Fie couldn't quite keep the smirk off her face as the two made their exit from the Schwarzer mansion. The events of the previous night were still fresh on her mind and given how steadfastly Rean refused to glance in her direction, his as well. His awkward reaction was especially amusing cause she knew for a fact that he had been unable to look away that morning while trying to find all their clothes, that perv.
Truth be told, it wasn't like she was doing that much better, although she was far better at keeping the awkwardness off her face. What they had done last night was... Even with her somewhat looser definition of what was right and wrong thanks to her jaeger upbringing she knew that their actions had been a bit extreme, but she couldn't find it in herself to care one bit.
She saw an opportunity and was quick to seize it. The Boss would have been proud of her jaeger mindset...
Oh who was she kidding. The Boss was probably turning over in his grave. For the first time ever she was glad that he was dead as he would have made sure to make Rean's life a living hell for her actions. Xeno and Leo were gonna be bad enough...
Honestly the situation between her and her new lover probably wouldn't have been so awkward were it not for one unfortunate encounter that morning. After getting dressed the two exited his bedroom and ran headlong into his mom in the hallway. Desperately they wracked their brains for an excuse as to why she was in his room that morning.
Instead the matriarch of the Schwarzer family merely smiled placidly. "Good morning, you two. I was just coming up to tell you that breakfast is ready and to wash up-" She let out a wide yawn. "My apologies. I didn't get much sleep last night. There were some odd noises over on this side of the house. You wouldn't happen to know anything about it, would you?"
Between those two statements and the amused grin she sent the teens it was painfully obvious that she knew full well what they had done. Needless to say breakfast between the three had been an incredibly awkward affair as his mom teased the duo constantly and indirectly while they struggled to come up with anything to say in return.
Still, as the two of them made their way to where they would be meeting the others Fie found the weird silence to be kind of unbearable. "Well... I had fun last night."
"Fie!" Heh. He was already blushing. How cute. She could relent and let that serve as the icebreaker, or she could tease him some more.
It was an easy decision to make. "Aww. Don't be like that. I know you had fun too. I mean we kinda sucked at it, but I'm sure we'll do better next time."
"Fie!"
"...But you might want to be more assertive when you do it with Laura. She does the whole 'prim and proper noble' thing as much as you, so if you don't man up neither of you will get anywhere."
"Fie!" By this point he was so flushed in embarrassment that she was actually kinda worried for his well-being. The two stopped as she patiently waited for him to recover, but the grin never once left her face as she observed him. Teasing her noble companions never got old.
Eventually he seemed to regain his composure, but the heated look never left his face. "D-Do you really think Laura would...?"
Although he tried to hide it, there was no way she was missing that hopeful look on his face. "Someone seems excited~" So much for that morally upstanding facade he tried to keep up. "But I know Laura. She hates to lose. When she finds out..."
The Awakener gave her a flat look. "You're going to tell her, aren't you?"
"...Maybe." Oh yes she would. Her reaction promised to be amazing and filling the Arseid's head with improper ideas would be a whole lot of fun.
"...You're the devil."
She thought about retorting further, but noticed Elliot, Machias, and Celine approaching so instead she schooled her features. "Where have you been, Fie?" The bespectacled annoyance shot her a suspicious look.
She opened her mouth to answer- "She was making sure I got up." Rean answered nervously before she could, shooting a pleading glance her way. She frowned. Did he really think that she had been about to say something incriminating just because it would lead to a funny reaction?
...But now that she thought about it, that wasn't a bad idea at all. But better to save that for later once he let his guard down and everyone was together. Speaking of... "Where are Toval and Claire?"
"They went down the valley this morning to set up communications equipment. They will meet us at your house once their done." Elliot informed them. An expected answer, but the question was enough to get them off her back, even if Machias was still sending suspicious looks her way.
So it was that the now larger group turned around and made the trek back the way they came to the Schwarzer mansion. How annoying. Thankfully they didn't have to wait there long before the bracer and captain made their return, having successfully established a line of communication with the 4th Armored and the RMP.
As they left into the valley, the two adults suggested that a couple members of the group stay behind to protect Ymir. Practically it made sense, but the idea of being stuck behind didn't sit well with any of them. Still...
