WARNING:
EMOTIONAL CONTENT.
Includes scenes of emotional distress, being trapped, enclosed spaces, bullying, violence.

It had been two days since Astra witnessed Sophia confessing her feelings for Olga. No one had seen her. Sophia scoured the halls, in an attempt to find her and tell her side of the story, but Astra must've been hiding well. Sophia was too scared to ask her friends. They all got along well, but there was a part of her that thought they'd hate her guts now.

And if they did, she wouldn't blame them.

She passed by Oren as he was setting up for the next fitness lesson, in the Training Grounds. She hadn't seem them teach a session out here since the trainees' initial obstacle course. It was a bitter, freezing day. Sophia noted the stark contrast of Oren's pink nose with his pale face.

"Oren, can I get you a hot drink?", she offered, apprehension in her voice. She wasn't sure if Astra had spoken to him yet.

Oren smiled sweetly at her. "Aw, hi Soph! Uh, no, I'm good thanks. Besides, Astra will probably bring drinks."

"Oh, cool. Where is she?", asked Sophia, attempting, and failing to act all nonchalant.

"Um, I'm not sure. I've been busy helping Makoto, so I haven't really seen her for the past couple of days. But she knows we're out here today. Has she spoken to you?"

"Me? What about?"

Oren sighed.
"Ah. I really hoped she'd tell you. Look, I know it's not my place to say, but... please give Astra a chance to explain. Being the youngest Head Guard has been her dream for ages. She wanted to tell you that she applied for the training programme, but I think, a part of her was scared. She's close to achieving her dream, so I think everything just overwhelmed her. But she loves you, Sophia. Literally, she's so crazy in love with you. She has been ever since you gave her that daisy chain."

Overcome with guilt, Sophia started to sob. Oren jerked back just a little, surprised that his words had this effect. "Oh, Soph... I-I'm sorry", he apologised, wrapping an arm around her. "I didn't mean to make you cry."

Sophia shook her head. "No, it's not you. It's... it's me."

"You? What do you mean?"

"Oren, I've done something awful."

"Oren!", called out Imelda, who was running towards them, Finian trailing behind with Faizah. "Have you seen Astra?"

Oren shook his head. "No. Why?"

"Neither have we", said Imelda.

"I haven't seen her for the past two days", said Finian.

"Me too", said Faizah.

"And the cooks said she didn't come by the Fuze for the past two days either", said Imelda. "She always gets lunch at the Fuze."

The cogs in Oren and Sophia's brains started to spin. Oren tried to recall the last time he had seen her. It was when he encouraged her to go talk to Sophia. They didn't have to teach a fitness lesson after, and Oren's focus was on Makoto.

"Then she must've gone missing."

◆◆◆

Meanwhile, in the Training Grounds, all the trainees except Ashryn were practising their combat moves. Makoto really didn't want to go, but Rhiannon insisted, and they didn't want to upset her. They smiled a little, when they saw Raphael there, because it meant they could use him as a distraction if Rhiannon was getting pushy.

"Makoto, where's the energy, the force in your punches?", asked Rhiannon. "You're not fistbumping their face, you're knocking them out, remember?"

"Right. Sorry."

"Just clench your fists more, that should help", suggested Raphael.

Rhiannon scowled at the tall boy, disgust seeping out into her expression. "We don't need your help, thanks."

Raphael frowned. Ok so, Rhiannon was still acting a little frosty towards him, but he didn't blame her. He blackmailed her into ruining Minerva's invention. And Rhiannon had been wondering if any part of their blossoming friendship had been real at all, or if it was all just one big manipulation.

"Ok", he responded. "Sorry."

"No, it's ok", said Makoto. "That's actually quite useful advice. Thank you."

Raphael nodded, a small smile appearing on his face. "You're welcome. I'm rather surprised at how much I've come to like combat classes now."

"Well, I think it helps that you're usually partnered with Ashryn", said Makoto. "You two make a good team."

"We do?", questioned Raphael.

He thought back to all the shenanigans they had gotten up to. Breaking into Aoife's office multiple times. The very brief training sessions Ashryn offered Raphael. The time she saved him from Natasha.

He smiled, his eyebrows furrowing and a chuckle escaping his lips, as if he had just come to some sort of realisation.

"I suppose we do", he said. "I guess we just... understand each other."

"Hey, I understand you too", said Rhiannon. "I understand that you're a manipulative jerk", she added, before looking at Makoto. "We both do."

