Training was over. Time flew by, and it soared through the open prairie sky.

The remaining days of training went on as normal, and it flew by really quickly. Almost none of us expected it to finish all too suddenly, but it did. It was now the 4th of Sea Month. All this time, all I could think about was enduring the final stages of training. As for my curse, I did my best to push through the small irks of pain that would linger every once in a while. As the weeks went by, one or two healers from the Infirmary would check up on me before and after my training sessions.

At first, I thought that it was a breach in privacy. They didn't even bother voicing out first before entering my tent. But now, they do have the decency to do such a thing before entering, at least. It wasn't as thorough as I might have expected it to be, and it surely was not as time consuming as going to the Infirmary of my own free will. It was a standard soul energy check and treatment of energy lapses.

So far, I was able to keep the urge to stab myself or other people in check. However, I have this constant feeling that one day, everything would go wrong. Although I don't let it bother me for the most part. Still, I had to do my part, and that was to be in constant vigilance and be mentally prepared when such a thing can occur.

Especially when void season is now three months away...

My platoon had finally finished the last bit of training a few days ago. The final day acted as some sort of final test. Though really lasted just one day, it wasn't something to laugh at either...

We were given a day's worth of rest before the final test. Everyone was doing all they can to relax and do meaningless but enjoyable past times activities, as everyone, including myself, were anxious for this mysterious final test the army is about to put us through. They had given us little to no details, but Officer Marshall only gave us one specific instruction earlier that morning, "Sleep at exactly the 7th horn tonight."

Instead of wondering why Officer Marshall would give such a vague and weird order, we continued to find whatever activity would pass the time harder. For me, I really wanted to sleep the day off and take a nap for several hours. I didn't care whether or not I'll be able to sleep later, I decided that I was tired and that was that.

However, my friends (specifically Armando) had other things in mind...

"Hey Roxas, wanna check out some girls at the Capitol Square?" Armando cheekily said with a creepy grin plastered on his face. My eyebrows furrowed for a moment; I didn't seem to understand the point. "No thanks, man. I'm not one to just talk to women like that..." Armando groaned at my response. "Ugh, why'd you have to such a killjoy?" He groaned one more time, putting both his hands on his face. He looked at me sternly, as if I had some sort of debt I needed to pay him. My brows furrowed one more time. "What does that supposed to mean?" Armando stood up and stretched. He seemed to have gotten over it quickly. "Well, I can't force you, can I? Just accompany me to the square." I exhaled an audible snicker. I know for a fact that what he's planning is a disaster waiting to happen.

But, seeing as though reading my mom's book for the nth time was not a good enough reason to stay put, I might as well. Heck, I'd run away the moment I sense something terribly wrong coming our way. With this in mind, I turned to him and gave him a light shrug. "Why not? Just don't do anything stupid, Mando..." Armando laughed gleefully as he dragged me outside my tent.

Soon enough, we were already at the Southern Capitol Gate...

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"Why did you want to take me into the Capitol, anyway?" I asked Armando as we walked around the place, unknowing where to go to begin with. For a supposed grand city, I couldn't feel any sense of comfort within the fine stone walls enclosing it. Somehow, it makes it difficult to even breathe properly.

I guess I'm used to the prairie's open spaces with the wind constantly rushing at my face and all, but I'm sure the openness of the grasslands were more than enough to make the most hardened soldier to relax.

"I needed to get something from the Eastern Gate."

"Alright, then..."

"What? You're just gonna end there? Aren't you a tad curious why?"

"I mean, it's your business, Mando. I'm not rude enough to barge into your thoughts, you know..."

"You really are something else, huh?"

"What does that supposed to mean?"

"You're unique is what I'm saying..."

"Who are you and what have you done with Armando Gallard?"

"It's still me, dumbass. Can't take a compliment every once in a while?"

"Just joking, you lumphead. If you so insist, what is this thing you're getting, anyway?"

"Secret..."

"You gotta be kidding me..."

Interactions with Armando are not for the feint of heart. Unless you have some sort of knack for getting into trouble or conversations that go absolutely nowhere, he's the type of person you'd want to avoid meeting at all costs. But little old me has just enough patience to keep myself sane for the most part.