After the ever familiar trek through the snow, the group once again arrived at Valimar's location. After confirming that the machine was charged enough for the trip Rean announced their destination as the Nord Highlands. After a brief hesitation he spoke up again. "Toval, can I entrust Ymir and my family to you?"
"Haha. Not a problem. Protecting others is what a bracer does, after all."
With that first choice made Rean glanced at her and their other classmates. Time to make her move. "I'll stay behind."
Her offer caught the others off guard. "Fie..?"
She let out a shrug. "I'm coming with you to Legram." That was not up for debate. "So I'll stand down for now. And plus..." Time to go for the kill. "I'm still tired from last night. You were too rough on me."
With that bomb dropped she turned away from the group and began slowly walking back to Ymir with an exaggerated limp that she did not possess two minutes ago. She couldn't help but grin as she felt all eyes on her. She so badly wanted to turn back and delight in the horror that had to have been etched on Rean's face, but being a pro means not looking back at your own explosions.
Sure a part of her chafed at the idea of not being there to protect everyone, but she knew that Claire was a far more capable individual than she was and the others had become dependable people since she first met them. They would be enough to protect Rean in her stead while she protected his family and took a lot of naps.
She stopped after a few minutes walk and waited for Toval to arrive, which he did after a few minutes. The bracer let out a laugh as he approached. "Nice fireworks display back there."
The corner of lips turned upwards. "Thanks."
"Lookin' forward to working with you, Fie. Sara's told me a lot about you over the year."
"Ugh..." Sara was going around telling people about her? "Knowing Sara none of it was any good."
Toval hummed in agreement. "Definitely. But I've worked with her long enough to read between the lines. If nothing else she has high expectations of you."
"...Is this the part where you try to recruit me into the Bracer Guild?" She deadpanned, unamused. She already had to deal with Sara and her very unsubtle efforts.
He shrugged. "Can't blame a guy for trying. I've done the same to Rean and I'll probably do it to some of your classmates, too."
"I'll think about."
He didn't seem all that upset about her neutral answer. "Fair enough. You have plenty of time to think about it, after all.
Truth be told it wasn't as if she was against the idea. Being a bracer sure beat a lot of the other career paths that others have mentioned. Even if she would never admit it she usually found their field studies to be quite fun.
But at the same time it was a big decision to make, especially as there were others whose opinions she cared about. The idea of being separated from her new family did not sit well with her. And there was the huge elephant in the room named Valimar that would almost certainly make Rean's future extremely difficult...
She shook her head to clear those thoughts. Like Toval said, they still had a while to figure these things out.
The two continued to chat until they arrived back in Ymir. Eventually they would get to work on fortifying the village - which her jaeger insights should prove helpful for – but for now the two made their way to Rean's house to warm up.
It was there that she discovered a huge problem with her decision to stay behind. "Oh? You're still here? How wonderful! I'm going to go prepare some tea and the two of us can sit down and have ourselves a nice girl talk, alright?"
Crap! She had forgotten all about Rean's mom! She was not ready for this at all! Desperately she turned her eyes towards Toval, but the older man grinned, shrugged, and walked off without looking back. Screw being a bracer! They were just a bunch of cowards!
Rean was still reeling from surprise at her declaration that she wasn't coming along with them and was thus slow to react to her reasoning why. Not only was her combat strength and experience a great asset, but her mere presence was comforting in ways he was only starting to comprehend. Her reasoning that she would be on the Legram team did make sense, however, and as for the other part she said-
Wait...
Horror dawned on the swordsman as he began to comprehend her last words. He wanted to believe he had simply misheard her, but as he watched her limp away he had no choice but to accept that horrid truth. She had just thrown him to the wolves before abandoning him.
Already he could feel judgmental eyes upon him. Even Captain Claire seemed unusually interested in this turn of events as she gazed upon him. So Rean did the only thing he could think of in that situation. "Valimar! Activate the Spirit Path! We're going to the Nord Highlands!" Create a distraction!
"Acknowledged!"
Once again the group was encompassed by the blue light before feeling the now familiar sensation of flying through space. It only took a few seconds before the group returned to the real world, which was a damn shame in his opinion. A quick glance around confirmed that they had indeed made it to their destination successfully.
The gentle wind upon his back, the sounds of birds in the sky, green grass as far as he could see. The Nord Highlands were truly one of a kind. "Isn't this place beautiful?" He asked the Group B members, cat, and RMP officer hopefully as he took in the sights.