"Rhiannon–", started Makoto.

"No, that's... that's fair", admitted Raphael.

Makoto was taken aback by Raphael's self-reflection. They weren't sure Raphael was capable of admitting his mistakes, much less realising he had made them.

Maybe everything they thought they knew about their fellow trainees was wrong.

"We don't have time for this", said Rhiannon. "Makoto, the mission is not that far away now, and you still aren't strong enough in combat."

"But what if I don't have to be?", asked Makoto. "Oren said I've been making good progress with the soul searcher, so–"

"Ugh, not again!", exclaimed a frustrated Rhiannon. "I know you've been working really hard on that technique, but we need to start getting real. What good is being able to locate someone if you can't fight to defend them?"

Makoto felt their face flush. They thought this would be a good time to slowly tell her the reason they hated fighting, but... clearly, they were wrong.

"Let Makoto talk", said Raphael, knowing what it was that they wanted to get off their chest.

"Don't tell me what to do!", snapped Rhiannon.

"Rhiannon! Makoto!", called out Sophia. "Guys, we have a problem. Have any of you seen Astra?"

◆◆◆

"What are we going to do?", asked Imelda.

Both Head Guards, the trainers and trainees were in the briefing room. Aoife didn't want the trainees to be involved, but Calihan thought they deserved to be clued in, given that Astra was one of their trainers.

"We've already sent out an alert to all agents who are out on missions. And the agents still here have been informed", explained Calihan. "I am confident we will find her."

"Where could she have gone though?", asked Rhiannon. "And why did she leave?"

Sophia looked down, the knot in her stomach only twisting more and more. She had already confessed the truth to the trainers, much to their dismay, but she wasn't sure if she could do it again.

"We'll fill you in later", said Imelda, shooting a subtle, disgusted look at Sophia.

"There's got to be something else we can do to help!", exclaimed Makoto.

Ashryn scoffed. "You? What are you going to do? You can't use peaceful negotiation to find her. Face it, you're useless here."

"That's enough, Agent Williams", said Calihan.

"I hate to say it, but Ashryn's right", said Rhiannon. "Not the harsh way she said it, but your skills aren't really useful to help find Astra."

Makoto looked down at the ground, feeling their cheeks get hot. Ok, sure, they both had a point. Makoto might be able to fix the source of conflict or tension that made Astra leave, but for that, they needed her back. But they had other useful skills... didn't they?

"Wait! I know what I can do!", gasped Makoto, turning to Oren. "The soul searcher!"

"Makoto, enough with that!", exclaimed Rhiannon.

"I can use it to find Astra", said Makoto.

"But Makoto... we're not there yet", said Oren, his tone gentle and comforting, which just served to irritate Makoto more.

"Now's the time to try, don't you think?", questioned Makoto.

"It can't hurt to try", said Faizah. "I say we let Makoto do it."

Makoto smiled gratefully at Faizah. The Head Guards shared a look, before looking at Makoto and nodding in unison. Makoto was so focused on executing the soul searcher correctly, that he didn't notice Minerva leaving.

Makoto knelt down on the ground, placing a hand on the floor. Up until now, they had only practised touching the actual ground outside, but Oren did say that you didn't have to be outside for the technique to work. They closed their eyes and pictured the last time they had seen Astra. It was in the Training Grounds, just when they had finished their training session with Oren.

The sound of feet tapping against the ground momentarily pulled Makoto's attention away from the memory. Suddenly, they were reminded of the fact that everyone was watching. And waiting. Watching and waiting for them to succeed. If they didn't, Rhiannon and the others would be so disappointed.

They'd be the weakest member of the team.

Fuelled by that fear, Makoto re-centred themselves, thinking of that moment with Astra once again. That familiar energy coursed through their veins. The energy intensified, causing them to feel an unexpected amount of pain. Their veins throbbed, but they pushed through it. They held their breath as they tried to focus their energy, their skin turning red and the veins on their forehead protruding.

"Makoto!", exclaimed Oren, crouching beside them when they didn't stop. "Hey, you're using too much energy! You have to stop."

Reluctantly, Makoto obeyed. Ordinarily, they wouldn't have a problem doing this. They often listened to their body, and chose not to push it to the extremes. Of course, training for the mission led Makoto to test their limits, but never past a certain point.

Now, however, the last thing they wanted to do was back down. Not when they had so much to prove.

