"You've changed, haven't you?" Snow asks, peering through the cracks in the fence that leads outside. "Seems like you've toughened up."
I lean against the smooth brick wall of the tunnel, eyeing the ice that broke through the walls just down the corridor. How far did Shiva's impact stretch? Hope frowns, and where he might usually play with his gloves nervously, he glowers right back up at the back of Snow's head.
"I'm a l'Cie," he argues. "I had to."
"Huh." Snow laughs to himself. "The only ones who ought to be fighting the army are us dumb grown-ups." I cringe, staring hard at the ground. And what about the dumb grown-ups who couldn't fight because they had no choice?
"You think it's stupid to fight?" Hope demands. I shake my head at him but he ignores me, pressing Snow for answers that will only drive his anger.
"It is if you get killed."
"At least then you've tried," I snap, annoyed. "It's better than giving up." My mind's eye flashes back to when Snow gave in, laying on the ground and waiting for his glorious death to come only for Nora to save him and get herself killed. What a phony. Snow only laughs again, turning to look back at us.
"Just lay low. Let the dummies duke it out, eh?" He grins, winking. "The army's no match for NORA, right?"
I sigh, shaking my head and wandering in the opposite direction to keep the angry lump in my throat from getting the better of me. What an ignorant son of a… Scoffing to myself, I take a deep breath. He's just ignorant, Marhi. He doesn't know better… But ignorance never equaled innocence, did it? I jump when Snow walks past, scrubbing at my face and turning back to Hope. His face is scarlet and his hands are balled into tight fists at his sides. He's pissed.
"He was… He was smiling!" he hisses, stomping a foot on the ground. I nod, defeated.
"Yeah, he was," I admit. Hope huffs, pulling the survival knife from his pocket. My heart leaps into my throat and I run in front of him, grabbing his shoulders. "Wait! What are you doing?" I demand, forcing him to look me in the eye."
"I'm finishing this."
"No, you're not."
"So you are against me!" he shouts. I shake my head, looking over my shoulder to see if Snow heard. He's as oblivious as ever, wandering along with his muddy trench coat slapping the backs of his holey boots with every step he takes.
"Hope, listen. This isn't the place. If you draw attention to us now, the whole army will be here before you can even think."
"But this might be—"
"There will be other chances, I promise." Desperate, I shake his shoulders and he finally looks at me, his eyes softer than before.
"Fine."
"Thank you," I mutter, letting him go. He tucks the knife away after a moment of sulking and follows after Snow, though he doesn't leave me behind this time.
We catch up just as a beeping sound rings from Snow's pocket. He picks up, resting his free hand on his hip.
"It's me, what's up?" He grunts, startled as he jerks his head away from the device. Frowning, I look at Hope for an explanation. He doesn't look back, scowling at our new leader. "Sorry, slipped my mind." He grins back at us awkwardly. "Great, great! Kids are great, too!" I raise an eyebrow.
"You sound like my dad," I huff. Snow laughs, shaking his head.
"Are you alright?" He jumps again, startled. I can hear an angry woman's voice on the other end. "Oh, hey Sis. What's up?" Lightning? "Rendezvous…" He turns to us. "Hey, don't you guys live here? Is there a place we could meet up with Lightning and Fang?" Fang… is that the other woman's name?
"My family's… gone."
"So… no?" Snow presses, not seeming to care about the implications of my words. I roll my eyes, about to bite back when I realize this is the perfect time for Hope to reconnect with his father. I grab his shoulders and push him forward.
"His dad's still around, though. We could meet at their house."
"What? Amarhi, why are you—" Hope starts, protesting. Snow punches Hope's shoulder playfully.
"Nice. Hey, Light? We got a place." He turns back to us. "What's the address?"
"I—" Hope shoots me a look as I hover over his shoulder, eyebrows raised in a silent, fed-up signal.
"Yeah, what is it?" I grit, kneeing his back. He huffs, staring down at the ground.
"Felix Heights, Thirty-Five A," he grumbles. As Snow reports the words back to Lightning, my heart nearly stops. I turn Hope around forcefully and he pushes me away, irritated. "Stop doing that!"
