Song of the Heart Redux (G Arc)

by zeroblackdragon15

(Story adopted from Ada1229) "Believe in the song of your heart." Finé's words on that day continue to drive Hibiki forwards. This is my view on how Symphogear G would have changed if Hibiki had been warned of the FIS' attack on the Queens of Music concert, as well as their plans for world domination. Pairings in Chapter 3; Interlude 2 uploaded 3/9/2018.

15. G Final: As Dawn Breaks

Song of the Heart: Redux

Author's Notes: Welcome back to "Song of the Heart: Redux". As we saw last time, the Symphogear wielders have put an end to Ver's scheming, as well as the Nephilim. However, it may have come at a high price. Sorry for the delay; life gets in the way at times, but it's finally ready to roll. Today we wrap up the G arc, so let's get to things!

I'd like to once more thank the author of the original "Song of the Heart", Ada1229, for allowing me to adopt her story and idea and make it into my own from there. Let's get to it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Senki Zesshou Symphogear or Senki Zesshou Symphogear G. It is owned by those who own it. I also do not own any music used as insert songs here; they are owned by the respective songwriters and artists.

Please note; the record label used in this, Galactic Music Japan, is NOT a real music label as far as I know, but is a parody made solely for the purposes of this story. The same goes for JAM TV; as far as I know, it's not a real music channel on TV, again a parody made up for the purposes of this story.

Also, no music quoted within the story belongs to me. The rights to any and all pieces used belong to their artists and record labels. I did buy a copy of the single CDs that the songs are from though, so thank iTunes for most of that.

Acknowledgements: Once more, I would like to thank the author of the original "Song of the Heart", Ada1229, for her support in adopting this idea and making it my own. I would also like to thank a couple of friends of mine outside of (they know who they are) for acting as sounding boards when I have ideas for this that may seem a bit on the wild side.

'Insert thought here'=character thoughts

Flashback Is in Italics

-Song lyrics are shown in italics between dashes-

G Arc Chapter FINAL: As Dawn Breaks

(Last Time…)

"Please wake up…" Chris whispered out, her voice cracking as she picked up her girlfriend's unconscious form in her arms, the taller girl's Symphogear having reverted back to its pendant state. Holding her girlfriend closely as blood slowly ran down her face, Chris didn't even notice as the others made their way over one by one, their bodies unsteady from exhaustion. "You promised that we'd all come back…" she continued, tears streaming down her face. Before anyone could say anything to console her, she let out one final agonized scream before breaking down completely, her scream piercing the sunset sky even as the medical crew from the 2nd Division's submarine made their approach…

2nd Division Headquarters, Meeting Room, 4 Days after Frontier

"You took a huge risk by allowing those two to participate, Kazanari-san," Vice Minister Shibata said, a steaming cup of noodles proudly sitting at his side as he spoke through the video display. Taking a moment to read Genjurou's reaction as he continued to listen, arms crossed in the dark office, he continued, a stern tone to his voice. "Both Maria and Shirabe could have turned on you at any time. While I realize that you felt as though you could trust Maria and were proven to be correct, it was still a major risk on your end."

"Vice-Minister, while I understand that, we wouldn't have been able to succeed in our mission without either of them," Genjurou replied, the light of the screen in front of him glowing brightly and providing the sole light in the dark room. Uncrossing his arms, he continued, eyes not leaving the monitor in front of him as a steel resolve entered his voice. "I made a judgment call based on the situation, and Maria and Shirabe both proved me right in doing so."

"I realize that, Kazanari-san," the wizened official on screen replied, a small smile emerging onto his face in the process. "Because you did so, we were able to complete the mission successfully with minimal casualties. Between your judgment calls and those of the Symphogear wielders, a major tragedy was averted." At this, he paused, a frown coming onto his face. "But even though that's the case, there's still a number of major issues at hand. The U.S. Navy lost one task force in its entirety as well as the majority of the crew of a second. They're pushing for severe penalties for all those involved on FIS' side, including those who changed sides before Frontier."

"With all due respect, if not for the information provided by Maria, we wouldn't have been able to make a remotely successful attempt at that mission. Not only that, but Shirabe-san, Kirika-san, and Nastassja-san all played key roles throughout as well. Nastassja has turned herself in and has been cooperating fully." At this, Genjurou paused, a noticeable tension in the air as he took a sip from the glass of tea that had been sitting ignored on his desk next to him, steam having stopped rising from it long before. "The lunar ruins were reactivated by Nastassja's planning and program, and she also was able to help stop Ver from using one of our own Symphogear wielders as a possible hostage. And Shirabe and Kirika both fought well, playing major roles in allowing the entire group of Symphogear wielders to finally overwhelm the Nephilim. Without them, the whole world would be nothing more than a wasteland burned to ash. Is it really necessary to keep Maria, Shirabe, and Kirika in holding like we have been, knowing all this?" At these words, the minister nodded, a small smile becoming apparent, even with the fuzzy quality of the video display.

"Again, that's nothing that I don't realize and appreciate, Genjurou. I've been making those arguments since discussions began two days ago, and it stands consistent to the mission reports that you provided." At this, the smile on his face fell, his mood returning to a serious one. "At the same time, that doesn't stop some of the more…stubborn members of the security council from saying that there needs to be harsher punishment. I know that most of the members of the committee assigned to this particular case are in agreement with the two of us, but it's proving to be a tough one to be able to get a deal in place for them, despite the facts at hand." Closing his eyes in contemplation before taking another sip of his Ramen bowl's broth, Shibata continued, his voice level with a seriousness that showed his years. "With that said, let's move on to other topics. I'm sure that we'll be able to continue that discussion later. As you mentioned earlier, Nastassja-san used a remote program to re-activate the Lunar Ruins. The Americans want to launch a shuttle up to confirm that to be true and that they are in fact active, but that shouldn't be too much of an issue. That leaves us with the matter of how your crew are holding up, Genjurou. What's the status of those who were injured?"

At this, Genjurou paused, the frown on his face deepening as he sat up straighter, the sound of his leather office chair creaking filling the room. Uncrossing his arms, black dress shirt rustling as he typed into the keyboard in front of him and pulled up the casualty reports on display alongside the video feed, he prepared to respond, eyes quickly scanning the data before beginning to speak.

"There were multiple casualties on our end, Shibata-san. As mentioned in the mission report, we were very fortunate that most of the injuries suffered by the crew weren't life-threatening, the worst of which were some broken bones suffered as a result of how Frontier rose from under the ship." At this, Genjurou paused, the crimson tie he wore standing out against his dress shirt, his style mirroring that which he would normally have. Eyebrows furrowing in frustration he continued, voice rising in volume slightly despite his intentions. "However, while we did suffer those light injuries amongst the crew, we still lost some people. In order to use the missile batteries to free the ship from Frontier before the Nephilim could consume it, five of our best engineers volunteered to manually enable the launch sequence for the missiles. None of them made it back."

Nodding his head, Shibata's eyes closed as a silence filled the line, both men taking a moment to respect the fallen. The older man quickly opened his eyes, a sorrowful look held within them as he began his reply.

"It is a shame that the 2nd division was unable to avoid casualties. However, I'm sure that those who volunteered to make it possible for the missiles to launch did so knowing that they put their lives at risk. Their memories and their sacrifices will be honored." Pausing to reach off screen to grab a cup, he continued, voice growing with concern. "But overall, the health of the crew seems to be good. However, that leads me to the status of the Symphogear wielders. Were there any injuries among them?"

"Kirika-san suffered a fractured left forearm and has received treatment for it," Genjurou replied, before taking another sip of his tea. Returning the half-empty glass to the desk in front of him, he continued, eyes looking at a nearby display as he did so. "The doctors stated that her arm should be fully healed in about a month. Other than that, she has some minor scratches and bruising. Shirabe-san was able to avoid any significant injuries as well, only suffering some bruising and minor burns from the Nephilim."

"Maria suffered third degree burns on her arms, legs, and torso, specifically her abdomen, encircling her entire body. Sir, she was lucky to have gotten out of there without being burned to ashes at the hands of the Nephilim, but Airgetlam protected her from even worse burns than she sustained. From what medical told me, she'll be fine, but it'll take time for her to heal completely." Taking a moment to look over at the screen displaying the status of the other gear wielders, he continued, the light of the display glowing brightly. "Maria, Shirabe, and Kirika have received treatment, although Maria will have to come back for additional treatment moving forwards, at least until her burns have healed completely."

"And how about your niece, Genjurou-san?"

"Tsubasa is going to be fine," Genjurou replied, his voice level at the thought of the bluenette. "The injury to her shoulder from when she was shot is going to take some time to fully heal, but during her fight on Frontier it didn't hinder her to the point where she couldn't defend herself. Otherwise, she was fortunate to not suffer any serious injuries against the Nephilim, but she did have some bruising." At this, Shibata's eyes narrowed slightly before replying, the steam of the fresh glass of tea sitting just off screen drifting into view.

"And how about Yukine-san? While she had left to go on her own, your mission report did state pretty clearly that she did so in an attempt to recover the Staff of Solomon, so she will avoid discipline. Still, did she suffer any injuries as well?"

"No," Genjurou replied, his voice warming up slightly. "Nothing major at least. She had a lot of bruising, but no broken bones, which is lucky based on what I heard about the battle against the Nephilim and Ichaival's defensive capabilities." Taking a moment to look at the image to the side of his computer display where a video was displayed, he paused, taking in the site of the video footage on screen, something which didn't go unnoticed by the older official.