Rhiannon pulled Makoto up to their feet, an annoyed expression on her face. "Why would you push yourself so far? If you can't do it, you can't do it. Don't be reckless and risk hurting yourself."

"I wasn't trying to hurt–"

"Enough!", yelled Aoife. "We don't have time for this childish fighting. Every second wasted here, is a second we could use to save Astra from a potentially dangerous situation."

"Is it really that serious?", asked Ashryn. "Maybe she just wandered off to clear her head?"

"The area around the agency is quite protected, but not impenetrable", said Calihan. "Wild beasts often roam around."

"Exactly! So let's stop chit-chatting and go look for her!", exclaimed Imelda.

"How?", questioned Rhiannon. "Makoto failed", she said, unaware of the frown that appeared on Makoto's face.

"I think I have an idea!", exclaimed Minerva, rushing into the room. "Wait, did Makoto do it?"

"No", said Rhiannon.

"Oh. That's ok! I thought of an idea, as a back up", said Minerva. "When Makoto suggested locating her with the soul searcher, it reminded me of something. We can track her contact bar."

"Yes, you're right!", said Calihan. "We can view her location, and monitor it from our office."

"Well, I was thinking, we could use one of our GPS devices", suggested Minerva. "That way, we can physically go out to her, and her location can still be monitored from here, in case anything goes wrong."

"Good plan", said Imelda. "I'll go."

"I'll join her", said Faizah.

Finian shook her head. "No way. Not with your injury."

"Finian is right", said Calihan. "You shouldn't be walking on it for no good reason."

"Finding Astra is the best reason!", exclaimed Faizah.

"You know what I mean", said Calihan. "Besides, I already have two people in mind."

"You do?", asked Aoife, trying her best not to sound so surprised. This was a decision they should be making together.

"Yes", said Calihan. "Agent Hendrix and Agent Mizuno. You two will be going."

Aoife's eyes widened. She opened her mouth to object, before remembering they weren't alone. Hastily, she pulled Calihan to the side.

"What are you doing?", she questioned, trying not to be angry. She wanted to believe he had a good reason. "You know the only time we will let the trainees see outside the agency is when they go to Agoraville. Imelda and one of our other agents are clearly the best options here!"

"We can mind wipe them", said Calihan. "Their contracts clearly state we have the right to do that to keep our building location a secret. Plus, there has been this odd tension between them lately. Maybe going out on their own will help them to work their problems out."

Aoife's eyes widened in disbelief. "I'm sorry, you want to send them out for couple's therapy? That's not a good enough reason."

"Like it or not, those two have been acting like a team from day one. If their relationship deteriorates, we don't have a team. They have to do this."

"I can't justify sending them out to a potentially dangerous–"

Calihan turned back to the group, effectively cutting off Aoife. She stared in shock as Calihan addressed the group.

"Agent Hendrix, Agent Mizuno, get your things."

"I already set the equipment up", said Minerva. "From what I can see, she hasn't wandered too far."

Sophia took one of the GPS', her eyes widening when she saw a small red dot. "Wait, I think I know where she is! There's a place Astra always goes when she wants to be alone. It looks like that's where she is. Let me go."

Imelda scoffed, snatching the GPS out of her hand. "I don't think so. You've done enough, don't you think?"

"Come on Imelda, that's not helping anyone now", said Oren.

"Oren's right", said Finian. "Blaming Sophia isn't going to help us find Astra."

"I think we should stick to the plan", said Calihan. "Only agents Hendrix and Mizuno are going."

◆◆◆

If finding Astra wasn't so urgent, Rhiannon and Makoto would've stopped to really take in their surroundings. They hadn't seen outside the agency's walls since they first arrived. They appeared to be in a forest. The smell of damp soil and wet grass filled their nostrils. The leaves were every shade of green imaginable. The trees held dark green leaves, and the bushes were a vibrant shade of green. It was so beautiful out here. And peaceful. Not that they could really enjoy that right now. 

"I can't believe what Sophia did", said Rhiannon. "I didn't know they had grown that distant."

"I don't condone what she did, but I'm sure she had her reasons."

"I just don't get why they didn't just talk to each other", said Rhiannon. "If they love each other, and are serious about making things work, they should've communicated."

Makoto frowned. "Talking can be hard sometimes. And scary."

"Every day life is scary sometimes", said Rhiannon. "But we do it any way."

