5 days later and Saph and Sion's still hadn't said a word to each other, not that sion hadn't tried, he had tried apologising countless times, he couldn't stand having Saph angry at him, he should have been more sympathetic, he shouldn't have jumped down her throat when she didn't want to talk, every time he tried to talk with her she looked away, she wouldn't even train with him, he trained at one end of the room, she trained at the other.

He had been training in silence for what seemed like hours and he had to stop, he was bright red and sweating badly. Allowing his legs to give way he slipped down against the wall and let out a sigh of relief, Hyne it felt good to give his legs a rest and the hot summer really wasn't helping. He took a sports drinking bottle from his bag and starting drinking, pouring a little over his hair as well. He stopped and looked at Saph, she was doing that dancing martial art of hers, he sat their watching for a while, and didn't realise he was staring so hard until his mouth became dry from where it was hanging open. The dance was quite a thing to watch, she delivered it with such a degree of deadliness and swiftness that it was quit unbelievable, she was back flipping and cart wheeling all over the room slicing, and throwing her Chakrams around with super efficiency. She was also sweating, after all it didn't matter who you were, and if it was hot you were hot. But he noticed something, she wasn't red she was ghostly white, scarily pale and her eyes were zoning out, like she was staring dully into space. He was going to ask her if she was okay but she'd probably throw her Chakrams at him. her legs buckled from underneath her, her Chakrams fell to the floor and in the silent training hall the noise echoed continuously, it continued to ring in Sion's ears as he sprang up from the floor, throwing his bottle back towards his bag, he screamed her name and ran towards her as fast as his leg could carry him. Everything happened so slowly, like time compression. Her body hit the wooden floor with a dull thud. Sion dropped to his knees next to her. He put the back of his hand to her forehead, she was sweating alright, cold sweat. He panicked; I mean she had only fainted. He knew that but just this sight was scaring him. Saph had never looked so damn defenceless. Her face was porcelain white while her lips still remind red, she reminded him of a sorceress, like the ones he saw in books his mother kept in the library at home. He scrambled over her kit bag and pulled out her bottled water, and tipped it on her face, he felt her body tense as she started coughing and spluttering, inhaled deeply and sharply and her body sprung upwards. Sion caught her mid air and let her body fall back onto his knees.

"Saph, Saph? You okay, what the fuck happened?"

she looked at him and scowled, with all the energy her tired, drained body could muster, she pushed her self up and out of Sion's lap and dragged and crawled her way over to the wall where she propped herself up.

She continued to scowl.

"None of your business, anyway you'd never understand." She snapped in his direction.

"What do you mean none of my business?" Sion bit straight back, jumping to his feet and throwing his arms around for emphasis.

"you're my partner and you're supposed to be my best friend, when you hit the floor I felt my heart stop! Look Saph I'm sorry I hurt you dear Hyne I am, but please you have to forgive me, I only wanted to know about you because I care for you and I wanted you to know that you could trust me like I trust you! I know what I said about your dad was outta line, I bet from what I have heard you say that he was an amazing man, but Saph our friendship and this partnership is going to fail if you cant forgive me and trust me!".

She looked at him. Her eyes looked glazed over as she tried her damned hardest to concentrate on Sion's face without him going blurry. Shit he was making her feel guilty, had she been that much of a bitch? Right now she had her head rammed so far up her own ass she couldn't see how much this was hurting Sion, her scowl broke and she smiled very weakly when she saw Sion's face light up when he realised she wasn't pissed off anymore. Scraping some energy together she started talking, "Sion I'm sorry I am, it's just that since my dad was taken away I just haven't had anyone to trust, and just talking to people, it's well, difficult!"

Sion's crawled over next to her and sat up against the well as well, she let her head, which was feeling really heavy fall on to his shoulder. He was stroking her hair, funny how it always feels nice when people play with your hair. "Its all cool Saph, Hyne I'm just glad you've forgiven me. I'm sorry I shouldn't have pushed you into talking bout stuff when you didn't want to talk, but I just want you to know you can trust me, with anything".

She smiled weakly, god she needed to eat something, anything just to get her blood sugar back to normal. She felt her body being lifted up and she felt her self being moved. She opened her eyes and found she was in Sion's arms.

"Hey Saph, um, where do you live?" she looked up at him her eyes were side, she looked almost worried.

"um…it's a bit embarrassing, its not exactly the presidential mansion".

"Saph it's all cool with me, just give me directions."

This place was awful, it was dark and humid and hardly any street lights were working, police sirens could be heard in the back ground and he swore he heard gun shots. People were lying in doors ways, sleeping, drunk or even high. He could hear screaming, he passed houses in such awful condition that he didn't think it was possible for people to live in them, windows were boarded up and doors were broken and kicked in. had Sion really been brought up in such luxury he was totally unaware of the hopeless poverty that was hidden away within the depth of Deiling?

"Saph what number did you say was your flat again?"

"Huh? Oh sorry, um its ground floor number 12".

"Were here then". Very gently he put her down and he quickly slung her arm over his shoulder and placed his arm round her waist to support her. See fished a key out of her pocket and with a very shaky hand managed to get the key into the lock and open the door to a rather manky looking house. She pushed the door with all her might and it swung open quickly, Sion couldn't believe how shit this place was when he finally saw it. He was used to the presidential mansion, to beautiful antique furniture and ornate room after room. Mould was growing in the corners where paint peeled and wall paper shredded. The kitchen was horrid and the doors to the cupboards were breaking off. The sofa was brown and was covered in stains, it was even ripped. The smallest television he had ever seen was on the floor in front. Coming off the living room was 4 other doors, Saph pulled him towards the one on the far left, on the door was pained the words 'Saphy's room', sapphire noticed Sion looking at it. "Oh my roommate did that, she's one of those annoying perky people, theirs another girl as well.". Sion looked at her shocked.

