it.

Anyway, I'm not sure how close it is, but I can say that I have a pretty good idea of how I'm going to progress this story to the end now. For any of you wondering what's happening with those side stories, the quiet people one is getting addressed next chapter, and the GMT triangle will be coming up after a few events happen. I've actually got quite a few things planned, so I'm hoping that the chapters will be of this quality from here on out.

Thanks to Cormag Ravenstaff, Fireminer, Flame Emblem, and BritRecon for reviewing!

Thanks for reading and please review!

-GengaJupite