Makoto sighed. They didn't know the full details about Astra and Sophia's relationship, but they could relate to being too afraid to tell someone they cared about how they were truly feeling. They couldn't help but think about how Sophia and Astra's situation seemed to mirror their situation with Rhiannon.

"I didn't think this day could get any worse", sighed Rhiannon. 

"What do you mean?", asked Makoto. 

"That thing with Raphael, you know? When he was sticking his nose in our business. I just want this mission to be over so I never have to see him again."

"I think he means well now", said Makoto, hesitant to look up, after feeling Rhiannon's eyes on them. "I mean, he seems remorseful."

Rhiannon scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Don't tell me he got to you as well! He's been lying all this time, Makoto. Head Guard Aoife said he was a master manipulator, remember?"

"Yeah, but... there's got to be a reason why he's like that."

"No. Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Try and make sense of him. He's just plain nasty, that's it."

"Look, I get that he seems like that, but I was recruited because I am good at read–"

"Can we just drop this, please?", interjected Rhiannon. "Right now, the only things we should be focusing on are finding Astra and getting you ready to fight."

Makoto frowned. "About that... I just really don't think fighting is for me."

Rhiannon groaned. "Makoto, we've been through this! Yes, it's scary learning a new skill at first, but if we keep working hard, you'll be able to call yourself a fighter. You'll be able to finally see yourself as one."

"But that is not who I am!", yelled Makoto.

Rhiannon recoiled, startled by her friend's sudden outburst. This wasn't like them at all. All she was trying to do was keep her friend safe. 

"Makoto, I'm just trying to prepare–"

"No! You're trying to change me! You're trying to change who I am."

Rhiannon frowned. Her expression changed. It was as if something inside of her shifted. A darkness appeared in her eyes, and her eyes widened a little as she glared at Makoto. Slowly, she walked towards them. She stopped only when there was a couple of inches of space between the two of them. She clenched her jaw and looked into Makoto's eyes.

"And... who exactly is that? I don't think you even know who you are, Makoto."

Stunned, Makoto jerked back ever so slightly. They had never seen Rhiannon act like this before. Her question rang in their head. Who were they? Without their sister Hana, and their parents? Without the soul searcher, and great fitness skills? 

"You just... follow the crowd", said Rhiannon. You're so willing to give yourself up as some tool for others to use. You jumped right back onto Team Raphael, even though he's used you countless times. So seriously, Makoto... who are you when you're not serving others?"

Makoto couldn't answer. It wasn't just that their mind was blank, but they physically couldn't speak. A lump had formed in their throat, and their palms had gotten sweaty. It was a question they had been thinking for a long time now. It had just been buried so deep in the back of their mind. 

"I was wrong to believe you were my friend", said Makoto, storming off. 

"Are you serious?", questioned Rhiannon, following after them. "I've been loy–oh my gosh!"

Suddenly, the ground beneath them caved in, sending them both plummeting down.

◆◆◆

In a forest full of trees, an old Oak tree stood tall. It had a gaping hole in its trunk. Huddled up inside it, knees pulled to her chest, was Astra. Tears coated her thick, long lashes as she stared at a small painting in her hands. The painting was of a purple flower, with a yellow centre. The petals seemed to curl slightly towards the end, twisting as if the image was painted while they were in the middle of a dance. 

NINE YEARS AGO. 

Sophia, just twelve years old, had been with the agency for three months now. This was around the time that new recruits tended to quit. Everyone was watching her, with some of the meaner children even holding secret bets as to what day she would throw in the towel. Sophia was scooping mashed potatoes onto her dinner plate. The clump of damp mush slammed down onto her plate. The food in the Fuze was not the best back then. 

"Wow, is the new girl still here?", questioned one girl, who was not being anywhere near as quiet as she thought she was. 

"She almost burst into tears in fitness class today, there's no way she'll last another day", whisper-yelled a boy. 

Sophia felt her face getting hot. Just last month, Sophia cried during tech training. She had been reading a letter from her fathers, and she learned that she missed the planting of some tulips in her front garden. Every time new plants were planted in their garden, their fathers made a whole day of it. The whole family planted them together, laughing happily as they made up new songs to sing to encourage them to grow. Missing out on all of that, combined with the gruelling lessons, was just too much for Sophia to deal with. 

"One green apple, please!"

Sophia looked up from her plate to see a twelve year old Astra barrelling towards the line. Her cheeks were red and there was a cheerful spark in her eyes. Her hair reached her chest, but was tied up into a ponytail. She looked at Sophia, flashing a bright grin at her. 