But, even if I am a bit stricken by his annoying presence, I still do have the heart to enjoy meaningless conversations such as this. It really puts the 'if' back in life...

A few minutes of meaningless banter later, we arrived at the Eastern Gate. "Wait here, man. I'll go check on the guards..." I placed my back against a nearby street lamp as Armando went and done his business. Looking around, the area around the Eastern Gate looks nothing like the southern one. With a tree lined pathway into the Capitol, brown leaves are scattered everywhere. The locals were now coming out to sweep away the excess from this afternoon's time.

Though what really made the place interesting was all the mirrors that lined the roofs of the houses. Several shards of glass were pointing towards the west as the wider side was facing the east. Whatever these formations meant, it had something to do with the Sun rising on the east. Aside from the unusual yet fascinating rooftops of the houses, everything else was as ordinary as it could be. The houses were really normal looking to the point where the design was as plain as you could imagine.

Looking past the tree path were mountains that I sincerely doubt had any people living on it, because one quick turn to the left shown me the answer. Nothing was taller than the Sun Castle that was perpetually resting comfortably in the middle of the Capitol. The sight of the castle stirred something deep within me, like a memory long forgotten.

And true enough, I had forgotten what it was...

I looked toward the gate and Armando was already walking back to me with a parcel under one arm. He looked rather happy as he walked. "What have you got there?"Now I was sincerely curious on whatever was inside the package. "I wouldn't tell you. It's personal..." he whispered as he chuckled silently to himself. "We're heading back now?" I asked Armando as he was already heading towards the encampment. Armando stopped in his tracks, before humming a tune I was not familiar with. "Actually, I wanna take a detour..." he said, grinning as the inner workings of his mind came into play. "Detour?" The moment he said that, I knew something was already coming our way. I groaned, following him as he headed for the Eastern Gate. Whatever detour he was going to take, I was for sure not going to enjoy it. "Don't look so glum, Roxas. It'll be worth your while, I promise!" Armando smiled as he took in the breeze coming from the trees in the path.

Then, without any sort of warning, he slid down the hill on the right side of the gate. "Armando!" I ran towards the edge of the hill, and saw him landing safely on a wooden scaffolding below. I looked past the tree before me, and saw a city hidden in the crevasses of the Capitol. It spanned from the outer wall to the prairie edge.

Memories came flashing back as the odd familiarity of the place beckoned me to join it. I looked down again, Armando waving at me. "Jump down- I mean, slide down! It's sturdy!" Scratching the joint of my right arm, I gathered a bit of nerve before rushing down. It only lasted a few seconds, but the pull of the fall was enough to make me cold. "Don't tell me the great Roxas is afraid of heights?" he teased me as he pulled me up to my feet. "I never knew heights as a kid..." "Let's get off this thing first..." Armando began his descent unto the darkened city. I followed suit, shortly after.

We came unto a noisy street as we finally reached the ground, or what was supposed to be the ground. The path was dense with fog, I could already feel my boots getting covered in mud as children, big and small, wearing tattered cloaks were running past us. Though this was a much tighter space than inside the Capitol, it wasn't nearly as suffocating. In fact, the eerie air gave it some sort of freedom to it. However, I doubt that the freedom here had anything to do with happiness and the like. Armando and I walked through the muddy pathways of the city, twisting and turning through the broken archways and iron fences, I hardly even tried to remember our path back to the Eastern Gate. Armando seemed familiar with the place. Naturally, I had placed all my trust into him. Not that I had any choice to begin with.

Soon, the dense fog filling the pathways between buildings was now clearing up. We now found ourselves on top of a rickety wooden bridge in the middle of the city. Looking up to my right, I could still see the castle from here, but the sheer difference in distance made it look like an impossible dream. I turned back to Armando, who was muttering to himself. I did not dare listen, and instead tried to look around for anything peculiar. However, nothing more that was out of place. Instead, what greeted me was the feeling of hopelessness.

This place reeked of it...

