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.

16. G Interlude 1: Wings (Part 1)

Song of the Heart: Redux

Author's Notes: Welcome back to "Song of the Heart: Redux". Today we have the first of a trio of interludes, designed to talk about what takes place between the events of the G arc and the start of GX arc. Some of what takes place here (and in the other two interludes) will play a major role moving forwards in GX arc and beyond, so let's get to it!

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. Also, I'd like to thank both solopy567 and StealthyTanub for being beta readers on this chapter. Let's go.

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-

Interlude 1: Wings (Part 1)

Tachibana Hibiki's Apartment, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Two weeks after Frontier Debriefing

'Today's the day…' Tsubasa thought, staring at the at the city around her friend's apartment, the building shining as the rising sun reflects off of the other buildings. Looking towards where her phone sat, its screen aglow with a specific text message she had received, the bluenette sighed before taking a sip of her tea as the light of the rising sun steadily brightened the room. 'They're supposed to let Hibiki out of the hospital today…' she thought, a determined look coming onto her face as she thought about what she intended to do, eyes drifting towards the letter that her uncle had given her after the debriefing, the folded piece of paper sitting elsewhere on the small table. She was snapped from her thoughts by the sound of her phone ringing, familiar lyrics blasting from it and drawing her attention as she reached over and grabbed it from where it sat.

"Hello?" she began, head turning towards the sliding doors that separated the common area of the apartment from the small porch outside, taking in the sunrise as it illuminated the city. Not even waiting a moment she continued, the brightening sky bringing a small smile to her face. "Ogawa-san, what's going on that has you calling me this early?"

"Tsubasa, I know that it's early, but I figured you'd be up anyways," Ogawa replied, his words causing the bluenette to shake her head in response. 'He knows me far too well…' she thought, before Ogawa's voice brought her back to the conversation. "I know that it's been hectic for you, with your exams and what happened at Frontier. Not to mention how you've been having to effectively play the role of Hibiki's manager with me being occupied elsewhere. But it's the last one that has me calling this morning."

"What's going on? I saw the email from the company about the sales of Hibiki's first single, and the second one is well on its way to being ready to ship." Tsubasa replied, snapping almost immediately into focus and drawing a small laugh from the spymaster in reply. "Don't tell me that there are MORE interview requests coming in; the company released a statement stating that there wouldn't be any interviews."

"No, no, it's not that," he replied, causing her to relax slightly. "Is something bothering you? You seem agitated by something. I was going to ask if you were going to go to the hospital when Hibiki is released later." At this, Tsubasa allowed herself to relax further, sliding back into her seat as he continued to speak. "Still…you seem like you're on edge as of late. Is something wrong?" Pausing for a moment to think about how to respond, Tsubasa spoke up as she turned back towards the letter on the table, her sky blue t-shirt rustling slightly against the fabric of her white pajama pants.

"Ogawa-san, you know me too well," she began, her voice having a sort of teasing tone to it. "Yes, I'm going to be up there when Hibiki gets released, and so will Chris, but I'm sure that you already guessed that much." Drawing a laugh from the older man who had been almost like an older brother figure to her, she continued to speak, drumming her fingers on the table in front of her. "I'm fine. It's just been really busy as of late, but now that the Frontier situation's over with and Fall Semester exams are almost over, it should lighten the load a bit."

"I'll take your word for it. However, if anything's bothering you, you can talk with me about it, or with your uncle as well," Ogawa replied, causing Tsubasa to freeze slightly. Before she could say anything in response he continued, his voice serious. "I'll talk to you later on, but try not to let Hibiki's release from the hospital become too much of a circus. You know that the media will likely be watching, despite both the company's efforts and the efforts I've been making on behalf of the 2nd Division to prevent it from becoming that."

"Understood," Tsubasa replied, her voice turning serious as she thought about what could happen. "I'll see you at the promotions meeting later, Ogawa-san." At this, the call ended, before Tsubasa lowered the phone from her ear and placed it on the table. Letting out a small sigh before looking over at where the suitcase she had brought with her previously sat, she made her way towards the bathroom, her thoughts buzzing about the day ahead. 'Sorry Ogawa-san, but this is something I have to handle myself…' she thought, before beginning to fill the tub, the sound of the running water filling her ears as she tried to will her mind to relax, but remaining unable to fully silence it as one specific thought came to the front of her brain. Clenching her fists tightly at the thought, she let out a single word, the sound of her voice drowned out by the running water.

Tokyo, Lydian Music Academy

"Have a great holiday season, Yukine-san," the teacher said quietly as Chris handed in her exam, a small stack of completed tests sitting on the desk. At her teacher's words Chris nodded slightly before heading towards the door out of the classroom, her school messenger bag hanging loosely on her shoulder. Closing the doorway behind her after exiting the classroom, she let out small sigh before making her way down the hallway. Reaching into her bag and grabbing her phone, Chris felt a slight frown spread on her face as she walked with phone in hand, the usual lock screen of her phone greeting her as she turned it on.

'Looks like they haven't cleared her yet. What's taking them so long?' she thought as she made her way towards the door out of the lecture hall, the early winter sunlight peeking through the oaken doors and illuminating the end of the hallway she was in as her thoughts turned towards her girlfriend. Chris had had a difficult time getting to sleep the night before, despite knowing that she had an exam. Finally reaching the double doors and passing through into the early winter air, the sound of her phone's ringtone shook Chris from her thoughts. Looking to see who the caller was, she answered the device, her breath visible in the air.

"Hello?" Chris began, her voice one of the few on campus at the time. Before she could say anything further, the familiar voice of her girlfriend's assistant manager came through the line, causing her to smile slightly as she made her way towards her dorm room.

"Chris, I just got a call from the hospital. Looks like they finally cleared her," Tsubasa began, her voice echoing into the Ichaival wielder's ear. "I know you want to be there when Hibiki gets released, so I figured I should let you know." At this, Chris' smile grew wider, the thought of her girlfriend being released from the hospital reminding her of the plans she had made with the taller girl for that evening as she turned onto the pathway leading to her dorm.

"Thanks, Tsubasa," Chris began as she walked down the stone pathway towards her dorm building. Looking towards the gateway to the school where students were leaving for the holidays, she continued her walk, her school bag swinging in the cool winter air as she made her way towards her dorm building. Opening the door to her destination and stepping inside, the warmer air of the dorm building causing Chris to let out a sigh of relief, she continued, voice quiet amongst the busy hallway as other students headed out for the holidays. "I'm just glad that they said she'll be okay, even though she isn't allowed to really push herself for another month or two."

"That isn't all you're glad about, is it?" Tsubasa teased, causing the younger girl's face to turn as red as a tomato. "Hibiki did say that you two had a date night planned for after she got out of the hospital." At this, Chris couldn't help but smile, her thoughts turning towards her conversation with her girlfriend a few days prior.

"S-s-so what if we do? Tsubasa, every time she and I have tried to go out, something's happened that's interrupted our date. I just…is it really too much to ask for me to want a chance to go out with my girlfriend?" Chris responded, her embarrassment and happiness mixing together as she opened the door to the room she shared with Miku. At this, Tsubasa laughed softly, her tone causing Chris to relax slightly.

"No, it's not too much to ask, Chris. From how Hibiki's acted when you're there, I get the feeling that she feels the same way." Pausing for a minute as a soft rustling sound came through the phone into Chris' ears, Tsubasa continued, her voice taking on a more serious tone. "I'll meet you when you get to the hospital, Chris."

"Yeah. Ja ne." Ending the call and returning her phone to her bag, Chris let out a small sigh before making her way down the hallway and up the stairs. Quickly reaching the room she shared with Miku, she slid her room key into the lock before opening it, the winter sunlight filling the room through the large glass window. Making her way across the room and towards where her dresser sat, Chris allowed her thoughts to drift to her girlfriend, the images causing her smile to grow wider.

'Hibiki…' the Ichaival wielder thought, her mind projecting the images of her girlfriend to the front of her mind. Slipping a crimson hoodie over her shoulders before turning towards the mirror, Chris let out a small sigh, her smile dimming slightly. 'It's about time they let her out. With how injured she was…it feels like it's been a while since she and I have had much of a chance to do anything…' Stopping back by the door to the room she shared with Miku as she put on her shoes, her thoughts continued, only causing her smile to fall even further. 'I should be happy now that Hibiki's getting released from the hospital…but even though I know that none of what happened was my fault, why do I still feel so guilty? Ver's in prison and Solomon's been recovered…but, why do I still feel as if I'm the one to blame?' At this, Chris shook her head before grabbing her bag. Slinging it over her shoulder, she opened the door and stepped through, beginning her trip to Minato ward, as well as to her girlfriend and their mutual future.

Tokyo, Minato, Shirogane Memorial Hospital

"We just finished with Tachibana-san's final tests, Tsubasa-san," the nurse behind the reception desk said as the bluenette nodded, her fingers drumming lightly on the marble counter before she walked towards the nearby elevators. Pressing the button to call the lift to the first floor, Tsubasa waited, her mind drifting away from her current environment as she thought over the issue that had been on her mind for almost two weeks now.

'I still don't get what they are thinking…' she began, her eyes narrowing in frustration at the thought as she stood, arms crossed by the elevator. 'Why does it matter to them that I stepped down from singing in concert? It's not like I've taken myself out of the industry as a whole…' Before she could get too much further lost in thought, the sound of the elevator doors sliding open next to her made her tense up and prepare to move, even as a quartet of nurses filed out of the now vacant device. Stepping inside and pressing the button for the Seventh floor where her protégé's room was, she stood in back silently, allowing herself to fall into thought once again.