"Hi, Sophia!"

"Um, hi."

Sophia and Astra weren't in any of the same classes, but she knew she was friends with Faizah, Alessa and Imelda. The four of them were quite well known among their peers, for always being together. You couldn't find one without the other three being somewhere in the vicinity. 

Astra grabbed a green apple, taking a big bite out of it as she turned back around, using her free hand to wave at Sophia. 

"I mean, she doesn't even look like she belongs here", said the girl from before. "And her hair's all long and sweaty-"

"Hey, Piper", said Astra, turning to face her. She spat out her mouthful of apple, spraying it right at Piper's face. 

"Ugh, what the heck?", she exclaimed. 

"I know right? I can't believe I wasted a good apple on you too", said Astra. "Stop picking on Sophia", she said as she turned around, stopping in her tracks. She turned back to Piper. "And her hair's not sweaty, it's shiny and it smells like lavender!"

Sophia's eyes widened. This was the first time anyone here had stood up for her. Despite the kind gesture, Sophia found it all too overwhelming. She abandoned her tray of food, sprinting out of the Fuze as fast as she could. Astra frowned, concern appearing on her face. She headed out of the Fuze, to see where she went. 

In the flower garden, Sophia was looking out at all of the flowers. The agency's flower garden was almost as impressive as the one she had in her garden. Ordinarily, it would remind her of all the comforts her home brought, but today... it served as a reminder for what she had left behind. 

"You come out here a lot", said a voice. 

Sophia turned around, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion when she saw Astra. 

"Do you like flowers?"

Sophia nodded. "I have a flower garden at home."

"Really? That's so cool! I bet you live in a really fancy place then."

Sophia shook her head. "My house is small. Smells a bit like damp moss. But my dad makes really good bread, so it's nice when the house fills up with that smell."

"Do you have a favourite flower?", asked Astra. 

Sophia wasn't sure if Astra was really listening. It just seemed like she was firing off random questions to fill the silence. But, when she glanced at Astra, she saw that the girl's eyes were locked in on her, hanging on every word. 

"Purple Perennials", replied Sophia. 

"Pera-what now?"

Sophia chuckled. "Perennials. They come in lots of different colours, but I like the ones with purple petals and yellow centres."

"They sound pretty", said Astra. "I've never seen flowers like that before. I've only really, properly seen flowers here, at the agency."

Sophia's mouth flew open. "What? How have you never seen flowers before?"

Astra shrugged. "I was born in agri-agricul, ah, I can never say that word. Basically, the poor part of Plurg. But my parents moved to the richer part when I was really little."

"Oh. So you live in a fancy house?"

Astra chuckled, shaking her head. "No, my house is kind of falling apart. My dad worked as a repairman, but he didn't really make much money. So, we basically had to survive any way we could. I hated it though. My parents were always working, and when they finally came home they'd lock themselves in their room and work some more."

"Sounds lonely."

Astra nodded. "Yeah. It's ok though. I memorised every inch of my neighbourhood, because I would always run around outside. I never got to see any flowers though."

"Are you a big fan of all the action and adventure then?", asked Sophia. 

"Oh, you betcha! Life's so much better when you smell the fresh air and explore everything the world around you has to offer."

Sophia smiled. "I wish I was as outgoing as you."

Astra grinned, slinging an arm around Sophia's shoulders. "Aw, I don't know. Who you are is pretty cool too."

Sophia giggled. "Thank you. You... you don't have to be so nice to me though."

"What do you mean?"

"Look, it's nice of you to check on me, but what Piper said? It's all true. I-I don't think I belong here. I miss my dads. I just... I wanna go home."

Sophia had fought so hard to keep the tears in her eyes, but they started to roll down her face. Upon seeing this, Astra draped her other arm around her, giving her a comforting hug. She rested her head against hers. 

"We all miss our families. But, here, we get the chance to help a lot of people. And make our own families too. Plus, it's not like you can never go back to visit them. Oh, and what Piper said isn't true. She's just jealous."

"Jealous? Why would she be jealous of me?"

"Because you're super nice and work so hard", said Astra. "Piper wishes she could be you", she said, making Sophia chuckle. "But there's only one you, and you're going to be one of the best agents here."

"Yeah?", she questioned, lifted her head up and looking into Astra's eyes, a part of her wanting to see if there was a hint of disbelief in them.

Astra smiled softly, staring right back at her. "Yeah."

