Chloe Blixen: A Painters Plight

The sounds of gunfire and battle that once echoed across the mountains had long since stopped, but the smell of gunpowder, burning smoke and blood and death still lingered in the cold mountain air. These were all from a Darcsen purge that had been commenced on the mountain village of Highever. A small Darcsen settlement high up in the Diebal mountain region of Gallia. Sadly, much of the village and nearly half of the Darcsen residents had been wiped out in this purge.

A fierce snowstorm had slowed Class G's progress up the mountain when they were summoned to stop the attack. Their delay had cost the village and the villagers dearly. The sound of mourning and grief now echoed across the mountains as the villagers cried and wailed in despair after they had lost so much.

As some of the Class G cadets looked on sadly, Chloe had her eyes closed and was uncomfortably adjusting her dark glasses multiple times. She had heard these same sounds countless times from the last war, when she was forced by the regular army to paint pictures of such destruction, to be used as propaganda to sow hatred against the Imperials and to sell war bonds. Wanting nothing more than to get out of there, Chloe slung her sniper rifle over her shoulder and began to back away from the group.

"Well, battles over." Chloe said nonchalantly, "Shall we head back soon? I'm getting kind of cold out here."

Nearby, Cosette was helping an elderly woman towards the medical tent, but she had heard Chloe's seemingly uncaring attitude about the horrible atrocities that had been committed against these poor people.

She left the woman's side and stomped towards Chloe, who simply held her ground, "What is wrong with you?" Cosette demanded, "Look at these poor people! Look at what has been done to them! I've never understood why you're so cold and callus all the time, but here, it's unacceptable!"

Chloe just shrugged as she pushed her glasses up and down a few times, "This is war. This is what happens in war." Chloe simply stated, "Get used to it, or quit the academy. Otherwise, you'll become too emotionally involved in other peoples plights and eventually break down… You seem pretty close to that point already."

Cosette looked down at the ground and shook her head with her mouth agape at Chloe's cold heartedness. "You're unbelievable…"

"Whatever." Chloe retorted, "I'm gonna jet. Call me when we're ready to leave." Chloe then turned and began to walk away from Cosette and headed for the outskirts of the village.

Cosette was still shaking her head with her eyes wide and mouth agape. Behind her, she heard the soft snow crunching as someone was approaching, followed by a female voice saying, "What a bitch…"

Chloe looked back and saw Sofia glaring at Chloe's back as she watched her walk away.

"Perhaps… or perhaps it's something else."

Sofia scoffed, "Tsk… like what? Even I know to leave that kind of attitude back at the academy."

"I don't know… It's just that… never mind. We need to help these people, all else comes second."

Cosette then turned back to the elderly woman and continued to lead her by the arm towards the nearby medical station.

A short while later, Chloe sat down on a large rock, which overlooked the mountain valley below and turned her back to the burning village. Thankfully, from this position, the sounds of loss and despair couldn't be heard quite so clearly. The horrible smells were being blown away by the cold wind that whipped across Chloe's face. Chloe took her dark glasses off and rubbed her eyes as she lowered her head. Then, flashes of burned cities, piles of Gallian civilian corpses, destroyed tanks and dead Imperial and Gallian soldiers appeared before her eyes. The sounds of hundreds of people crying, screaming and wailing all at once, rang deep within her ears. She quickly gave her head a shake and the images disappeared and the sound of the blowing wind returned.

"Even after all this time…" Chloe said in frustration as she put her glasses back on. She then rested her chin in her hand as she grumbled. She had hoped when the last war had ended, she'd forget all those images and sounds. Sadly, it wasn't so.

Suddenly, her keen eyes detected some movement nearby. She quickly placed her hand against her sidearm pouch and turned her head. A small head wrapped in a Darcsen patterned hood then ducked back behind a nearby rock.

Chloe slowly removed her hand from her sidearm pouch and grumbled. It wasn't a Rebel, but it was the next worst thing, a child. Chloe didn't like children. They were loud, they were annoying and they always distracted her while she was painting, sometimes they even stole some of her brushes or paints when she wasn't looking.

"No use hiding. I already saw you." Chloe called out.

Slowly, the young Darcsen child began to stand and show herself. She had a backpack strapped onto her back, and wore a simple green dress, a pair of brown furry boots and a Darcsen cloak with the hood up. Her long dark blue bangs stuck out from the sides of her hood and swayed in the wind as she silently look at Chloe. Also, she was hugging a large book or notepad against her chest. She made her way around the rock and cautiously approached Chloe.

As she got closer, Chloe held her forehead and rubbed it. She was tired and definitely not in the mood to deal with a child. "Beat it, kid. I've got a headache and don't have the time or the patience to-"

However, once she looked up, she saw the small child holding what turned out to be a sketchbook to her. It was opened up and there was pretty shocking picture drawn onto the large white page. Chloe snatched the book away from the child and looked at it.

The picture was of herself, or rather just the top half of her body which was sticking out of the window of one of the two storey buildings in the village. She had her sniper rifle up to her shoulder and was looking through the scope. On the ground below, there was a dead Rebel with a lance, and a Rebel shock trooper with a fresh bullet hole pinged into his helmet. The path of the bullet was visibly drawn and led all the way back to the barrel of Chloe's sniper rifle.

Chloe looked back up at the child, shocked by what she had drawn. The child on the other hand had her hands behind her back and looked as if she were waiting for Chloe's response or approval of her drawing.

Chloe then reached out and took the child by the shoulder and pulled her forward. With her other hand, she took off her glasses and looked into the child's eyes, "What is this? Why would you draw something as horrible and ghastly such as this at your age?" Chloe demanded. Though the child didn't answer, her dark-blue eyes simply looked off to the side, "You're a kid! Kids don't draw things like this!"

The child moaned in discomfort, and Chloe didn't notice that she was actually squeezing the child's shoulder, and continued to tighten as she went on, "Well? Aren't you going to answer me?"

The sound of a picture being snapped made Chloe turn her head, "Still hate children, Chloe?" a girl holding a camera up to her face asked, "Nice to see that some things never change."

Chloe released her grip from the Darcsen child and groaned, "Not you again…"

The girl lowered the camera and chuckled, "Oh, still got that chip on your shoulder, huh Chloe." She was about Chloe's age, had a blue baseball cap on her head, with a long brown ponytail sticking out of the back of the fastener. Strapped around her neck were two cameras, on with a long lens, one without. She wore a dark blue long-sleeved shirt with a black vest. There were over half a dozen pockets, pouches and straps that held tubes on her vest. Theses were filled with rolls of film, different sized lenses, a flash bulb and other photographers supplies and tools.

"What do you want, Cassandra?" Chloe asked as she stood up from her seating position and slung her sniper rifle over her shoulder.

"Oh, nothing really." Cassandra said as she began to follow Chloe back to the village, the small Darcsen child trailed behind them. "I just heard a rumour that Chloe Blixen-Gallia's famous war painter-had taken up a fighting position amongst the Lanseal academy forces. And well… I just had to see this for myself."

Chloe then stopped walking and held a hand to her forehead as she grumbled. Close by, the small Darcsen girl ran to some nearby steps, took off her backpack and opened it up. Inside were numerous pencils, pencil crayons, markers, crayons, rulers and other artists supplies. She then took out some black pencils and flipped to a new sheet of paper in her large notebook. She then began to sketch something at a pretty impressive speed.

"Hey! You!" Chloe started, But Cassandra raised her hand in front of Chloe's face.

"Oh, leave her alone, Chloe." Cassandra said with a chuckle, "Try to pay attention to your old friend here."

Chloe turned back to Cassandra, "Fine. But let me ask you something. Did you take my picture earlier?"

Cassandra grinned and held her hands behind her back in an innocent manner, "Maybe…"

"Why?"