'Either way, I've made my decision, no matter what they try to do to change it…' she thought, the elevator music playing quietly around her. Moments later the elevator doors opened, drawing her from her thoughts as she stepped out into the reception area before making her way towards where she knew Hibiki's room to be, the hallway barely occupied as nurses made their way from one room to another. Turning a corner towards where her protégé's room waited, Tsubasa felt a small smile rise onto her face before the sound of a familiar voice caused her to come to a halt, bitterness spreading within her again as Genjurou exited into the hallway.

"Taichou, what's brought you here?" Tsubasa asked, her voice serious as she spoke, drawing Genjurou's attention to her as she made her way down the hallway slowly. Before she could say anything further Genjurou turned to meet her as he closed the door behind him, the door shutting with a soft click that echoed throughout the hallway.

"Tsubasa, I'm here because I wanted to see how my student was doing, as well as to just give her a brief debriefing on the matter of Frontier," Genjurou began, his voice quiet yet serious. Pausing for a moment, he walked down the hallway before meeting her where she stood, he continued, a small smile on his face. "No, she's not in any trouble, and no, it wasn't anything too major. But I'm glad that I ran into you, Tsubasa."

"Why is that, Uncle?" Tsubasa replied, the small hint of venom in her voice being noticeable to the commander of the 2nd division. "There's nothing more to talk about, the elders made that pretty damn clear."

"Because it's clear that it's bothering you, and that's bothering both your father and I," Genjurou said, his voice quiet, yet biting. Looking down the hallway and seeing how empty it was, he continued. "We did everything that we could, Tsubasa. Your father and I tried to convince the elders to reverse their decision, but it didn't matter to them. They had made up their mind that they were going to dismiss you from the clan, and nothing we said could change their minds."

"Just because I decided of my own volition to not perform anymore? That's just dumb taichou, and you know it," Tsubasa replied, her voice sharp. "Why…why does it matter to them what I do? Aren't you and father the next in line to run things?"

"Your father is, not me," Genjurou replied, his voice rising in intensity. "Still, it's not like we didn't try to do what we could to support you with them. They just didn't want to hear it. Your father was even prepared to step down from his role as the next head of the clan, but even with that they refused to change their minds. Tsubasa, we literally tried everything that we could. I'm sorry."

"That doesn't make me feel any better," Tsubasa growled out, her shoulders shaking as she looked away from the commander of the 2nd Division. "It doesn't change the fact that they feel they need to control what I do."

"That's right. However, they are still locked in their belief that to be the most prestigious, one needs to be in the spotlight. That doesn't mean it's right, but that's their beliefs." Pausing as he took note of the bluenette's reaction, he leaned up against the nearby doorframe as he continued to speak. "I know that you're hurt, and that you're angry. Quite frankly, I would be too if I was in your shoes." At Tsubasa's silence he continued, the hallway around them quiet except for the sound of nurses moving to their next patient.

"Tsubasa, look. Even though you aren't going to be legally part of the clan moving forwards, your father and I will do our best to support you regardless, you know that. You have university to look forwards to, plus from everything Ogawa-san's told me, you've been doing a great job as Hibiki's manager in his absence." Before he could continue the conversation, the sound of a phone vibrating grabbed Genjurou's attention. Reaching into his pocket where his phone waited, he checked the screen before speaking again.

"I'm going to have to take this. Tsubasa, you're your own person. Don't let what the elders said and did cause you to do something you'll regret. You're free to be who YOU want to be, not what the elders want you to be. But I won't hold you up any longer; I'm sure that Hibiki is waiting to see you and Chris." At that he patted his niece on the shoulder before walking away and leaving Tsubasa to her lonesome, a thoughtful look on her face despite the smoldering frustration she felt on the inside.

'Free to be who I want to be, huh…' Tsubasa thought, her eyes shut tightly as she stood in silence, her shoulders shaking slightly in frustration. Turning her thoughts to the person she had come to the hospital to visit, she made her way towards the doorway, her mind shifting focus as she stood in front of Hibiki's hospital room, its oaken door shut in front of her. Taking a deep breath and centering herself, Tsubasa knocked on the door, waiting for only a moment before a familiar voice responded.

"Come in." Hibiki said, her voice muffled slightly by the closed door. Opening the doorway in response while trying to put a smile on her face, Tsubasa spoke quietly, her words causing the younger girl to smile as she entered the main part of the room.

"You look like you're impatient about something," Tsubasa began, an amused smile forcing its way to her face. At this, Hibiki looked up from where she sat on the edge of the hospital bed before standing, her orange and white t-shirt fluttering slightly as she did so. "Anxious to get out of here?"

"Yeah," the redhead began, before walking over and giving the older girl a hug. "It's almost been too long that I've been in here as is. I made you guys worry about me for way too long." Stepping back and releasing her mentor from the hug before going over to where a small rolling bag sat, she continued as she grabbed her black and orange jacket off the top of the bag. "Where's Chris? She said that she'd be here." At this, Tsubasa laughed quietly while she shook her head, the reaction causing Hibiki's eyebrow to raise in surprise before a small frown made its way onto her face.

"Don't worry. Your girlfriend's coming. She had one of her semester exams this morning, but when I talked to her, she was getting ready to leave to head here. She shouldn't be too much longer," Tsubasa said as Hibiki let out a breath she had been subconsciously holding before the older girl tried to change the subject. "Did the doctors say anything about what you could or couldn't do?"

"Nothing really out of the ordinary," Hibiki replied, before hanging her head slightly. "They said that the broken ribs are going to take the longest to recover and that I shouldn't push myself all that hard until they're fully healed." Looking towards where the older girl stood and noticing her staring out of the room's window, she paused, before a contemplative look came onto her face. "Hey…did something happen? You look like something's on your mind."

'Here goes…' Tsubasa thought, her body tensing in anticipation before she spoke up, her words filling the quiet hospital room.

"I just had a conversation with Kazanari Taichou on the way in," she began, her words causing a frown to appear on the Gungnir wielder's face. "Before you start thinking that he said something wrong, he didn't. Remember how I asked if I could stay with you for a little while?" At this, Hibiki nodded, her mind racing frantically to try to figure out what could be going on as she sat down on the edge of the bed, her hands unconsciously clenching into fists on the bedsheets. "Well…it may need to be more than just a little while."

"Tsubasa…" Hibiki trailed off, before the older girl continued speaking, the frustration she felt for the situation spilling over into her voice as she continued.

"The elders decided to banish me from the clan, Hibiki. And they did so for what they said was 'turning my back on the clan ideals' and for 'dishonoring the clan name'." Taking a moment to gather herself before any more of her frustration spilled over, she continued, eyes closed tightly as she spoke. "They wanted to determine what I should or shouldn't do. And because I decided that I wanted to protect my fans and others closest to me, they deemed that as my turning my back on them. As such, banishment, effective immediately, despite whatever uncle and father might have said."

At this, Hibiki's eyes widened, her mind racing at the situation. As she tried to create a solution, Tsubasa sighed softly before continuing as she moved to lean against the wall.

"I made my decision, and I'm completely happy that I did so. I just don't understand what they're thinking. I'm not some plaything for them to control." Opening her eyes and looking out of the window at the early winter skyline, she continued, her voice going quiet. "That's why I applied to go to Tokyo U for university, and that's why I'm asking if it would be okay if I roomed with you for a while."

'That explains why she was so quiet that time…' Hibiki thought, her mind drifting back to the first day of training in preparation for their mission to Frontier. Standing up from where she sat and walking over to the older girl, Hibiki wrapped her in a light hug before speaking, her voice neutral despite the smile she wore on her face.

"Tsubasa, of course you can room with me. Although, I kinda figured that something like this was going on." At this, the older girl's eyes widened slightly, before she replied, a mixture of relief and confusion on her face.

"Huh? Why'd you think that?" she said, causing the younger girl to laugh before replying.

"I pay attention," Hibiki began, a teasing tone to her voice. "I'm not the same girl that was trying so hard to live up to Kanade's legacy back then, no matter if my looks say otherwise." At this, Tsubasa laughed softly before the younger girl continued to speak, her voice going quiet. "I didn't know what was going on, but when you came in to training the day Maria joined us, you seemed distracted about something." At this, Tsubasa smiled before nodding and replying, the tension in her body vanishing.

"Well, you've done a great job of paying attention then," she said, causing the younger girl to smile before she continued. "You're right. You're not the same Hibiki who disappeared over two years ago; you've become a lot more…mature. You've more self-assured, more confident in yourself, and you definitely seem like you're smarter than you were back then." Observing the smile on the younger girl's face she continued, even as she stared out the window, the midday sun reflecting off the buildings around the hospital. "You're more protective of those closest to you as well. And all of that's not counting the amount of work you've put in as a singer. So yeah, I'd say you're not the same Hibiki from two years ago, just like how I'm not the same person I was then either."

"Yeah," Hibiki began, even as she turned to look towards the doorway, stepping away from the older girl as she did so. "You've changed as well. You're not just a warrior, and you're not just a singer or someone who just works in the music industry. You're Tsubasa, and that's what matters. If they don't want you as part of their clan, then that's their loss. Don't worry about what they think and keep moving towards the future YOU desire." At this, Tsubasa nodded as she looked out of the window across the room at the early afternoon sky, before the sound of footsteps racing down the hallway caused her to smile in amusement. Moments later Chris appeared just outside the door, an anxious smile on her face as she entered.