"And that leads us to the matter of the last of the 2nd division's Symphogear wielders," Shibata began, his voice going quiet. "I'll admit, when you told me that Tachibana Hibiki had returned, I was a bit skeptical. She was missing in action for two years, Genjurou, so I'm sure that you can understand why I was surprised yet pleased to hear that she had come back. With that said, I know that she partook in the operation; what's her current status?" Pausing for a moment to gather his thoughts, eyes never leaving the smaller video on his display, Genjurou began his reply, his voice sounding as if a weight had been placed onto his shoulders at the thought of his former martial arts student.

"Hibiki's in rough shape," he began, eyes returning back to where the older diplomat's visage was shown. "Quite frankly, she's lucky to be alive. She fought four smaller Nephilim at once and managed to last until reinforcements could arrive." Taking a moment to glance back towards the screen displaying the hospital, he continued, his voice rising in tone. "Her list of injuries is almost like a grocery list. Four broken ribs on her left side. A sprained left wrist. A dislocated shoulder that was given emergency self-treatment in the field. A deep slash wound on her left side, just under the rib cage. Signs of extreme Zesshou stress on top of it, so she lost a lot of blood. She was also treated for second degree burns on her back. We were able to re-set the broken ribs as well as make sure that the shoulder was set properly, and we've placed her into the same type of healing pod we used when Tsubasa was recovering from her Zesshou. She's currently resting comfortably while receiving injections through an IV regularly. She was also VERY lucky that her Gungnir didn't break into fragments again, unlike the original Gungnir."

"Which means that it's a question of when, not if, she wakes up." The older official states, drawing a nod from Genjurou in reply. Taking another sip from the cup of tea which had been waiting off screen before placing it down closer to himself, Shibata continued, his eyes shutting briefly. "While I'm happy to hear that it seems that she'll be fine upon waking up, for her to have suddenly reappeared will look awfully suspicious to others on the Security council. We've placed a rather large burden onto these girls, Genjurou. I have to wonder sometimes if we've put too big of one onto their shoulders."

At this, Genjurou closed his eyes, his mind reflecting over the events that had taken place at Frontier, as well as those leading up to it. Taking a deep breath and opening his eyes as he turned towards the screen displaying Hibiki's hospital room, he spoke once again, his voice somber yet full of pride.

"While we place a huge burden on each of their shoulders, they've proven that they can handle it," Genjurou began, his eyes never leaving the video feed on display. "Is it really all we can do to support them? Or is there anything we can do to help them more than we have? Because for all the confidence I have in them, I can't help but feel as though we got very lucky this time…and that if there's a next time, we may not be so lucky."

Tokyo, Minato, Shirogane Memorial Hospital, 4 Days after Frontier

'You look so peaceful…' Chris thought, her eyes locked onto the face of her girlfriend as she slept, the medical pod she was resting in providing the only sounds within the room alongside Hibiki's own, steady breathing. Her face falling at the thought of Hibiki's condition, Chris frowned, her hands clenched tightly to the black skirt she wore. Closing her eyes tightly, the image of the Gungnir wielder laying broken and bleeding out on the beach coming back to her mind, she spoke up, voice barely audible over the sound of the pod in front of her.

"Hibiki…I miss you," Chris whispered, the image of Hibiki's injured form on the beach continuing to occupy her thoughts completely. Her red and white sweater rustling as she stood from her seat next to the healing pod and staring towards her girlfriend's unconscious form, she continued, tears slowly streaming down her face. "These last few days have been so quiet. Now that Frontier has been taken care of and the Nephilim is destroyed, things seem peaceful. But at the same time, without you here with me, it still doesn't feel right." At this, she sat back down, taking a deep breath to try to steady herself before continuing, frustration boiling into her voice. "This is my fault. If I wouldn't have been so stupid and ran off on my own, you wouldn't be hurt like this and we'd be enjoying the future we fought so hard to obtain. I guess you aren't the only one who can be reckless at times." Before she could continue however, the sound of the door to the Hospital room opening behind her grabbed her attention, as Tsubasa entered the room a fresh bouquet of flowers held in her hands. Setting the bouquet into a vase on the table by the window, her bright blue and white riding jacket rustling slightly as she did, the older girl began to speak, her eyes filled with concern for the younger girl.

"Chris, it's not your fault at all," Tsubasa began, before she pulled up a seat next to Chris' own, her white skirt rustling slightly as she moved. "And I know that if she was awake, Hibiki would agree with me." Pausing for a moment as she took a seat, wincing slightly as she put pressure on her left arm, she continued, eyes locked onto the medical pod in front of her. "The good news is that the doctors said that she's out of any real danger now, so it's just a question of when she wakes up." Looking towards where Chris had turned and making eye contact, she continued, a small smile on her face. "How long have you been here today? I know you were here most of the day yesterday after they allowed visitors."

"Only a couple hours," Chris replied, her voice downcast. Looking towards where the older girl sat next to her, she continued, tears streaming down the side of her face. "Tsubasa, it hurts…I hate seeing her like this, and I can't help but think as though I'm the reason she got hurt. If I wouldn't have gone off on my own, she wouldn't have had to fight on her own for so long. Maybe I shouldn't see her right away…" Noting the downcast tone of Chris' voice, Tsubasa spoke up once again as she sent a reassuring smile the younger girl's way.

"Chris…I'm sure that once Hibiki wakes up, she'll want to see you first." Taking a moment to observe the younger girl's reaction, she continued, eyes drifting back to the pod in front of her. "Remember, you're the one who has her heart, and it's obvious that she has yours. Don't blame yourself for what happened to her. Hibiki wouldn't want you to blame yourself for her getting hurt."

"Yeah…" Chris trailed off, before reaching up and wiping the tears from her eyes, the tears adding a level of dampness to the sweater she wore. Before she could continue though, Tsubasa spoke up, her voice breaking through her silence as the setting sun filled the room in a vermillion glow.

"Did you hear anything about your roommate?" Tsubasa asked, her voice curious. "Miku-san's friends asked me about it today, but I haven't heard anything." Shaking her head, Chris began her reply, voice low as she spoke, hands clenched tightly to her skirt.

"Nothing, but from what the doctors said when I asked before coming up here, she's going to be in here a while." At this, the duo went silent, both girls' eyes staring towards the unconscious face of Hibiki as she slept, before Chris spoke up again, her voice quiet as she placed her hand on the glass directly over her girlfriend's own. "Hibiki...idiot, it's just not the same without you here." Before she could say anything further, Tsubasa spoke, her hand resting on the younger girl's shoulder to reassure her.

"Chris, let's get going. The doctors said that visitation time is almost over, and that they'd let us know if she wakes up overnight. Besides, don't you have an exam tomorrow? Semester exams are this week." At this, Chris' face started to burn with embarrassment as she began her reply, eyes breaking away from her girlfriend's sleeping face to look over at her bag resting by the table Tsubasa had placed the flowers on.

"I know that. You don't need to remind me, Tsubasa," Chris replied, even as she hesitantly moved to where her bag rested. Picking it up and slinging it over her shoulder before returning to the side of the machine and smiling softly as Tsubasa moved towards the door to leave, she spoke softly, voice barely audible. "Hurry and wake up, Hibiki-baka. The future I want isn't complete, not without you here with me."

-SotHR-

Moonlight streamed through the window of the hospital room, its soft glow shining over the flowers standing on the table as the nurse within finished performing her checks on the resident patient within. Taking a brief note on her tablet to advise of the readings the pod within provided, she left the room and gently closed the door behind her, the soft click of the door closing for the night the only other noise besides that of the machine within, its sole occupant resting inside, seemingly at peace. But as the machine continued to do its job, Hibiki began to stir, her fingers twitching as she awakened, the IV drip attached to her arm continuing to help provide additional nutrients to her system as she smiled softly, eyes slowly drifting open within the pod and causing it to beep in sequence as a signal was sent to the nurse in charge of her care, alerting her to a change in the status of her patient. Within moments the nurse rushed in alongside another pair of nurses, the trio engaging the release sequence for the pod, as the groggy Hibiki's thoughts drifted to the face of her girlfriend, the smile on her face widening at the thought…

Rented House, Just outside Tokyo, 5 days after Frontier

Rays of sunlight crept through the window and shined onto the bed, their warmth causing Shirabe to stir slightly from her sleep. Rolling over and pulling her soft pink quilt over her head to try to drown out the sun's rays, she let out a brief groan of annoyance as she curled up under the covers. 'It still feels so early…' she thought as she kept her eyes shut and attempted to go back to sleep. But before she could successfully return to the comfortable grasp of sleep, a familiar voice filled her ears as the door to her room cracked open slightly, revealing the morning light of the hallway and allowing its light to fill the room further.

"Shirabe?" Kirika asked, the sound of her voice drawing Shirabe closer to being alert. "You awake yet? Maria said she's going to make eggs this morning, and that she wants us to eat together." At this, Shirabe responded, groggily sitting up and turning towards the door before letting out a small yawn, causing a small smile to come to Kirika's face as she spoke up once more and flipped on the light switch within the room, illuminating it. "Good morning, sleepy."

"Who are you calling sleepy…" Shirabe replied, mind still groggy as she slowly woke up. Raising her arms towards the white ceiling and letting out a yawn, the sleeves of her black and white long-sleeved shirt rustling as she did so, she continued to speak, voice quiet and showing signs of how recently she had woken up. "So Maria's making breakfast today?"