Cassandra held up her camera and tapped it with her finger, "Oh you know the saying… 'A picture is worth a thousand words.' Or in this case, a thousand ducats, Hehe." Cassandra laughed, "And I think an artist turned soldier is a wonderful moment to capture on film."

"I don't believe I gave you any sort of permission to take my photo in the first place, Cassandra!" Chloe said as she pressed her finger into Cassandra's chest.

Cassandra held up her hands and smiled while saying, "Oh, don't worry, Chloe. I don't think the picture's going to turn out anyway. It was too windy, too snowy where we were. Either way, I thought that we were friends. so I just assumed that you'd be alright with it."

Chloe groaned, "Ugh… What are you doing here anyway?"

"What can I say, another war, another chance to make some money taking photographs. And you know me, I love my money!"

"You're still working with the propaganda department of the army!" Chloe asked in bewilderment, "Unbelievable."

"Well, sort of… I'm freelance now. I simply sell to whoever pays the most. Whether it be the Army, the local newspaper, magazines, doesn't matter to me." Cassandra explained.

"You were right… some things never change, Cassandra."

"Listen, a picture such as you in uniform is going to be worth a lot. There are a lot of people who still remember you for the amazing artist you used to be. I'll even split the payment with you, fifty-fifty, for an old friend."

"Friends don't extort each other."

"Now, now… I never said anything about extortion, Chloe Blixen." Cassandra laughed.

"Oh, but I know you, Cassandra. You'll do whatever it takes to get your money. I still haven't forgotten how you used to snap pictures of crying children who'd just lost their parents, soldiers mourning their friends and everything else that you knew would sell the highest."

Cassandra walked up to Chloe with her hands on her hips, "Don't get self righteous with me, Chloe Blixen. You painted portraits of the same thing, right beside me if I remember correctly."

Just then, Avan came running towards the two arguing girls, "Yo! Chloe! We're almost finished here and have orders to return back to the academy. Be ready to move out within the next half hour, got it?"

"Yeah. Sure." Chloe said, she then shifted uncomfortably as Avan remained and looked over at Cassandra.

"Who's your friend?" Avan asked with a grin.

"She's-"

"I'm Cassandra Lopez. Pleased to make your acquaintance, mister…?"

"Oh, Avan Hardin's the name! Don't forget it!"

Cassandra let out a delighted squeal, "Oh, I've heard all about you. The chair of Class G, right? Please, sir, you must allow me to take your picture!" Cassandra asked as she raised her camera up to her eye.

Avan released another signature chuckle, "Sure, anytime!" He then held his hand against his hips and pumped out his chest in a 'super hero' pose. Chloe rolled her eyes in disgust, but then Avan asked, "What about Chloe? Do you want her in the shot too?"

Cassandra rubbed her chin, then a gleam sparkled in her eye as she looked over at her old friend. Right away, Chloe knew all that Cassandra was thinking about was money and how much a picture of her and the Class chair would fetch.

Chloe quickly sidestepped away, "No. You go ahead."

A disappointed frown appeared on Cassandra's face, so obvious that Avan took notice. "Oh, don't be camera shy, Chloe. Come on, it'll be fun!" Avan said as he reached over and put his arm around Chloe and tried to pull her up next to him.

"I said NO!" Chloe exclaimed, and she jabbed her elbow into Avans side and backed away.

Cassandra lowered her camera and laughed, "Same old, Chloe. She never did like being on the other end of a camera lens or a painting done by someone other than herself."

Avan rubbed his side, "Oh? You two must be pretty good friends if you know her that well."

"Indeed," said Cassandra, "We were paired up together in the last war, in the propaganda department. I'd snap my photos, she'd paint her paintings. Sometimes I'd even take photos and she'd enlarge them and add so much more colour and detail than a regular black and white photo could ever show!"

"Oh… I see… I'm sorry to hear that," said Avan downheartedly.

"Hmm? Hear what?" Cassandra asked as she tilted her head. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Chloe tugging at the collar of her uniform shirt.

"It must have been hard… being forced by the army to show the harsh realities of war to people all over Gallia through film, photo and paintings like Chloe had to endure… poor girl." said Avan.

While Avan had his head hung low, Cassandra shifted her eyes over to Chloe who was rubbing the back of her neck while looking away. "Yeah… something like that…" Cassandra said with a sly smile.

Just then, "Hey! Avan! We need you over here!" Zeri called out from the nearby village center.

"Aw, shucks, just when I got to meet such a pretty girl…" Avan said softy.

"There's always next time, tiger!" Cassandra said as she winked at Avan.

"Hahaha! Yeah, there is!" Avan said, he then turned to Chloe, "Well, best get ready, Chloe. We'll be on the move soon." He then turned back to Cassandra, "It was a pleasure to meet you, Cassandra!"

Cassandra bowed her head slightly and held onto the brow of her cap, "The pleasure was all mine, Avan."

Avan then jogged back to Zeri and left the two 'friends' to their conversation.

"So… care to explain?" Cassandra asked with a raised eyebrow.

"About what?" Chloe asked as she fidgeted uncomfortably.

"You lied to the boy, or rather, your own class leader, didn't you?" Cassandra asked with a smile.

"NO!" Chloe exclaimed, "It's not like that… not really…"

Cassandra scratch the tip of her chin and looked as if she were trying to recall something, "Hmmm… seems to me that I remember you signing up out of your own free will. And I should know, I was in the propaganda department office the same day, signing up as well. We got paired up that same day, and were both eager to start!"

"But I had no idea what I was signing up for!" Chloe shot back, "I didn't know that they were going to take us to the goriest, bloodiest, most war torn towns and cities during the war!

Cassandra just shrugged, "I don't seem to recall you turning down any of the pay checks that you got for all your paintings."

"I had family to take care of! What else was I supposed to do?" Chloe retorted, "And for the record; I was one hundred percent honest when I told Avan that I wanted out of all that horrible stuff, and that I was forced to continue despite my protests."

"Yeah, well… you did sign a one year contract with the army. There's no getting out of that."

"Ok, so maybe I wasn't totally honest… But I did want out, unlike you, Cassandra!"

"Hey! I did exactly what I signed up for, and I never once whined or complained! And unlike you, I have no regrets about it, not one bit."

Chloe just shook her head, "Just go… I don't wanna talk to you anymore."

"Fine." Cassandra said, "But… about that picture?"

"Why should I?"

Cassandra smiled slyly, "Well… I wonder what the others in your class, along with your leader would think if I told them how you severely falsified your claim of how you were treated? You got yourself into it and the army only enforced the contract when you tried to leave!"

"You would do that… to an old friend?" Chloe asked

"Perhaps… But I could be persuaded not to…"

Chloe thought hard for a few moments, then sighed in defeat, "Fine… I'll let you take the picture."

"Wonderful!" Cassandra squealed happily as she raised her large camera up to her eye and turned to focus wheel. "Now, strike a pose!"

Chloe held up her sniper rifle and held one pose, then another and another as Cassandra snapped away and Chloe changed positions with each take.

"Excellent! I'm willing to bet that all the pictures of this destroyed village will pale in comparison to a single photo of Chloe Blixen as a soldier of Gallia!" Cassandra said as she lowered her camera, then her facial expression changed from overly ecstatic to a little more serious, "Tell you what, I'll split the profits with you, thirty/seventy. It's the least that I can do for an old friend."

"No."

"Oh come on, don't be like that, Chloe." said Cassandra with a frown, "You're mother is still sick, right?"

Chloe was looking down at the snowy ground with her hands on her hips, she then nodded her head.

"I see… forty/sixty, then. I can afford it."

"So long as we keep this to ourselves, Cassandra. I've said far too much to the others now to take it all back."