"Sorry I'm late," she said, catching her breath as she stopped just inside of the door. "That exam took forever." At this, both Tsubasa and Hibiki couldn't help but let out a laugh as she made her way into the main part of the room, the door closing behind her. Making her way over to where Hibiki stood waiting and giving her a brief hug, she continued, a hopeful tone to her voice. "I'm guessing we can leave now? Tsubasa, please tell me that they don't need her at the studio right away." At this, Tsubasa shook her head, the amused smile she had not leaving her face.

"No, the company doesn't need her there right away. Ogawa-san and Hibiki agreed that it'd be best for her to have a bit more time to recover before resuming work." At this, a dull vibrating sound made its presence known as Tsubasa's smile left her face. Reaching into her jacket's pocket and grabbing her phone before reading who the caller was, she sighed slightly before placing the device back into her jacket's pocket and making her way towards the door, both Chris and Hibiki's eyes following her. "Come on you two, let's get going. The doctors don't need you two making out in the hospital, not when Hibiki's been cleared to leave." Pausing to turn and notice the blush on both girls' faces, she continued before Chris could object, her voice taking on a more serious tone. "Besides, I'm sure that Hibiki's anxious to get out of the hospital." At this, she left the room, leaving the younger couple in the room to themselves, before Hibiki spoke up.

"I guess we should get going then, right Chris?" she said, her voice causing the shorter girl's smile to widen slightly. Shrugging her shoulders into her jacket and grabbing her clothes bag from where it waited, she made her way back to where Chris waited before wrapping her in a hug and continuing to speak, her voice quiet enough to be heard solely by her girlfriend. "I can't wait to get home, and I'm looking forwards to our date later." Wrapping one of Chris' hands in her own as the shorter girl nodded in agreement, the duo walked out of the hospital room together, their minds focusing on the remainder of the day to come and beyond as they hurried to catch up to the older girl.

Tokyo, Chiyoda, Hibiya Park, That Evening

"It's so nice out tonight, even if it IS a little cold," Chris said, her hand in Hibiki's own as they walked towards the fountain after dinner, a light show taking place within its waters. Besides her, Hibiki nodded, a small smile on her face as she stared at the fountain. "I'm just glad that we're finally able to do something like this."

"Yeah," Hibiki said, the smile on her face growing as she turned towards Chris, a sense of calm reflecting in her eyes. "Seems like every time we've tried before, we kept getting interrupted. I'm glad that we haven't been tonight." Wrapping her arms around the shorter girl, she continued, her voice dropping lower to that only Chris could hear her amongst the crowds within the park. "I know that I said it before, but I'm sorry I worried you back at Frontier and for as long as I did afterwards."

"You better be, baka," Chris replied, leaning into the hug of the older girl and resting her head against Hibiki's chest. "I've already lost so much. My parents and my childhood were both taken away. I don't wanna lose you too." At this, Hibiki frowned slightly before speaking once again, her arms rubbing Chris' back reassuringly, the fabric of her black and orange winter jacket rustling as she did so.

"You won't, Chris. I know that what I did was a bit on the reckless side; believe me, I've had that hammered home more than a few times. I'm sorry I worried you so much."

"Good," Chris replied, breaking the hug and staring at her girlfriend with mock-indignation, the blush on her face giving her away. "So what are we doing here? It's not like there's any winter festival like things going on here, even though the fountains are nice." At this, Hibiki shook her head slightly before replying, her voice carrying a lighter tone to it.

"They're supposed to have some sort of holiday lights that start tonight, and I thought it would be fun if we went to see them," she said, her voice causing Chris to blush slightly. "I just thought it would be a good chance to try to apologize for making you worry so much. If you want to go do something else, we can." At this, Chris shook her head before replying, her smile returning to her face as she moved directly in front of her girlfriend.

"N-n-no, it's fine, baka. This is nice," she began, the blush on her face growing deeper. "I don't think it really matters what we do as long as it's something we do together." At this, Hibiki nodded before leaning down and kissing Chris lightly, a jolt of electricity running down both girls' spines as she pulled away. "…what was that for?" Chris said, a cherry blush adorning her cheeks slightly as the young couple started making their way away from the fountain and towards the main area of the park hand in hand, the lights in the trees glowing bright shades of red, green, and white.

"Because I agree with what you said," Hibiki replied, her voice causing Chris' smile to return as they made their way further down the pathway they had started on, hands linked together. Stopping for a moment in a wider clearing in the park, the trees surrounding them full of lights as people made their way past them, she continued, her voice going quieter than it had been as she asked the question that had been weighing on her mind since earlier that evening. "Chris, are you sure that you're okay with Tsubasa staying with me for a while longer, even though Maria's moved out? If you're not, it's fine."

"I said it earlier when we were at dinner, Hibiki," Chris replied, her voice becoming more serious as she spoke. Making her way to a nearby bench and taking a seat, she continued, legs swinging in the cool evening air as she looked at the lights surrounding the area. "It's fine. It sounds like she's in a bit of a rough spot, so I'm okay with it." Pausing for a moment as her girlfriend sat down next to her, she leaned her head onto Hibiki's shoulder, her eyes not leaving the lights around them. "Besides, it's something that you want to do. I'd feel weird if I didn't try to support that." At this, Hibiki nodded before standing up from the bench, her winter jacket barely moving as she stepped away from the bench.

"Let's go," Hibiki began, her voice trailing off as she turned back towards where her girlfriend sat, a confused look on the shorter girl's face. Walking over and taking her girlfriend's hand in her own before she stood from her seat, Hibiki continued, her eyes locking onto the shorter girl's own. "There's still more of the lights to see, and there's no one else I'd rather see them with."

"Sounds good," Chris replied as she blushed, her eyes not leaving Hibiki's own as they started to walk, subconsciously moving next to her and leaning against her as they made their way down the pathway, the brilliant holiday lights glowing around them as they went, hand in hand. Moving along at their own pace as they took in the lights, the duo soon made it to a smaller clearing just off the main path as Chris spoke up once again, her eyes not leaving the lights in front of her.

"Hey, Hibiki?" she started, drawing her girlfriend's attention from where she was looking at the lights. "These lights are amazing. This was a really great idea." At this, Hibiki smiled, squeezing Chris' hand lightly before replying.

"Thanks, Chris," she said, before wrapping her arms around Chris' waist and hugging her lightly against herself, the contact causing Chris to blush as she continued. "But to be honest, these aren't the best part of the night for me."

"Then what has been?" Chris replied, her eyebrow raising slightly in confusion.

"Spending it with you," Hibiki replied, her words bringing a smile to the Ichaival wielder's face. "You're the most important person in my life. I know I've said it before, but it's true." At this, she leaned in closer, her fingers tracing circles around Chris' lower back and sending pleasant shivers down her spine.

"Hibiki…" Chris said, her voice a low whisper. Wrapping her arms around her girlfriend's neck, she continued, even as she leaned her head against the taller girl's shoulder. "Baka, I know. And I feel the same way." Pausing to lift her head from its resting place on Hibiki's shoulder, she continued, her voice remaining a whisper that only Hibiki could hear as her eyes stared into her girlfriend's own. "I love you, Hibiki."

"I love you too, Chris," Hibiki replied, her thoughts drifting away from her as she leaned in and captured her girlfriend's lips with her own, the glow of the lights above them only adding to the mood. Moments later they separated, warm smiles plastered on both girls' faces as they turned to look at the lights hanging off the tree overhead. Relaxing further in the embrace, Chris rested her head on Hibiki's chest and shoulder, both girls savoring the moment in silence as the crowds of people in attendance made their way past.

"Hey, Hibiki," Chris said, her voice interrupting the comfortable silence a short while later and drawing the taller girl's attention to her. "Can we go back to your place? I'm getting a bit cold." At this, Hibiki smiled softly before nodding and replying, her voice quiet as she spoke.

"Was thinking that myself, actually," Hibiki said, causing the shorter girl to blush slightly as they started to make their way out of the park, both girls casting furtive looks at the other as they walked, hands entwined.

-SotHR-

"Those lights were amazing, but I'm glad to be out of the cold," Chris said as she walked into the kitchen of Hibiki's apartment that she would be sharing with Tsubasa, setting her purse on the small table inside of the kitchen before stretching her arms over her head, the crimson hoodie she wore rustling silently with her motion. Entering the room quickly behind her Hibiki nodded before replying, her voice quiet as she spoke.

"Yeah, they were," the Gungnir wielder said, her winter jacket having been hung up previously as she entered the kitchen. "Want anything to drink?"

"Water's fine," Chris replied, moving over to the window and staring out at the city lights as they glowed in the darkness of the night. Staring silently outside as her girlfriend poured a pair of glasses of water, her thoughts reflected on the evening, eventually settling on the moments they shared under the tree lights. 'That moment was special...' she thought among other things, a blush appearing on her face as she continued to peer outside. Setting the water glasses down on the table and making her way over to where Chris stood, Hibiki spoke up, her voice quiet as she joined her girlfriend.

"Water's ready," she began, her words failing to shake Chris free from her thoughts. Turning to look at her girlfriend as she stood beside her, Hibiki continued, a slight tone of worry entering her voice at the silence in the room. "Chris? You okay?"