"Yeah. She said she wanted to try to do so," Kirika replied, before bringing her hand up to her mouth to stifle a yawn and causing the fabric on her lime-green shirt to rustle. Walking over to the bed where Shirabe started to untangle herself from the bed's covers, the white walls of the bedroom making the pink blanket stand out further, Kirika gave Shirabe a quick kiss on the cheek before turning away and moving back towards the door, the scent of breakfast cooking on the lower level of the house filling their nostrils. "You better hurry and wake up, or you'll miss out."

"I'll be there in a minute," Shirabe replied, before a second yawn escaped her mouth, causing a small blush to appear on her face. Kirika laughed and left the room, a small thud coming from outside of the room telling her that she had decided to wait outside as Shirabe slid out of bed, her feet hitting the soft wooden floor of her rented room with the anklet she wore rustling against her pajama pants as she stood. Taking a moment to look across the room to her desk where an open notebook rested, she let out one last yawn before moving towards the door. Stepping outside, Kirika let out a yawn which drew Shirabe's attention before speaking, a sheepish smile appearing on her face as she did so.

"Looks like we both had trouble getting to sleep last night," Kirika began, the tracking bracelet she wore reflecting the light from the fixture above them. Her comment caused Shirabe to frown as they moved downstairs, her mind reflecting back once again on the events of a few days earlier, even as they entered the kitchen just as Maria placed their breakfast on the table.

-SotHR-

"Shirabe, is everything okay?" Maria asked, her voice showing concern for the younger girl as she sat in silence at the table, her plate of sunny side up eggs sitting in front of her. Walking over to the table where the younger girls sat, her teal long-sleeved shirt brushing against the bracelet she wore on her left arm, she continued, even as she pulled up a chair at the table herself. "Both you and Kirika have been unusually quiet the past couple days. Is there something you want to talk about?" At this, Shirabe looked downwards to her plate, her fork toying with the yolk of her egg. As if to break the ice, Kirika spoke up, her voice quiet as she looked at her omelet with a depressed look on her face.

"Maria, when are they going to tell us what's going to happen to us all?" Igalima's wielder asked, eyes locked onto the meal in front of her. Looking towards where the older girl sat, she continued, her hands clenching her pajama pants tightly, voice full of anxiety. "They said that they'd get back to us soon with some idea of how long we'd be here, didn't they? So why haven't we heard anything yet? And what's going on with Hibiki-san? Haven't you heard anything from Kazanari-san?"

"Between what's going on with Hibiki-san and us being on house arrest with no news of what will happen, so much is unknown, so I can't blame Kirika for being frustrated. I think both of us are." Pausing to gather her thoughts as she moved to cut a piece of her meal, Shirabe continued, her voice contemplative. "I know that they've had mom in for testing and to try to treat her illness, but I just wish I knew what's going to happen to us."

"You two…" Maria began, voice trailing off slightly. Taking a moment to look down the hallway towards the door to Nastassja's room as she gathered her thoughts, she continued to speak, her arm resting on the table next to her plate. "It's hard to say. The last thing I heard from Tsubasa-san, she said that Kazanari-taichou was doing what he could, and that we'd hear back shortly. I haven't heard from her in a couple days, but I'm sure they're working to figure something out." Standing from her chair and walking over to where the younger girls sat and kneeling down between them, Maria wrapped them in a loose hug before continuing to speak. "As for Hibiki, I don't know anything about how she's doing. I know that not knowing what's going on is hard. Believe me, I want to know what's going on too, but we…" she trailed off, her mind having brought the image of her friend's injured body on a stretcher being rushed away to the front of her thoughts as the sound of a doorway opening up across the hallway grabbed her attention.

"Maria, it's almost time," Nastassja said, the whir of her electric wheelchair rolling into the hallway filling the room. "I know that you said you wanted to come along with me, so I mentioned that to Kazanari-san after my last appointment." At this, Maria nodded, before standing up from where she kneeled, a small smile coming to her face as she ruffled the hair of the younger girls around her. "We need to be ready to go here shortly." Smiling softly as she turned towards the door, Maria walked towards the stairs, her feet barely audible against the floor, even as Nastassja rolled to where the younger duo sat, their faces still downcast despite Maria's words. "You two should relax. While I know that we haven't heard anything quite yet, I do have a meeting with Kazanari-san scheduled for after my appointment today. Hopefully we'll hear something there." At this, she smiled before reaching out, her right hand rustling Shirabe's hair softly as Maria returned from upstairs wearing a silver t-shirt over a white pair of pants, a heavier teal jacket under one arm. As she reached the foot of the stairs, the bell to the door began to chime, drawing everyone's attention towards it.

"Nastassja-san, Maria-san, it's time to head to your appointment," a voice from outside called, causing the duo to head towards the door of the house. Stopping and turning to look back towards the younger duo, Maria smiled softly as she put on her jacket, as if to attempt to reassure them as she moved to the door alongside Nastassja, the duo meeting with the agent who had entered the house before leaving, the door to their residence clicking shut behind them, leaving the duo in silence.

"What do you think, Shirabe?" Kirika asked, her voice breaking through the silence that had fallen on them with Maria and Nastassja's departure. Turning towards where the shorter girl sat, she continued, a neutral expression on her face as she sat, her face resting on her left hand, her arm resting on the table. "Moping around isn't going to help with this, but at the same time, this uncertainty makes it hard." At this, Shirabe looked up, a pensive expression on her face as she stared out the nearby window towards the pond in the backyard. Moments later, she spoke, her voice quiet, yet somewhat hopeful.

"Kirika, we just have to believe in the future we fought to save," she said, before turning towards the Igalima wielder, the pensive look on her face slowly changing to a small smile as she took the other girl's right hand in her left. "We fought hard to save this world of ours. And besides, no matter what happens, we'll be together to see it. I just have this feeling that everything will turn out fine."

"What makes you so sure?" Kirika replied, a somewhat skeptical look on her face as what felt like butterflies entered her stomach from Shirabe taking hold of her hand. Taking a moment to gather her thoughts, Shirabe replied once again, a glimpse of hope entering her eyes.

"Just a feeling, that's all."

Tokyo, Minato, Shirogane Memorial Hospital, 5 Days after Frontier

"The doctor will see you shortly Nastassja-san," the nurse said, a small smile on her face as she spoke, her tablet under one arm. Before Maria could respond, she continued, the white of her nurse's outfit contrasting neatly with the warm peach color of the reception area. "Testing shouldn't take any more than two hours or so. During the tests themselves, we request that you wait out here, Maria-san, as there is some bloodwork that needs to be done. After tests are completed, the doctor will call for you so that we can figure out a treatment plan moving forwards. How does that sound to the both of you?" At this, Nastassja frowned slightly, the dark violet dress she wore shifting slightly as she looked towards where Maria stood nearby in silence, her arms crossed as she stood near the door to the room.

"Maria, is that okay with you if they do so?" Nastassja asked, her voice reaching her daughter's ears and causing her to react, body going rigid for a second before she relaxed, her jacket-clad arms coming uncrossed as she spoke.

"Yeah, that's fine," Maria said, her voice quiet so as to not disturb some of the other patients in the reception area. At this the nurse bowed, before heading towards the door separating the reception area from the offices themselves and going through, the door swinging shut behind her with a clang. Heading to one of the leather chairs across from the initial check in desk, Maria allowed herself to take a seat as Nastassja moved to join her, the whirring of the motorized chair among the sounds of other patients talking around them. Relaxing into the chair she sat in, Maria sat in silence, before Nastassja spoke, her voice shaking the Airgetlam wielder from her thoughts.

"Maria, I'll be fine. This is just testing to set a treatment plan," Nastassja said, a small smile on her face as she spoke, eyes locked onto the doorway through which the nurse had gone. "Or is there something else bothering you?" At this, Maria sighed before replying, her hands clasped together in her lap.

"I know that it's just testing, and Kazanari-taichou did say that this is the best place for the type of treatment that will be required. That's not what's bugging me," Maria replied as she looked towards where her mother sat. "I'm just wondering what's going on, and when we'll hear what's going to happen. Not just that, but I'm wondering how Hibiki's doing, and how Miku-san's doing. There's just a lot on my mind." At this, Nastassja nodded before covering her mouth with her free hand and coughing into it and clearing her throat, drawing Maria's attention to herself.

"Maria, I'm sure that they'll be fine." At this, the door opening across the way from the pair got their attention, as the same nurse from before re-entered the room, a woman of average height in a doctor's coat following closely behind her. Taking a moment to glance towards her daughter one more time, Nastassja spoke once again, her voice showing concern. "Are you sure that you'll be okay waiting here?"

"Mom, I'll be fine. I just have a lot to think about." At this, the doctor arrived, standing in front of her as the nurse from before moved behind Nastassja and grabbed the back of the electronic wheelchair before pushing it towards the doorway to the examination area, the doctor following behind quickly and leaving Maria to her thoughts in the waiting area. Stretching her arms over her head, Maria yawned slightly before staring towards the ceiling, her thoughts turning towards her injured friend as well as to her own status.

-SotHR-

"Miku-san, it's time for your physio for today," the nurse said as she walked through the door to the hospital room, sunlight shining in through the window on the opposite side of the room. "Are you ready to get to it? I'm sure it's been a bit boring being stuck in bed for so long." At this Miku nodded as she looked out the window at the city outside, the sunlight gleaming off the buildings around as thousands filled the sidewalks and streets below. Taking a moment to gather herself, the injured girl pushed herself slowly from her bed, the sheets of her hospital bed rustling as she tried to turn her body towards the edge of the bed. Allowing her legs to swing down towards the cold linoleum floor below her bed, Miku tried to stand up, her legs wobbling slightly for a moment before she stood steadily, a determined gleam in her eyes as she began to reply, voice soft.