After a brief moment of peaceful silence, the sound of footsteps were already rushing towards our direction. My instincts kicked into second gear as my right hand already found its way unto the grip of my blade. Armando turned to me, telling me that whatever is coming isn't a threat. Coming from the shadows on the opposite end of the bridge was a person. Whether it was a man or a woman, I couldn't tell from afar. The person had silver grey hair and purple eyes. Armando walked forward, parcel in hand, toward the person. I could only hear little of their supposed conversation, and what seems to be an exchange of goodbyes, the person disappeared into the shadows. "Come on, Roxas!" I had no choice but to, once again, walk over the wooden bridge. I gave it enough trust to not falter on me. "Encampment is this way..." he pointed at the shadowy path right in front of us before walking into it.

Soon enough, without even giving it a single passing thought, we were now coming towards a hill on the opposite end of the city. I was certain that it was not just a few minute walk from end to end, but I couldn't tell time properly from the moment we had entered into the fog of the city.

Armando and I shared no more than a few words as we made our way back to the lively encampment. The noise and the hard working soldiers all around me contrasted the world I had witnessed several minutes ago.

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The drowsiness of last night was present and carried itself well unto the next morning. However, what I woke up to wasn't the familiar sight of my vanilla colored tent. My senses immediately told me something was wrong. I tried standing up, but my head kept pounding along with the lingering pain etched in my right arm.

I haven't slept well at all last night. I don't know whether it was the sight of the hidden city, or the anxiety brought over by the final test. However, I was entirely sure of one thing: I did not sleep at all after the 7th horn.

With my headache fading, my vision became clearer. My nose was greeted by an unfamiliar scent, and most of my body was crawling with sand. I looked around me.

I wasn't in the Kingdom of the Sun anymore.

I stood up, the sight of boundless water converging on the orange sky on the horizon was all that greeted me. I felt the sand underneath me through my boots, and the sound of the waves crashing unto the sand was all I could hear. I felt the P.U.P. in one of my robe pockets heat up. I pulled out the parchment as soon as I could, and saw the latest announcement being written on the paper.

"ANNOUNCEMENT
Sun Army Final Test: 1st of Sea Month
Journey back to the encampment within 24 hours; report to Col. Levon."

My eyes had widened at what was written on my P.U.P.

I looked around me, the Sun as already rising on the East. I was sure it was already the first horn back at the encampment. The rocky mountain ridges of Totemtaff were far into the Northeastern horizon, and what was left of the West was endless plains of grass. I realized that I was at the Southern most part of Paradise Prairie.

Travelers that came to Corona usually had the same story about the Prairie South: a peaceful shore with boundless sea.

Realizing this, I immediately checked my inventory. Luckily, I had my canteen but it was already drained empty. I still had my sword with me, along with a few materials that I managed to squeeze into pouches that hung on my belt. I had no time to lose, and I headed North without a second thought.

Thanks to all the training I was forced to endure these past months, I was able to keep up a steady jog North. Still, the fact that the army went out of their way to make this final test possible was amazing to think about.

I wonder where the others are? I was sure that Officer Marshall stated that the test was limited to a platoon at a time. It just so happens that ours finished training first, so naturally we were the ones to take this first as well. It still bothers me that they had given us little to no information about this test.

For some reason, I felt like this test is too good to be true. Is it really going to be this simple? I mean, I have plenty of experience in going on long journeys across the Prairie. I remember the trek to Flaron like it was yesterday, and that wasn't even the entirety of the grasslands. The trip to Totemtaff only lasted three days, and that was with Roger and Kittyeyes having me go on their silly little detour. If not, I'd bet it was only two days. One if I was extremely lucky.

As these thoughts filled my head, my jog pace was uninterrupted. I don't know many hours have passed, but it felt like a while now. The Sun was already past the summits of the mountains, and the sky was now turning a bright shade of blue. My train of thought stopped as I began to look around me. My heart was racing, but it was not from the fatigue the jog had brought me. Rather, it was the possibility that I would see my old home again. That small, shabby house that was built by love. A love that existed, but forgotten. Soon enough, my senses were now being filled with familiarity. I breathed in the cool morning air, as I ran past a tree that my mind had difficulty figuring out whether or not I remembered it. Even so, the memory was there, my mind just could not remember it. However, the same cannot be said about the river that ran through to the West. I looked to my right, the mountain ridges of Totemtaff were now clearer than ever.

My breathing became heavier; it was no surprise that I was beginning to be tired. I walked toward the riverbank, then sat on the damp but cold grass. I waited for a while, but I didn't know what I was waiting for. I drank the last remnants of water in my canteen before filling it up again with river water.