"Y-y-yeah," Chris replied, the surprise in her voice evident. Taking a moment to gather herself, she continued, her eyes narrowing slightly in feigned annoyance before relaxing. "Was just thinking about how special tonight's been."

"It definitely has been," the taller girl replied, her voice softening slightly as she wrapped her arms around the shorter girl and held her loosely. Pausing for a moment to consider her words, she continued, the glow of the city lights shining through the windows in the background. "But I think that what's made it so special is that it's time we spent together."

"Hibiki…" Chris whispered out, her heart beating faster at her girlfriend's words. "That means a lot to me, you know." At this she paused, the taller girl nodding in response as the Ichaival wielder looked back out of the window, her thoughts racing as she continued. "You make me feel so special. Not even she did that…" At this, Chris trailed off as she leaned in closer to her girlfriend, stopping herself just inches away from Hibiki's face briefly before continuing, a slightly teasing tone in her voice. "Tonight's been amazing. I don't want it to end, but next time I pick where we go, baka." At this, Hibiki laughed softly, the warmth in her voice causing Chris to look up slightly as the redhead replied.

"Fine with me, but you make me feel special too you know…" Hibiki trailed off, closing the distance between them slowly before capturing her girlfriend's lips in a kiss, fireworks shooting off inside of both girls' bodies at the sensation. Pressing slightly for control as her eyes drifted shut, she ran her tongue across Chis' lips, asking permission to enter as she pulled the shorter girl closer to herself, her hands wrapped around Chris' lower back as her surroundings seemed to fall away from her. Gasping slightly, Chris opened her lips slightly, her tongue meeting the taller girl's and dancing briefly with it before moving to explore her mouth, a muffled moan escaping her at the feeling as her own arms slid up around Hibiki's shoulders and neck, the couple continuing to duel for control of the kiss, their quiet moans echoing throughout the kitchen. Breaking away Hibiki continued, her voice low as amber eyes met violet. "I'm right where I want to be right now…with who I want to be here with." At this, Chris blushed softly before replying, a small shiver running down her spine as she felt the taller girl's hands resting on her waist.

"You don't need to tell me, idiot," she began, before resting her head up against her girlfriend's shoulder, the taller girl's arms wrapping around her waist loosely. "I know that." At this, the duo fell silent as they stood in the light of the kitchen, her mind drifting away as she enjoyed the moment. 'This is so much different from then…' she thought, her mind drifting towards how Finé had treated her and comparing it to her current relationship, a frown forming on her face at the thought. 'Even though I did everything for her…she used me and threw me away, just like every other adult I'd known in my life up until then, aside from a couple others…' she thought, her mind involuntarily flashing back to some of what she had gone through and causing her to shiver. 'I did everything she asked of me…and she threw me away anyways…'

"Chris?" Hibiki asked, her voice causing the shorter girl to snap out of her thoughts, the Gungnir wielder's concerned eyes locking onto Chris' own. "Everything okay?" At this, the shorter girl nodded slightly before replying, her voice coming out in a low whisper.

"Yeah…" she trailed off, before closing the distance between the two of them once again, claiming the taller girl's lips in a brief kiss before pulling away slightly. "Just have something on my mind, that's all." At this, Hibiki frowned slightly, her mind racing to try to figure out what could be on her girlfriend's mind as the duo stood there, the taller girl's back resting against the wall as Chris rested her head on her chest before the Gungnir wielder spoke up, her voice quiet and barely audible.

"I'll take your word for it," she began, before a small yawn escaped her, causing Chris to laugh softly. "Still, you can tell me anything. I'll always support you, you know that." At this, the shorter girl nodded, the images that had popped up previously returning to the front of her mind as she slowly lifted her head, closing the distance between herself and her girlfriend.

"I know, but this isn't anything that you need to worry about. Just…some bad memories," Chris replied, her voice quiet before capturing the taller girl's lips with her own once more, only to reluctantly pull away moments later, a small yawn escaping her mouth and causing her to blush slightly as Hibiki smiled softly.

"Looks like we're both a bit tired, aren't we?" Hibiki whispered, earning an embarrassed glare from Chris in response. "It's okay, Chris. Still…if you're tired, then maybe we should get to sleep." Pushing away from the wall and releasing Chris from the hug, she turned, a look in her eyes that Chris couldn't help but find inviting. "You don't have to go back to the dorms tonight, do you?"

"No, I don't," Chris replied, making her way over to the table where their glasses of water sat, almost forgotten. Taking a large gulp of water from her glass before setting it back down on the table, she continued, an amused smile on her face as she spoke. "Are you trying to suggest something, baka?" At this, she slowly sauntered her way over to where her girlfriend stood waiting, her amusement growing as Hibiki's eyes widened slightly. "Hibiki, if you're trying to do so, it's fine…" she trailed off, her voice dropping lower as she made her way over to where her girlfriend stood, an amused smile of her own gracing her face as she spoke.

"I wasn't going to go there, but I was going to ask if you wanted to stay over," the redhead replied, her words catching her girlfriend's attention as she got to where Hibiki stood waiting, the short hallway to where Hibiki's room awaited visible out of the corner of Chris' eye. "Maybe finish that one show you suggested we watch before we went to Frontier…" she trailed off, her mind and voice seeming to fail her as she took in the sight of how the light filtering into the room from the window captured Chris in its glow.

"That sounds like a decent idea," Chris replied, closing the distance between the two girls as she stood just across from her girlfriend, a small blush on her face as she looked into the taller girl's orbs once again. "Hibiki, you okay?" she asked, her words snapping her girlfriend out of her stupor and causing the taller girl's smile to return to her face.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking about how beautiful you look tonight," the taller girl began, slipping her fingers in between Chris' own and giving her hand an assuring squeeze before continuing. "Tonight's been amazing so far, Chris. And to be honest, I'm looking forwards to our next date…" she trailed off, her voice dropping lower as she stared into her girlfriend's violet orbs. "But before I worry about tomorrow or our next date, I want to enjoy the rest of tonight with you." she trailed off once more, even as she closed the distance between them slightly, her eyes never leaving Chris' own.

"Hibiki..." Chris trailed off, her cheeks a cherry red at her girlfriend's words. "Thanks. And I agree, tonight's been amazing. It almost feels like something out of a dream, for us to not have had anything interrupt our date." At this, Chris let her smile broaden slightly as she closed the gap between herself and her girlfriend, her face resting mere inches from her girlfriend's own. "As good as that show sounds and as much as I know we enjoyed what we saw, I'm sure we can think of something else we could do…" she trailed off, voice gaining a bit of a teasing tone as she spoke, a welcoming look flashing in Hibiki's eyes briefly before she replied.

"I bet we could..." Hibiki replied, voice a husky whisper tinged with desire before she closed the final distance between the two, stopping to hover just inches from Chris just briefly before planting her lips on the shorter girl's own, the contact between the two girls sending sparks shooting down her spine and stirring a fire within her as she gently sucked on her girlfriend's lower lip, the action causing Chris to let out a quiet groan. Releasing her girlfriend's hand from her own, Hibiki deepened the kiss slightly, her tongue running across Chris' lips and requesting access, gaining it quickly as their tongues danced for dominance, the fire within her stomach starting to spread throughout her body.

Taking a moment to break the kiss, Chris made a move of her own, her hands wrapping around Hibiki's waist and pulling her closer as she resumed their kiss, a quiet moan filling the air as she went on the offensive, her tongue darting into her girlfriend's mouth and engaging itself once again with Hibiki's tongue. Sliding her hands up the front of the taller girl's sky blue blouse she pressed even closer, an inferno seemingly building within her as they made their way down the hallway towards where the room awaited before Hibiki broke the kiss again, a slight mewl of disappointment escaping her throat at Hibiki's action before she felt her breath catch in her throat as she felt Hibiki slowly start kissing her way up her jawline and towards her ear only to suck gently on Chris' earlobe for a moment, the feeling sending shivers down her spine. 'You're not…the only one…who can do this…' Chris thought, barely managing to keep her thoughts coherent before Hibiki pulled away, returning to and recapturing her girlfriend's lips with her own once again, the young couple finally making it to Hibiki's room as the taller girl broke their kiss once more, tracing gentle kisses back down Chris' jawline and towards the side of her neck, her body pressing Chris' own against the wall of her room in the process.

"Hibiki, what are you-" Chris whispered, her voice clearly laced with desire before she was cut off, the kisses that Hibiki planted on her jawline descending down her neck, making her let out a quiet groan of passion. At this, Hibiki smiled before continuing to kiss her girlfriends newly discovered weak spot, each kiss tracing closer to where Chris' hoodie blocked anything more, her hands slowly sliding up her girlfriend's stomach where the zipper of the hoodie waited before tugging at it almost impatiently.

Rewarding her efforts, the zipper came apart almost effortlessly as the redhead kissed her way further down Chris' neck while sliding the hoodie off her girlfriend's shoulders, stopping at the base of her neck before placing repeated kisses along her neckline, each kiss only further stoking the fires spreading within both girls. 'She's so…GOOD…' Chris thought, thoughts wiped away as her girlfriend made her way back to where her neck met her shoulder and sucking gently, waves of pleasure spreading throughout Chris body at the movement. 'So different from then…from what she did…' she barely managed to think, her mind rocked by the sensations she was feeling. However, at the thought of what she had been through, she shivered briefly, the images of what Finé had forced her to do coming back to her full force as her eyes widened slightly despite Chris' best efforts.