"...Guys?" Sadly for him, he was the only one doing that, as nobody else seemed interested in the scenery and instead had focused their attentions entirely on him. It appears that having them travel thousands of arge to a different country was not enough of a distraction after all. He couldn't help but blush crimson as he slumped in defeat. Damn that Fie!
"Rean Schwarzer..." Machias warned with a chilly tone.
Elliot didn't seem as angry, but he was nearly as red as his hair as he laughed nervously. "That might have just been Fie being Fie... right?"
"If that were the case than Rean would not have reacted the way he did." Even Captain Claire was getting in on it!" My duties have allowed me to witness how many suspects react when under pressure. And that was most definitely a guilty reaction."
"Valimar should be safe here, so an we please get a move on?" Celine complained grumpily. Rean was so thankful that she was on his side for a change. "We can discuss his disgusting human mating habits as we travel." ...Or not.
If nothing else, she was correct in her assessment. It would be impossible for anyone to spot Valimar on the hill they had arrived at unless they climbed it for themselves. In fact, thinking about it, this was the spot that Class VII had first met Millium. Good times. Certainly far better than this current moment.
Seizing on Celine's brief opening Rean decided to refocus the group on their task to spare himself their ire for a few more blissful seconds. "We need to start gathering information on where everyone might be. I say we start by heading to either the settlement to the north or Zender Gate to the south." Unfortunately on foot both destinations were at least three hours away and Machias was clearly setting himself up for a long lecture. The humble swordsman could do little but grin tiredly and prepare himself for the worst.
"...And another thing! What if we encounter an enemy and your late night activities have left you too tired to contribute properly? Since you clearly lack even a curim of self-preservation you should at least think about the rest of us!"
Come to find out he hadn't been remotely prepared for the worst of Machias Regnitz. Not at all. It had been nearly a full hour since the team arrived in the highlands and he managed to keep himself going the entire time they were walking. The others – Captain Claire included – had all deigned to mostly stay out of this one-sided conversation. Considering he thought he noticed a hint of a grin on Elliot's face he had a sinking suspicion that they were enjoying his misery.
On the plus side, despite how miserable the entire experience was, they had been making rather good time. They had successfully managed to descend down the plateau and around the cliffs and were almost out into the open where a decision on their destination would be needed. What few monsters weren't scared off by Machias's loud rants were swiftly put down by the seasoned group. Those brief moments of combat were a welcome reprieve, although he suspected that Machias was using them to come up with more topics to discuss.
Still, despite all the progress Rean was in dire need of a distraction. He couldn't help but think back to two days ago when the arrival of some soldats had saved him from a gruesome end at the hands of a pair of enraged jaegers. Perhaps Aidios could once again bail him out...?
He – and the rest of the group – froze at the sounds of distant cannon and machine gun fire. He hadn't meant it so literally! With the open plains offering them a clear view they watched as a group of armored cars raced into sight with a handful of panzer soldats hot in pursuit. They were too far away to see any unit markings, but they were almost certainly the 3rd Armored Division and the Nortia Provincial Army. The burning wrecks of other armored cars signaled that this battle had been ongoing for some time.
As they watched, the soldats began to close the distance on the armored cars who stopped once they realized that they were headed into a dead end. They turned and began to fire with their machine guns, but it was a futile effort as there was no chance of them penetrating the Drakkhens. It seemed almost inevitable that the cars were about to meet their imminent end as the nearest soldat reached them and raised its sword to strike...
But the strike never came as the Drakkhen instead shuddered under what must have been the impact of a tank shell. Although he couldn't quite see where it came from Rean could only assume that tanks had been lying in wait to ambush the soldats. More and more shells began raining down upon the noble machines and within a few seconds their leader seemingly signaled a retreat. He couldn't help but notice that their withdrawal took them in the direction of the watchtower that he and the rest of Group A had become familiar with during their field study. The victorious 3rd Armored also withdrew in the direction of Zender Gate.
As much as he really wanted to travel to the Nord Settlement, there was no guarantee that that is where their classmates would be. And given that this area was now an active battlefield it was too risky to go ahead without any proper information. So the only practical decision was to follow the tanks back to the gate and hope that General Zechs Vander or one of his officers would be willing to meet with them.