"You have my word, old friend. I'll wire the money to you once I get these developed" said Cassandra as she patted Chloe on the shoulder. "See you around." Cassandra then headed back to the village to continue taking photos for the propaganda efforts.

Chloe rubbed her forehead and grumbled in frustration, seeing Cassandra again had only made her headache that much worse. When she lowered her hand and looked down, she saw the small Darcsen girl holding the sketchbook out to her once more. Chloe rolled her eyes, but took the book and looked at the newly drawn picture. It was of Chloe once again, with her finger pressed against Cassandra's chest and her holding her hands up. But this time, Cassandra had black horns sticking out of her blue cap, a pair of black bat-like wings and a red tail. Chloe had a yellow halo over her head and a pair of white angelic wings on her back.

"Hmph, I must say… you certainly captured Cassandra's personality quite well here," Chloe complimented with a smile. Then she realized something that made her eyes widen in horror, "Oh man… I forgot that you were here the whole time! That means you heard our entire conversation!"

Chloe then dropped the sketchbook onto the snowy ground, knelt down on one knee and took the child by the shoulders. "Listen, you mustn't tell anyone about what you just heard. I don't want the others of my squad to find out about this!" Chloe pleaded, "Promise me that you won't say a word about this to anyone!"

"I don't know what's going on here… But I can assure you, she won't tell anyone, because she doesn't speak." said an elderly female voice.

Chloe looked over and saw an old Darcsen woman whose dark-blue hair was fading to grey. She was wearing a similar dress to the small child's and had a large Darcsen shawl wrapped around her shoulders.

"What?" Chloe asked in surprise, "Are telling me that this child can't talk?"

The woman shook her head slowly, "No. I didn't say that," she replied, "I simply said that she doesn't speak. Not a single since her parents were killed in a Darcsen hunt long ago."

"Oh… I see."

"I take care of her now. So I guess you could say that I'm her grandmother, though I'm not part of her real family. And I don't know what you did, but this is the first time I've ever seen her take a liking to someone else and follow them around. She's always so shy and reserved, that one."

"Oh, well… I didn't do anything really. She just came up to me and showed me a picture that she drew."

"Yes, that child of mine… She draws what she sees. It's also how she communicates to me and others. Just draws what she wants, or what she needs and shows it to us."

The Darcsen child quickly picked up her sketchbook from off the ground, then ran over to her grandmother and showed her the newly drawn art she had created. Starting off with the picture of Chloe sniping off rebels, then the picture of her and Cassandra arguing.

"As a fellow artist, do you think that she has potential?" the grandmother asked. "I've been thinking of sending her off to Randgriz to take an art class after the wars over. She'd do quite well, don't you think?"

Chloe crossed her arms, "What makes you think I'm an artist?"

"I've seen your work, Chloe Blixen. You portrayed the horrible atrocities committed against the Darcsen people during the last war quite well," The grandmother complimented. "Your best work was the burning of the Darcsen concentration camps at Fouzen…"

Chloe grimaced, then started to become angry, "You. Have. NO. Idea what I had to do to paint something as horrible as that!" Chloe growled, "I was forced to paint on a canvas that was just a few feet from the burned down hovels and charred bodies! I can still smell the burnt flesh… the heavy smoke… and all the other things that you'll never be able to experience when you look at my so called 'Art'."

"It needed to be shown… People needed to see what horrors our people had to face. And you, Chloe, were able to do just that."

Chloe placed her palm against her face and groaned, she then looked back up at the small Darcsen child standing next to her grandmother, she was still clutching her sketchbook tightly to her chest.

"Kid, you do not want to become like me, trust me on that," Chloe advised, "You have the freedom, you have the choice to draw whatever you want! I didn't! I was forced to!

And what you drew earlier, the picture of me killing rebels… that's not the kind of stuff that any artist, no matter what their age, should paint or draw.

So listen to me very carefully, even if I inspire you, even if I made you want to draw in the first place, do not start down the path I had to take and draw horrible pictures like this ever again! Got it!"

The small child's lips quivered, tears were forming in her eyes. She then dropped her sketchbook, turned and ran away.

"Chloe! Come back! Chloe!" the grandmother cried.

"Chloe!" Chloe gasped in surprise, "That's her name?"

The grandmother turned back to Chloe, "It's the name that she chose to go by when I took her in. When I asked her what her name was she didn't answer. All she did was write C-H-L-O-Eon a piece of paper. I knew that that wasn't her real name, But I accepted it and that's what I've been calling her ever since.

That's how much she loved and adored you. That's how much she wanted to be like you… but perhaps she was wrong to do so…"

Chloe ran a hand through her hair, "I… I…"

Just then, "Hey! Chloe! Time to go!" Avan shouted out from the road leading down the mountain where the trucks and jeeps were waiting.

Chloe turned and shouted "Yeah, I'm coming!" But when she turned back, the other Chloe's grandmother was already walking away from her at a quick pace. Clearly, she was done talking to her and off to try and locate her small child.

Chloe bit her bottom lip, now regretting lashing out at that small child. She couldn't imagine how she'd feel if her favourite artist who inspired her as a child had done the same thing… probably never have started painting at all.

She looked down and saw the child's sketchbook on the snowy ground, already starting to be covered up by the blowing snow as another storm was starting to enter the region. She knelt down and picked it up and brushed off the fresh snow. At the top of the sketchbook, written in bright reddish/orange letters was the name 'Chloe'. Chloe twirled some of her own hair between her finger tips, slightly touched to see that the child had gone as far as to write her name in the same color crayon as her hair.

Chloe felt horrible inside, and knew that she had to try to apologize before leaving, "Wait, Avan! I'll be right back!" She then ran towards the village and tried to locate either the grandmother or 'Chloe' and set things right. It didn't take long to find the grandmother sitting on the steps of her small house, and as Chloe got closer, she could hear a child crying and wailing from an open window of the house.

Chloe swallowed hard and approached the grandmother, when she was close enough, she held the sketchbook out to her, "Your granddaughter… Chloe… dropped this. I just wanted to return it."

The grandmother sighed and took the sketchbook from Chloe, then opened to the first page and handed it back to her. "This… was the first picture that she ever drew, and it was not long after she came to live with me."

Chloe looked down at it and saw a Darcsen man and woman… lying in a pool of blood that stained the snowy ground a deep red color. In the background were burning houses, along with Imperial tanks and soldiers firing at other Darcsen citizens or burning the houses with torches held in their hands.

A small child was next to the deceased man and woman, and was on her knees. Her face was buried in a bloody Darcsen cloak that she used to dry her tears with. Chloe gasped as she realized that it was the same one that she had first seen the child with… it must have belong to her parents.

"That's how I know what happened to her parents. She drew the whole horrible experience in her sketchbook, probably as a way of getting it out of her mind and onto paper."

Chloe handed the sketchbook back, "I'm so sorry…"

"Just leave…" The grandmother pleaded, "And you can rest easy, I don't think she'll aspire to become like you any longer… if she ever recovers from this heartbreak."

"Alright… I'm going." Chloe said sadly, but after walking only a few steps, she turned once more, "Tell Chloe that I truly am sorry… and to keep drawing if that's what makes her happy."

The grandmother simply nodded, then stood up and went back into her house and shut the door behind her.

Chloe then returned to the awaiting jeeps and trucks and climbed into the back of one of the transport trucks at the back of the convoy. Just arriving now were three medical trucks filled with relief supplies and medics. A small group of regular army soldiers were escorting them.

Once Chloe and the others were in the trucks, the entire convoy then started to drive back down the mountain, destined for Lanseal academy.

Not long into the drive, the snow storm was becoming a lot worse, causing the jeeps and trucks to have to slow their progress down as the road was becoming less visible with each passing minute. Things were only made worse when five minutes later, a frantic and garbled distress call was received over the radio of the lead jeep, which held Avan, Cosette and Zeri.

