I stared up at the fireworks, a slight smile on my face. If only you could be here to see this, I thought.

A hand slammed onto my shoulder; my head moved to spy Snow grinning at me. "Wishing on the fireworks?"

I scoffed and pushed his arm off me. "Of course not. You know that's a childish thing to do."

"Hey, I wish on them all the time!" he protested.

"I know," I smirked.

We laughed; my head moved back to contemplate the sky.

"Missing your parents?"

My fist clenched. "My mom, yeah. My dad can burn in hell. Either way…" I sighed. "I don't have a family."

"Hey, don't say that!" Snow protested, his hands on my shoulders. "When your mom died, we took you in. That was ten years ago, man. We…we may not be related by blood, but you're still my brother."

I laughed despite myself. "Aren't you spooning that on a bit thick?"

"Well, you know what Mom says: Why use a spoon when there's a shovel handy?"

I knocked him on the back of the head.

Snow started shuffling his feet.

"What now?" I asked him slyly.

He pulled a pair of necklaces from the pocket of his coat. "I'm gonna propose to Serah."

My face broke out in a grin. "About damn time!"

"I just hope she says yes."

"Of course she will, buddy. She loves you almost as much as she loves Lightning."

"Yeah, but…" He stopped himself.

"But what?"

"She broke up with me the other day," he blurted.

My eyes widened. "What?"

"She ended it because…" A small tear started to fall from his eye. "There's something she needs to face."

I looked at him.

Snow looked covertly around and murmured into my ear. "She's a l'Cie."

"What?!" I shouted.

"Don't tell anyone, OK?"

I sighed. "Alright. Your secret's safe with me."

Snow smiled and nodded. "Thanks." He ran off to find Serah.

I looked around and spied a pink-haired soldier looking up at the fireworks, much like I had been moments before. I waded through the crowd to get to her and said, "Aren't you a little old to be wishing on fireworks?"

She looked at me and gave a slight smile. Lightning was not one who smiled much.

I crossed my arms. "Let me guess. Amodar just told you about the officer training."

She gave me a startled look.

"Hey, he's a regular at Lebreau's. And when he's drunk, he talks. In fact, it's getting him to shut up that's the hard part."

Lightning rolled her eyes. "I'm…scared," she admitted suddenly.

"What, of becoming an officer? You'll do great."

She shook her head. "It's not that. It's tomorrow."

"Right. The big two-one, huh? You know, that'll make you older than me."

She smirked. "Mention my age and I'll squash you."

I laughed. "I don't doubt that." I paused. "Hey, I'll be swinging around your place tomorrow, okay?"

"Fine. Just don't bring that idiot brother of yours."

"Heh, don't worry. He'll probably show up of his own accord."

"True enough," she agreed.

I vaguely heard Snow shout "She said yes!" triumphantly.

"What was that?" she asked.

"Nothing, nothing," I assured her awkwardly.

She rolled her eyes again and gazed back up at the sky.

I woke up with a searing pain in my right arm. Groaning, I stood up from the rubble. "Gadot! Snow!"

My brother stood up near me and peered up into the sky. I wheeled around to see a giant structure coming down from the sky.

"Attention Purge deportees. Attention Purge deportees. Lay down your weapons and surrender. Your removal is the will of Cocoon."

I picked up a gun and shot the speaker. "Could never stand Dysley's ramblings before, and I damn sure can't stand them now."

Snow, despite the pain flashing on his face, smiled.

Nearby, Gadot got up painfully, his hand on his left shoulder.

I walked over to him. "You OK?"

He grimaced. "Yeah, fine."

My gaze shifted to his shoulder. I winced. "No you're not. That shoulder's dislocated." I moved his hand and braced my own hands on his shoulder. "Please don't hit me when I do this."

"I'll try not to."

I pushed his shoulder-blade back into place.

Gadot roared in pain and clutched the shoulder.

"You'll be fine. Just…don't try to give anybody an armbar anytime soon, OK?"

He chuckled. "Sure."

Snow walked up to us and pointed up the road. "Check that out."

"Check what out?" I asked, before looking where he was pointing.

A trio of PSICOM soldiers had just landed three airbikes and were guarding them.

I grinned. "I'm guessing you want to check on the kids?"

Snow nodded, also grinning. "Not many better ways to travel than airbike," he said.

I picked up a fallen gun and cocked it. "Then what are we waiting for?"

We ran behind a wall of boxes and hid. "On my go," Snow told me and Gadot, who was holding his gun in one hand.

"Now," the blonde said quietly.

Gadot and I roared our defiance and started strafing the PSICOM guards with bullets. They all went down easy.

"So much for elite forces, huh?" I smiled.

"Hey, you're getting into it!" Snow smirked.

I put on a theatrical scowl and started walking to the airbikes.

Gadot started the engine on his. He groaned. "That's the problem with these things. No soul."

I smiled and started my airbike up; I revved the engine. "Just like back home, huh?"

Snow and Gadot grinned at me.

"Okay," Snow said, excited. "One…two…"

"Three!" I interrupted, taking off. Snow chased after me.

"Hey!" Gadot called to us before flying off himself.

When we got back, Lebreau, Maqui and Yuj were on guard. In fact they raised their guns at us.

"Whoa! We come in peace!" I assured them.

"It's us, it's us," Snow added. We landed and stepped out of the airbikes. "So, how are things?"

"The army's no match for NORA!" Maqui and Yuj assured us.

"I meant the kids," Snow growled good-humouredly.

Behind them, Lebreau giggled. "They've all been behaving. Even that girl you gave the gun to." She indicated the girl, who was now out of her Purge robe talking to a boy. I gasped lightly. He must've been the son of that woman. The one who saved us. As for the girl, her hair was a darker shade of pink than those I was acquainted with, and she wore knitted clothes and a small fur cape around her waist. Odd fashion-choices, I thought.

"Hey," Gadot interrupted us, "don't you have to pick up the missus?"

Snow nodded and got back into his airbike.

Gadot laughed. "I get stuck babysitting, he goes off chasing skirts? Ha, some husband!"

"I'll be back before dinner," my brother assured him.

"It better be home cooking!" our friend grinned.

I slammed a hand on his shoulder. "So when's the wedding, you two?"

Snow chuckled. "Don't worry, none of you are invited!"

"Hey, what?!" Maqui protested.

"Say hi to Serah for me!" I shouted at Snow.

"Will do." He flew off towards the giant structure that contained his fiancée.

And a fal'Cie.

The other members of NORA fell into conversation with one another when I spotted a light-haired blur cross my field of vision, followed by a pink-haired one. "Hey, what the…"

The boy and the odd girl were stealing Gadot's stolen airbike.

"Hey!" Gadot shouted at them. "Get outta there!"

Shakily, as if he had no idea what he was doing (he probably didn't), the boy took off.

"Dammit," my friend swore to himself.

Wordlessly, I ran to my airbike; I revved it up and raised it off the ground. "I'll get 'em back! You keep the rest of them safe, got it?!"

Gadot nodded.

"Be careful!" Lebreau shouted.

I laughed. "Don't tell me you actually care about me, Lebby?" I deliberately used the pet-name she hated.

Her eyes went flat. "Just get outta here!" She smiled.

I gave her a grin in return and flew after the kids.