'I should rest here...' I thought to myself before lying on the grass I've missed for a while.

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I decided to stop by Corona several hours later.

Everything was already fixed. The once burnt houses were now replaced with houses built with sturdier materials. Shops were booming with business, and the trade that was flowing in and out of the town was great. It felt like a new place, even though little time has passed. I wanted to grab something to eat before I went, as it was nearing sunset and I desperately needed food before reporting back. I doubt I'll be able to catch the food in the banquet hall tonight.

It kind of annoyed me that they gave me curren for this journey. But, seeing as though this was a test, I suppose they were expected us to hunt food for ourselves. I don't know about the others, but I'm expecting they're preparing for their next meal as of now. Luckily, East of Corona were a few hills that were lush with both plants and animals, so the hunting ground was already secured for me. I have not hunted for a long time, and I might have gotten used to being pampered both with the convenience of trade here in Corona and the banquet hall back at the Capitol.

Making my way to the hills, I swore something was awfully wrong in the air. I have not visited this area in a while and maybe my senses weren't exactly sharp as they were today, but I felt a sensation run through my body. The prairie wind blew on my face, as if the prairie itself was telling me something.

Though, one could only guess so much.

I ran up to the tallest hill nearest me. As soon as I reached the peak, I looked around. Not much caught my eye, and the egress of the twilit sky made it hard to see everything even from this height. However, my gaze was eventually turned by a shriek from the field below. I did not waste time to think, and slid down the hill before breaking into a run. The darkness of the field was enough to make all things blurry, but there was no denying the hulking creature that stood right in front of me.

It was a fully grown Longtail Beast looming over a figure I can't quite see just yet. My mind raced as I began to question the timing of this beast's awakening, but it was cut short as I saw a person kneeling on the ground facing the creature. I ran and ran, even harder than I usually did. Soon enough, the distance was shortening. Even as the darkness made it extremely difficult to see things around me, the peach colored hair and the lance on the person's left hand had already told me everything I needed to know.

As I made my way here, I had expected to hunt edible wolves or carve out a few boomshrooms from the foot of the hills. I thought I'd go actively looking around for prey that would run away from me. Turns out, I was already looking at my prey.

"Sharice! You alright!?" I called out to her. Coughing, she stood up. Her wobbly knees couldn't hold out her weight for long, but she pushed through it as she gripped her lance as if she would die tonight. "Hehe~ I'm flattered you're concerned, Roxas..." she smiled weakly. The beast did not wait any moment longer and raised its claws for a swipe. I dived with all my strength, managing to put myself and Sharice out of harm's way. Tumbling a few meters away with Sharice in my arms, I turned to her. "Are you stupid!?" I yelled as I gently lowered her to lie on her back. "Wait here..." I muttered to her. Drawing my sword, I ran at the beast. It went for another swipe. Almost too instantly, I brought the sword to guard my left side. With a clang, its claws met with the steel. I planted my feet firmly on the ground; I was not going to let myself be overpowered. Though it was only wishful thinking, as the dirt itself was now yielding. The thought that I was facing a mature longtail had almost slipped my mind. The sheer strength in its limbs was slowly pushing me towards the right. I twist the sword's handle, the edge of the blade slipped through the claws and was caught in between them. Pushing forwards on the sword, combined with the raw strength of the longtail, I was able to cut into the beast's paws before it had thought about going into a frenzy.

It roared in pain. It realized what it had done. The longtail turned to me, its beady eyes were now blazing with fury as it gave an earsplitting roar. It jumped backwards and stretched its wings. I braced myself for what was about to come. It launched itself, gliding just above the ground toward me at a ludicrous speed. I had seen this done in the past by younger longtails, but I didn't expect it to be this difficult. I jumped to my right, but it changed direction mid-air. I panicked and brought my sword to my right. The impact was instant, and I felt the both the blade pierce through its tough hide and the pommel of the sword hitting me squarely in the chest, with my right arm being held in an awkward position. But, the beast did not flap its wings. I spun before hitting the ground. I stood up as soon as I could and faced it, but it only laid there without moving an inch.