'Why now…' Chris thought, her heartrate picking up as a memory of herself strapped to a wall flashed through her mind, body tensing slightly at the thought from the fully relaxed state she had been in moments earlier. 'Damnit…if she found out…what would she think…' she thought, the image of Fine's torment filling her brain and almost forcing her to freeze in place as she tried to will the mental movie away.

The memory reached the point where the woman she had worked with took her torment in a whole new direction from prior attempts, the memory causing Chris' skin to crawl alongside the words that Finé had told her at the time. '"No one will want you…no one loves you…" Those were her words…' Chris thought, sounds and images of that night starting to overwhelm the feelings her girlfriend was causing her to feel. 'Hibiki's not like that…she's not…'

"No…" Chris whispered out, her whisper making Hibiki to stop sucking on Chris' neck and pull away, a level of concern coming across her face. Before she could say anything Chris pushed her backwards, a look of shame on her face as she quickly pulled her hoodie together without zipping it, hiding her black bra from view once again as Hibiki spoke up, a concerned look in her eyes as she made her way towards where Chris stood in silence, mind drowning in what had happened before as she stood, shoulders quivering as she attempted to force herself to relax.

"Chris, are you okay?" she began, the concern she was feeling evident in her speech as the fires that had been sparked within her died down and were replaced by a knot that formed within her stomach, the dread that it caused spreading rapidly. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that…" Before she could say anything further, the sound of her ringtone filled the air, its warm, inviting tones causing her to pause before moving towards the doorway, a regretful look in her eyes. "I should take this. I'll be right back, okay?" she said, her voice trailing off before moving out of the room, leaving Chris to herself and to her thoughts.

"Damnit! Why did I have to remember that now?" Chris growled out, her sadness giving way to frustration as she spoke. Clenching one hand into a fist, she punched the wall beside her, the dull pain she felt afterwards echoing the pain she felt inside at her reaction. "Tonight was going so well, too. And then I had to remember that night. Damnit…now Hibiki thinks that she screwed up, when I was the one who suggested going further in the first place." At this, she laughed softly, attempting to keep her voice low enough that she wouldn't interrupt her girlfriend's phone call. "Way to screw it up, Chris…" she trailed off, a bitterness entering her voice at the thought as she fell into a tense silence before Hibiki reentered the room moments later, a concerned look on her face.

"Sorry about that," she said, drawing her girlfriend's attention to herself as she walked in, a glass of water in hand. Giving the glass to the shorter girl, she stood in silence, waiting patiently as her girlfriend took a sip before continuing. "Chris, I'm sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have pushed you to go that far, not if you're not ready for that." At this, Chris sighed before replying, a small frown on her face as she set the glass of water down on top of the nearby nightstand.

"Baka…" she began, voice soft as she wrapped her girlfriend in a hug, resting her head on her shoulder. "Don't be an idiot. I thought I was ready to go a little further. I just…had some bad memories come to mind, that's all." At this, Hibiki's eyes widened slightly, the concerned look on her face growing slightly at the possible implications before she replied.

"Okay," she began, her words causing the shorter girl to smile softly. "I'll take your word for it, Chris. Still…you can tell me anything, you know? That didn't seem like it was just bad memories to me." At this, she fell silent, allowing her words to sink in before Chris replied, her voice shaking softly.

"I know," she said, voice gaining a bit of an edge as she spoke. Turning towards the nearby window and staring out of it, she continued, eyes narrowing slightly in frustration as Finé's words came into mind once again. "It's just that the last time I trusted someone like I trust you…" trailing off, she shut her eyes, a pained expression appearing on her face as the implied ending of her statement didn't go over her girlfriend's head.

"Chris…" Hibiki said, the sound of her voice causing her girlfriend to look up, a sad smile on the taller girl's face as she spoke. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." At this, her girlfriend smiled softly before shaking her head. Taking a deep breath, she replied, her voice lowering slightly as she did so.

"No, Hibiki. I love you, and this is something I think you deserve to know," Chris said, her words causing Hibiki's saddened smile to shrink a little bit, soon to be replaced by a concerned frown on her face as the Ichaival wielder moved to sit on the edge of Hibiki's bed. Taking a moment to allow for Hibiki to sit down beside her, she continued, voice quiet as she thought back.

"Before I met you and the others, I thought that only one person on the planet understood me. Ever since my parents died, I had been treated like shit by various groups, who sold me from one person to another for their own various purposes. Even when I said no and begged for them to stop, they never did, always treating me like I was a possession, not an actual human being. So when I met Finé, I thought that she was different from all of them, even after she kidnapped me." Taking note of the taller girl's reaction and squeezing her hand gently, she continued, voice steady.

"Everything seemed like it was fine at first. I've always wanted to put a stop to war and the suffering it caused after what happened to my parents, and she seemed as though she wanted the same thing. Funny how that works, isn't it?" At this, she laughed softly, a bitterness in her voice that caused Hibiki's eyes to narrow slightly. "She made a lot of promises to me. Said a lot of things about how what she was planning would accomplish what I wanted to do. So when she had me sing and activate Solomon, I thought that doing so would help bring all the fighting to an end."

"Eventually though, things seemed to change. After I used my relic for the first time, every time I did something that Finé deemed to be wrong she started to…lash out. She treated me just like all the other adults had. And just like back then, even when I said stop, and said no…she kept going." At this, Chris' eyes fell, despite a hint of anger entering her voice. "As much as I hated her for what she was doing, at the same time she had given me something no one else had since my parents; a home, and a sense of belonging. But then the beatings stopped…only to be replaced by something else." At this, Hibiki's eyes widened, something that didn't go unnoticed by Chris, who quickly squeezed the taller girl's hand once again before continuing, noticing how tense her girlfriend had become.

"She told me once that no one will love me, and that no one will want me, not after that." Chris said, her voice losing volume slightly as she spoke. Glancing over towards where Hibiki sat, she continued, her voice cracking slightly, even despite the smile she forced onto her face. "The worst part is, I used to believe that she was right. That if someone found out about what she did to me, that no one would want me."

"Chris…" Hibiki whispered, her voice low, but with a certain warmth to it as she wrapped her arms around her girlfriend's shoulders loosely, both girls relaxing at the contact. "Do you still believe that now?" At this, the snow-haired girl shook her head no before replying, her voice quiet yet concerned, even taking note of the somewhat worried look on Hibiki's face.

"No, I don't," she replied, her words causing both girls to smile softly before she continued. "Still…sometimes I wonder if I really don't believe it. When we were doing that earlier, you were amazing." At this, she paused, noticing the blush on her girlfriend's face, the heat rising to her own face in response. "But yet I couldn't help but think about what happened some nights, when Finé did…that to me. And then I thought about those words and I froze…" Pausing for a minute to gather herself, she continued, frustration coming back to her instantly. "I hate her. Even though she's been dead and gone for two years, she's still fucking with my life. Damnit…" she whispered, her anger bubbling to the surface.

"Chris…" Hibiki whispered, her voice quiet but yet loud enough to draw the shorter girl's attention as she wrapped her into a tighter hug than previously, the shorter girl's head resting against her shoulder as she spoke up again, voice soft. "It doesn't matter what Finé said. You've made friends and have people who care about you." At this, she paused, allowing her words to sink in as she smiled softly, a warmth entering her eyes as Chris looked up, orange meeting violet. "And she was wrong because I love you for everything about you, regardless of what happened in the past."

"Hibiki…" Chris replied, voice quiet as she leaned in and kissed her before breaking away after a few seconds. Her smile widening slightly, she continued, a happiness entering her tone as it swelled up within her. "Thanks…for being you. I love you too, Hibiki." At this, she kissed her again, the duo losing themselves in each other and falling backwards onto the bed before they broke the kiss, smiles written on both girls' faces. Moments later, Hibiki let out another small yawn, the sight of which only caused Chris' smile to grow wider still before she responded in kind.

"I know we were going to relax and watch that show, but you know what?" Hibiki whispered, her eyes locked onto her girlfriend's own as her fingers remained intertwined with Chris' own. Pulling her closely and wrapping her arms around the shorter girl, she smiled softly before kissing the Ichaival wielder once again. "It can wait for another time. Right now, I just wanna be here in this moment. Just you and I."

"Hibiki…" Chris replied, her voice quiet, even as she snuggled up against the taller girl's body. "That's fine with me, baka. And I wouldn't have tonight any other way."

-SotHR-

'It's quiet here, and that's so much different from what you would expect…' Tsubasa thought as she entered the apartment, a deep blue duffel bag resting on her left arm as she closed the door behind her. Hearing the sound of the lock clicking softly into place behind her and setting her bag down on the hardwood floor, she made her way into the common area of the apartment she would now be sharing with Hibiki, a small smile on her face as she walked. 'This is home now…' she thought, the idea causing her mind to drift back to her conversation with her Genjurou from earlier, even as she stood in the middle of the common area.

"Tadaima…" she whispered, her eyes searching the common area for where she knew the futon she had been using was stored. Finally noticing its location on the bottom shelf of the nearby closet, she moved to retrieve it before pausing and noticing the open door to Hibiki's room, a dim lighting within itself yet revealing the warmth of the room within, as well as an image that couldn't help but cause her smile to grow as she made her way to the doorway.

"They look so peaceful together," she said, her eyes taking in the sight of Hibiki and Chris snuggled up with one another, Chris' back to Hibiki as they slept under the comforter. Pausing for a moment, she turned to get her futon out of its storage space before continuing to speak, her voice low enough that it wouldn't risk waking either girl. "Sleep well, you two… and keep each other close, no matter what."

