"What do you mean by "exploration"?"

Leia asked the question with a hand on her hip as she stood across from the commander of S.O.N.G., who had just got comfortable in his new seat. Despite asking the twins to appear earlier in the morning, he was still in the process of waking up, trying to recover from the mountains of legal work he had completed over the past couple of weeks.

It was only the second week after the events between the twins and the Symphogears, but with the lack of threats after the incident with Shem-ha, things had been moving surprisingly fast. Over the first few days, the twins had spent nearly the entire day with S.O.N.G. agents, though the events around that all consisted of either filling out paperwork for themselves or answering questions that the team had, but after Genjuro told them that they'd need to come back early that specific Monday, they had practically no choice but to comply.

As such, the two woke up at the crack of dawn, dragging themselves to a control room within the current S.O.N.G. HQ currently manned by a handful of people. Only two people manned their stations yet, being Aoi and Sakuya, which made them wonder why they were awake so early. Genjuro leaned back, the chair creaking as he crossed his arms with a grunt. "There's a lot about the Custodians that we don't know about and you two prove that."

His words prompted Sakuya to hit a key on his keyboard, the screen before them flashing up and revealing surveillance footage of the Noires' humble abode, but the focus was on the cavern on the side. The gaping hole in the earth eclipsed the lot of land the house was seated on, which made Laya gasp in awe at how large the opening really was. She always saw it from an angle, but seeing it from a "top-down" perspective brought that realization to its size immediately. It was easy to say that the area was more than three times the size of their home, but even that felt like an understatement.

"After the Yggdrasil System fell, you two somehow found something that had been hidden away from them."

The screen flashed with two more images, two that the twins were already familiar with. The first image was of the doors to the Archive that laid within that opening. Just like when they found it, the doors were sealed shut, the black scuff marks at the bottom of the door ever-present. The writing on the door's frames were still unintelligible, at least, to everyone except Laya.

Laya was able to recognize specific symbols and phrases, a set of them being the same as the symbols on the container holding Nidhogg. She hadn't realized it before, but to be fair, they only went down once before everything else happened. Even so, the mention of "a black dragon" on the very doorway of the Archive still brought her some questions.

The other image was a picture of Nidhogg, only the picture portrayed a strange scene. The dragon was standing on all fours, but it had appeared to be bisected from its side and split in two. However, where the dragon was split in two, there was a black haze, the incorporeal form of the dragon forming what resembled black smoke. The shadows that rose from the dragon emitted sparkles, glistening without light to bounce off them, as if they were their own stars radiating their light.

While the two wondered where they got this photo from, Laya was reminded about how she left her Gear converter with the group for a while before they left. There were no comments from Nidhogg about this when they got home, so she assumed everything was fine and that there were no problems.

"Not only that, but you found "life" down there, not just heretical technology, meaning that there's more to this Yggdrasil System than we'd like to believe."

Leia knew this was the case, so the concept of something else being out there wasn't that surprising. However, what was surprising was that they seemingly had more information than S.O.N.G. here. The group was known for gathering information, but the Yggdrasil System was something not a single person on Earth had information on. The people that were the most knowledgeable were the twins, but even then, they had a bare minimum level of understanding strictly from what Nidhogg told them. What's more, that information was strictly about the Archive, not the Yggdrasil System itself.

"He's not wrong, but..."

Nidhogg provided its input, but the only people who could hear it were the twins. It made Laya wonder if Nidhogg did have more information than it led on, since finding it within the Archive could have meant that it had more experience with Yggdrasil over everyone else. However, seeing as how Leia fought to find something to activate Galatine, it was already likely that those questions were already asked. Genjuro continued his speech unimpeded, the only person whose attention had been distracted by Nidhogg's remark being Laya. "And since you two were already investigating it, we figured to just make you two your own team-"

His eyes moved over to the twins, showing a fierce determination like a mentor ready to give an esteemed title to their most trusted comrades.

"The Yggdrasil Exploration Squadron, or Y.E.S. for short."