"You mean to tell me 3 people share this place?!" She looked back at him. "Sion round here that's nothing, Sion take a look around, this is the real world. This is where people without hope end up. People with dreams who haven't yet achieved them end up. The Galbadia army are here recruiting the orphan kids with no future like me daily. They offer prospects, many join because it looks like the only way out".

Her room as tiny, both of them could barely fit, all their was a bare light, and bed and a chest of draws. She lay her self down on her bed, Hyne she felt weak she needed to get blood sugar back up, and Hyne she was hungry. When Sion had made sure she was comfy he decided to go into the kitchen and find her something to eat, she looked starving. He went out into the kitchen, if it cold be called that, and found the fridge and every cupboard empty. He heard a voice.

"If your looking for food, don't bother were all out, have been for days."

Sion's turned around to see a short girl, roughly sapphires age talking to him. She was only 5'3" and Sion was towering above here, she had big brown eyes and long flowing brown hair.

"Why don't you go buy some then? There's a supermarket in walking distance."

She began shaking her head side to side, spraying her long hair everywhere "its not that were to lazy or anything, we cant afford to buy any, look around this isn't exactly the presidential mansion, rent was due this week and the land lord has told us we need to pay more, their no where else for us to live so we had a choice pay or get out, were three 18 year old girls, we cant be homeless, we decided to keep a roof over our heads and worry about everything else later. Look anyway, what happened to our Sapphy? I saw you practically carry her in, is she okay?"

Sion looked down at the floor, "she collapsed tonight in practice, I'm worried about her, and I think she might be ill or something".

The small girl grabbed his hand and squeezed it in reassurance swinging from side to side, a big playful smile on her petite face.

"Oh no, Sapphy is just fine! Well you see Sapphy has been working really, really hard recently to afford the rent but because she's been training even more she's had barely anytime to stop, she and the rest of us haven't eaten a proper meal in days, guess her body final couldn't take the stress, so much work with so little energy got to her, but don't worry rents been paid so we'll buy food in a few days and it'll all be back to normal". She said bouncily.

Sion looked seriously worried, had she really not eaten because she couldn't afford to. "Look" Sion said sharply taking his hand from the bouncy girls grasp and pointing her toward Sapphires bedroom. "She's in their take care of her; I'm going to go buy some food for you guys"

The little girl looked worried. "You can't do that, you see theirs no way to could possibly pay you back, we couldn't take anything off you, nobody round her does that. This isn't exactly the kind of place where you can afford to give without receiving".

Sion smiled at the little girl kindly. "Don't worry I'm not from around here, their no need to pay me back, I can more than afford enough food for you guys for an entire year let alone a week, back in 5!". With that he ran out the door .

When Sion returned 30minuites later with arms full of carrier bag the girl with the brown eyes started jumping up and down ad clapping uncontrollably.

"You mean all this is for us?" she screeched excitedly.

"Yeah course it is" Sion beamed "help yourself to whatever you like!"

Reaching straight into one of the bag she grabbed a pack of chocolate biscuits and took them skipping and bouncing into sapphires room singing 'look what we've got, look what we've got!'

Sion was unpacking everything, putting things in the fridge and stuff in the cupboard when he felt a cold hand touch his arm, he turned around and saw, a rather worse for wear Sapphire looking up at him. "Thanks Sion, thanks for this, it means a lot, I'm a stubborn girl I know I am even though it kills me to admit it! And I've never accepted help or charity off anyone, but you I know this isn't charity, your helping a friend, and I appreciate that, and now give me something to eat before I go all firecross on ya ass!, I'm starving!" after piling their plates with food Sion and Saph headed into her room to eat. Leaving the brown haired girl sitting contentedly on the sofa with a tube of ice-cream watching T.V.

When they had both finished eating they had ended up lying down next to each on sapphires stupidly small bed, after all it was getting late and today have been very exhausting. "So," sapphire said turning her head towards Sion so they were facing each other, "what do you want to know about me?"

Sion looked confused "what do you mean?"

"Well we started fighting because I didn't share my past with you, Sion you've proven I can trust you so what do you want to know?"

"Nah Saph, don't worry about it, I know were friends you don't need to prove it to me, especially if you don't want to". He lifted his hand up to brush his deep brown bangs out of his eyes, but they just fell straight back.

"Okay, ill start with how my dad was taken away, I happened when I was still quite young, you see despite what everyone thinks, me and him were really close, he was an amazing father, imagine the sorceress Knight playing with dolls! Well one night he came home late from work and when he put me to bed these soldiers broke in, and they weren't any soldiers I've ever seen, they wore all black, so they weren't Galbadian or Estharian, they defiantly weren't SeeD's of any kind. I remember watching him trying to fight his way passed them, they knocked me out then I was all alone". She looked over at sion… Oh my Hyne his eyes were closed, he fell asleep! "Sion!" she hissed loudly, he started laughing.

"Calm down, Saph I'm not asleep I'm resting my eyes; I'm just getting tired, got a blanket? Ill go crash on the sofa if you have".

"Don't be stupid Sion you can stay here".

He opened his eyes and looked at her, propping himself up on his elbows, "you sure, I mean you don think it would be weird or anything?"

She looked at him "Sion, were friends were sharing a bed, this isn't sex and this isn't marriage, chill out, now come on I've got to work tomorrow".

"Saph?"

"Yeah Si?"

"Thanks for telling me that".

"no problem Si, thing is I got this feeling that me and you are going to be depending on each other a lot more before long, I want you to know that you can trust me the same why I trust you".