-SotHR-

"Nnngh…five more minutes, Hibiki…" Chris groaned as she slowly stirred from her sleep, the blanket she was under light in weight yet surprisingly warm. But even as she stirred, something felt slightly off as the memories of the previous night came back to her, causing her to smile softly. 'Last night was amazing…between the date and everything else…' she thought, her thoughts trailing off at the memory of her conversation with the taller girl before she laughed softly. 'I love her so, so much…' she thought, before turning over onto her other side, only for the sight she came across to cause her eyes to widen. 'What the…where'd she go…' she thought, before sitting up quickly, the blanket clinging to her loosely.

"She didn't just leave, did she?" Chris whispered to herself, before shaking her head and untangling herself from the blanket, the pajama pants and t-shirt she had borrowed from her girlfriend fitting her frame snugly, but not uncomfortably. "She probably went to do something early. Why she didn't wake me up enough to let me know is beyond me though…" Letting out a large yawn before stretching, the t-shirt she had borrowed rising up just above her bellybutton at the action, she slowly made her way towards the common area, the soft sounds of her footsteps barely resounding throughout the small apartment.

"Good morning, Chris," Tsubasa said, an amused smile on her face as she sat at the small table in the common room, a small plate of toast in front of her. In response, Chris turned her head to stare at the older girl, a glare crossing her features as she made her way over to the table. "Did you have a good night's sleep?" Nodding in response, Chris turned a concerned look back towards Hibiki's bedroom before moving to join the older girl at the table.

"Yeah, it was nice…" Chris trailed off, her memory of how she had fallen asleep with Hibiki's arms wrapped around her causing her to smile briefly before she let out a small yawn. "Have you seen Hibiki this morning?" At this, Tsubasa smiled softly before shaking her head, the older girl taking a small sip from her glass of tea that had been sitting in front of her before replying.

"Briefly, but she did leave a small note." Picking up the small sheet of paper from where it rested next to the plate of toast, she handed it to Chris before taking another piece of what appeared to be her breakfast, her eyes looking in the younger girl's direction as she began to read the note left by the Gungnir wielder.

"That idiot…" Chris trailed off, eyes narrowing as she read over the note. "She could have woken me up." At this, Tsubasa sighed, shaking her head slightly as she placed the piece of toast onto the plate in front of her.

"She seemed like she had something on her mind," the older girl said, her eyes focusing on the letter that Chris held in her hands. Taking a moment to finish the piece of toast she had in front of her, Tsubasa stood from the table before making her way over towards the door, Chris following her movements before speaking once again.

"Where are you going, Tsubasa-san?" Stopping and turning back to look at the younger girl, Tsubasa replied, an amused look on her face as she grabbed her jacket from its hangar by the doorway.

"I'm going to go make sure that that 'idiot' of a girlfriend of yours, as you call her, doesn't overdo it," Tsubasa said, her reply matter of fact despite the look on her face. Turning and shrugging the jacket onto her shoulders, she moved to exit the apartment, the amused smile she wore hidden from Chris' view. "Chris, you don't have to come along if you don't want to, but I'm sure that Hibiki wouldn't mind if you did."

"Wh-what? Jeez, give me a minute," Chris replied, blushing with her eyes widening in panic before she raced away from the dining table, her reaction garnering an amused laugh from the older girl. Moments later she returned to the common area, crimson hoodie in her arms, her face still flustered as she made her way over to where the older girl stood, the duo exiting out the door and into the cool hallway beyond.

-SotHR-

"Finé…" Hibiki muttered, body flowing on autopilot through a kata while her mind reflected on what Chris had told her the previous night. Launching a punch out towards what would have been the priestess' face, she quickly spun, lashing out into a spin kick that smacked against her imaginary opponent's head. Striding forwards, she proceeded with the form, fists lashing out three times, all of which striking the imagined midsection of the former priestess before stepping backwards, her left arm stretched in front of herself before lashing forwards once again with her right arm, her fist burying itself into her phantom opponent's chest as she came to a stop, her kata coming to an end while the door to the gym closed quietly behind Chris and Tsubasa as they entered.

'She's so…' Chris thought to herself, eyes locked onto where her girlfriend stood, seemingly lost in thought. Taking in the sight of Hibiki's body mid-workout, she found herself in a trance as her mind committed every little detail to memory, the room growing to feel downright heated. 'She's…absolutely amazing…' she finally managed to think, her mind falling into a similar haze to what she had been falling into the night before. She quickly found her eyes tracking everything, from how the black yoga pants Hibiki was wearing clung to her legs and emphasized her seemingly perfect butt, to how her arms were toned but not too overly bulky, to the way that sweat soaked the tight tank top she wore, accentuating her breasts perfectly.

"Beautiful…" she barely managed to gasp out, her voice filling up more and more with desire every second as her eyes continued to roam freely, taking in everything. Whether it was the way that her girlfriend's face was slightly tinged pink from exertion to how the sweat caused her hair to stick slightly to her forehead accentuating her eyes, or even to the way that the way she moved caused her body to seemingly shine, a thin layer of sweat on exposed areas, Chris could feel herself losing herself in desire, something that didn't go unnoticed as Tsubasa nudged her in the side with her elbow.

"Chris, you're staring," the bluenette whispered, snapping Chris out of her trance and earning a glare in her direction from the blushing girl, causing her to chuckle quietly. Still, while what went on with the younger girl was amusing, Tsubasa's mind was more focused on what Hibiki had whispered as they had entered. 'Why would she mention Finé?' she thought, eyes narrowed in thought, subconsciously analyzing the younger girl's stances as she flowed through another kata at a high pace. 'What happened?' At this, Hibiki spoke up, her voice showing some of the exertion from her workout as she made her way over, water bottle in hand.

"What are you two doing here?" she asked, a small tint of amusement in her voice. Taking a brief drink from her water bottle, she continued, a small smile emerging onto her face. "I said I was just going to work out in that note, didn't I? You didn't need to come down and see me."

"Maybe not, but I wanted to make sure you weren't overdoing it again," Tsubasa replied, her words causing the younger girl to blush in embarrassment slightly, her hand reaching up and scratching the back of her head sheepishly. "You know as well as I do that the doctors said to not push too hard while your ribs heal. And that didn't look like it was very light work to me."

"Sorry," Hibiki replied, a downcast tone entering her voice as she spoke. "I just…had something on my mind." Pausing for a moment to take another sip from her water bottle, she continued, her words drawing Chris' attention. "I'm just about finished though."

"Good," Tsubasa replied, an amusement entering her voice as she turned to look at the clock, her eyes widening as she took note of the time. "Just don't push yourself too much harder, will you? I'm going to head out; Ogawa-san and I have a meeting with the company president about your schedule for the next couple weeks." Nodding in reply, Hibiki spoke up, even as Chris moved to join her girlfriend, a concerned look on her face.

"Looks like they want me to get back to work, huh?" At the older bluenette's nod, she continued, her voice showing a bit of excitement. "Sounds good to me, just let me know when." At this, Tsubasa smiled, nodding before exiting, the doorway to the gym closing behind her and leaving Hibiki and Chris alone with one another, small smiles appearing on both girls' faces.

"You could have woken me up you know." Chris began, the small smile on her face growing slightly wider as she wrapped the taller girl in a hug. Shaking her head slightly in response, Hibiki replied, her voice still breathy from her workout as she wrapped her arms around Chris' back, pulling her closely.

"Oh? Sorry about that." she began, a teasing tone entering into her voice. "But seriously, you looked so peaceful that I just didn't want to wake you."

"It would have been fine if you did, Hibiki." Chris replied, a blush spreading across her face in response to her girlfriend's words. "It's not like I would have bitten your head off or something."

"I know. After what we talked about last night, I just didn't want to."

"Hibiki…" Chris replied, her eyes closing as she leaned her head on her girlfriend's shoulder, the smile she wore never leaving her face. "I just said it'd be fine…ugh, baka, fine. I can't win in this one, can I?" At this, Hibiki laughed, her laughter a melodic tone that caused Chris' stomach to float in response.

"Guess not. What's up on your end today?" Hibiki replied, her question not drawing a reply from the Ichaival wielder. "Chris? You there?" she asked, noticing how Chris' eyes had glazed over slightly.

"Hmm?" Chris finally replied, before looking up towards Hibiki's waiting expression. "Only Archery Team practice, but not until later. Why?"

"Just wondering." At this, Hibiki leaned down, capturing her girlfriend's lips in a brief kiss before continuing, breaking her hug and heading towards the exit of the gym. "By the way…liked what you saw earlier?"

"Wh-wh-what?" Chris replied, her face having gone beet red as the images of Hibiki mid-workout returned to the front of her mind, her body heating up immediately at the thought and leaving her seemingly incoherent. After a moment, Hibiki continued, her voice tinged with a hint of amusement as she stopped, turning at the door to look back at where the shorter girl stood.

"Chris…it's okay." Hibiki replied, a bit of a blush coming onto her face as she spoke. "I'm happy you enjoyed it." Walking back over to where Chris stood, her mouth gaping at what the redhead had said, she leaned in, placing a brief kiss onto her girlfriend's lips before pulling away, her arms wrapping around the shorter girl and holding her closely. "Don't push yourself. I love you, Chris."