The next day, Sophia was in the Fuze. Her plate consisted of a questionable looking vegetable stew and a few baby carrots. She sat down on one of the tables near the door, just in case there would be a repeat of yesterday, and she'd need to bolt out of the door. 

Astra walked into the Fuze, making Sophia's face immediately light up. Swallowing the chunks of carrot in her mouth, Sophia got up to approach her. 

"Um, Astra?", she said quietly. A part of her was worried that Astra wouldn't remember her. 

"Sophia!", beamed Astra, her eyes shining even brighter when they met with Sophia's. "Wanna eat lunch with us?"

"Uh... no, I-I'm ok. I... I just wanted to give you something."

Sophia held out a piece of paper she had tucked away in her jacket. Astra took it, a look of curiosity in her eyes. She opened it up, revealing a painted purple Perennial. 

"Um, it's... I remember you saying that you never had flowers around you growing up. So, I made you this painting of, uh, my favourite flower. I-I don't know if you remember-"

"Perennial, right?", interjected Astra. "Finally go the name right. I hope. Wow, it looks so pretty! Thank you, Sophia! I'm gonna keep it with me forever and ever."

Sophia smiled, giggling softly as Astra ran back to join her friends, a look of awe on her face as she continued to admire the painting.

Astra continued to stare at the painting, her heart breaking all over again as she relived the memory of when Sophia gifted it to her. Sure, Astra had crushes before, and she had been on a few dates before starting a relationship with Sophia, but Sophia was her first proper relationship. Her first girlfriend. She felt like someone had grabbed hold of her heart and started to squeeze it as hard as they could.

She wanted to rip the painting up. Tear it to shreds. Bury it somewhere. Destroy it. She thought it would make her heart feel, just a little bit better. But she couldn't bring herself to do it. Instead, she clutched it close to her chest, sobbing profusely at the memory of the love she lost.

◆◆◆

Soil and leaves hurtled down into the pit, landing on Makoto and Rhiannon's heads. There was only one, solitary beam of light that shone into the pit, illuminating next to nothing. Groaning, Rhiannon touched a hand to her head, wincing when her nail dug into something wet. She looked at her hand, drawing a panicked breath when she saw red coating her fingers. 

"M-Makoto, we... we gotta get out of here."

Makoto hugged their knees close to their chest, rocking back and forth as they mumbled something Rhiannon couldn't quite make out. Rhiannon crawled over to them, placing a hand on their leg. 

"Hey, hey, come on. It's ok, you're ok. Look, we really need to get out of here."

Makoto shook their head. "I can't. I can't."

"Yes you can. Makoto, please, just... lift your head up and open your eyes."

Makoto shook their head, their breathing becoming more and more erratic. Rhiannon grabbed their face, her cold hands lifting their head up. Makoto's eyes were still closed, some tears trying to push their way past their firmly shut eyelids. 

"Please, open your eyes", she pleaded. 

"S-Scared... small... too small."

"Oh cr*p. You're claustrophobic", she said, remembering when she and Makoto shared some of their fears over a plate of Fuze brownies. Unsure of how to help, Rhiannon shuffled closer to Makoto and leaned closer, gently touching her forehead to Makoto's. "Makoto... you're going to open your eyes, and the first thing you'll see... is me, ok? Given, uh, given everything that just happened, I don't know how comforting that will be, but still. You just have to focus on my face."

Makoto shook their head, wrestling with their fear. Then, they felt Rhiannon's cold hands on their face again. It was oddly comforting. Focusing on the feeling of her hands, and the sound of her breathing, Makoto opened their eyes. Rhiannon smiled, letting out a sigh of relief. 

"There you go", she said, letting go of Makoto's face and shuffling back. "See, we don't have to focus on all this. Uh, why don't you... why don't you tell me about why you don't like fighting?"

"Rhiannon..."

"No, come on. Look, I'll be honest with you. I'm not sure if there is a way out, so our best bet is to wait for someone to come help us. And... maybe this is a good a time as any, to, you know... talk?"

Makoto sighed. They didn't want to get into all of this now, but the thought of being trapped down here for a long time was starting to hit them. They welcomed any distraction they could get right now. 

"Um... I was bullied, as a child. This group of children even locked me in a cramped storage room once, as a joke. I... I felt a lot of anger towards them. It got to a point where I would lash out at other people, because I couldn't physically hold all my anger in anymore. I hated the way it made me feel. One day, we were on a school trip, and one of my bullies lured me out into the woods. They started throwing things at me and saying really horrible things. I just, I lost it. I punched him. Again and again."