"Dead..." I whispered. I went to it, my instincts still expecting it to strike back. I leered, but it remained still. Seeing my sword, I pulled it from its chest, the blade soaking in a deep shade of crimson. My right arm turned stiff. I merely groaned as I felt the curse mark on my hand absorb the essence on the sword. It was like a drain, the blood streaking from the sword and well into my arm. I felt my injuries fade as a sharp pain greeted both my chest and arm.

I dropped to the ground, gripping my chest. With each heartbeat, pain was surging through me. After a while, even that was gone and soon, I was able to move my right arm again. Sharice's pained moans snapped me back to reality. Wasting no time, I tore off a bit of my pants and covered up the wound on her upper left arm. "Thanks, Roxas..." she said in a weak voice. "You're welcome. Now..." I looked around. Judging from the way she is, Sharice probably can't stand for the next few hours or so. I needed firewood and other things. As if fate was thrown into a good mood, the once empty grass field was now brimming with materials that I needed.

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"What were you thinking taking on a longtail all by yourself!? A FULLY GROWN ONE AT THAT!" I did all I could to reprimand her. Sharice remained silent as she stuffed another piece of longtail steak in her mouth. I feel bad telling her off, but she doesn't seem to be angry or sad at all. Still, I did my best to remain steadfast in my decision. She acted brashly, so it would be natural to correct her mistake.

She finally eats the last piece of meat. Her eyes were on the brink of tears. As she swallowed the last bit of her food, I heard a soft whimper from her. Glancing from my own steak, she stood up. "Laugh..." she said. Instead of answering, I placed down my food on the ground beneath a bunch of clean leaves and gave her a furrowed look.

"Laugh! Go on, laugh at me!" tears finally flowed down her face as she broke down.

"What!? Why!?" at this point, I could only yell back. My mind raced, confused as to what she was on about.

"Look at me! I'm pathetic... Telling people I'm the greatest, now I won't even pass the final test..." she sat back down, hugging her legs and hiding her face from me.

For the first time since I have met her, Sharice had finally shown a bit of her that, up to now, no one had seen before. She had finally shown a bit of weakness. For once, she looked like a vulnerable teenage girl.

"Listen..." I sat down beside her. I felt the warmth of the bonfire in front blanket the both of us from the sheer icy cold of the night. "That was a mature Longtail Beast. Anyone, even adults, would have trouble dealing with it. It's not your fault that it was tough..."

"But you slain it in just a few seconds..." she said, the sound of her voice muffled from her legs.

"I had practice with younger longtails. I admit, it wasn't exactly a clean kill either." I said as I rubbed the spot where it had collided with me. The pain wasn't there, but the memory of it was crystal clear.

"You didn't have a hard time with it! You're so much stronger than me!" she whimpered as she finally shown her face again, tears were still falling down her cheeks.

"No." I quickly said. "Do you honestly think I didn't break two limbs the first time I fought one? I was fifteen that time, and I had almost died. The reason I'm strong is because I had no choice but to be strong, Sharice... But I'm not stronger than you."

I stood up, Sharice still sat in silence. "Compared to you, I still have a lot to go through." I gave her a hand. She stared at it, then hesitated.

"But..." she took it, but her balance was still off. She still had the injury on her right ankle to worry about. However, she pushed through the pain and our eyes finally met since she allowed me to treat her injuries. "How can you say that...?"

"You're the youngest recruit the army has ever had. You are the most talented lancer I had ever seen, and you'll only go up from there." Her eyes were now sparkling with pride. "It doesn't matter if you think you yourself are not great. You've already proven to me that you are, and that's what matters."

I broke off and allowed her to take in what I just said. It was only a while after Sunset, and the journey to the Capitol was still long. I sat down in front of the dying fire, and Sharice sat on the opposite side from me. She started giggling. "I guess I owe you my life, then." I forced a laugh. I didn't want her to indebted to me in any way, shape, or form. "It was nothing. Just don't go challenging dangerous beasts next time. I won't be there to bail you out."

"Am I still the greatest of all time...?" she asked bashfully, her face was sunken in a deep shade of red.

"Weren't you listening? You already are, you idiot!"

"Hey!" She immediately snapped. "Just because I cried doesn't mean you can call me an idiot!"

"Whatever!" Chuckling like mad, I stood up for the last time and stretched. "We better get going. The test won't pass itself, you know."