"B-B-Baka…" Chris trailed off, her blush not fading in the slightest. "Hibiki, that's mean." Sending a glare her girlfriend's way and earning a sheepish laugh in response, she shook her head slightly before continuing, a small smile appearing on her face in the process. "I love you too, Hibiki. Even though you are a baka sometimes." Before anything more could be said, a low grumbling sound was heard, causing Chris to blush in embarrassment.

"Come on, Chris. Let's go; there's a fun place nearby for breakfast." Hibiki said, releasing the shorter girl from the hug before taking her hand, the young couple leaving together with happy smiles on their faces.

Tokyo, Shibuya, Outside Restaurant "Red Clover", 3 days later

"She's late," Chris muttered to herself as she stood near the front door to the restaurant, her smartphone in hand to check the time. Leaning back against the red brick of the exterior, she let out a small sigh, her frustration with her girlfriend's tardiness causing her to frown. "She said she'd be late though…" Trailing off, her thoughts turning to why she was where she was at, Chris found any ounce of frustration fading quickly, an anxious anticipation filling its place.

"Why am I so worried?" she muttered to herself, her crimson sweater rustling gently as she crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes scanning the crowd for any sign of her girlfriend. "It'll be fine. I'm not meeting someone who could kill me. It's just Hibiki's mom…" she trailed off, reflecting back on their conversation from breakfast a few days prior as her eyes continued to scan the crowd around her, before a familiar voice got her attention.

"Sorry we're late," Hibiki said, walking up towards her girlfriend, an apologetic smile on her face. Wrapping Chris in a brief hug, she continued to speak, even as a taller woman made her way through the crowd behind the redhead, her shoulder-length brown hair framing her face similarly to Hibiki's own. "There was a small holdup at the station when mom got here."

"Hibiki, it's fine. At least she made it safely." Chris replied, a nervous smile on her face as the older woman made her way over to join the younger couple, her white dress jacket fluttering slightly in the cool afternoon air. Feeling her girlfriend squeeze her hand reassuringly, Chris turned to say something, only for the taller woman to speak first as she arrived.

"And who is this, Hibiki?" she said, a small tinge of amusement in her voice causing Chris to swallow nervously. Giving Chris' hand one more reassuring squeeze, the redhead replied, her voice optimistic as she spoke.

"Mom, this is Chris. And Chris…this is my mom."

"It's nice to meet you." Chris said, bowing slightly towards the older woman, a nervous blush on her face. Responding with a gentle smile, the older woman spoke up, resting her head on one hand as she spoke.

"It's nice to meet you as well, Chris," she replied, her brown orbs glowing slightly under the mid-afternoon sky. "Let's head inside and get something to eat. We can talk more there."

-SotHR-

"I wish my daughter would have told me that you were this cute, Chris," Hibiki's mom said as they took a seat at their table, her words causing the shorter girl to blush while Hibiki smiled softly. "When Hibiki said that she wanted me to meet someone, I hadn't expected this. How long have you known each other?"

"Mom… you're embarrassing her," Hibiki said, a reassuring smile sent Chris' way. "I've known Chris for a little more than two years." Nodding briefly, the older woman responded, a knowing smile on her face.

"Oh, is that so?" The older woman said, having noticed the brief look her daughter gave the Ichaival wielder. "Ah, there was something you wanted to tell me, wasn't there?" Smiling gently in response, Hibiki responded, her hand reaching under the table and finding her girlfriend's own, their fingers intertwining together.

"Mom...Chris and I are dating," she began, the feeling of Chris' hand squeezing her own giving her some added motivation. "We've been seeing each other for a little under two months now." Taking note of the way her mother's eyes widened briefly before returning to normal, the older woman replying, her voice low enough so that only the trio could hear her.

"I had a feeling that was the case," she said, before taking a brief sip of water from the glass in front of her. Smiling as the younger couple in front of her blushed, she continued, resting her head on one hand as she spoke. "Hibiki, your grandmother and I have had a hunch that you were gay for years now. I'm surprised that you're not seeing Miku-chan though."

At this, Hibiki deflated visibly, something that didn't go unnoticed by Chris or by her mother. Taking a moment to gather herself, Hibiki replied, her voice quiet as a tension emerged in her shoulders.

"It's a long story." she said, looking away from her mother and towards the front of the restaurant before falling silent. Sensing her daughter's discomfort at the subject, Hibiki's mom spoke, her voice showing a level of concern in her response.

"I'm sorry," the brunette replied, her eyes turning towards Chris before she continued to speak. "Are you two...happy together?"

"Yeah," Chris said, her smile returning to her face quickly at the question. "Hibiki makes me happy, even if she does do some stupid things sometimes." Pausing for a moment to allow her words to sink in on the older woman's face, she resumed speaking, her hand squeezing her girlfriend's own. "I love her, miss...er…"

"Oh, I forgot to give you my name, didn't I?" the brunette replied, a sheepish look in her eyes as she spoke. "I'm Tachibana Kasumi, but you can call me Kasumi, Chris." Before the snow-haired girl could reply, she continued, returning her focus to her daughter as she spoke. "And you, Hibiki? Are you happy?"

"Yeah, I am," Hibiki replied, smile not fading as she continued. "Chris is…she means the world to me, mom. I love her so much, and I really feel truly happy when she's happy." Nodding in response, Kasumi smiled softly, taking in the sight of Hibiki and Chris together before replying.

"As long as the two of you are happy together, that's what matters." Taking another sip from her water glass, she continued, her words causing the young couple to look at her in response. "I remember when I first fell in love, and the two of you seem almost...perfect for each other. Much more than it felt like when I fell in love with my first boyfriend."

"Mom…" Hibiki whispered, a relieved sigh escaping her as her words drew an approving smile from the brunette. "Thanks for being so supportive of us." At this, Chris nodded, the nerves she had been feeling previously having all but vanished with Kasumi's approval. "I was worried that you wouldn't approve."

"Hibiki, you're my daughter. As long as the two of you are happy together and love each other, even through any rough patches you might have, I'll support you two, and so will your grandmother." Smiling warmly at the young couple as their waitress made her way over, she continued, opening her menu slightly. "What's most important to me, as your mother, is that you're happy."

-SotHR-

"Okay, enough with the heavy stuff," Kasumi said, their waitress walking away, menus in hand. "Let's make things a bit lighter, shall we?" Taking a moment to notice the younger couple's reactions, she continued, the smile on her face causing Hibiki to feel slightly uneasy. "So Chris, tell me a little about yourself. How did the two of you meet in the first place?" At this, Chris smiled softly before shooting a brief glance her girlfriend's direction as she began speaking.

"Well, Hibiki and I didn't exactly get along too well at first," Chris began, taking a small sip from her own glass of water. "She was just too pushy and overly friendly for me to handle at the time. Things have changed since then, but at the time I couldn't understand her at all." Turning to Hibiki and smiling gently, she continued, her voice gaining a tinge of amusement. "Hell, the first time we met she started introducing herself without me even saying anything, including name, age, height, hobbies, and that she'd never had a boyfriend before in her life." Noticing how the redhead's face had gone as red as her hair from embarrassment, Chris squeezed her hand gently as if to reassure her, before Kasumi's quiet laughter drew her attention.

"That sounds like something Hibiki would have done back then, although it looks like she's grown out of that." Her smile enabling both girls to relax slightly, the brunette continued, an amused look on her face. "What happened after that? I doubt that that was all that happened between you two, was it?" Shaking her head slightly, Chris prepared to reply, although not before turning towards her girlfriend and mouthing "I love you" in her direction.

"I saw her every so often for a little while, but even then, I just couldn't get how she was so...positive towards me all the time. It kinda nagged at me for a while, but she grew on me a little bit. Then Kadingir happened, and…." she trailed off, a small knowing look having appeared on the older woman's face. 'Huh?'

"Chris, it's okay. I know about what happened," she said, her reaction causing Chris' eyes to widen slightly in surprise. "Hibiki's never been the most subtle person in the world, and putting on that armor out of nowhere was when I knew she needed my help." Taking a moment to allow it to sink in, she continued, a tinge of mischief entering her eyes. "So how did you two start going out?"

"Does it really matter?" Hibiki asked, squeezing Chris' hand lightly. Before she could say anything further, Chris replied, her smile not dimming.

"Hibiki, it's fine. It's your mom we're talking to." Pausing for a moment as she stirred the glass of water in front of her, she continued, voice reflecting on how they had gotten together. "Over time, it just happened. I mean..." Noticing the embarrassed blush on Hibiki's face, she smiled slightly before continuing. "Sure, she saved me a couple times...but that's not what did it. We talked a couple times, especially at the Lydian Festival. And as I got to know her a bit better, I just found myself falling for her." Pausing to look over at where Hibiki sat with a small smile on her face, she continued. "When she asked me out afterwards, I accepted, and it's just grown from there."

"Aww…that's so cute," Kasumi replied, the older woman smiling softly. Standing from where she was seated and placing her napkin back onto the table, she continued, a smile on her face as she observed the young couple in front of her. "I'll be right back, you two."

"By the way Chris, I didn't get to say it before," Hibiki said as her mother left earshot. "But I think your singing voice is beautiful, just like you." Blushing at her girlfriend's words, Chris replied, taking note of the warm smile her girlfriend displayed.

"Hibiki...wh-wh-what are you saying that for?" she replied, her smile spreading across her face in response to the taller girl's words. "...Thanks. That means a lot to me." Squeezing the taller girl's hand once again, she continued, her voice low enough that only Hibiki could hear. "I can say the same about you though." Taking note of how Hibiki's face turned bright red, she smiled before settling back in as Hibiki's mom returned to the table, their waitress not following far behind her.