The name made sense in what it was trying to accomplish, but the convention behind the anagram was something of note to the alchemist. The twins showed both different sides of the spectrum in terms of reactions.

Laya's eyes gleamed in excitement, the prospect of not only being a part of S.O.N.G., but also a brand-new branch made specifically for them, being a part of her wildest dreams. Finally, she could not only fight alongside the idols Tsubasa Kazanari and Maria Cadenzavna Eve on the battlefield, but also fight beside the person she admired just as much as her sister. She nearly leapt out of her shoes, feeling like this turn of events were ripped straight out of some crappy fanfiction. The lollipop in her mouth nearly fell to the floor with how much excitement she had as she pumped her arms into the air.

On the other hand, Leia's eyes narrowed, her attention completely on the name they were given. She thought names for groups were unimportant, as the only part that mattered was if the team got the job done. A name wouldn't influence things as much as most leaders made it out to, as even team morale wouldn't be affected too much just from a simple name. However, because of how inconsequential it was, practically every team in any aspect got a name, since nothing was lost for having one.

While the name itself didn't matter too much, it was the anagram itself that made Leia roll her eyes, her voice now having a clear attitude as she thought to herself, "That corny ass name..."

Seeing the reactions of the two, Genjuro put a smirk on his face. Such animated reactions were one of the things that made him happy to have the cast of S.O.N.G. under him. He had a wide range of personalities among them, so he felt like these two would fit right in. Even with their expressions, it didn't stop him from continuing his debriefing, making sure they were fully aware of their situation.

"We have someone else who can join you whenever she can, but it'll mainly be just you two."

When the existence of a third person being added to their team was acknowledged, it overrode the current attitudes of the twins, though they were still different. Laya's face shifted to one of curiosity, her assumption leading to making her wonder who was being added to their ranks. It couldn't have been any of the Symphogear users, since they were living their own lives, but the way Genjuro made that claim made it sound like this new person would only be in the background rather than the foreground with them.

Leia, on the other hand, had already drawn her own conclusions as to who it would be. If it was someone investigating Yggdrasil's openings, it would need someone who could reliably leave just as easily as they entered. While a few different Adapters fit that bill, that number was already cut in half, but only two were in her mind here. Before Laya could ask any questions about this mysterious individual, the doors behind them slid open, a set of clacks hitting the ears of the twins as they made their way over to the conversation.

"She's a fellow alchemist, so I'm sure you'll get along just fine."

Hearing the door open and the stepping of boots to the flooring, the twins turned around, their eyes being met by a girl in a lab coat whose sleeves were bound by golden armbands. Had they not been there, and the sleeves were unrolled, it would have looked like a child playing doctor, the green overalls and adorable yellow sweater both working towards this theory. "Sorry I'm late," Elfnein apologized, scratching the back of her head after bowing, "Maintenance on the Gears took longer than expected."

While Laya looked clueless, Leia was only proven right with her suspicions. "Carol's successor...?" She had fought against Elfnein, her use of Daur da Bláo making her one of the only two people in her mind that could feasibly follow those criteria. The only other Relics she could think would be able to do that were the Shénshòujìng and Ame no Habakiri, but one was a girl getting ready to head to university, while the other was a world-class idol constantly going on national television and concerts, so if they ever needed to rely on them, it would have been a challenge on everyone involved. But with Elfnein, it was almost perfect.

Seeing how calm her sister was about this new addition, Laya decided not to question it, figuring that any questions that she did have were going to be answered one way or another by either alchemist. However, one question she had made her raise up her hand, calling the attention of the commander.

"But wait, from the way you're talking, you make it sound like you haven't done any investigation on your own," Laya mentioned, causing the room to drop into dead silence. The way she said it, it was almost like she was implying that the Second Division was lazy about this, not getting to it until just now. With how deafening the silence was and all eyes now boring into her head, Laya brought her hands up in defense, waving them off as she tried to clear up any misunderstandings.