"Sorry, sorry." I shake my head crossing my arms. "Felix Heights?" I repeat, still stunned. "Who the hell are your parents?"
"It's not that expensive," he defends. I scoff, rolling my eyes.
"I beg to differ! We can—could—barely afford to live on the east side down by all that stink water!"
"I…" Hope gives up, shaking his head. "I dunno. My dad's always working, though. Guess that brings enough money in."
"What's he do?" I ask, both bored by our standstill and incredibly intrigued by the newly discovered wealth of Hope's family. He shrugs, leaning against the wall beside me.
"I think an economist or something. He works for the Sanctum."
"Wait, really?" I frown, staring up at the ceiling. "Sounds important."
"I guess." He twists his bandana around his arm over and over again. I begin to worry if it'll rub him raw. "It was always more important than me and Mom."
"Adults are like that," I huff. "Money's always more important than anything else. Even kids."
"Yeah."
"Anyone wanna talk?" Snow asks, holding out the device. Hope hurries forward and snatches it away. Snow raises an eyebrow at me and shrugs, watching Hope wander off by himself to talk to Light.
"He really admires her," I say, trying to clarify. Snow huffs.
"Yeah, I guess. What'd she do to you guys, anyway?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, look at you." He waves a hand in my general direction and I raise an eyebrow, not entirely sure what he means. "That. That face looks just like hers." He grins. "Great. We needed more people like her."
"Is that meant to be an insult?"
"What? No, no, I just—" He shakes his head, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sheesh, you and your brother really are similar. You take everything way too seriously."
"When we have to, yeah." I shrug, playing with the torn sleeve of my shirt. "Right now, there's a lot hanging in the balance."
"I guess."
Hope sulks back toward us and hands the device over, defeated.
"It stopped working."
"Probably too many soldiers on their comms right now," Snow answers, tucking it back away. "That's alright. We'll head to your place and wait for them there." He starts to head toward the next set of tunnels before pausing.
"Wait… Where are we going?"
"I'll lead the way," Hope mutters with a soured attitude. I stick close, refusing to get stuck behind with Snow.
"And… you're dad's okay with us coming?"
"How's he supposed to know?" I retort. Snow frowns.
"I don't know—"
"And I don't know if he'll like l'Cie in his house," Hope interrupts. "But we don't really have a choice anymore."
"He's right." I wave for Snow to catch up. "C'mon. We don't want them to beat us there. That's just uncomfortable."
~2 years before~
"Cassie, for the last time keep the volume down when you're practicing," my father snaps as my sister comes inside from the garage. She rolls her eyes, pulling her boyfriend, Jay, in after her.
"It's a band, Dad. Kind of hard to keep it down."
"Then keep it somewhere else," he replies, reclining in his plush chair and taking a drink from the bottle in his hand. The news plays on the television. Both my parents watch in silence while my dad drinks his nightly beer and my mom folds the clean laundry.
"Mom, when is Cid heading back?" I ask, leaning over the back of the couch she sits on. She looks up, thinking as she lifts a blue shirt.
"Let me think… I'm pretty sure he's leaving in four days, but there's always the chance he'll be called back early."
"Yeah, yeah," I wave her off. "Four days you said?"
"Yes." She throws the shirt over her shoulder at me. "Give that to your sister, would you? She always tells me not to fold it because the wrinkles are embarrassing." I laugh, hurrying to my bedroom. I reach for the doorknob, pausing when I hear a loud voice. Jay and Cassie are fighting again. Of course. I roll my eyes, waiting impatiently in hallway.
"You can't leave me!" Jay bellows.
"But I can," Cassie snaps. Something pops twice, sounding like latches. "I can and I will."
"You need me," Jay insists, pleading clear in his voice. "I love you, please don't—"
"No, I don't. I'm done." The door swings open and I pretend I wasn't listening. Cassie doesn't seem to notice me. "Get out of my house. Now."
"Cassie, baby, please—"
"No. Get out!"
Jay huffs, stomping out of the room and throwing open the front door. He slams it so hard that my father's beer bottle rattles off the side table and shatters off the floor. Huffing, Dad stands and shakes his head, tugging his tie off.