"Yeah," Miku replied, voice barely audible despite the near silence of the room around her. Stepping forwards to grab the younger girl's arm, the nurse smiled as she provided support while Miku took another few steps forward, a small frown on her face despite her reply.

"Miku-san? Is everything okay?" her nurse said as they walked down the hallway, never straying too far from her patient as she made her way towards the stairs. "Is something bothering you? You look like you were crying earlier. If you don't want to do this right now, we can push this back." At this, Miku shook her head before replying, blocking out the dull throbbing of her head from the wound she had suffered that had been healing steadily over the past few days.

"No, it's fine. It's fine," She spoke, her voice falling in tone as she stopped in place. Shoulders shaking slightly as a memory from a few days prior came to the front of her mind, she resumed walking, her hospital gown fluttering in the air conditioning of the hallway as her thoughts reflected back on her conversation with Chris, and the news she had received within. 'Hibiki, why'd you almost sacrifice yourself again?' Miku thought, as she fought to keep tears from welling up within her eyes. Stopping as she reached the stairs, she lost herself in her thoughts, the nurse joining her as she proceeded to make her way down the stairs.

Three Days prior, Miku's Hospital Room

"Come in," Miku said, her voice echoing through the silent room as her roommate entered. Closing the door behind her, Chris made her way over to where her roommate sat in her bed, a frown written on her face and a crimson bookbag slung over her shoulder, which drew Miku's attention to her. Pulling up a chair to her roommate's bedside, Chris prepared to speak, her posture apologetic as she looked towards where her roommate sat, before Miku continued to speak. "Chris, it's been a while."

"Miku, sorry it took me so long to stop by," she said as she looked to where her roommate sat. Forcing a smile onto her face, she continued, even as Miku looked at her with concern. "I made sure to get the notes for your classes from the others in class, even the ones that I'm not in. I know that it's important to you." Reaching down to where her bag sat resting, Chris moved to pull the notes she had brought out of her bookbag, only for the feeling of Miku's hand resting on top of the one on the bed to cause her to stop. Looking back up to where Miku sat, Chris spoke, her eyes wide in surprise. "Miku, what's-"

"I'm sorry, Chris," Miku began, a sadness showing within her eyes as she spoke to her roommate. "I let my jealousy damage our friendship, and I let myself be controlled by it to the point where I lashed out at you for just following what your heart told you, and who it wanted to be with." Pausing for a moment to look her roommate in the eyes, Miku continued, her words gaining conviction with each moment. "I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to find another roommate, or if you didn't want anything to do with me after some of the things I said. I was scared that I wouldn't get the chance to apologize, so I'm doing so now. It's just something that I feel I need to say, both to you and to Hibiki." At this, Chris' eyes fell, causing Miku's attention to shift slightly before she started to speak, her voice low as her shoulders began to shake.

"Miku, thank you, but you didn't need to apologize. If anything, I should be apologizing to you," Chris started, her voice shaking very subtly. "Hibiki and I both agree that we should have told you about us sooner, so it's nothing you did wrong. We wanted to tell you, but we just…we couldn't seem to find a chance to tell you together, like we wanted to. I apologize for that." Looking up to where Miku sat, a relieved look on her face, Chris continued, her voice still shaking slightly. "And there's no way I'd want another roommate. You're still the closest friend I have at Lydian, despite our argument." At this, Miku smiled, relief flooding through her as she let out a breath she hadn't known she had held, before smiling at the Ichaival wielder and speaking up once more.

"Speaking of Hibiki…where is she?" Miku asked, her words causing Chris to look away from her roommate, unnoticed by Miku. "I would have thought she would have come with you…" Noticing that Chris had turned to look towards the floor, shoulders shaking as she did so, Miku's voice quieted, even as worry started to grab at her heart. "Chris? Is everything okay? Did something happen between the two of you?" Shaking her head in response, Chris began to speak, her hands moving to her skirt and clenching against it as she spoke.

"Miku," Chris muttered out, her voice quivering as she spoke. "She's hurt really badly. She broke her ribs and overtaxed herself with her Zesshou." At this, Miku's blood went cold as Chris continued. "She fought against four Nephilim on her own for over an hour with no support, and she almost died trying to fight them off. If Tsubasa and I had been any slower to get there, she would have been killed right there…" At this, Miku reached out, her left hand covering her roommate's hand, before Chris continued to speak.

"I love her, Miku, and to see her that badly hurt scared me…" she trailed off before stopping and taking a moment to consider her next words. "I felt like I'd been the one taking the hits that those monsters had landed on her. Then after a little bit of a break, we fought another Nephilim, but this time it was an absolute giant, and to take this one out she had to use her Zesshou to defeat it…and then we fought the final Nephilim. Everything seemed like it was going okay; sure, the fight was tough, but at least she didn't seem like she was getting hurt any worse. And then as we finished off the final Nephilim, it tried to attack us from behind, and she took the brunt of the blow. All of this after using two zesshou within a short period of time…" Feeling her blood turn ice cold, Miku spoke up, her voice quiet as fear gripped at her.

"Chris, where is she? Is she…" Miku trailed off, voice failing her as she spoke. Taking a moment to regather herself, she continued, voice gaining a slight bit of strength. "Is Hibiki going to be okay?" Pausing for a moment, Chris brought her eyes up to look at Miku before continuing, a sense of relief entering Miku as she spoke.

"It was touch and go with the Zesshou strain due to how much blood she lost, but they have her stable," she began, clear relief on her face and her words causing Miku to smile softly. "Still, she hasn't woken up yet. And the doctors have treated her other injuries, so it's just a question of when she'll wake up. I just wish that she wouldn't be so reckless out there." Pausing to look towards the ceiling, Chris continued, a smile growing steadily on her face. "But as reckless and stupid as she can be sometimes, she's still everything to me. I just…I love her so much, Miku. Falling for her is the best thing to ever happen to me, and I don't want to lose her." At this, Miku smiled softly, her mind racing as she tried to come up with a reply. Finally settling on one, she began to speak, her voice quiet.

"I've known Hibiki since she and I were little," Miku began, her eyes looking towards the window. "She's my closest friend, Chris. Even though she and I had our arguments every once in a while, we would always be able to get by it. We were as close as sisters, even though some of our friends at the time said that it was more than that." At this, Miku paused, as she looked over the cityscape outside, the sun slowly setting as building lights slowly switched on across the city. 'I wish it was closer than that…and it could have been…' she thought, even as her mind focused on one particular time and brought a blush to her face which went unnoticed in the setting sunlight, the two girls falling into silence thereafter.

Present Day, Physical Rehabilitation Room

"Miku-san, tell me when you're ready," the nurse in charge of Miku's therapy said, causing her to snap back to attention. Nodding in reply as she stepped onto the treadmill in front of her before starting to walk to keep pace with it as a determined look emerged on her face, Miku allowed her thoughts to start to drift off, their attention turning to her former roommate. 'Hibiki…Chris…neither you or the others should have to handle all of this by yourselves…' she thought, the pace of the treadmill picking up slightly and forcing her to move towards a normal walking pace. Continuing to walk and matching the pace of the treadmill while ignoring the dull pain she felt in the back of her head, Miku heard a strangely familiar tune echo into her ears, the sound of the song barely able to be heard over the sound of the treadmill beneath her feet.

'If something happens again, I'll be there with you two…one way or another…'

-SotHR-

"We should have the results of your testing within the next couple of days, Nastassja-san. When we do, we'll let you know immediately," Doctor Izayoi said, her voice calm as she looked towards the older woman. Looking towards Nastassja from where she sat, the test scans on the desk within the blue-shaded room, she smiled softly before continuing to speak, her voice reassuring to Maria's ears. "Once we have the treatment plan in place, we can begin treatment immediately."

"Thank you, Izayoi-san," Nastassja said, her voice quiet as she sat in her motorized chair. Nodding in agreement from where she stood, back leaning against the wall of the room and behind Nastassja's chair, Maria was silent as the doctor stood from her seat and grabbed her charts. Walking over to where Nastassja sat and shaking her hand firmly but gently, the doctor turned and walked out of the office, her long white coat following behind her closely. Looking towards where her daughter stood as she pushed herself off of the wall, Nastassja spoke once again, her voice low so as to not disturb the other offices surrounding them. "Maria, we should get going. I do have that appointment with Kazanari-san shortly." Nodding in agreement, Maria walked outside of the office, holding the door open and waiting for the older woman's chair to exit before settling into a walking pace that kept her beside her mother. Taking a moment to consider her words, Maria spoke up, her voice quiet yet contemplative as they exited back into the reception area.

"Hopefully this next meeting will have some good news," Maria said, her teal jacket wrinkling slightly as she crossed her arms as they walked. Looking forwards towards the elevators, the duo continued heading toward them while settling into a comfortable silence which would not be broken as they waited for the elevator down to where their ride to Nastassja's next appointment would be waiting, the noise of nurses and patients coming and going in the hallway behind them. Stepping inside the elevator upon its arrival and pressing the button for the ground floor, Maria continued, her voice showing her anxiety within itself. "Even if we only learn what's going to happen for Shirabe and Kirika, it'd be better than not knowing anything." At this, Nastassja smiled softly before responding, her words quiet even within the elevator itself.