"Oh my gosh..."

"It felt good, for like, a split second. Then I saw the fear in his eyes. The same fear I had in mine. I hated myself for doing what I did. The... the look on my parents face when they told me they saw his parents break down into tears. The look on my sister's face. That made me feel worse. I spent the next few months visiting him. Trying to apologise. Eventually, he accepted my apology. He even apologised to me too."

"He did?"

Makoto nodded. "He told me that, talking with him and forgiving him actually helped him to make peace with the way he used to act. But I... I could never make peace with what I did to him. I could never forgive myself. So... I made a promise to not hold that anger in anymore. To not worry about things I couldn't control. To always seek peace."

"Makoto..."

"I just, I don't ever want to lose myself to vengeance. Look what it did to Alessa. After talking to Oren, I am sure she was much different before. Anger destroyed her."

"I had no idea you felt that way."

"I didn't tell you–"

"Because I didn't let you tell me", said Rhiannon. "I'm the world's worst friend."

"No, you're not–"

"I forced you to fight when you didn't want to. If I had just listened to you..."

"Well, why didn't you?"

Rhiannon sighed. "I got scared. My brother's music career had really kicked off, my other family were happy and successful. They don't need me anymore. I guess, I realised that, you were the only person I really had. So, I just got so obsessed with trying to protect you. I mean, these creatures are terrifying! I... I really don't want to lose you, Makoto."

Makoto's face softened. "That makes sense. It's not like you were wrong, any way. How can I beat the creatures without combat?"

"But that's the point of a team, Makoto! I lost sight of why they needed a team of us to go. We can't beat the creatures with just combat, or tech, or being able to keep our strength up in a battle. We need all of those things. All of us, our individual skills... we were picked for a reason."

"So, we're like... puzzle pieces?"

Rhiannon nodded. "Yeah."

Makoto smiled. "I like that."

"Makoto... I'm really sorry that I haven't been listening to you."

Makoto looked down at their hands, an uneasy feeling still remaining in the pit of their stomach. 

"What, what you said before we fell... did you mean it?"

Rhiannon's smile fell. "I was just jealous because it felt like you were getting closer to Raphael, and I had this warped idea that you couldn't possibly trust him and trust me, so–"

"I think you were right", said Makoto. "I've never really known who I am. I've, well I think I've always just, measured my worth on how I can be of use to others. I don't know why."

After hearing more of Makoto's story, Rhiannon felt like she knew them so much better now. Rhiannon flopped down beside Makoto, waiting for them to turn their head to look at her before talking. 

"You've been through something horrific, and even though it made you do something bad, you chose not to let that moment change you for the worst. You chose to be better than that. You choose to see the good in others, like Raphael. You choose peace, even when the easiest answer may be violence. You give a part of yourself to others, every time you help them. I think, this is who you've always been. And I'm so sorry for saying  these things don't make up who you are. What you need to do now, is start believing that who you are is enough."

Rhiannon noticed the tears filling up in Makoto's eyes. She reached out and gently pinched their chin, making them chuckle. Looking into Makoto eyes, Rhiannon could see so much pain and worry. It made her feel so guilty. If only she had looked out for them more, in the way that they actually needed her to. 

"You are the greatest person I have ever met, Makoto Mizuno. You don't need to be anyone or anything else."

Unable to find the words to express how much they needed to hear that, Makoto wrapped their arms around Rhiannon. Smiling, Rhiannon hugged them back. 

"I'm so sorry, Makoto. I've been so worked up about finding my stupid purpose that I–"

"Hey, none of that", interjected Makoto, pulling away. "We've both had our own things to deal with."

Rhiannon sighed. "Yeah, I guess. I think, well my family have always been super successful. They've all found what they were meant to do in life. But me? It feels like I've been walking through the world most confusing maze, my whole life. Then I came here, and, suddenly... I had a chance at finally finding my purpose."

"Saving Agoraville?"

Rhiannon nodded. 

Makoto smiled softly, reaching for Rhiannon's hand. "I promise, you're going to fulfil your purpose. I'll help you any way I can."

Rhiannon pulled Makoto into a hug. She knew they were the same person, and Makoto knew they were hugging the same Rhiannon, but it also felt different. Like they were finally seeing each other for who they really were.