"This is- Higheve- anyone out there! Please- under heavy rebe- ttack- No warning! Army has been overwhelm- Hurry! Can't last much-" Then the radio turned to static immediately after a loud explosion was heard in the background.

Cosette grabbed Avan by the shoulder, "The Rebels! They're back!"

Zeri held a hand to his forehead in disbelief, "No way! How can they have overwhelmed our relief forces so quickly!"

"No idea. But we have to go back and help them! Step on it, Zeri!" Avan urged.

Zeri tried to shift into reverse and get the jeep turned around, but the wheels simply spun out. Even after he shifted into drive and tried to go forward, the wheels continued to spin in the fresh, heavy snow. The only reason they didn't get stuck sooner was because of the momentum they had going down hill, but once that was stopped, getting going again was going to be tough with more and more snow piling up from the blowing snowstorm that was now hitting with full force.

Meanwhile, Avan and Cosette jumped out of the jeep and each of them ran back to the transport trucks. Cosette took one truck, Avan ran to the other and opened the flaps to the back.

"Guys! The Rebels are back and attacking Highever! We couldn't tell much from the distress call, but it appears that the relief forces that took over for us were quickly overwhelmed." Avan shouted, he then opened the tailgate, "Come on! We have to get these vehicles moving! Get the snow out from under the wheels!"

The cadets all jumped out and were hurriedly trying to dig the snow out from around the wheels with shovels or their bare hands. Others were at the back trying to push the huge vehicles to get them moving.

All the while, Chloe's anxiety was building up. She feared for the safety of the small Darcsen child from earlier, as well as her grandmother. She was even worried about Cassandra, who was also still back at the village. Even for as much of a bitch as Cassandra was… she was still Chloe's friend.

Chloe slammed her fist against the tailgate of the transport truck and cursed out loud, then backed away, "Forget the trucks! We should head back on foot!"

"All of our ammo and supplies are in the trucks, Chloe." Zeri pointed out, "We can't risk going back without them!"

"I would have thought that someone like you would be the first to want to head back!" Chloe shot back.

"I know the situation. But I also know about the dangers of charging headlong into battle so recklessly and ill supplied."

"Forget this, I'm heading back! With or without the rest of you!" Chloe then flipped her hood up and pulled her red scarf up over her face and started to trudge back through the snow towards the village as fast as she could.

"Wait up! We'll come with you!" Avan shouted. He then turned back to Zeri and grabbed him by the shoulder. "I'll take half the class and head back with Chloe. Take charge of the rest of the class and get these trucks back there as quick as you can!"

"If we can't get these trucks moving again, then you run the risk of running out of ammo and supplies mid-battle and being overwhelmed or cut off from the rest of us!"

Avan looked back at Chloe's running form, "I'm willing to take that risk if Chloe is!" Avan said with a smile. He then shook Zeri by the shoulder, "I'm counting on you to make it back to us in time before we run dry though, Zeri."

Avan then rounded up a group of loyal volunteers and they all started to head back towards the village on foot, with only as much supplies and ammo as they could fit into their pouches and packs. They prayed that it would be enough to hold out until Zeri and the others got back… or rather, if they got back.

Back at the village a few minutes later, Cassandra trying to peer around the corner of a burning building and snap pictures of the massacre that was taking place. The whole place was in chaos. What was left of the regular army were trying to get the remaining villagers to the relatively safe position of the large two storey warehouse a short distance behind her.

Despite the danger, Cassandra continued to snap away, even as bullets pelted the side of the wooden house just a few feet from her head and body. Up ahead, a regular soldier was running towards her while carrying a Darcsen child in his arms. Cassandra knew that this would be an excellent photo, if she could get it just right with the burning buildings in the background, and the smoking craters from the mortar blasts. She then began to sidestep, all while looking through the view finder of her camera, trying to position herself just right, completely oblivious to the fact that she was now out in the open and completely exposed. But her love of money completely took over her self-preservation instincts.

Closer… just a little closer… Cassandra thought as she almost had the running soldier and child in perfect focus.

Just then, "Get down you fool!" a female voice screamed from behind her. Cassandra was then tackled from behind and landed face first in the snow, her camera rolled across the ground and lay a few feet away now. A massive gust of wind then blew overhead, followed by a loud explosion.

Cassandra looked up and saw the regular soldier and Darcsen child run past her, and she cursed. She then looked back and saw Chloe with her arms still wrapped around her waist. The Avan boy and a blonde haired female flanked her on either side and were firing at the rebels in the distance.

"What did you do that for?" Cassandra demanded angrily, "I almost had the shot of a lifetime!"

"Just shut up, and look over there!" Chloe ordered while looking back. Cassandra looked back as well and saw a house which had just been destroyed by a lance round and was now engulfed in flames. That was when she realized that had Chloe not tackled her, she'd probably have been blown up by the round herself.

"Chloe… I…" Cassandra started.

"Sorry to interrupt, girls! But we better find some cover!" said Avan as he grabbed one of Cassandra's arms, Cosette grabbed the other and they hauled her to her feet.

"Wait! My camera! Just let me-" Cassandra then looked back and saw it get struck by a bullet and it shattered into a dozen pieces, "Oh… Crap!"

Chloe then pushed Cassandra against wall of the house they had just taken cover behind, "This was supposed to be a secured area! What happened?" she screeched as she shook her by the shoulder.

Cassandra shook her head, "Hard to say, Chloe. It all just happened so fast… and it was unlike anything that either of us has seen in the last war…" said Cassandra as she started to remember what happened.

Cassandra sat on the steps of the villages large warehouse. She rested her chin in her hand and sighed long and loud. She knew that other than the photo of Chloe that she snapped earlier, she wasn't going to make a lot of money on the post-battle devastation of the village that she capture on film. Those didn't pay as well as photos taken during the heat of battle. But she always remained on the outskirts of a battle and always arrived afterward. How else could she spend her money if she were injured or killed during the fighting?

It was cold, it was getting late and she couldn't stand the sounds of the villager crying or suffering in pain for much longer, so she decided to leave. She started to make her way towards her white jeep when suddenly, she heard a loud shrieking sound overhead.

"Incoming!" a regular female soldiers screamed.

Cassandra looked up and saw a blue mortar round flying towards the village, trailing a glowing blue tail. It then slammed into one of the large transport trucks and blew it sky high. One, two, three, then even more blue and shrieking mortar rounds then began to rain down upon the village and explode all over the place, almost like a comet or meteor shower.

"Get the villagers to safety- AAHH!" a regular soldier cried as he was engulfed in a mortar explosion a short distance away. Cassandra hit the ground and covered her head with her hands as the mortars continued to pound away at the village and destroy even more houses, trucks and people and soldiers.

Moments later, all the explosions ceased. This was replaced by lots of moaning and painful groaning and cries for help from villagers and soldiers alike. As Cassandra was slowly pushing herself up from the snowy ground, a regular soldier ran up to her and attempted to help her up.

"What in the world was that?" Cassandra asked

"Rebel Ambush… it had to be," The soldier replied, "They'll most likely launch an assault either from the east or west! We have to be ready for-"

He was cut off by the sound of a lot of shouting and war cries… coming from the high snowy mountains to the north. Cassandra and the soldier looked up and saw one a terrifying sight. Rebels on skis, dozens of them, each with their weapons strapped to their backs. They lined the crest of the mountain in a long, neat row, their wooden skis hanging over the edge.

Suddenly, the leader in yellow at the front released a loud echoing roar, then started down the hill, carving and kicking up snow. Then, like an avalanche of human bodies and armour, all of the rebels began to descend from the mountain as they carved their way through the powder and were approaching the village at breakneck speed.