"Alright! Alright! I'm getting my lance!" with that, she strode off into the far darkness, forcing herself as she limped along the way.

I took a bucket filled with water from the nearest river and thrown it over the remaining embers of the bonfire. We were now surrounded by darkness. However, it was only short-lived as the stars above provided just enough light to see. Strapping on my sword, I checked myself for any missing items. Sure enough, Sharice was limping back.

"Let's go!" she shouted enthusiastically into the darkness. But before I could let her take another step, I grabbed unto her shoulder. "Hey!"

"Surely you don't expect to get back to the Capitol on that ankle, right?"

"Uh... Yes?"

"No you're not..." I turned my back toward her and knelt. "Come on, I'll carry you back."

I waited a few seconds, but she wasn't letting herself on me. "What? We aren't here to wait for the grass to grow!" With a growl, she allowed her body to rest on my back as I held up her legs behind me. She was fairly light for someone with bits of armor on. "Just hold on tight, Sharice..." I said to her as I began walking North.

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Sharice remained quiet for most of the trip back. I was fairly certain that she was already sleeping, but I dared not to look back. I felt her soft breathing down onto the back of my neck. Meanwhile, I stared at the stars after making sure nothing was in front of me. The stars, along with the moon, illuminated what was supposed to be a pitch black grass plain.

I never actually traveled to the Capitol by night, and I was curious as to how it would look like with all the rune lights scattered all around the place. I never wandered off to the Capitol by night, either. I had no reason to, after all.

As the expectations of the city wandered around in my mind, Sharice moved from her spot. "How much longer...?" she asked in a soft-spoken voice that was quite unfitting for her. It almost sounded like Nolva when she was whispering. "Soon... We'll get there before sunrise."

It was at that point that Sharice was wide awake. She was constantly shifting slightly on my back, trying to find the most comfortable place to rest. My back wasn't the most comforting thing in the world.

"Aren't you getting tired, Roxas?" she asked again. Surprised by her sudden concern, I shook my head. "Nope. I can carry you, don't worry..." I did all I could to ignore the eventual sweat that was dripping from my forehead. I was not feeling any sort of fatigue, but carrying Sharice for two hours or so was wearing on me. All I could wonder was my back that was damp with sweat.

"You kept in touch with your brother, Sharice?" it was finally my turn to ask her a question. "I haven't wrote to him in a while. I'm sure he doesn't miss me at all..."

For me, I could only dream to have a brother or sister of my own. After all, my parents were gone, and the time to conceive another baby between mother and father was long gone. Too long gone, to be honest.

"Are you sure?" I pressed her. I did not want to believe that she would really mean what she said. "I'm sure! I'm always sure! Besides, I've got you now!"

I chuckled at the thought. "Me? Your brother?" "Yeah!" she raised her fist in the air triumphantly. "Like a brother-in-arms thing! I mean, with both of us in the army and what not..."

"Brother and sister in arms, huh? That sounds wonderful..."

"You're not upset?" she peered over my shoulder. She was incredibly close to the point that I could feel her breath on me, but that didn't bother me. "Of course I'm not. I never had siblings to begin with."

"Oh, right..." she glumly said as she returned to her original position.

"To tell you the truth, Sharice, I've always thought of you as the sister I never knew I had..." She giggled. Then, before we even knew it, we were sharing laughter under the bright night sky.

I don't believe she thought of it as a joke. When it comes to this, I always take Sharice seriously. Even when other people would not. I felt her bury her face on my back. I was surprised she didn't writhe from my stench. Though I did not see it, I knew that she was smiling.

As I was walking up towards the peak of a hill, the Sun Castle was now in sight.

"We're here." I felt Sharice peek over my shoulder. "Woah! It's so bright!" It was true. The buildings, both outside and inside the Capitol walls, were lined with bright lights akin to the color of sunshine. The Sun Castle was no exception. The entirety of the structure was radiating with blinding light. It was as if it was a complete replica of the Sun itself.

It truly was a mesmerizing view.

Though wishing we could stay on the hill and watch the brilliant lights until dawn, we still had a test to complete. "Let's go..." I said. Sharice nodded as we made our way to the encampment, passing by the familiar crooked windmill.