Of course, the staff didn't take it that way, but seeing how the girl's face turned from curiosity to sheer terror in a matter of seconds made the two at their stations chuckle a bit. Genjuro wore a grin on his face, waving his hand to signify that they knew she meant no harm, all while affirming her suspicions. "That's because we never got the green light until now," he explained, tapping a key on his keyboard and causing a green document to appear on the screen above them.

The document scrolled quickly, multiple pages flying by before landing on the signature of some higher-up that neither twin had any clue about. The signature was scrawled on the paper, though a name in English was perfectly legible to them.

While the twins did have a mother who was multilingual and learned how to write their names in English, only Leia was able to read English fluently. The very little English Laya knew outside of her name was from reciting songs and media from overseas, Maria's Dark Oblivion being a prime example. However, one of the things she did retain the meaning of was the word "Sis", hearing it online and having it explained to her by Leia. After hearing the explanation, she adopted that term as opposed to the usual imouto or nee-chan that would usually be used as an honorific. However, most other words absolutely went over her head, outside of names.

"You two ended up expediting that process, seeing how all the government officials were scared of an event like this happening again."

Leia understood what this meant quite quickly, stringing these pieces of information together quite quickly as she took note of the name that signed that document: Evelyn Nightingale. While Laya was under the impression that they were there strictly to help, Leia could recognize the undertones from a mile away.

"So, in reality, the reason we're being put into S.O.N.G. is for surveillance."

There was a brief silence in the room as the S.O.N.G. staff nervously shifted in their seats. It wasn't like they were trying to hide it, but considering how friendly they were trying to be, putting it so harshly made them feel a bit more guilty for doing it. Even if this was technically the second time this happened, with the first being with the Receptor Children, it didn't feel good. Genjuro solemnly nodded. It would take much more than a simple observation of the situation to make his composure break. "Yes, sorry that these were the only terms we could come to."

Laya came to his defense almost instantly, seeing as how she was late picking this up, despite being the main one commencing negotiations with S.O.N.G. and their staff.

"It's fine! It's better than being locked up or hunted down! Right, Sis?"

Even if it sounded bad, the two still had freedom, which they did have as opposed to being locked up in a cell. They were able to go home and they were even able to take their Gear converter and Spellcaster back with them without being confiscated, so it wasn't like they were completely locked down. Laya could tell that there were good intentions here, but while she was alright with this, Leia was a bit more apprehensive about being used as lapdogs.

"If you say so."

While a slight bit of hostility entered the air, courtesy of Leia, the adults behind their terminals understood where it came from. They wanted to express how this "surveillance" was only in writing and that they weren't going as far as keep tabs on them at all times, but they felt that any words would reflect as empty platitudes. Genjuro, who was at the head of all of this, knew how this looked, but he figured that actions were much more telling than words. With a wave of his hand that gestured towards Elfnein, he ushered the gaze of the twins to Elfnein, the next person in charge of them. "Elfnein-kun, could you show them to their operation room?"

Elfnein gave a quick nod, showing a smile as she spoke cheerfully, "Of course! It gives me the chance to ask my questions too!"

The small girl seemed a bit too happy to show them around, but with how much research she did on the small dragon, she couldn't help but be excited that a being like that was right here with them. It was something she had never seen before, so that section of her alchemist mind wanted nothing more than to inspect every part of that incorporeal being. Not to mention, having another alchemist on the team was refreshing, as she still had a bit of trouble relating to the Adapters that she worked with, even if they were all close friends. As Elfnein ushered them to follow her through the door she came in through, Laya turned around and waved one final goodbye before they were taken into the custody of Elfnein.

"Thank you, Genjuro-san!"

She put a smile on the man's face, Aoi and Sakuya having the same as the girl's charismatic nature started to grow on them. They were reminded of back when Hibiki first joined, though this girl was a bit more upbeat starting out compared to her. It was like Hibiki was walking on eggshells as the Second Division tried to keep her accommodated back then before she got comfortable. However, with this girl, it seemed like she was just happy to be speaking to someone, no matter the situation.