Cassandra and the soldier looked at the fast approaching rebels, then all around the village itself. There was no way any sort of defence could be mounted in time. The rebels would enter the village in less than a minute.

"Can you walk?" The soldier asked quickly.

"Yeah, I think so." Cassandra replied.

"We'll never be able to hold them, get yourself to the warehouse! It's the only place we'll be able to protect you and the other civilians!" He then departed to try and rally the other soldiers before the rebels entered the village.

But this was an ambush tactic that Cassandra had never seen or even heard of being performed in either wars of the past. Finding that her camera still worked, she took cover and got ready to snap shots of this new style of attack, and thought about all the glorious money that this would earn her!

Avan looked over at Cosette, "So... that force that we fought against earlier couldn't have been the main force…"

"Are you saying that they were up there the entire time? Just watching their comrades die?" asked Cosette in shock and horror.

"Seems that way… Then they waited for us to leave when we thought the battle was over, and a smaller, less armed force took over for us… Damn it!" Avan cursed as he slammed his palm against the ground.

Chloe reached forward and took Cassandra by the shoulder, "The Darcsen child, the one that was with us earlier, have you seen her? Is she alright?"

"What?" Cassandra asked, surprised at Chloe's sudden concern for a small child.

Chloe shook her even harder, "Try to remember! Is she safe?"

Cassandra shook her head, both at the fact that Chloe cared about someone other than herself and a Darcsen child at that. "I don't remember seeing her… But the regular soldiers were evacuating all of the civilians towards the warehouse, perhaps she's over there."

Chloe let go of Cassandra and stood up, "I'm going to go and check!" she announced and took off.

"Wait! We'll come with you!" Avan shouted, and he followed her, Cosette as well. Cassandra didn't want to be alone, so she decided to follow them and get herself to safety in the process.

Thankfully, most of the fighting was taking place in the parts of the village closest to the mountains. The warehouse was well secured with multiple snipers on the rooftops taking care of any approaching threats and letting allies and civilians through. But even this secure location wouldn't be for long if reinforcements didn't arrive soon.

Chloe, Avan, Cosette and Cassandra then entered the large warehouse. Soldiers were posted at both entrances, and there were many Darcsens, young and old, all huddled together in groups in the first and second floors. Chloe's eyes scanned the interior, but she couldn't see the other 'Chloe' anywhere. Before she could ask, Avan stepped forward for her.

"We're looking for a small Darcsen child who goes by the name of Chloe! Is she in here?" Avan shouted.

Many heads turned and looked at their neighbours, and all of them shook their heads. There were a small group of children huddled together in the back, so Chloe made her way over to them, Avan and Cosette followed. All the while, Cassandra was scratching the back of her head, not sure what to make of Chloe's renewed attitude.

Chloe then bent down in front of the ten small children, "I'm looking for Chloe, a little Darcsen girl who likes to draw. Have you seen her?"

"No, Miss…" a young Darcsen girl responded, "Her house is on the other side of the village… where all the bad men came from…"

"She's probably already…" a young Darcsen boy said as he looked off to the side, not wanting to finish his sentence.

Chloe nodded, "I see, thank you!" She then got up and was about to leave.

"Wait!" another Darcsen boy called out, "Chloe never plays with us, or answers to anyone else's call…"

The Darcsen girl nodded, "Even if you go and call for her, she'll stay hidden… unless she trusts you."

"Fine!" Chloe responded, and she continued towards the exit. But Avan ran in front of her and stopped her.

"You can't go out there, Chloe! It's too dangerous!" Avan warned, "Let's wait for the others before attempting any sort of rescue mission!"

Chloe grunted angrily, "I never asked for your help! This is one soldier going out to look for one child, so the risk is minimal!"

Avan continued to hold her back, "No! It isn't!" Avan shouted back, "You're our friend, Chloe! Whether you believe it or not! And I won't let you throw your life away so carelessly, so I'm coming with you."

"I didn't know you had it in you, Chloe…" Cassandra said with a smile and a shake of her head. "I've got to see more of this, so just give me a sidearm and I'll come along as well."

Avan quickly took out his sidearm pistol and handed it to Cassandra, but held onto it as she tried to take it, "Do you know how to use one of these?"

Cassandra shrugged, "I've covered wars before… You just point this end at whatever threatens you and pull the trigger, right?" Cassandra said as she pointed to the barrel.

"Oh uh… maybe you should-"

"It was a joke, boyo." said Cassandra with a wink, "Of course I know how to use one."

"Very well, you'll come with us." Avan said, and the three of them headed for the exits. But Cosette-who was tending to an injured soldier-jumped up and started towards them.

"Avan, wait! I want to-"

"No, Cosette! You're a medic, you need to stay and help any of the injured civilians and soldiers stationed here." Avan ordered, he then turned to the others, "The rest of you, take up a defensive formation and defend this warehouse! These people are depending on us!"

"Yes, sir!" everyone answered.

Chloe, Avan and Cassandra then set out to make it to the other side of the village, praying that they weren't too late to save the Darcsen child and her grandmother.

By now, most of the rebel hunters had moved on to other areas of the spread out village, and Chloe and the others were now arriving at the small hut that Chloe had visited earlier, when she tried to apologize.

The door was kicked in, which worried Chloe. Chloe entered with her pistol drawn and surveyed the interior. The lights were extinguish, and a back door was knocking against the frame repeatedly in the wind. But at the back of the hut, Chloe saw a pair of feet sticking out from behind a kitchen counter.

"No!" Chloe cried as she ran to the back of the house. She then discovered that it was the old woman, now lying in a pool of blood. She bent down and picked her up and cradled her in her arms. "Miss! Miss!"

The old ladies eyes fluttered open and she groaned in pain. Chloe looked down and saw three bullet holes in her body, all bleeding profusely. But she managed to look up at Chloe with weak eyes.

"Chloe… you… came back…" she said weakly.

Chloe nodded, "Where's your granddaughter? Please tell me that she hasn't been killed, has she?"

The old lady gasped and wheezed in pain, "N-no… she's… gone…" She then reached up and touched Chloe's cheek, "You must… listen to me… Chloe. My child… she… fears… the hunters…"

"The hunters?" Cassandra asked curiously.

"The child's parents were killed in a Darcsen hunt long ago…" Chloe replied as she looked back at Cassandra.

The old woman nodded, "She… ran away… to her safe place… when all of this started…" Her hand then pointed towards the back door, "There may still be time… Go… go now, Chloe… Save her before… ah… ahhhhhhh…." Her head then fell back and she died.

Chloe lowered her head, then lowered the old woman's body back to the ground, placing her hand against her forehead sympathetically for a moment before looking back up. She looked at the walls, then up to the second floor and soon discovered that the entire interior was covered with drawings of all kinds and that's when Chloe remembered something.

"The child draws all that she sees and all that she's experienced!" Chloe said to Avan and Cassandra, "We have to look for anything that may show us where she went!"

Chloe ran upstairs, Avan took the kitchen and Cassandra looked throughout the rest of the lower level. There were probably well over a hundred drawings spread all throughout the whole house. Avan shifted through the sheets in the kitchen, but only came across ones titled; Favourite foods, utensils, favourite drinks. Cassandra only found pictures of activities and things that one would do in the living room, such as; pictures of a radio, drawing book, a woman reading to a child and other things.

Upstairs, however, and after much sorting through numerous drawings, Chloe found one titled 'Sanctuary.' and was a drawing of an ice cave of sorts, under it showed a miniature map of the village they were in, with a marked trail leading to a cave entrance located up in the mountains to the north.

"I found it!" Chloe announced, "I know where to go!"