"Maria, I can understand why you're anxious," Nastassja began, her voice echoing inside of the enclosed space of the elevator car. "You all fought so hard to protect this world of ours, so I can understand your confusion over what's happening now. No doubt you earned Genjurou-san's trust through your actions on Frontier; when I talked with him a couple days ago to set up this meeting, he mentioned that to me. Still, there are others who may not agree with his judgment." Pausing as the elevator doors opened to let them out on the ground level, the older woman steered her motorized chair out of the elevator and into the lobby, Maria following closely behind as they headed towards where the government agent was waiting next to their vehicle for the day. Stopping as the agents and Maria helped the older woman into the vehicle before Maria joined her in the rear seating of the car. Smiling softly as she looked towards her daughter, Nastassja spoke, a resolve entering her words. "No matter what happens in this meeting, I will accept whatever punishment I'll face."

"Mom…" Maria said, her voice barely audible over the sound of the vehicle starting to hear towards their next destination. Turning to look out the window as the streets of the Minato ward began to go by, she fell into her thoughts, her mind reflecting on what her mother had just said. 'Serena…how can I enjoy this peace like this? Hibi-san's badly injured, and Shirabe, Kirika, and I are still in limbo. We all fought so hard…We want to enjoy this peace but it's hard with so much still unknown. Please…please, tell me something that helps me feel at ease…' Staying silent, her eyes lost focus as she watched the traffic and crowds of people go by, their vehicle heading towards what they hoped would be the next step into the future.

Lounge, Lydian Music Academy, Student Center, Tokyo

"Chris, isn't there ANYTHING that you can tell us about how Hina-san's doing?" Shiori asked, her honey blonde hair framing her face as she sat across from the Ichaival wielder. Looking slightly to her right to where her other friends Kuriyo and Yumi sat, the latter looking at something on her smartphone while the former was eating her lunch, she returned her attention to where Chris sat, a frown on her face. "Please…I know that there are some things that you can't say, but there's gotta be something you can tell us. Is she going to be okay at least?" Taking a moment to look away from where Shiori sat to prepare her reply, Chris spoke finally, a serious look on her face.

"Shiori, I'm sorry, but there's really nothing new for me to tell you that I haven't said before," she began, a saddened frown on her face and a small edge to her voice. "Miku's going to be in physical therapy for a while, at least until the doctors at the hospital judge that she's recovered enough to handle everyday life. Other than that, I don't fucking know anything, so stop asking!" Standing from the table that she sat at and grabbing her bag from where it sat on the table, Chris let out a small sigh before turning towards where Shiori sat. "Look, I'm sorry. It's just…this has been tough on me too, you know? I'm sorry for snapping at you, Shiori." At this, the blonde across from her nodded before responding, her hands resting on the table in between them.

"Chris, it's fine. I know that it's gotta be a stressful time, with exams as well as Miku being in the hospital. Let's try to lighten things up a bit. What's going on with you and that girl you were with last week? Was Miku right, and that was Hibiki? Are the two of you dating?" Shiori asked, voice low enough that it couldn't be heard elsewhere in the room. At this she paused, considering her next words as her fingers drummed against the table in front of her before continuing and taking note of how Chris' face had gone red as a tomato at her words. "So she is alive…Or does she go by Sora now? There's gotta be something you can say. I'm sure you two have gone on a few dates at least, right?"

"S-S-So what if she and I have?" Chris shot back, voice low as she replied, her face going positively crimson and causing the other girls at the table to laugh. "Shiori, I'm not going to tell you anything about that!" At this, the other girls at the table continued to laugh, Yumi leaning into Kuriyo's shoulder and trying to stifle her laughter and failing to succeed. As the laughter around her slowly came to a stop, Chris' face fell as the image of her girlfriend resting in the machine at the hospital returned to her full force, a frown coming onto her face as she stood from the table.

"Chris? Where are you going?" Shiori asked, her eyes taking note of her friend's change in mood. "Is everything okay?" As Chris picked her school bag up from next to her and slung it over her shoulder, she began to reply, her hands gripping the strap on her school bag tightly as she tried to keep herself composed.

"I'm going to go pay my roommate and my girlfriend each a visit, Shiori. Sorry, but I've gotta get going." At that, she turned and left the room, her words having caused the girls sitting at the table to go silent despite the activity taking place around them, the buzz of the .

-SotHR-

"Hello?" Chris said, smart phone held to her ear by one hand as she made her way towards Lydian's main campus gateway, the closest on campus to the train station where she would take a train to where her girlfriend and Miku were patients. "Aoi-san? What's going on? I'm going to visit Hibiki, so this better be important." she continued, the cold early winter afternoon air making her breath visible as she walked, the scarlet sweater she wore standing out amongst the crowd of students leaving Lydian for the day. Not wasting time, the 2nd division's resident bridge bunny replied, an apologetic tone to her voice.

"Sorry, Chris. However, this is important," she began, her words coming through clearly as Chris made her way down the sidewalk towards the station. "Kazanari-taichou wants you and Tsubasa at HQ today at seventeen hundred hours for a debriefing about what went on at Frontier. We waited a few days to work out a few things first, but enough has been settled that Kazanari-taichou feels that now would be a good time." At this, Chris did not respond, the chattering of the crowd of people also on the sidewalk surrounding her. Taking a moment to try to compile a reply, her hand which wasn't holding the phone clenched tightly onto her black skirt, she replied, voice barely audible over the sound of the crowd surrounding her.

"Understood," She said, voice low as she spoke. Looking across the busy city street towards the plaza in front of the station, she took in the sight of young couples sitting on the benches surrounding a central statue, smiles on their faces as they talked and enjoyed each other's company. "But this had better not take too long." At this Aoi laughed softly, her voice sticking out above the background noise of the activity around her.

"Chris, it shouldn't take all night, if that's what you're thinking," the bridge bunny said, the amused smile on her face echoing through the phone in her tone of voice. "I can't make any guarantee as to how long it will take, but we'll figure something out." At this Chris went silent, her eyes locked onto a couple sitting on a bench as they shared a hug, the shorter girl laughing at something her boyfriend had been showing on his phone to her, the image causing her to think about her last date with her girlfriend before they had gone to Frontier. "I know that you have somewhere you want to be, but Kazanari-taichou is making this an order for all of you girls. We'll talk to you when you get here, okay?" At this, the call ended, Chris dropping the arm holding her phone to her side, her hand wrapped tightly around it and squeezing it tightly with her knuckles going white from the force she placed onto it. Turning to head inside of the station, the sound of a motorcycle engine coming to a stop nearby grabbed her attention, preventing her from entering the station as its rider began to speak while shutting off the engine.

"Is everything okay, Chris?" Tsubasa began, her azure eyes accenting her riding jacket as she spoke. Strolling over to join the younger girl as she stood next to the entrance of the station, she continued, the black skirt she wore fluttering gently in the cold winter wind. "I'm guessing they called you about the meeting they want us at?" At this, Chris nodded slowly as the older girl joined her, a look of concern on her face as she took note of the Ichaival wielder's posture, even amongst the crowd of people heading into the station. Taking a moment to ponder the older girl's words, Chris replied, her voice tense as she moved to enter the station.

"Yeah," she said, as she entered the station, Tsubasa following behind her shortly as they made their way towards the platform in relative silence, the bustle of the crowd around them the only noise between them. Taking position near the side of the platform that the train they both would be waiting on was scheduled to arrive at, she continued, her voice barely audible as the former idol leaned up against the wall next to her. "Why'd they have to do so today? And just as I was going to visit her, too. I get that this is something that we have to do, but…" At this, Tsubasa replied, her voice somewhat calm over the sound of the crowd of people waiting to board their train.

"You want to be there when she wakes up," Tsubasa said, finishing the younger girl's sentence for her. Turning to look at Chris, a small smile gracing the former idol's features, she continued, an amusement to her voice. "I'm sure that she'll be happy to see you, no matter when it is, Chris. She loves you with all of her heart. It's easy to see for anyone who's seen you two together." At this, she paused as she looked towards the platform, their train starting to pull up to the station and leading her to push off the wall gently. Turning to where the younger girl stood waiting for the train to arrive, she moved to join her, the duo standing in silence as the train pulled up, its doors opening and letting passengers off before allowing them to board.

"Yeah," Chris began, her voice quiet as she looked out the window, the train starting to make its way towards its next stop. Taking a moment to gather her thoughts, she continued, a small smile making its way onto her face as thoughts of the times she had spent with her girlfriend came to mind. "I know she does, and I love her just as much. I just…god, I can't wait for her to wake up. She may be reckless sometimes, but as much as I call her an idiot for it, she's MY idiot, no one else's." At this, she trailed off, the image of Hibiki in the recovery pod returning to mind and causing her to frown slightly while she continued to stare out the window, the duo falling into a comfortable silence as the train made a turn, heading closer to the first stop between them and their destination. After a few minutes Tsubasa broke the silence, her voice filled with a twinge of amusement as she turned to look at the younger girl.

"It's funny," she said, her words drawing the younger girl's attention to her. Resting her head in one hand, she continued, her voice level despite the knowing grin on her face. "Two years ago, you barely even gave Hibiki or any of us the time of day." Turning to look outside of the train's windows as it approached Minato ward station, she continued, the buildings reflecting the late afternoon sunlight. "I would never have thought that you and I would be getting along like this. But yet, here we are." At this, Chris replied, her eyes staring out towards the buildings below as the train pulled into the station and came to a stop, letting passengers off and allowing new ones to board.

"Yeah. I wouldn't have thought I'd be friends with a celebrity back then," she began, an amused tone entering her voice as the train began to move again. At this Tsubasa replied, the amused tone from earlier returning quickly as she spoke.