The door slid open, then closed behind them, the three now strolling down the illuminated hallway as Laya hummed a tune.

The twins had different attitudes after the meeting with the Commander, even if the two of them came into the conversation neutral. Leia understood why they decided to let them join, even if it was a benefit for them. S.O.N.G. wanted someone to do their dirty work and even if the twins did find some sort of information about the Yggdrasil System, all that information would go directly to S.O.N.G. for investigation. That meant that if they did find something that had the ability to activate Galatine, there was no guarantee that she'd get her hands on it.

However, Laya was happily skipping along, her worries gone with the wind as she followed along with the two alchemists. Leia wanted to reprimand her for that, hearing the echo with each jump she took, but she was determined to keep her mouth shut this time. She wasn't hurting anyone with her skipping, so there was no point outside of it annoying Leia.

The thing is, Leia didn't even know why it was annoying her. She could only attribute this annoyance to how she was back then, but she was determined to change, even if it was little by little. However, that sympathy brought about by her past actions would be short-lived as they turned the corner, seeing a familiar face rubbing her eyes in the hallway.

"Oh, it's..."

Elfnein muttered, prompting the girl before them to bring her attention to them. She turned her head up, her energy rising from that previous downtrodden state as she saw the two new recruits.

"Ah, Leia-san! And..."

The twins were surprised to see Hibiki up so early in the day, seeing how she stated that she'd sleep in the night prior before she left with Miku. The other two were expected to be there, since they were told before everyone was dismissed, but Hibiki being there was unprecedented.

Hibiki's sentence lingered as she looked over to Laya, having a bit of a predicament. While the group learned more information about the twins, one of the key things that they realized was that the two practically had the same name, only being differentiated by their English spellings. This was why their mother had them learn how to write their names in English in the first place, though this didn't help with the pronunciation issue. No matter how different they looked on paper, they still sounded exactly the same.

Of course, despite this pause from Hibiki, Laya paid it no mind, putting her hand up in excitement as she declared, "We're here! Sorry it took so long!" Her voice carried throughout the hall, bouncing off the metal walls as Leia's brow scrunched up. Out of instinct, she responded to the cheerful girl in a harsher tone, "Try to lower your voice. Not everyone shares your enthusiasm." Once Leia realized the way her tone came off, something that Hibiki couldn't help but glance over at, she glanced off to the side, trying to hide her embarrassment that her attempt at a soft scolding completely backfired.

However, it was very clear that Laya didn't even notice her sister's warnings, pumping her fist into the air again. "Woooooo, part of the team," she cried, practically shaking as she displayed her glee to be working with everyone. Hibiki noted this enthusiasm, so she waved Leia's concerns off. None of the other Adapters had appeared yet, so there were very few individuals that would have been disturbed by Laya's outburst of joy.

"You're fine," Hibiki reassured, "I hope you guys are finding everything alright!"

Hibiki's attempt at hospitality gained differing reactions from the twins, with Laya nodding with a grin on her face while Leia remained straight-faced without much input. Both reactions were common for Hibiki to see among the cast of other Gear users, so she continued with her pleasantries.

"Now that you're here, we have more hands than ever!"

Hibiki spoke words of encouragement, though when they hit Leia's ears, they started to taper off in their underlying meaning. She knew Hibiki was trying to be nice, but there was nothing to gain from her being nice here. They had already joined S.O.N.G. and were planning on taking their orders, whether she liked it or not, so what was the point? Perhaps someone who despised human interaction wouldn't understand...

"But more importantly, you guys are friends now!"

Gungnir's wielder put a hand out to the twins as Elfnein stepped aside, a signature tactic of hers to befriend anyone she spoke to. There wasn't a person she didn't offer her hand to, even if they didn't accept it at first. "We sort of got off on the wrong foot..." That statement was more directed towards Leia, just like her extended hand. "But you're one of us now, so I hope we don't annoy you too much."