She then came bounding down the steps two at a time and ran through the back entrance, Avan and Cassandra followed close behind her. Chloe looked down at the drawing, then up a path leading up into the mountains, small holes that might have once been foot prints were rapidly being covered up by the blowing snow storm.

"Alright, I'm going to go look for her!" Chloe shouted over the blowing wind.

Avan grabbed her by the shoulder, "This is suicide, Chloe! You have no idea how far or high up this cave is! You could freeze to death before you ever find it!"

Chloe smacked Avans hand away, "She went up this pass! Alone! I've got to go and bring her back!"

"Chole! You can't-" Avan started.

"There are no rebels up this path, Avan." Chloe stated. She then pointed back towards the village, "The battle's out there! And your classmates need you to lead them. There's nothing more you can do for me here!"

Avan sighed, "Very well… Please try and make it back to us!"

"No promises, Avan…" Chloe replied with her back to him, "I will find that girl… no matter how long it takes, and no matter how far! But I will find her!"

More explosions and gunfire brought Avan's attention back to the village. "If you're not back by the time this battle's over, then I'm coming up there to look for you myself!" He then turned and ran back to the village to rejoin his classmates. Cassandra swallowed hard, then turned and followed Avan, while Chloe struggled up the mountain path on all fours as fast as she could. A few more minutes and the footprints would be completely covered up and impossible to track.

A few minutes later, Chloe was moving across a narrow mountain path with her back pressed against the rock wall, the wind whipped across her face and were it not for her dark glasses that provided some shielding from the blinding wind, she'd never find her way.

She then came upon a small cave entrance and ducked into it. It was quite spacious inside and had a large hole overhead that let in the cold blowing air from the snowstorm overhead. Chloe's breath was visible as she looked all around.

"Chloe! Chloe, where are you!" Chloe called out for the small Darcsen child while running through the cave. Inside there were even more drawings hanging on clothesline throughout the cave. At least she knew that she was in the right place. But there was no answer.

Chloe stopped to catch her breath and attempt to calm herself. Then she heard it, a scribbling sound, coming from an upper level of the cave. She looked up and saw a small cut out in the rock face, a rock and ice path leading up to it was nearby. Chloe quickly ascended the path and found the small child, Chloe, rocking herself back and forth while scribbling in her small sketchbook.

Chloe ran up to her and knelt down in front of her, "Chloe! Are you alright!" she asked, but the child didn't respond or even seen to notice her. It turned out that she was shading in large black letters that read; 'Mother', 'Father' and 'Save me'. She still wasn't even looking up at Chloe as she continued shading in the letters.

Chloe reached for the child, "Come on, kid. I'll get you out of-" But Chloe stopped when she tried to pry the black pencil crayon out of the child's hand and heard a crackling sound, like an icicle being broken off of a roof. She looked down at the child's hand and her flesh had turned to a blue color, as were her lips and cheeks. Frost bite was visible on her face and hands as well.

"This child is freezing!" Chloe said aloud. She then cupped the child's hands together and attempted to blow warm air into them and rub them at the same time.

Finally, the child seemed to notice Chloe for the first time and a weak smile began to spread across her face, though she never said a word. But by now, Chloe saw that the child was only dressed in her green dress and thin Darcsen cloak, and she no shoes at all. She must have bolted from her home wearing this and only this during the blizzard.

Chloe then reached back to open her pouch, she had brought along a metal hand warmer, along with matches and other winter survival gear in her pouch. But… she couldn't feel it attached to her belt. That was when she remembered that she took it off, because it was uncomfortable and left it in the transport truck. And Zeri's warning about going out unprepared came back to haunt her. Now she had no choice but to try and get this child back to the village and get her warmed up before it was too late.

"Hold on, kid." Chloe said as she took off her snipers poncho-like garment and hood. She then moved her hands towards the child's cloak and attempted to remove it. But the child's icy cold hand grabbed Chloe's.

"N-no…" she said softly, barely a whisper.

"Huh?" in surprise, the child had spoke!

"N-no… Moth-… moth-…" the child said while shivering violently, her teeth chattering as well. "Mothers…"

Chloe nodded, "Yes, I remember from your drawing… This belonged to your mother, right?"

The child nodded and smiled weakly, "Mother's… Cloak…"

Chloe then draped her heavy wool snipes poncho over the small child, gave the child her gloves, wrapped her red scarf around the child's feet, and finally put her green hair band over the child's ears. "We'll keep it on then. Perhaps it'll provide some measure of extra warmth." Chloe suggested, "Now let's get you back to the village!"

Chloe then cradled the small child in her arms and ducked back down under the low cave entrance, thankfully, the storm was beginning to die down. Chloe then headed back the way she had come, wearing nothing more than her thin uniform and no other warm clothing.

A few minutes later, she rounded the final bend in the path and the village came back into view. She was relieved to see that the transport trucks, jeeps and tank of Class G were now in the village. They had finally arrived and the sounds of battle were dying down now that reinforcements were in place.

Both Chloe and the child were shivering something fierce as they quickly descended the mountain path and were approaching the village. The streets were filled with cheering regular and Lanseal forces, along with the remaining Darcsen villagers. Many of them stopped and gasped as Chloe and the small child she was carrying came into view.

Noel-who was closest-turned towards the village and shouted, "Medic! We need some medics over here!"

A Darcsen man and woman approached Chloe and took the child from her, just as two female medics arrived on the scene and attempted to help Chloe. But she pushed them away, "Help the child! Not me!" she ordered.

Avan, Cosette and Zeri then ran up to Chloe and began tending to her. Avan took one of the blankets away from the medic and wrapped it around Chloe's shoulders. "They're only trying to help, Chloe! You're ice cold!"

"I don't care!" Chloe shot back, "They should be helping that poor girl!"

Zeri nodded to the medics, "Do as she says, we'll take her from here."

"Yes, sir!" both of the medics said, they then turned and rushed the child to the medical tents nearby.

As Avan and Cosette were rubbing their hands up and down Chloe's arm to try and warm her, an elderly Darcsen woman rushed up to her and took her hands, "Oh, bless you, missy! Bless you!" she cried, "We were all so worried about our Chloe, but you found her and brought her back!"

She then wrapped her arm around Chloe's back and began to lead her into the village, "Come on inside out of the cold. I'll fix you up something warm to eat and drink."

The next few hours were tense as everyone waited for any word on the young child's condition. Chloe sat in the kind woman's house, wrapped in a blanket and sitting in a chair with her hands wrapped around another steaming cup of hot chocolate. Zeri was pacing back and forth in the kitchen with his hands held together behind his back. The whole time, Cassandra wanted to say something to try and cheer her old friend up, but couldn't think of anything.

Then came the knock on the door. Chloe slowly stood up, Zeri rushed past her to answer it and the Darcsen woman took Chloe by the shoulders. The two medics then silently entered, Cosette and Avan were trailing behind them. Cosette was hugging something against her chest and had her eyes pointed down at the floorboards.

"It was hypothermia…" the senior medic said softly to Chloe.

"We did everything that we could, but…" the young female medic started, she then shook her head, "Perhaps if we had gotten her back sooner then-" But the senior medic grabbed her by the arm.

"You're not supposed to say that!" she warned.

Cosette then pushed past the both of them, and everyone saw her clutching the child's sketchbook to her chest, tears were visible in her eyes. "I'm so sorry, Chloe… the little girl… she did not survive…" she told her, "She died, Chloe…"

Time itself seemed to stop and everything became silent after that message. Then all eyes turned to Chloe. Air escaped her nostrils as she sighed, and she simply nodded, then held out her hands and Cosette passed the sketchbook to her. Chloe took it, turned and began to tap it with her fingers while she walked to the kitchen at the back of the house at a slow pace. Cosette's heart went out to her and she wanted to try and comfort her, but Avan held out his arm.