"You might want to get used to it," Tsubasa replied, as she turned to look out the window, the buildings of one of the central three wards of Tokyo flying by as she spoke. "Your girlfriend's a rising star, after all. It might be difficult at times for the two of you to have any privacy moving forwards." As a blush crept up onto Chris' face in response, Tsubasa's smile grew slightly, the older girl turning her head to look out of the window at the slowly setting sun as it started to cast the buildings in a vermillion glow. Letting the conversation drift back into silence, the duo sat, both girls' eyes looking out into the city as their train raced towards its next station before Chris finally spoke up, her voice filled with a renewed determination.

"It doesn't matter," she said, eyes not leaving the view outside of the window even as the train pulled into the station in Shinagawa. Turning her head to look at the older girl as they stood to get off of the train, she continued, a small smile having emerged onto her face. "I love her for her, not because of something as dumb as a Q rating or anything like that."

"Since when have you cared about what a Q rating is?" Tsubasa asked in reply, her eyebrow raised in surprise. "I didn't think that you paid attention to that type of stuff."

"I don't, but I can't help what I hear when Shiori and the others are talking about it sometimes," Chris replied, her voice showing embarrassment at the thought. Stepping off the train with the older girl right behind her and making her way towards the station's exit, she let out a small sigh before speaking up again. "Well, let's go see what's so important. I just hope that this doesn't take all night. I want to go see Hibiki-baka tonight, and I won't let a meeting stop me from doing so."

Meeting Room, 2nd Division Headquarters, Shinagawa, Tokyo

"Now that we're all here, let's get started," Genjurou said, hands resting on the podium behind him as he stood at the front of the room. Pushing himself off of the podium and moving behind it, he continued, his eyes quickly looking at each of the Symphogear wielders within the room. "First off, I want to apologize for the amount of time it took us to arrange for this meeting. I know that for some of you, the wait has been more difficult than for others. Hopefully after this meeting, we can clear up what'll happen with you moving forwards. With that said, I want to tell all five of you who are here for this that the entire 2nd division is proud of the way you handled things on Frontier." Taking a moment to gather his thoughts, he looked around the room before nodding towards where Aoi sat in the corner, signaling her to bring up the monitor display, the face of Vice Minister Shibata appearing on the monitor as he took a sip from a steaming cup of tea.

"Vice Minister Shibata is taking part in this as a representative for the United Nations; while he has news that he feels necessary to provide to a few of you and supports the 2nd division, he is still here as an impartial representative. Please treat him as such, understood?" At Genjurou's question, the wielders went quiet, before the older man on screen began to speak, his voice patient.

"Kazanari-san, while I appreciate the introduction, I'm sure that they are well aware of how serious this meeting is," Shibata stated, his response to Genjurou's question matching the composure he held on screen. Taking a moment to allow his words to sink in, he prepared to continue, even as a vibrating sound filled the room.

"That's mine," Genjurou said, his voice quiet as he read the screen of his phone to see who would be calling. Eyes widening slightly at the sight, he stood from where he was seated at the head of the room before heading towards the exit of the room, phone vibrating in his hand as he went before turning to the monitor. "Looks like I have to take this one. I'll be back shortly," Genjurou continued, before stepping outside of the room, the door closing behind him as he proceeded to answer his phone, voice unable to be heard from outside of the room.

"I'm sure that all of you have a number of questions for me about what your futures are, and I'll be happy to provide answers to them," the Vice Minister spoke up, resuming the conversation from where he had left off. "But before I answer your questions, I want to hear what all went on up there from you. Mission reports can only cover so much about what took place on Frontier, and from what I've been able to gather, there was more going on there than what our interrogation of Doctor Ver was able to provide." Pausing momentarily to take a sip from his glass of tea once again, he continued, his voice remaining serious. "Keep in mind that nothing said in this meeting will be used against you in this case. Right now, we're just looking to gather a more complete picture of events." Pausing to let his words sink in, a small smile appeared on his face before speaking, his hands folding in front of him. "Let's start with the events that took place on Frontier. Yukine-san, I remember reading in the mission reports that Kazanari-taichou submitted that you had left the group in order to try to take the Staff of Solomon back from Doctor Ver, correct?" Nodding in reply, Chris shut her eyes loosely, the memory of what she had decided to do coming back to her mind and causing her to clench her fists lightly. Taking note of her reaction, Shibata spoke once more, a sense of patience in his voice as he spoke.

"Yukine-san, things turned out well in this case. However, at the same time I can't come to understand why you felt as though things with the Noise and with the Staff of Solomon were your fault. At the end of the day, it's important that you know that none of Ver's actions with it fall on your shoulders. Your decision to try to go to take back the Staff on your own could be viewed as going rogue and was a reckless decision. However, the reports also made it clear that you never intended to leave long term, correct?"

"Right," Chris replied, her voice reflecting the tension she felt. Taking a deep breath to try to regain composure, she continued, her voice somewhat steady despite the grip her hands held on the desk in front of her. "Sir, I felt that it was my responsibility to put an end to things regarding the Staff. If I wouldn't have activated it in the first place, then Ver would have never been able to use it for what he did. I guess I thought that if I could get the Staff back, I could move forwards and maybe close the door on what I'd done." Nodding in understanding, the Vice Minister prepared to respond as Genjurou re-entered the room, the relieved smile on his face quickly being replaced by a pensive look.

"That's what I thought," Shibata said, a reassuring smile coming onto his face at her reply. "And that's why there's no punishment coming your way for that decision, despite how reckless others might view it as. You never planned to fully abandon the 2nd division, and had every intention of returning, correct?" At Chris' nod, he closed his eyes briefly, pausing to gather his thoughts as Genjurou re-entered the room, taking a seat towards the back of the room and watching on. "Again, that matches with everything I've heard. Now, let's move on to the next matter that occurred on Frontier, and that's the overall mission plan…"

-SotHR-

"In the end, the two of you were able to come to an understanding, correct?" Shibata asked, his eyes locked towards where Shirabe and Kirika sat, drawing a nod from the duo as he spoke. "I'm glad to hear that. I know that it had to have been difficult for both of you to have to fight each other like you did. That should cover what went on during the fight between you two, but you had mentioned previously that you both were left unconscious afterwards, before waking up and agreeing to go to help the others. Is there something that I'm missing here?" At this, Kirika froze briefly, memories of her conversation with Finé coming to the front of her mind and causing her hands to clench tightly around the fabric of her white skirt.

'What are we supposed to say...We can't just tell them about how we spoke with Finé, can we? If we do, who knows what will happen…' She thought, eyes shifting slowly downwards as she tried to make a decision. Beside her, Shirabe looked at her friend closely before she reached out and wrapped her left hand around Kirika's right, squeezing it gently before she spoke up, her voice barely above a whisper as she spoke.

"Kirika…we should say something," she said, eyes not leaving the taller girl's own. Turning towards the display, she continued, voice quiet but gaining strength. "Vice-minister, there was something else that happened. Something important." Before she could continue, taking note of the curious look on the official's face, Kirika stood up from her seat, green t-shirt rustling as she tried to fight off her anxiety while the elder official spoke up.

"Akatsuki-san, is there something that's on your mind?" Shibata asked, patience within his voice as he spoke with his arms resting on the desk in front of him. Forcing herself to take a deep breath as her best friend stood up beside her and took her hand in hers, Kirika began to reply, a shaky smile coming onto her face as she spoke.

"Sir, Shirabe and I..." she started, voice trailing off as she worked to figure out her words. "At the end of our fight, you know that we knocked each other out, Shirabe having been knocked out by whatever that blast was at the end. When we both fell into that crevice that opened up, I did everything I could to protect her, and landed on my arm, causing the break. I remember passing out from the pain and from how tired I was after the fight." Rubbing her left forearm as she spoke, the hard cast wrapped around it a brilliant emerald green in color, she paused, allowing her words to sink in with the government official on screen. 'Here goes nothing…no turning back now,' she thought, taking a deep breath and continuing to speak. "Next thing I knew, I found myself floating somewhere…and that's where I met her…"

At this, Genjurou frowned, his mind quickly figuring out just who the blonde was referring to. 'Finé…so your soul DID reincarnate…' he thought, tensing up at the thought. 'That makes a lot of sense and explains some of the energy spikes we saw later on in the day…but at the same time, how long do we have until she takes her over?' Before he could ask any questions, Shirabe spoke up, her voice quiet but filled with her resolve.

"Kirika wasn't the only one who met Finé," she began, her words causing everyone in the room's eyes to widen. "I saw her too." Before she could continue any further, Shibata spoke up, his voice full of concern as he looked at the duo.

"Are you sure that it was Finé that you met?" he asked, eyes having gone somewhat cold. At the duo's slow nods, he continued, hands rising from his desk to clasp in front of him, forming a bridge under his nose. "Hmm…and what did that priestess have to say?"

"She wasn't happy, that's for sure," Kirika said, her tone turning sour at the thought of her conversation. "She said that thinks that we're pathetic for ever having used her power to begin with, and that I shouldn't have ever needed to do so. And then there's how she said that she was disgusted by humanity as a whole." At that she paused, a portion of the conversation she had coming back to mind and causing her to frown in confusion. 'I still don't understand what she meant when she said that she promised to not interfere to someone…who was she referring to?' she thought, before Genjurou spoke, his voice shaking her from her thoughts and drawing the attention of everyone else in the room.

"Something about this isn't making much sense," he began, arms crossed in front of his chest. "Finé's soul supposedly overwrites the soul of her host. Then how has it not done so for you two?" Taking a moment to ponder his question Kirika replied, her voice somewhat quiet as she spoke.