"Asshole," he grumbles, picking up the shards of glass.
"Tell me about it," Cassie snaps, heading back to our room. I throw the shirt at the back of her head, grinning when it drapes over her hair. She rips it off of her head, slamming it to the floor. "Screw off, Marhi."
"Mom told me to give it to you."
"Amarhi," my mom says sternly, giving me the look. You know, the one with raised eyebrows and the downward head tilt that reads "Really?" all too clearly. I huff, flopping into the nearest chair. The back door swings open and in walks Cid, who shrugs off his jacket and tucks his hair behind his ear, revealing the shaved strip along the side of his head, something most higher-ups do in the Guardian Corps, apparently. He pauses upon seeing all our stares, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes?"
"Nothing," my mother replies, shaking her head and going back to her folding. "Did you see Jay leave?"
"Yeah, got in his car and sped off. What happened?"
"They broke up for the fourth time," I mutter, kicking my feet up on the table and picking at my fingernails. "Expect a forecast of tears and tantrums before they get back together in two days."
"Amarhi," my mother says again, but her eyes are glued to the screen.
"What?"
"Get your feet off the table," my father demands, waving a hand at me. Huffing, I do as I'm told, turning to meet Cid's amused gaze.
"When're you gonna find yourself a nice girl I can get along with?" I ask, leaning forward and pressing my elbows into my thighs. "Cassie's too busy with her boy drama and her garage band."
"Haven't thought about it," he shrugs, immediately looking uncomfortable as he leans back against the wall and crosses his arms, feigning interest in the TV.
"Oh, come on. You've gotta get yourself a nice girl and have babies so I can be an aunt!" I protest, getting to my feet and skipping over to him.
"Yeah? You gonna raise them?"
"Of course!" I scoff as if the answer was obvious.
"But if I don't have time how will you? You're not dropping the Corps, are you?"
"No!" I roll my eyes, shoving his shoulder. "I'm not gonna be big news like you, Cid. I'm just going to be like any old soldier."
"I don't think so," he chuckles, ruffling my hair. I bat his hand away, grimacing. "You're never content with being like everyone else."
"I think it'll be a nice change," I reply, sticking my tongue out.
Cassie throws open our door, pulling her jacket off the hook to her right and tugging it on quickly. My mother stands, crossing her arms.
"Where are you going, young lady?"
"Mom, I have a gig downtown, remember?" Cassie answers sharply.
"Don't give me that attitude." There's a long silence where the two women stare each other down before my mom finally sighs, shaking her head. "Be careful, you hear me?"
"Yeah, yeah," Cassie scoffs, rolling her eyes. "I'm not leaving now."
"I know." Mom turns to Dad and nods toward the front door, patting his knee firmly. "We have dinner at our friend's tonight, remember?"
"Bartholomew isn't our friend," he grumbles, standing and straightening his suit jacket. "He's our boss."
"Same difference," Mom brushes him off, grabbing her purse. "We're off, kiddos. Don't kill each other." She points at Cassie, her expression strict. "And you, be careful."
"Yup."
"Get those dishes done," Dad says before closing the door firmly behind them. Cassie sighs, rolling her eyes.
"I'll leave that for you two losers."
"Wow, Cassie," I retort, placing my hands on my hips. "You're, like, so cool. I wish I as good at acting like a—"
"Amarhi," Cid interrupts, but he's laughing when he hits my back gently. Cassie ignores us, pulling her long black hair up into a ponytail and checking her reflection in the kitchen window. "How long will you be out?"
"I dunno," she shrugs. "Depends on if they want an encore and how many record labels talk to us after."
"Right."
"Don't be like that," she snorts, striding over and pulling him into a tight hug. "Take care of the brat, yeah?"
"Have I given you a reason not to trust that I will?" he asks, mocking confusion.
"Well, sometimes you get lost in your own little world and, you know…"
"Lost in my… I do not," Cid scoffs.
"Yeah, you do," I tease, patting his shoulder because I can't quite reach his head. "But it's okay. I can take care of myself." Cassie smiles, pulling me in for a hug, too. "Whoa, calm down, Sis. You're leaving us for, like, six hours."