"No, Cosette…" he said softly. He knew what kind of person Chloe was and that that's not what she wanted. Everyone in the house then began to stand next to Avan and Cosette as they looked on silently.

Then came a sound, a quick sniffle, followed by Chloe staggering slightly. She then sat in one of the dining room chairs and lowered her head and released another sniffle, followed by a stifled gasp or sob. And though she had her dark glasses on, visible tears were dripping out from under the lenses. She then removed her glasses and covered her eyes with her hand as she sobbed once more.

These new emotions seemed to take even Chloe by surprise, she looked over at everyone watching, then attempted to cover her face with both hands as she continued to break down even more. She choked on sobs that got stuck in her throat as she tried to hold them back, until finally, she stopped holding back and began to wail and cry out in sadness and pain. Tears flowed from her face in steady streams as she continued to sob and run her hands through her and clench tightly in her shaking fists.

Cassandra was particularly shocked as she removed her blue cap and rubbed the back of her head, "What is this…" she asked in disbelief, "Chloe's never cried before… Not from her treatment by the army in the last war, not for the horrible sights we had to endure, not for when her army and militia friends were killed in battle… any one of those would break a person and make them cry… but not Chloe… She's never, ever cried... until now..."

Avan sighed, "Maybe she's not just crying for the child… She must have been hiding all those emotions from the last war, and the death of this child was all that her heart and soul could take… now she cries for them all…"

Everyone nodded as they watched Chloe continue to cry in her chair. Her tears and sobs had soften up a little now as she held the child's sketchbook against her chest, hugged it and mourned the loss of someone so young and talented.

Two weeks had passed since that terrible, terrible day at Highever. But for most of the class, life was beginning to return to normal. All except for one, that person being Chloe Blixen. She had stopped attending class since that sad day. She even missed the awards ceremony that was held for those of Class G who took a major risk by going back with only the supplies on their backs and no tank support in the middle of a blinding snowstorm.

She was gone from class for so long class that Cosette was beginning to worry that she'd so fall so far behind that she'd be expelled. Fortunately, she was one of the few who knew where to look to find her, so she decided to check up on her. She also had other reasons to go and see her, so she headed to the art room and peeked inside. And just as she predicted, Chloe was inside. She was still standing in front of a large white canvas. But from her position, Cosette could only see the back of it and had no idea if there was even anything painted on it.

In the past Cosette knew that Chloe never liked to be disturbed while painting, so after checking up on her to see that she was alright, Cosette usually closed the door and left her alone. This time, however, was different. So Chloe pushed open the door while knocking to get Chloe's attention and not surprise her.

Chloe simply looked over and didn't say anything, then looked back at the canvas in front of her.

Cosette swallowed hard, even with her dark glasses on, Cosette knew that Chloe was glaring and despising her presence in the art room more and more with each passing second. So she decided to get right to the point.

"Hello, Chloe… I just came here to-" But she stopped as she rounded a table and saw two suitcases on either side of Chloe. "Chloe… what are you-"

"I'm leaving, that's what I'm doing." Chloe responded coldly.

"But why?" Cosette asked sadly.

"I'm done. I don't have anymore in me," Chloe responded, "I don't have it in me to fight anymore… I don't have it in me to help people anymore… and I… don't even have it in me to paint anymore…" Her voice cracked a little this time.

Cosette rounded the canvas and snuck a peek, but it was completely blank. Chloe noticed, despite how quick Cosettes glance was.

"I've tried… everyday since we got back to paint something, anything to help get my mind off of what happened. But… my creative spark is gone…" Chloe explained, "And what happened out at Highever, when I couldn't help that poor little girl proved that I'm a failure as a soldier as well… There's nothing here for me any longer, so I'm leaving."

Chloe then picked up her bags and was about to leave, but Cosette stepped in front of her and it was now that Chloe noticed a large glossy wooden box in her hand.

"Wait, I have something here for you, Chloe." Cosette said as she flipped open the box and revealed a large silver medal lying on top of a large felt blanket. "You missed the awards ceremony, to which you were the main guest of honour."

Chloe turned her head and looked away, "I don't deserve that, so get rid of it for me."

"But you do, Chloe!" Cosette responded, "Your boldness in heading back to the village on foot inspired the rest of Class G to do the same. Were it not for you, we probably would have all waited until we got the trucks and tank moving before we even tried. But then even more villagers… or perhaps all of them would have died in the second attack."

"I should have listened to Zeri…" Chloe admitted, "I can't stop thinking that if I hadn't of rushed off and left my gear behind… then I could have warmed her up and saved her… It's killing me…"

"I know, but she died knowing that you did everything that you could to try and save her life, Chloe. And that was the bravest and most awe inspiring thing I have ever seen… when you came back to the village carrying that little girl in your arms after having given her all of your warm clothing to try and save her.

None of us will ever forget that, Chloe, including that little girl."

Chloe shook her head, "You don't understand… I didn't do it all for that one little girl… I did it because of something that happened during the last war against the Empire.

When I was a just painter in that war, I was sent to a Darcsen settlement that had just been hit by a hunt. The army wanted me to paint a picture showing the devastation while it was still as fresh as it could be. Much of the army then moved on to continue patrolling, leaving Cassandra and I with little protection while we worked.

I painted while the remaining Darcsen villagers cared for their wounded and buried their dead… then another Imperial hunting party had returned and attacked the village once more, slaughtering even more of villagers…

I ran for my life and took cover behind a small hut… that was when I came across a family of Darcsens, huddled together inside. Two children and their mother, who had been shot multiple times and was dying there on the dirt floor. I'll never forget her face as she begged me to take her children to safety with her last dying breaths.

When that moment to do the right thing came… I froze… I was nothing more than a painter at the time, not a soldier. So I ran… I abandoned those poor kids to their death in order to get away from the battle and save my own life…"

Cosette raised a trembling hand to her face, "Chloe…"

"I know. I know what I did was wrong… and I've regretted it ever since." Chloe continued, "So I came to Lanseal Academy to start over, taking up a fighting position in this war to try and atone for my sin… another selfish choice I suppose. I felt that if I helped people, or saved a child in a war this time, then it might erase the guilt I felt from before and help me get back to my old self. But it isn't working…"

"…" By this time, Cosette was doing her best to hold her tears back and emit the sobs that were building up in her throat.

"No more painting… It all stops now."

"No! Don't say that, Chloe!" Cosette begged, "It's who you are, Chloe! It's what you do!"

Chloe placed her hand against her forehead, "You don't understand, Cosette." said Chloe, "I used to love to paint, and there were once times when I had hundreds of ideas flowing through my head at once. So much so that it made choosing which one to paint an incredibly daunting task.

But after that day when I left those poor children to die, I began having less and less ideas and the inspiration and spark to create paintings of my own, so I simply painted whatever I was told to. You can't possibly imagine how that feels to a once great artist… to have their spark burn less brightly as it did for me back then.

Then… when 'Chloe' died in Highever… it stopped. My spark is completely gone and my mind is now as blank and as quiet as this canvas…"

Chloe then closed her eyes and sighed, then heard the sounds of quick approaching footsteps, followed by a pair of arms wrapping around her neck and shoulders and pulling her forward. Cosette had embraced her into a tight hug and wasn't letting go.

"I'm so sorry, Chloe…" Cosette whispered in her ear.

Chloe was so shocked by Cosette's sudden show of affection that she remained standing still with her arms at her side, but she managed to ask, "For what?"

"I've severely misjudged you from day one, Chloe." Cosette said with a sad cracking voice, "I thought that you were nothing more than a grumpy, solitary girl who despised everyone around her. But my eyes have been opened since Highever… Now I see a girl who is and always has been in so much pain and has suffered inside for a very long time. Over two whole years…

But that's not all there is to you, there's also a whole lot of good inside you, Chloe. You showed everyone that when you went back to Highever during the second attack. And I don't believe it was simply to undo a past sin, I think it was because you wanted to try and save that little girl that day. Not because you felt you had to, but because you truly and honestly wanted to."