"She said that she didn't want to," Igalima's wielder began, before looking to Shirabe, who nodded to confirm. "She mentioned something about how she felt as though this was the age of someone she called a 'soulwalker', whoever or whatever that is. She definitely didn't seem happy to admit it, either." At this Shibata frowned slightly, his mind pondering over the meaning of Finé's words before he spoke up once again.

"This is…interesting news," he said, releasing his hands from where they rested and returning them to his desk. Pausing and considering his next words, he continued, voice serious. "For Finé to be split between two people is something that doesn't seem possible. Kazanari-taichou, do you have any idea what could have caused that?" Shaking his head visibly, Genjurou replied, his voice level as he spoke.

"None. But I do wonder if it had something to do with what happened two years ago." Turning his head to look at where Chris and Tsubasa sat, he continued, eyes narrowing slightly in concentration as he voiced the idea that had been forming in his mind. "During that fight, Hibiki, Tsubasa, and Chris were able to damage Finé with Durandal, which makes me wonder If that attack has something to do with her soul being inside of both Shirabe and Kirika."

"Hmm…it may be something worth considering at a later date," Shibata said, his voice level. "In any case though, I appreciate the honesty from the two of you about this. I understand that it must have been a shock to encounter Finé's soul, let alone to find out that you are her hosts. Is there anything else that we should discuss in relation to your fight on Frontier?"

"No," Shirabe replied. Grabbing a hold of her friend's hand with her own and squeezing it gently, she continued. "That was the last of it, right Kirika?" At her friend's words, the blonde nodded slowly, a sense of relief building up within her as she took a seat, Shirabe sitting down right next to her. 'At least it doesn't seem that they were too angry over it…' she thought, before Shibata spoke up once again.

"Alright, let's move on to the next thing to discuss…"

-SotHR-

'I don't get it…' Chris thought, her eyes narrowed in frustration as she sat, Tsubasa seated to her right as the last details of the events on Frontier finished being reviewed. 'I owe them for helping us back there on Frontier…' Before she could continue to wrap herself in her thoughts, the Vice-minister spoke up once again, his words forcing her to pay attention.

"Thank you, all of you, for your assistance in helping to add more detail to what happened on Frontier," Shibata said, his hands taking the papers he had in front of him and moving them to the side as he spoke. "While it's too bad that Hibiki-san isn't awake yet and couldn't make it here, let's move on to the other reason that we called this meeting today." Nodding towards where Genjurou sat, the commander of the 2nd division stood before moving to the front of the room, his arms hanging loosely at his sides.

"I'm sorry that it's taken so long for us to come up with a course of action moving forwards," he began, his eyes locking onto where Maria, Shirabe, and Kirika sat specifically. "However, while it has taken us a while, we can finally tell you what's going to happen moving forwards, both to the three of you as well as your mother." At this, Maria couldn't help but shut her eyes tightly as she tried to prepare herself for the news at hand. 'Please…please, let this be good news…even if only for Shirabe and Kirika…' she thought, before Vice Minister Shibata's voice shook her from her thoughts.

"We'll begin with what's going to happen with you, Maria-san," the government official spoke, his voice serious despite the small smile working its way onto his face. "Your actions back on Frontier and beforehand took serious courage. Following what you felt was right to do and abandoning those you called family was definitely anything but easy. You fought well on Frontier, and despite how you ended up nearly killing Doctor Ver after he supposedly sent your mother to her death, that is understandable given what you thought he had done at the time." Taking a moment to allow his words to sink in, he continued, the smile that had worked its way onto his face growing wider as he did so. "We were able to work out a bit of a backstory as to why you were with FIS in the past which involved you being an agent of ours inside of the organization, but it turned out that between your actions on Frontier as well as your mother's testimony, we were able to present enough of a case that we didn't really need it too much. With that said, we were able to clear you of the major charges you would have faced. While you will be on probation for up to a year, you will be released from the temporary house arrest and instated as a full-fledged member of the 2nd division if you choose."

Eyes widening as the news started to settle in, Maria felt a small, yet relieved smile appear on her face. 'So they cleared me…but, what about Shirabe and Kirika?' she thought, the relief she was feeling quickly disappearing from her face as worry once again set in. 'Serena...please, someone tell me that something good will happen for them as well…' Before she could lose herself in her thoughts, Shibata spoke up, his voice somewhat amused at her reaction.

"That's not the only thing, Maria-san. There's one other issue," he stated, his words drawing the older girl's attention once again to himself. "And that is that in order for you to be fully cleared, we had to make an arrangement of sorts with some of the other members of the U.N. who had been watching the situation." Pausing for a moment as a frown rose onto his face he continued, a level of bitterness entering his voice as he spoke. "Some of the members of the U.N. are…requesting to have you go on a concert tour. Personally, while I don't think that it's necessary for you to do so, they have been insisting on it. I did say that I'd speak with you about it before giving any sort of agreement for you to do so." Taking note of the Airgetlam wielder's frustrated expression as well as he could, he spoke once more, attempting to reassure her. "No matter what you decide on this Maria-san, please know that it won't affect your standing; everything I stated before regarding how you've been cleared will still apply regardless."

At this, Maria was silent, her eyes looking towards the table. Looking towards where the girls she viewed as her younger sisters sat with their eyes looking at her in concern, she allowed her thoughts to ponder what she had just heard. 'If I leave for this…then who would look after them, and who would be there to help mom?' Before she could really think it over too much further, Shibata spoke once again, his voice showing a level of discomfort.

"I know that this is a big decision Maria. Don't feel as though you have to reply to that offer right this second." Drawing a nod from the Airgetlam wielder in reply, he smiled briefly before speaking once more, his voice demanding the attention of everyone in the room. "With that said, let's move on. Shirabe and Kirika…the two of you have a situation that isn't quite as clear cut as Maria's is. With the news of how both of you have Finé's soul within you, your situation has become much more delicate than it had been previously." Taking a moment to pause and gather his thoughts, a frown coming across his face as he did so, Shibata took note of how the two girls looked downwards towards the table before continuing.

"You two contributed in a major way on Frontier. As a result, it made for an interesting discussion with the remaining members of the committee who investigated the matter, given how Kirika didn't decide to help until after the two of you fought. It took a bit of work, but we were able to come up with the following. First, the two of you have been cleared of all major charges that could have been levied against you. As with Maria, this means that you are no longer to be held on house arrest and can become full-fledged members of the 2nd Division if that is what you choose."

At this, Shirabe smiled at Kirika, her hand squeezing the taller girl's own as she allowed the news to set in. Before she could say anything to the blonde, Shibata's voice cut her off, his tone having taken a negative turn.

"Because you both have Finé's soul within you, there are precautions that will need to be taken. You have been cleared of major charges; however, we will need to monitor the both of you to ensure that Finé does NOT attempt to take over your souls." At this Shirabe and Kirika's faces fell slightly, the girls easily recognizing the implications. 'They don't completely know that she won't take over, do they…' Maria thought, her eyes narrowing in frustration as her fist clenched on the table in front of her. 'It's not fair…they deserve to enjoy this as much as the rest of us do. Shirabe and Kirika were just as big of reasons why we succeeded as anyone else was. Even though they have Finé's soul in them, they aren't any different than they were before!'

"I'm sorry that it has to be like this, you two. Believe me, if it wasn't for what how Finé's soul is within the two of you, we'd be able to let you go fully. However, after what she did over two years ago we can't afford to take chances. We wouldn't have you with a guard at all times, but we would want to check in with the two of you say once a month or so," Shibata said, eyes closed on screen. "Believe me, I'm not pleased about this either. But it's something that the committee investigating this decided was the best course of action, and I can understand why they made this decision."

"What's going to happen with mom?" Maria asked, her hands gripping the table tightly as she tried to keep herself calm. "You haven't mentioned what's going to happen to her. Shibata-san, Kazanari-taichou, what's going on?" At this, Genjurou sighed before speaking up, his voice lacking some of its usual energy as he replied to the Airgetlam wielder's question.

"Nastassja-san was a huge help in capturing Ver, and her testimony is going to be a large part of putting him away," he began, staring towards the monitor as he spoke. Turning his head towards where Maria sat, he gathered his thoughts before continuing, his posture showing anxiety over the situation. "However, the fact remains that she was complicit in the vast majority of the offenses caused by FIS leading up to Frontier. She herself even admits as such, and that's what makes her case so complicated compared to yours."

"Nastassja-san proposed a deal with us even as far back as Frontier," Shibata said, picking up from where Genjurou left off, his voice more neutral than Genjurou's own. "In exchange for her testimony and full cooperation, she asked that we do everything we could to help clear the three of you of any wrongdoing. That wasn't the sole reason we agreed to that request; Maria-san, we know that none of you believe in what Ver was trying to accomplish, and worked hard to put a stop to his desires. Your mother wants the three of you to be able to fully enjoy the future that you fought so hard to protect and earn, and so she proposed her offer."

"But what does that mean when it comes to her illness? And what does that mean for her status?" Maria interjected, a fire in her speech that did not go unnoticed by Shibata. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, the Vice Minister replied, his voice remaining level as he spoke.

"To answer your first question, we're going to do everything in our power to treat the illness that she's facing, Maria," he began, his words allowing Maria to relax slightly. "We have some of the best doctors in the country and around the world working on not only her case, but also to treat the remaining wounded and injured from Frontier. Rest assured, if there's a cure for this, we'll find it. As for her status, she made that deal and openly admitted to her culpability. As much as she contributed to stopping Ver's plans on Frontier and returning the moon to its orbit by reactivating the lunar ruins, she still willingly cooperated in some of the events that led us to that point. While we want to do what we can to try to minimize any punishment that she would face, it will be difficult to convince the other members of the committee who were involved of that. I don't have any more details beyond that which I can give you, and for that, I'm sorry." At this, Maria nodded, her eyes hidden by her bangs as they hung over her eyes as she replied.