"I know," she mumbles, holding her hand to the back of my head and squeezing harder. "But I still love you guys."
"Love you, too, I guess," I huff, pushing her away. "But I think I'd love you out of this house more."
"Okay, okay," she laughs, but it's half-hearted. I can't imagine I hurt her feelings… Maybe she's just nervous about tonight.
"Break a leg," I call after her as she rushes out the front door.
"Love you!"
With that, she slams the door shut and hurries to catch her train to the center of Palumpolum. Cid frowns, but whatever it is that crosses his mind must have been a fleeting thought because he's back to his boring self in mere seconds.
"You plan on help me with those dishes?"
"Absolutely not," I reply cheerfully, skipping to the couch and flopping down. I turn the channel to something more interesting and lie down on my stomach.
"Yeah, didn't think so," he sighs, rolling his sleeves up and heading to the kitchen.
The next morning, I roll out of bed at around nine and get dressed. Cassie's bed is empty. I huff, shaking my head at my reflection as I brush down my short hair. Someone got up bright and early. I walk out into the living room and my mouth waters at the smell of breakfast. In the kitchen, Cid and my mother cook side by side, muttering quick-witted comments back and forth and snickering away like a pair of teenage girls. I clear my throat, crossing my arms and waiting by the island.
"Having fun without me?"
"Don't be like that," Mom teases, shaking her head and pushing bacon around in the pan to her left. "How'd you sleep?"
"Fine," I shrug, sitting at a seat and picking at the peel of an orange. "Where's Cassie?" My mother pauses.
"She's not in bed?"
"No?"
"I assumed she was sleeping in," Mom frowns, catching Cid's eye. He shrugs.
"She probably stayed over at her friend's house. She was out pretty late."
"Probably," she sighs, shaking her head and wiping her hands off on the cloth hanging over the oven. "Amarhi, could you give Jess's house a call?"
"Sure." I stand and head over the living room, taking the phone off the hook by the side table and looking on the paper beside it for Jess's number. Upon seeing the name, I dial her up and wait, watching Cid scramble eggs.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Jess," I greet, falling backwards onto the couch and flipping over so that I'm upside down. "It's Cassie's little sister. Mom wants to know if she stayed over last night."
"Uh, no? She's not here."
"No?" I frown, sticking my feet straight up in the air and narrowing my eyes on the ceiling. "Any idea where she went after the show?"
"She said she was going home, so I would assume she's with you guys."
"She never came back though."
"You sure?"
"Jess, we share a room."
"I know, but she could've slept on the couch or something."
"Why would she do that?"
"I don't know!" Jess sighs. "Listen, I don't know where she went. Can I go back to bed now?"
"Yeah, whatever," I scoff, hanging up and twisting around to kneel on the couch. "Mom, she's not there. Jess said Cassie decided to come home."
"Did you ask her what time they were done?"
"No."
"Well…"
I huff, dialing Jess up again.
"What?"
"What time did you guys finish?"
"Like, ten."
"Did she meet any cute guys?"
"Goodbye, Amarhi."
"She said ten," I tell Mom. Cid frowns, looking back at me.
"You have any idea where she would've gone?"
"What do you think?" I roll my eyes, setting the phone down. "When's the food going to be done?"
"Just a second," Mom replies, her voice soft. She hands the fork in her hand to her son and hurries off to her bedroom.
"Well, did she?" Cid asks, picking at a pancake.
"What?" I frown.
"Meet any cute boys?"
"Dunno, Jess hung up," I shrug. "She was sleeping."
"Most people are."
"Why?"
"It's Sunday."
"But there's so much more you can get done if you wake up earlier," I huff, resting my cheek against the heel of my hand. Even I slept in today.
"Maybe she doesn't have anything to get done."
"Maybe she's lazy."
"Or that," he sighs. My mother comes back out, looking anxious. "What's up?"
"Your father doesn't know where she would be either."
"Don't worry about it," I stand, walking back into the kitchen. "My stomach's scarier than anything she could be up to."
I learn to regret those words later.