Chloe's eyes were beginning to well up with tears, and she was now really grateful that her dark glasses were covering this up. But she gasped loudly when Cosette suddenly reached up and removed her glasses from her face. Chloe shut her eyes and tried to turn her head to the side, but Cosette softly held her by the chin and turned her face back to her. And the moment Chloe opened her eyes, two tears fell from them and ran down her cheeks, leaving visible streaks.

"All these emotions that I never knew you had… If you can transfer them to here-" Cosette said as she tapped the canvas next to them, "Then you'll paint works that no artist can match, I just know it. So you see, Chloe… you can't leave, and you can't give up doing what you love to do."

"But I can't-"

"Yes, you can." Cosette encouraged as she patted Chloe on the arm, "None of us, not even the other Chloe from Highever would want you to stop painting. Everyone loves your art, even someone like me."

"What do you mean by 'someone like you'?" Chloe asked as she rubbed her eyes, trying to dry her tears.

"Not many people know this, and I've rarely told anyone… But I'm colorblind, Chloe. But I don't need to see the colors of your art to appreciate it… I can feel it! I feel the raw emotions that you put into your work and it's breathtaking!"

Chloe shook her head with her mouth open, "I never had anyone ever tell me that…"

"It's the truth, Chloe." a voice interrupted. Chloe and Cosette looked towards the door and saw Cassandra standing there. As she approached the two, they saw that she was carrying something in her hands. "And I'm sorry, old friend. I never took the time to appreciate your work, both before and during the last war.

I was far too focused on getting the perfect shot, one that would earn me the most reward. So I was more selfish than you ever were… I did it all for money, you did it to portray the horrors of war so that other's may see it and understand…"

Cassandra then set down the folder she was carrying, "These are all the pictures I took of Highever that I was able to salvage from my camera. All of the pictures of you turned out, Chloe. Including some of the village attack and the little girl who died…"

Cassandra then flipped open the folder and picked up the picture on top and passed it to Chloe. Chloe's other hand covered her mouth as she looked down at a black and white photo of her and the small Darcsen child who had died. She was kneeling down on one knee, the child was across from her and she had her hand against the young girls arm in what looked like a kind, affectionate gesture.

"The picture turned out after all, Chloe… And I think it's the only one worth saving. The rest can go in the trash." Cassandra said.

"What?" Chloe asked in disbelief.

"I haven't been a very good friend to you, Chloe. But after what happened at Highever and seeing how hard it was on you… I'll respect your wishes and privacy and not turn in any of the photos I took of you or the village."

"Cassandra…" Chloe said happily.

Cassandra began to back away towards the door, "I think I'll take a short hiatus, but you have my word, that when I come back, I won't snap pictures of you or anywhere you're stationed. It's the least I can do for you, old friend.

One more thing before I go… Promise me that you won't stop painting. I've come to respect and appreciate your art so very much in the last few days and would love to see more, maybe even buy some off of you! So don't stop now! Promise?"

Chloe looked at Cassandra, then over to Cosette and she nodded. "Alright… I promise."

Cassandra smiled and bowed, "Good, farewell… my old friend. Until our next meeting…" She then left the art room.

Chloe then looked down at the photo and continued to cry softly. She knew this child had so much potential and for once, Chloe wished that she could have taken her under her wing and taught her to unleash her full potential as an artist. Suddenly, from the centre of her heart and soul, Chloe felt the spark begin to return and burn within her, quickly growing and new ideas for portraits began to whiz through her mind once more. It was a wonderful feeling to have come back to her, and she began to cry even harder as she held a hand against her beating heart.

"Chloe, are you alright?" Cosette asked worriedly.

Chloe nodded and began to push Cosette towards the door, "I'm fine. Please, leave me be. I've got to get this down before it fades!"

"You mean?" Cosette asked excitedly. Chloe chuckled and nodded her head while wiping away some tears. Cosette clapped happily, "That's wonderful! I'll leave you to it!"

Chloe then put on an apron, pulled the two small tables littered with painting and art supplies up to either side of the large white canvas and set them up. She then grabbed her palette and quickly began squeezing out tubes of paint onto it and mixing it up with her palette knife. Then, after the colors were mixed and separated and she dapped her brush into the first color, and took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

Ever so slowly, she extended her trembling hand out towards the white canvas, while tears streamed from her eyes. The moment her brush made contact with the canvas and she started the first few strokes, she laughed while crying at that familiar feeling of joy that once got and feared was gone forever. She then set to work and began to paint and paint and paint as a master painters speed, her work taking shape and becoming more and more beautiful with each passing minute.

The next evening, Cosette returned to the art room with Zeri and Avan in tow. They knocked on the door and then entered. They saw Chloe sitting at a table a few feet away from her large white canvas. Her white uniform shirt was covered in paint, and she was resting her head against her arms that were on top of the table and she was… snoring and breathing deeply. She was fast asleep. This showed just how long and hard she must have worked, most likely right through the entire night.

Everyone tiptoed around her canvas and looked on at her art.

On the huge canvas was a picture of the village of Highever once again. Only this time, the village was completely intact, the sun was shining, revealing the full beauty of the snow capped mountains in the background. Fluffy white clouds were passing through the sky, while down below, Chloe was on one knee with her hand wrapped around the small Darcsen child named 'Chloe's waist from behind. Her other hand was helping to guide a paint brush held in the small girls hand, going along a canvas set up just outside her house. On the canvas was a picture of a white snow rabbit that was nearing completion with the help of Chloe's skilled hand. The child's grandmother was sitting on the steps of her house and applauding the duo, while the other small Darcsen children of the village were gathered together behind them and watching the two artists paint together, almost as one body, one mind, one soul. It was a perfect picture of a master painter teaching her new apprentice.

Cosette cupped her hands over her mouth, completely awe struck by the detail of the portrait. Though she couldn't see the colors, she could 'feel' the emotion, love and yearning that it showed.

"This. Is. Amazing!" Cosette exclaimed happily

Zeri crossed his arms and smiled, "Wonderful. Simply wonderful." Zeri complimented, "It's so nice to see a picture that doesn't portray the suffering that my people have had to endure. There's a lot of love and happiness here..."

Behind them, Chloe yawned and was stretching out her arms and cracking her fingers that had stiffened from holding her brush and Palette for so long. She then got up and walked over to Avan and the others.

"It feels good to be back at my old trade, full swing." said Chloe, "In fact, with all the ideas and inspiration that I have now… I was thinking of another way that I can give back to Gallia, one that will do a whole lot of good."

"What is it?" Avan asked.

"I'm going to start an art class and teach young artists the ways of the brush and canvas. That is how I will contribute to the post-war efforts, teaching the young the joys of painting and how to bring their visions to life through art.

That little girl, Chloe in Highever, she wanted to go to Randgriz one take and take an art class and learn to become a better artist and painter. So, I think that that's what I will do, I'm a master painter and would like to pass on my gift to others…"

"That's a wonderful idea, Chloe!" Cosette complimented.

"Do you take only children?" Avan asked, "Because… you know, even I feel slightly inspired by your newest work and would like to take up the brush."

Chloe laughed, "Sure, I'll take anyone who's willing to learn," Chloe said, "Except…"

"Except what?" Zeri asked.

Chloe's face became slightly sad as she walked towards her canvas, extended her hand out and touch area of the painting where she and the other Chloe were painting together, and everyone knew what she meant. "My only regret is… that she cannot be my first student… How I wish that she could have been…"

THE END