As they began the second leg of their journey Rean couldn't help but notice the scars of war littering the plains. Shattered armor, craters in the ground, and even a few places where it looked like fires had burned. Seeing such devastation mar such a beautiful area didn't sit right with the swordsman. He could only hope that the Nord people were managing alright.
Both he and Claire agreed that they should keep a quick pace going as they traveled to the base lest they get caught out in the open by any soldats on patrol. Rean kept a close eye on his friends, but he needn't have been worried. It seemed that month spent in Celdic had done a lot for the stamina of Elliot and Machias. The group managed to make the entire lengthy trip without a pause, although all of them were at least winded by the end. On the plus side everyone was so focused on what they had witnessed that his actions had seemingly been forgotten.
Unsurprisingly, the gate was on high alert and the students were accosted by suspicious sentries immediately upon arrival, but once they realized that Captain Claire was among their group and one of the guards recognized Rean from his prior visit the reception grew a lot less hostile. The timely arrival of General Vander was enough to secure them entry and the one-eyed general led them into his office.
There the skilled general outlined the events that had taken place in the Nord Highlands since the outbreak of war and none of it painted a pretty picture. Calvard, seeking to weaken their historical rival, had temporarily aligned themselves with the Noble Alliance and the two forces had launched a joint air attack on the watchtower, overrunning the defenses and capturing the key structure effortlessly. With that secured the Nortia Provincial Army was able to launch repeated attacks upon the entrenched 3rd from both Erebonia and Nord.
If the situation weren't already bad enough, at some point communication equipment had stopped working, leaving the encircled division without any hope of outside assistance. It was an impossible situation and the students suspected that it was only thanks to One-Eyed Zechs and his calm leadership that the gate hadn't already been overrun.
Despite the grim situation, the Lieutenant General reminded the group that their mission was to reunite with Gaius and their other classmates and not to assist in the defensive efforts. Although none of the missing Class VII members had been at the gate for a while, he did say that all three of them should be located to the north at the Nord settlement. To make their search easier he even offered them the same two horses they had used during their field study.
The meeting was interrupted as a soldier informed the general that another attack wave was incoming and would arrive by the end of the day, so the group excused themselves to not be a bother. On the way out they were informed that a couple other Thors students were at the gate and so they chose to investigate that before departing.
The first one they met with was the ever-mysterious Beryl. The fortune teller was far less surprised than they were at the meeting. Instead she simply offered up a cryptic, but very ominous warning about events to come. Even the normally unflappable Captain Claire seemed completely befuddled. With the mysterious girl's dark laughter ringing behind them they made a hasty exit.
The other student they came across was no less mysterious or dangerous, but at least it was one that Elliot especially was happy to see safe and sound. Mint had no idea how or why she had ended up at the gate, but the scatterbrained girl didn't seem to mind. It seemed that she had been putting her mechanical knowledge to use helping to keep the tanks and other combat vehicles in fighting shape.
Mentally, while Rean did acknowledge that Instructor Makarov's niece probably possessed the mechanical talents needed for those tasks, he couldn't help but fear for the safety of the crews of the vehicles she touched.
Although the trip to Zender didn't reunite Class VII with any of their missing members, it had been a highly successful one overall. Not only did they gain an understanding of the events transpiring, but they also found out where their friends should be. And most importantly, they got a pair of horses!
It was a good thing that Captain Claire knew how to ride one as neither Elliot nor Machias did. It ended up with Elliot sitting behind Rean with a very unhappy Celine on his lap while Machias very awkwardly held onto the beautiful RMP officer as both horses departed the gate. He couldn't help but wonder if the the sigh the musician let out at that arrangement was one of relief or jealousy.
As the horses ran across the open plains the swordsman couldn't help but smile. Despite the bad situation riding across the Nord Highlands with the wind at his back was still an amazing feeling. Hopefully one day peace will have returned to these lands and he could experience the feeling again. Maybe Laura and Fie would be interested in coming with him? He doubted the ex-jaeger knew how to ride one, but he was certain that between the two sword users they could teach her. A fun thought for a more peaceful day.
Despite the fact they weren't pushing the horses especially hard the progress they made on mount was far superior to walking on foot and within half an hour they had already made it all the way back to where they first witnessed the battle. From there it was only a short distance to the nomad's encampment.