Leia's eyes shifted from Hibiki's face to her hand, looking her up and down as she continued to judge Hibiki's actions. It was like she had said before that fateful battle; "Actions by any sentient being are done because they want an intended result." Trying to figure out what Hibiki wanted was the key aspect in all of this. The concept of "friends" wasn't something she was interested in, she made that abundantly clear. If Hibiki was going to push it, then...

Leia crossed her arms, her response being a bit different compared to the other times she spoke with the Godslayer. While the previous encounters were quite hostile, she was making a conscious effort to watch the inflection of her words. "I appreciate the sentiment, but I already deal with Laya. A couple more nuisances aren't a problem," she informed, dismissing Hibiki's gesture of trust.

Laya gasped at this response, the scathing insult her sister gave making her jaw drop. Even with the clear jab at her, she could tell that her younger sister wasn't saying this to be mean like she usually was. Her voice was softer and had less impact, even if the words were the same. She was glad her sister returned to normal, but it wasn't a vile form of dismissal. If anything, it felt more like bantering at this point.

"Hey! Be nice, Sis!"

While Hibiki was disappointed that Leia didn't take her hand, it wasn't something she saw as the end of the world. Even Tsubasa, the first Adapter she really knew, didn't take her hand at first, coming around eventually when she got separated from Fudo. She wouldn't give up on this, it would just take time. In the meantime, her mind wrapped back around to an issue before, prompted after she heard Laya call her sister Sis.

"Right, that reminds me..."

The ears of the twins perked up, Hibiki's mention now pulling the attention of the duo.

"If your names are pronounced the same..."

Laya picked up on this and gasped yet again, realizing where Hibiki was going with her train of thought. While the sisters never had trouble addressing themselves, these were the first group of people in a long time where the two needed to be addressed constantly. Not to mention, the two of them were practically indistinguishable outside of how they spoke. Even those hoodies they wore were matching aside from a single black stripe that appeared on either arm, as well as their shoes. While Laya's sneakers were tied, Leia's shoes were strapped together with velcro, though their personalities made it seem like it would have been the other way around.

"Oh! Right, I didn't think about that..."

Of course, Leia had a comment to make towards Laya's admission to her lack of foresight. "Of course you didn't." For the third time today, Laya made an audible gasp, only this time, it was exaggerated for dramatic effect while her hand went to her chest. Hibiki and Elfnein both gave off a laugh, watching these two go back and forth with each other.

"Hey!"

Laya's reaction this time led to a higher voice, but before she could retaliate, the candy in her mouth nearly fell out, causing her to bite down on the paper stick before it could descend any further and become airborne. Seeing this, Leia shook her head with a sigh, not having any further input. Once the two had stopped bickering, a solution was thrown into the air, made by the Godslayer herself. "Well, how about nicknames then?"

As if on cue, Laya's face lit up, loving the idea of nicknames. She had already planned on using nicknames during their first meeting, but with Hibiki introducing this, she had a way of seamlessly inserting this idea into her speech. While Laya thought this idea was perfect, Leia despised it, even if it made it easier to differentiate speaking to the two. That single suggestion put a scowl on her face, though her sister was more than happy to start the proceedings by naming herself, calling back to a name their mother gave her for this exact reason.

"Oh! In that case, just call me Lay-Lay! And for my sister-"

Laya was about to divert the attention to her sister, but Leia responded curtly, the cold look in her eyes now reflecting exactly how she felt this ordeal with S.O.N.G. was going to turn out.

"Address me as anything other than Leia and I will end you."

Start of the side chapters is now! If you couldn't tell by the way the chapter's titles are, anything that's side content related will be labeled by "Scenario", meaning that seeing that word in the titles can let you know what type of chapter it is! On top of that, these side chapters will come out two at a time, so be prepared!

For those who recognized it, this chapter is an extension and adaptation of a comic I drew for this a while back on the Noires' conception! So those with that knowledge... have fun with that! Don't worry, everything else in these following chapters will be completely brand-new!