"Understood, Shibata-san," she said, her tone quiet as she mulled over what she had heard. "Thank you for being so open about that." Nodding in reply, Shibata spoke once again, his voice this time aimed at Genjurou.

"Kazanari-taichou, is there anything else that needs to be mentioned before we end this meeting?" At this Genjurou nodded, before standing up once again, his eyes turning towards where Chris and Tsubasa sat and causing the both of them to tense up.

"There are a couple things. First, Tsubasa, there's something I want to talk with you about after the meeting, so if you could stay behind for a moment, that'd be appreciated." he began, a small frown appearing on his face while his words caused the bluenette to tense slightly. "And then there's the bigger topic of the two. Earlier on during this meeting, I received a call and had to leave the room."

'Wait…was that…' Chris thought, her thoughts turning to where she was planning on going after the meeting ended as well as to her girlfriend. As if reading the Ichaival wielder's thoughts, Genjurou nodded slightly before continuing, his voice gaining a twinge of amusement to it.

"Yes, Chris, it was from the hospital," he said, arms crossed lightly over his chest. "They had a bit of an update for me regarding a certain someone."

"How is she? Taichou, what'd they say? Is she okay? Did something happen?" Chris replied, a nervous look emerging onto her face as she spoke. 'Please…please, let it be something positive…' she thought, the image of her girlfriend in the rehab pod coming to her mind as Genjurou laughed softly. Shaking his head slightly as the amused grin on his face grew wider, he replied, his voice somewhat serious as he spoke.

"Chris, wait a minute, will you? She'll be there when you get there. I swear, you girls and your hormones," he replied with amusement entering his voice, his words bringing the images of some occasions in training back to Chris' mind and causing her to blush furiously. "But, to answer your question, yes, it was about Hibiki. I received a call from the doctor in charge of monitoring her earlier on in the meeting, who told me that she's awake, out of the pod, and able to receive visitors." At this, a wave of relief rolled over Chris as her mind processed the words that he had said.

"That's all I've got, Vice Minister. Thanks for your time," Genjurou said, the older man nodding as the video feed to his office cut. Turning towards where the Symphogear wielders sat, he continued, his voice composed as he spoke. "Maria, Shirabe, and Kirika, if the three of you want to enlist in the 2nd Division full time, let me know and we'll be able to get that process started. Girls, once again, thank you for all you did on Frontier and moving forwards. Meeting dismissed."

Tokyo, Minato, Shirogane Memorial Hospital

"Go ahead, Chris. I'll catch up later on, but I know you're in a hurry to see your girlfriend," Tsubasa said, her eyes staring off into the distance as she stood in front of the doors to the hospital. Beside her, Chris nodded slowly, the tone in the older girl's voice causing her to pause. 'What happened back there?' she thought, her mind flashing back to how Tsubasa had stayed behind briefly after the briefing to speak with Genjurou. 'Whatever it was, was it related to what happened before Frontier? With how she was staying with Hibiki? Something's on her mind…' Dismissing the thought, she stepped forwards, passing through the automatic doors and into the building in front of her while leaving the older girl to her thoughts, Tsubasa's mind seemingly miles away.

Making her way quickly across the lobby of the hospital and towards the elevator, Chris couldn't help but feel a sense of nervous excitement swell up within herself. Standing in front of the elevator doors and waiting as the elevator began its descent from the higher levels of the building, she allowed her thoughts to drift towards who she was there to see, a smile emerging onto her face. 'Hibiki…it's about time you woke up…' she thought, her eyes locking onto the digital display displaying where the elevator was. Tapping her foot against the tiled floor of the hospital, she continued to wait, her anxiousness to see her girlfriend slowly getting the better of her patience as thoughts of the few dates they had gone on and the time they had spent together came into her mind. 'I don't think I've been happier than I am when I'm with her. Who would have guessed that I'd be like this after everything that happened two years ago…' Chris thought, a loving smile growing across her face as she thought about some of the things that they could do together now that the Gungnir wielder had woken up. Before she could get too detailed in her planning however, a bright-sounding tone from above her alerted her to the arrival of the elevator on her floor, before the doors opened in front of her.

Stepping into the elevator and pressing the button for the floor that she wanted to go to, Chris turned and waited, the doors slowly shutting behind her before the elevator began to move upwards towards her destination. 'Relax…she'll be glad to see you,' she thought, the smile on her face not disappearing in the slightest as the elevator made its way upwards before stopping on the third floor of the building, a trio of nurses stepping into the lift and pressing the button for the floor above her destination as they started chattering about some of the various patients they shared. Tuning out the conversation mentally while keeping an eye on the digital display showing what floor they were on. After what felt like a half hour but was only about a minute, the elevator reached her destination, a tone sounding as the doors opened in front of her.

"Sorry," Chris said as she made her way from the back of the elevator past the nurses in front of her, her words drawing a small smile from the nurses she had shared the ride with before the doors closed behind her, leaving her on the ninth floor in the reception area, the reception desk occupied by a single nurse. 'No surprise there; that briefing took forever,' Chris thought, taking note of the time as she moved to head towards the desk to sign in as the nurse began to speak.

"Ah, Yukine-san. Back to visit her again?" she said, a weary smile on her face as she pointed to the sign in sheet as she let out a yawn. Nodding slightly as she made her way to sign the form in front of her, Chris spoke quietly as the night shift nurses made their way to their first stops of the night.

"Yeah, I am," she said, as she looked towards the room she was going to head to after signing the sheet. Before she could say anything further, the woman at the desk spoke up, a weariness to her voice that showed how long she had been on the clock.

"Well, good luck," the nurse said, even as she stood from her seat and grabbed the jacket hanging on the back of her seat. "As for me, I'm out of here. It's been a LONG day, and if there wasn't anything going on here during the day, it would surprise me. Have fun with your girlfriend, Yukine-san." Leaving the desk for the next nurse to take the seat, she walked off, leaving the Ichaival wielder to her thoughts, the room quiet around her.

"Thanks?" Chris said before she made her way down the nearly empty hallway. Passing by the various hospital rooms, all of which quiet aside from a few where the patient inside had their TV screen on a program, Chris quickly found the room she wanted to get to. Pausing outside the door, she took a deep breath before reaching up and knocking on the mahogany door. Waiting a moment for a response, Chris hesitated briefly outside the door, before a quiet, yet familiar voice could be heard through the door, the voice causing her to feel relieved.

"Come in," the warm voice said, a slight sense of exhaustion held within. At this, Chris opened the door to reveal the awake Hibiki within, the taller girl sitting up in bed with her lower body covered by a sheet as a smile slowly spread across her face and the blinds behind her open to reveal the city skyline lit up illuminating the night sky.

"Baka…" Chris trailed off, before making her way over to where Hibiki sat, a relieved smile on her face as she spoke. Dropping her purse next to the taller girl's bed, she felt her body quiver slightly before she spoke again, voice shaking slightly. "Do you know just how much you worried me? Damnit…Hibiki, you almost died back on Frontier. They had to put you in a similar machine to what they apparently put Tsubasa into when she overdid it with her Zesshou, and even then you were asleep for four days, maybe five. You were so damn reckless back there, after we'd told you not to…" Trailing off, her voice having given out on her as she spoke, she stood next to where the taller girl sat, a sad smile on Hibiki's face as she listened before she reached out and took one of Chris' hands with her own.

"Sorry, Chris," Hibiki began, her voice quiet as she spoke. Before she got another word out of her mouth, the feeling of the shorter girl pulling her into a hug caused her smile to widen, even as she fell backwards onto her pillows on the bed. "I'm sorry I worried you so much." At this, the shorter girl snorted softly before replying, her voice having warmed up slightly.

"You better be, Hibiki. You may be reckless, and you may be an idiot at times, but you're my idiot. I love you so much, and I missed you," she began, relaxing into a comfortable spot with her head resting on Hibiki's shoulder, the taller girl smiling at the comfortable sensation as she wrapped both arms around her girlfriend, wrapping her in a loose hug as they reunited. Moments later, Hibiki spoke once again, her voice quiet, yet reassuring to the Ichaival wielder.

"I know, Chris. I love you too, with all of my heart," she said, as she leaned upwards and stared into the shorter girl's eyes. Taking advantage of the moment, she leaned in, capturing Chris' lips with her own and sending shivers down both of their spines from the electricity they felt, before pulling away, her smile glowing brighter as she did so. "I'm back, Chris."

"Welcome back, Hibiki. Welcome back." Leaning in and kissing Hibiki again, Chris allowed herself to relax, before breaking the kiss and resting her head on her girlfriend's shoulder. Smiling softly and staring towards the window once again, Hibiki smiled, a content feeling washing over her as she enjoyed her girlfriend's presence. Staring out at the city lights, she allowed her thoughts to drift, worry being replaced with hopes for what looked to be a bright future ahead.

End G Final

Author's Postscript:Again, I'd like to apologize to you readers for the lengthy delay. You are part of what makes writing stories like this one so enjoyable, and I appreciate how many of you have read the fic up until now. Things have been crazy on my end as of late; between my getting a new position at work and having been promoted, to going on vacation, to just general craziness, I apologize for making you all wait so long. With that said, next time we get into the Interludes, and there are plenty of things to get into there. So stay tuned, and see you next chapter!-ZBD15