And yet as they grew closer Rean couldn't help but notice just how quiet things were. The sounds of life that one would normally associate with a human settlement were nowhere to be found. That being said, although Rean wasn't a tracker he could tell that there had been human activity in the area recently.
As they arrived at the settlement the reasons were made clear. The area had been completely abandoned. And yet despite the lack of people, livestock, or yurts it was clear that the nomads had left the place in a hurry as there was still plenty of equipment lying around and some structures had been left intact. It was a far cry from the lively encampment that Class A had visited during their field study.
Dismounting, the group decided to investigate the place on foot. Although Rean doubted they would find anything of value, perhaps they could find a clue as to where Gaius's people had gone. Hopefully they managed to escape before the fighting got too fierce...
Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Claire suddenly stiffen and a second later he realized why. "Someone's here!" And they were all around them!
"Damn it!" Captain Claire cursed as the unknowns revealed themselves to be a small group of armed soldiers. Given the way they were moving to surround the students it was obvious that their intentions were none too friendly. Reflexively the group formed a circle outwards to face the threat.
"Wh-Where did they come from?!" Elliot asked as he nervously gripped his staff.
Given how few solid hiding spots were in the area... "They must have sensed us coming and decided to lay in wait." It was an unfortunate fact that the open plains of Nord made trying to keep a low profile nearly impossible.
"And by the way they move, I'm guessing their part of a jaeger corps. Am I right?"
Surprisingly, one of the unknown jaegers answered the Icy Maiden's question. "We certainly are. We're known as Nidhoggr."
"But who the hell are you? You don't look like you're with the Imperial Army." Spoke another jaeger, this one holding a rifle. "Careful what you say. If we don't like your answer, you're gonna be coming with us."
With that statement it was obvious that these mercenaries were in the employ of House Rogner. But at the very least it didn't seem they recognized the group of students, or more shockingly the RMP captain with them.
"I've seen the name Nidhoggr in the Intelligence Division's files before." Claire warned the group. "They've gained a sterling reputation for their efficiency and reliability."
"Oh? You know us, do you?"
"First you sense us coming, then you know our name... Maybe you're tougher than you look."
The three jaegers shared a glance from their advantageous positions. "No need for us to hold back, then."
"Our orders were to arrest anyone who seems suspicious – and you're definitely that."
"Don't expect any mercy from us!"
Rean growled as conflict was now inevitable. "Ready for a fight, guys?"
"Of course!" The blue-haired officer agreed. "Let's break through their encirclement and repel their attack!" A solid plan given the situation.
"R-Right!"
"Understood!"
Despite their disadvantageous position, the fact that there were only three jaegers surrounding them meant the situation wasn't as bad as it initially seemed. And while they did seem rather skilled, Rean was beyond certain that none of them were even close to the level that Xeno and Leo were at. As long as they utilized their combat links effectively to prevent attacks from behind he felt that they should prevail.
One of the jaegers threw a grenade into their formation, causing the group to scatter away from the epicenter. The Eight Leaves swordsman found himself locked in a battle with one of the Nidhoggr sword users, while Captain Claire faced the other and both Elliot and Machias were working in tandem against their gunner. He was willing to turn his back to that battle as he had formed a link with the musician and trusted Elliot to keep him alerted to any funny business.
In a way the jaeger reminded Rean of the terrorist he fought in Roer. The man was quite skilled with his large blade, but after all his spars against a skilled swordsman in Laura and a crafty jaeger in Fie, Rean wasn't overly concerned. Still, if nothing else the jaeger did at least appear to be more skilled than his last opponent, even if he himself had also improved during that time.
Opting for power over speed, Rean began the battle in the stance of the Third Form. This seemed to be the correct call, as the jaeger was completely caught off guard when Rean's smaller and thinner blade was able to parry his larger one and thanks to the flames now covering it, threatened to drive him back. Making an annoyed sound, the Nidhoggr soldier tried again, but again the results were the same.
Rean was willing to continue this deadlock, but had to abort as a mental warning from Elliot informed him of imminent peril from the gunner. Trusting both his friend and his instincts, Rean leapt back just as suppressive fire from the other jaeger passed by his previous position. Now freed from the melee, his opponent caught Rean off guard by charging his battle orbment for an arts.