"Did I miss something?" the older woman said, earning a small shake of her daughter's head as a response. Smirking slightly in response, she continued, as their waitress finally made it to them, placing their orders down one by one in front of them. "Well, let's eat. No point in continuing to talk on an empty stomach."

-SotHR-

"Well, we can say that for as much as Hibiki's matured, she at least still has the same appetite she's always had," Kasumi said, taking note of how quickly her daughter had polished off her meal. "But I wasn't expecting the same from you, Chris." Blushing heavily in response, Chris fell silent, a sheepish look on her face before the older woman continued, a knowing smirk on her face. "Just another reason that you two fit each other so well." Pausing for a moment to take another sip from her glass of water, she continued, an amused look coming into her eyes. "It reminds me of the time Hibiki ate some play-doh..."

"Hmm?" Chris said, shaking herself from her embarrassment, a small look of confusion on her face. "Wait, Hibiki ate what?" Besides her, the redhead grew increasingly mortified, a small pleading look on her face.

"Mom...what are you talking about…" she said, a sense of dread overwhelming her as her mother smiled wider, the amusement in her eyes growing. Before she could say anything more, Kasumi spoke up once again, a teasing tone in her voice as she spoke.

"Well Chris, when Hibiki was four, my husband and I got her a set of colored play-doh," she began, the small thud she heard from nearby being her daughter's head meeting her now crossed arms as she hid her face in embarrassment. "You'd be surprised to know that she has a very creative mind. She used to use it to make small little buildings and things like that. But I'm going off track." Taking a moment to gauge her daughter's girlfriend's reaction she continued, more than a tinge of amusement entering her voice. "Anyways, my husband and I came home once to see our daughter holding what looked like a small, half-eaten sandwich in her hands."

"We didn't think too much of it...until we looked nearby and found a few completely empty cans of play-doh nearby, all of which were in the colors of various ingredients." At this she paused, taking note of the shocked reaction on Chris' face as well as her daughter's mortified silence. "We went back to her to take the sandwich from her only to find that it was gone, with our daughter saying that her meal was 'too salty' and 'tasted funny'. She never got another can of play-doh after that."

"Hibiki…ate...play-doh?" Chris said, her shock turning quickly into amusement as she struggled to keep herself from laughing. "That's so…" she said, before breaking out into laughter, her reaction earning herself a smile from her girlfriend's mother as Hibiki continued to hide her face, only looking up to shoot an embarrassed glare her mother's direction.

"Oh, don't glare at me, Hibiki. That story would have come out at some point anyways to whoever you dated. I thought you'd stay hopeless forever, and that you'd never find anyone you were interested in." Kasumi said, her voice taking on a slightly authoritative tone to itself and causing the redhead to frown.

"...You didn't have to tell it in public though. And I've grown up a bit since then, mom," Hibiki replied, her words muffled slightly by her hands. Besides her, Chris settled down before Kasumi replied, her words coming with a soft smile on her face.

"True. However, you're still my daughter, Hibiki. And it's because you're my daughter that I tease you like that. You'll always be my baby girl that ate a sandwich made of play-doh." Smiling softly, she looked at where Chris was sitting, a supportive look on her face as she looked towards where Hibiki sat. "After all, if Chris is going to one day become my daughter-in-law, she'll hear these stories someday." At this, Chris couldn't help but stare, her face turning as red as her sweater as Hibiki was reduced to a silent, staring mess, her face red as a tomato, before Kasumi laughed, the sound of her laughter shaking both girls out of their stupors.

"Mom...Chris and I have been dating for less than two months. Don't you think it's a bit early to be saying that?" Hibiki responded, her face still strawberry red. Before Chris could say anything, Kasumi replied, a small smile on her face.

"Oh, let a mother have her fun, honey. Not every day I get to see you so happy after all." As she spoke their waitress returned to the table, collecting their plates while at the same time placing down the check for their meal in the center. "I'll buy today."

"You sure, mom?" Hibiki replied before the older woman nodded, the Gungnir wielder ceasing her objections almost immediately as Kasumi started to dig through her purse. "Okay...if you say so." Turning to look at Chris, she smiled softly, the Ichaival wielder responding in kind, something that didn't go unnoticed by the oldest woman as she found her wallet within her purse.

'I haven't seen her this happy in a while...' she thought, her mind taking note of the way the young couple acted as she filled in the last info on the merchant's copy of the receipt. Signing off on the receipt and returning it to the check book for their waitress to retrieve, she stood, her black blouse contrasting her suit jacket.

"Should we get going, you two?" Kasumi asked, drawing a nod from the young couple as they stood, the trio heading towards the front of the restaurant. Turning towards the younger couple, the brunette continued, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Well...now that lunch is done, let's go check out some of the sights. It's not every day that I get to come to Tokyo, after all."

-SotHR-

"Have a safe trip, Mom," Hibiki said, hugging Kasumi briefly as they stood on the train station platform, Chris standing beside them. "And tell grandma that I said 'Hi'." Nodding her head, a small smile on her face, the older woman replied, the few bags of souvenirs she had from her day with her daughter set down on the platform beside her as she wrapped her daughter in a hug, Hibiki's white bomber jacket rustling slightly on contact as she returned the hug with her mother.

"You take good care of yourself, Hibiki. I don't want to hear any stories of you overworking yourself or pushing yourself too hard."

"I'll be careful." Laughing slightly, she continued, her voice entering a soft tone. "I love you, mom. Call me when you get home, okay?"

"I love you too, honey. And I'll be sure to do so." At this, Hibiki stepped away, the woman turning her attention towards Chris and stepping over to her. "It's been great meeting you, Chris-chan."

"S-same to you, Kasumi-san." At this, Kasumi pulled her into a brief hug, causing Chris to blush slightly as Hibiki stood watching, a small smile on her face.

"I know this sounds like an obvious request from your girlfriend's mom," the brunette said, her voice taking on a serious tone. "But Chris, please keep the two of you safe. You make her happier than I've seen her in a while, Chris, and if something happened to you, she'd be heartbroken." Eyes widening slightly in response, Chris nodded slightly before replying, her voice shaking slightly as she spoke.

"I will," she said, her voice low enough that only the older woman could hear. Smiling warmly, the older woman spoke once again as she pulled away from the shorter girl.

"Good." Stepping back from the shorter girl and picking up her souvenir bags, she continued, a knowing smirk coming onto her face as she addressed the young couple. "I'm off, you two. Feel free to come visit when you get the chance." Pausing for a moment as she checked to see if the train to her destination had arrived, she continued, her voice gaining a lightheartedness to it. "And I'm not in any hurry to hear about how I have grandchildren, you two."

"Wh-wh-what?" Chris exclaimed, her face going completely red once again at the suggestion. Beside her, Hibiki facepalmed, her own face a fiery red as well. Laughing to herself at the young couple's reaction as her train arrived, Kasumi stepped aboard, the doors closing behind her before the train pulled out of the station, carrying her back towards Chiba.

"So that's my mom," Hibiki said, the young couple walking out of the station and making their way towards the subway station. "Sorry for how much she teased you earlier, Chris." Shaking her head and smiling softly, Chris responded, her voice quiet as she leaned her head on HIbiki's shoulder as they walked.

"It's fine, Hibiki-baka," She said, her smile widening slightly as she spoke. "Sure, she teased us a lot, but…" pausing for a moment to lean up and kiss the taller girl gently, she continued, her head returning to Hibiki's shoulder. "I'm glad that she's okay with us. I was worried that she'd have a problem with us being together." At this, Hibiki smiled before responding, her eyes showing a sense of relief as well.

"Yeah, I was a bit nervous too," she admitted, pausing to give Chris a brief hug as they stood at Shibuya Crossing. "But, she's always been really supportive and always encouraged me to do what I wanted to, so I guess I'm not that surprised."

"Well, that explains some things," Chris said, an amused smirk on her face as she spoke. "I guess all that play-doh you ate must have risen to your head." Letting out a small groan, Hibiki responded, even as she pulled the shorter girl closely.

"Not you too, Chris," she said, before laughing softly and kissing her gently. Pulling away, she continued, a small smile appearing once more on her face. "I love you, Chris."

"I love you too, Hibiki."

Unknown Laboratory, 2nd Division Headquarters, Late That Night

The room was silent, as many who had been aware of its contents expected. For the past few years, the object held within this room had been silent, seemingly never to awaken. Ever since its discovery, the relic held within this room had been under high-level classification, with only a select few individuals knowing of its existence. Even fewer knew just what the relic within the chamber did, especially since the one responsible for its discovery, Sakurai Ryoko, had passed away. There was little reason to believe that this particular night would be any different.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. But as the base sat quiet, its daytime crew having gone home for the evening, no one noticed as the signal of a seemingly unknown relic was detected. The monitor on the wall of the main office of headquarters lit up briefly, only one word listed on it before the screen went dark once again.

And that word was…

"GJALLARHORN"

Author's Postscript: Well, this has been a long time coming, that's for sure. Again, as mentioned up top, I'd like to thank both StealthyTanub and solopy567 for both being amazing beta readers as well as being massive help with getting ideas organized. And this is just the first part of Interlude 1. Next time, we get into what is possibly a more important chapter than anything up until now. I'd like to thank all of you readers, and I look forwards to hearing your feedback. Until then, I'll see you next time!-ZBD15