---

"This thing is so cool!"

Selphie stared down at herself. A shining, jet-black jumpsuit adorned her, its rubbery surface fitting tightly on her slender form. Eerie neon glows danced from tiny lights scattered about her body.

Irvine approached from behind, dressed in similar fashion. "Ugh," he frowned. "This thing's gotta go. I feel like I'm going to a scuba-themed gay bar."

Selphie grinned, and was about to reply, but was cut off by a laughter in the distance.

"Yeah, I'd hate to end up at another one of those!"

Aren descended from the ramp of the Terran transport, covered in heavy, block-shaped armor plates. His body shone in a flowing aqua. Even the equipment straps around his waist, arms and legs glimmered in an entrancing hue, and were barely discernable. Aren's head was fitted securely with a thick helmet, and a curved shield was flipped up from his face.

Three soldiers stepped from the transport behind him. Their faces were covered, and massive automatic rifles were slung over their shoulders. The Terrans marched down the sloped platform in unison, Aren in the lead.

Selphie squealed in excitement. "Whoa! What's all this?!"

"Cool," Irvine nodded, "is that your old suit?"

Aren nodded Irvine's way. "Sure is. In perfect shape, thanks to Snap here."

One of the helmeted soldiers nodded. "No prob," said Snap in his imposing voice.

Aren rested a metal-plated hand on Selphie's shoulder. "Pretty cool, eh? Still fits and everything."

Selphie stepped back, and gave him a long look over. Large sidearms were strapped to his upper thighs, and ammunition clips for the weapons were secured around the holsters. Pouches and zippered pockets no doubt held more death-dealing weapons. But not only weapons, for the Soldiers from Below were some of the great survivalists of the known world. Selphie had read amazing stories of Terran soldiers who won grisly battles against all odds, using whatever they had around themselves to remain alive.

One such story had burned in her mind since its mention some time ago.

"Yeah...cool," she half-grinned. "Hey Aren, what was that battle you talked about, when you met Irvine?"

Aren cocked an eye. "After the battle of Gate Four, outside Nebria. That's where we'll touch off." They began to walk from the transport. "Why?"

"Nevermind," she shook. A cold shiver ran through her; she tried to cover it up. She had seen pictures of Gate Four. In moments, she would be standing at the site of one of the most gruesome battles in modern history.

"You okay?" asked Aren. He glanced down from the corner of his aqueous helmet.

She nodded sharply; her brown locks tossed to an fro. "Yeah! Yeah, I've just...never done this before."

"Aw, I think you'll like it! It's kinda fun. Like a waterslide, or something. Only faster, you know?" He squeezed her shoulder, and pulled Selphie close.

She felt Aren's pistol bump against her thigh. With a gasp, she jumped back and tore from Aren's arm. "Gosh, be careful! That thing might go off!"

Aren looked down at his weapon. "Sorry."

"But really," Selphie shuddered. "How come you've gotta wear all that anyway? It's not like we're goin' to war or something!"

"Wait, hold it," Aren crossed his arms. "I'm sorry it worked out this way. But we're marked for death! I'm not gonna walk around unarmed! Irvine's got his gun, your friend Quistis is armed...jeez, you've got a weapon, Selphie!"

Selphie stomped her foot in the dirt ground. "That's different, Aren!"

"How, huh? Tell me why." Aren's voice was raising by the moment.

"Because...b-because..."

Selphie threw her arms to her sides, and sprinted off. A short distance away was a long runway, lit by an eerie blue glow. Long protrusions jutted from the ground at either side of the glowing strip, flashing and coarsing pulses of energy in thick waves. An entrancing hum echoed through the pitch night, and drowned away her sobs.

---

Irvine shrugged. "What's with her?" he asked, his eyes on the blue glow from the runway.

"I know," said Aren, and he sprinted away on Selphie's trail.

"Whatever," said Irvine, mostly to himself. "You kids is cra-zy!"

A soldier approached, and flipped up his mask. It was Snap, but his jawbone was covered with flesh as normal. "Hey man," he nodded. "Just realized something."

"Oh?" Irvine replied, his eye trailing to the sky.

"Yeah," said Snap. He tugged on his newly-adorned chin. "My face was off last night!"

"Yeah," Irvine chuckled. "Your bone was showing, dude!"

"I know!" laughed Snap. "Hope I didn't gross anybody out."

Without looking, Irvine reached up and flipped down Snap's visor. "Nah. You're ugly as it is."

"Whew, good thing!" Snap joked, and patted Irvine on the back. "Get pumped, it's gonna be like old times!" He began toward the glowing light, and the other soldiers followed suit.

The clanks of footsteps on metal sounded behind Irvine; he turned back to the transport. Quistis stepped carefully down the dark runway, pulling the kinks out of her taut uniform. The suit's glowing neon accented her from the darkness around her, highlighting her figure boldly.

Irvine smiled. "How come you never dress up for me anymore, baby?"

Qustis rolled her eyes, and stopped at his side. "Where's everybody at?" she asked.

"Over by the jumper," he said, his eyes returning to the stars. "This is gonna be the ride of your life, kid. Well...not the ride of your life..."

"That's enough," she frowned. "That bugs me?"

Irvine breathed a laugh. "What, attention?"

"That's not the attention I'm looking for."

Irvine raised an eyebrow. "It's better than nothing, right?"

"No. It's not."

He nodded, and took a deep breath as a cold wind whipped from the direction of the glimmering jumper. Quistis shivered a bit, and tassled her blonde bangs from her eyes.

"Cold out, tonight," she uttered in icy monotone.

Irvine tapped out an upbeat sidestep, and bumped against Quistis' side. "That's my cue!" he smiled, and put his arm around her back.

"Hey!" she sneered, and pushed him back. "I told you, that makes me uncomfortable."

"Come on!" Irvine shrugged. "Me! You! Night time! Cold outside! Makes sense to me, kiddo!"

"That's not what I meant. I was making conversation to beat off the akward silence after you got shot down trying to work your stupid, sleazy charm on me!"

Irvine scratched the tie on his ponytailed hair. "This is not going well," he said, "is it?"

Quistis shook her head. "Hyne, Irvine, I thought you'd changed! You were behaving, and making good conversation! Showing some real progress!"

"Well, what do you want? I'm not gonna make my move in a devastated city or a gang war! The romance just isn't there, you know?"

He folded his arms, and suddenly double-blinked. "Whoa. Waidaminnit!" he said. "Progress? What's this progress all about?"

"Oh, you know what it's all about!" Quistis snapped, and pointed a finger in Irvine's face. "You'll never learn, will you? Girls aren't attracted to that cheesy charm, and those stupid joke-book pickup lines!"

"Kid, you cut me to the quick," Irvine snapped back. "I tell you what. You know how many lovely ladies I've wooed with my ways? I ain't exactly a lonely man! If anybody's gotta change it's you! It's you that's got the frickin' gunblade up your butt!"

Quistis thinned her eyes, and stepped away. "I really gave you a chance, Irvine. I really did. But I guess all you're good for is a cheap night on the town or a lovely evening of insults. But considering our situation, I do not have time for this."

She stormed off to the structure in the distance, her two long locks whipping in the night wind. Irvine sighed, and shook his head, and turned his eyes once more to the stars. Well, he thought, it was rocky at first. But I think I really turned that around!

---