Despite his surprise he was quick to shift to the Fourth Form and close the gap with an Autumn Leaf Cutter, but even as he moved he knew he would be too late to prevent the cast. Still, even as the art finished Rean was upon his opponent, littering his body armor with a myriad of lesser blows. None managed to score a decisive blow, but a few slipped through his defenses and blood began to flow freely, causing the jaeger to curse as he recovered and took to the offensive once again.
Although the injuries must have been painful the jaeger's attacks were a lot more dangerous and Class VII's leader had a suspicion that the art had been a buff to enhance his power. He allowed himself to be pushed back, instead focusing his efforts on evading and countering while waiting for the buff to wear off.
Or at least that had been his intention, as only a few seconds after the battle recommenced the jaeger once again broke off the attack, instead choosing to fall back before Rean could pursue. It was a surprising move, but taking a glance around the battlefield gave Rean the answer to his unspoken question. The gunner that had been fighting Machias and Elliot was still on his feet, but just barely. It seemed that his attempt to interfere in Rean's battle did not go unpunished by his friends.
But more critically to the battle, the jaeger that had been fighting Captain Claire was already down and out of commission. Although Rean had no idea what happened to him, the presence of shattered ice all around his unconscious body told a very clear and painful story. Icy Maiden indeed.
"Bah..." The remaining enemies rallied to their fallen comrade, but it was clear they didn't have much fight left in them.
Although he wasn't yet ready to lower his guard, Rean felt confident enough in the situation. "Looks like the victory is ours this time. If you know what's good for you you'll give up an surrender. Now."
He didn't actually expect them to comply, but neither did he expect them to find it as amusing as they did. "Heh. Aren't you cocky?"
"I'd like to see how much longer that confidence lasts after this." The machine gun jaeger proceeded to whistle loudly. Even though they had no idea what he was signaling, it was obviously not good news.
A fact which was made painfully clear as from a distance they watched a group of military cougars bound across the village to their position, once again trapping the team. "What the...?!" To make matters worse the two jaegers seemed to gain a second wind, and even the one Claire had defeated began to stir awake.
"Never play your trump card until the very end." The leader of the enemy squad crowed. "That's how battles should always be fought. That battle allowed us to understand what you do and how well you do it. Now it's time to finish you off!"
"This looks bad..." Celine said, stating the obvious.
Even though Rean was loathe to use his powers in a situation like this it didn't seem like he had any other choice. Valimar was still too drained from using the spirit path that morning. Closing his eyes he tuned out the voices of his companions, the growls of the cougars, and the cry of a hawk as it descended upon them-
Wait... what?
Curiosity compelled him to refocus on the battle to see that sure enough a hawk was indeed swooping down and going after one of the jaegers, who had to divert his attention from the students in order to keep those sharp talons away from his face. That was followed by the neigh of a horse and the battle cry of a missing friend.
Having been so focused on the threat of Rean and his group, the jaegers and monsters were ill-prepared to deal with Gaius Worzel as he rode in on a horse, spear at the ready. The student from Nord proved the superiority of Nord's horse fighting style as he deftly rode through the enemy ranks while lashing out with his spear, shattering their formation in an instant. "Is everyone all right?!"
"Gaius!" Even though the situation was still perilous, Rean was ecstatic at the return of one of his closest friends.
"Ahaha. You couldn't have shown up at a better time!" As was Elliot.
"I'm just glad I'm not too late. Now, allow me to fight at your side!"
The jaegers, although battered from multiple battles, still weren't out of the fight just yet. "I wasn't expecting a horseman to come to their aid... Well played. Still, if that's how you want to do things, then-" Whatever he intended to say was put on hold as his radio began to beep. "This is the Nase platoon... Acknowledged. Our work is hereby complete." He turned away from the students towards his comrades. "Our patrol is over. We're withdrawing to the watchtower."
"Ja." Dismissing Class VII as a threat the group of Nidhoggr jaegers and monsters turned and began retreating from the village towards the south. A part of Rean wanted to pursue in search of answers, but there were more important matters to deal with in that moment.
"They behaved like a high-ranking jaeger corps to the very end. Precise and logical." Claire commented as they finally relaxed their guards. "But they were using a communications device, weren't they?"
Rean understood what she was getting at. "Which begs the question: how was Nidhoggr able to use one when the 3rd Armored Division can't?"
That was an important mystery to be solved, but for now, they had a lost friend to reunite with.