◆◆◆

Astra stood up, her eyes scanning the grand Oak tree she had escaped to many times. Whenever things got too stressful for her, particularly after a difficult mission, this was where she would go to get away from it all. She never thought Sophia would be the reason for her needing to return here.

5 YEARS AGO.

"And then Indira fell into the swamp water", laughed Astra. "I know it's not good to laugh at a fellow agent, but Indira is literally the worst."

Sophia was running a hand along the Oak tree's trunk, feeling a calming sensation as she did so. Her hair was braided—a style she only wore when she had to go on a mission.

"Hey, what's wrong?", asked Astra, reaching out and placing a hand on Sophia's shoulder. "You've been really quiet, ever since you got back from that mission."

"I'm sorry. Seeing that family... they reminded me of mine."

Astra's face softened. "I know, but the important thing is you helped them. They're alive because of you."

Sophia shrugged. "I guess."

Astra placed a hand on Sophia's shoulder. "Hey, you're family is safe. Don't let your mind make you doubt that, just because of this case."

Yeah, you're right. I know you are. I'd probably feel better if my partner actually helped me during our mission."

"Well, remember what Head Guard Calihan said. Right now they're just pairing us all up so we get used to working in pairs. He probably won't end up being your actual partner", said Astra.

Sophia just stared at the tree, her mind wandering off. Astra smiled softly as she stared at Sophia's face. She nudged her. "You know what always cheers me up?", she asked, taking Sophia's hands in hers. "Dancing."

Sophia furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "But there's no music."

"Who said you needed music to dance?"

Astra span Sophia around, before jumping up and down with her. Their hands pulled apart, and Sophia watched Astra as she flailed her arms around wildly, shouting gleefully. Astra was such a free spirit. It was one of the things Sophia liked most about her. She regularly saw her shimmying in the hallways, or cracking jokes.

Sophia approached her, taking hold of Astra's hands. She guided them round her shoulders, while Sophia tentatively placed her hands on Astra's waist. "Let me show you how it's done."

Sophia remembered the time when her fathers slow danced in the kitchen, only one flickering light bulb shining down on them. She recalled how happy they looked, soaking up each other's company.

"I didn't know you knew how to dance."

"My fathers are pretty good dancers", replied Sophia. "I learned a lot just from watching them."

"Cool", said Astra. "I mean, I still think my dancing is better. But... this is nice."

Sophia chuckled. "Hey Astra?"

"Yeah?"

"I wish we were partners. You always make me feel better."

"Who knows? Maybe we will be."

Astra leaned her tear-stained face against the Oak tree's trunk, letting out a guttural cry. Balling up her fists, she hit them against the trunk repeatedly.

"Astra? Gosh, I hope this is the right agent code", said Rhiannon.

Astra looked down at her contact bar, which had a red light glowing from it. She quickly pressed down on the bar, holding it for five seconds.

"Hello? Rhiannon?"

"Oh, thank goodness!", exclaimed Makoto.

"S-Sorry, um, we've been looking for you for a while, and then Makoto had the genius idea to contact you via your contact bar", said Rhiannon.

"What's going on?", she asked.

"Um... so, we've kind of fallen down a hole and have no way to get out."

"A hole? Where are you? Wait... you're not in the woods are you? That hole is a trap for wild beasts!"

"Oh. Well... it's a very effective trap."

"Hold on, I'm coming to get you!"

"H-Hurry, please!", pleaded Makoto.

After finding them, Astra quickly got them out of the hole. Extending their hands, Rhiannon held on to Astra's hand, letting her pull her up. Makoto's outstretched hand wrapped around her waist, in case she slipped back down.

"Oh, thank goodness you're both ok!", exclaimed Astra.

"Yeah, thanks to you", said Rhiannon.

Astra pointed to Makoto. "And Makoto's quick thinking. How'd you know I'd be out here?"

"We used a GPS tracker", answered Rhiannon.

"And Sophia told us you come here sometimes", added Makoto, making Astra frown. "She's worried about you. We all are."

Astra looked down, closing her eyes for a couple of seconds. "I am so sorry. I'm your trainer. You shouldn't have to risk your life for me."

"Oh, hush", said Rhiannon. "Yes, you're our trainer, but I think we've been through enough to call each other friends too, right?"

"And friends look out for each other", said Makoto.

"I... I can't imagine what you're going through", said Rhiannon. "I've never loved anyone as much as you and Sophia love each other. But... if I was in your place, I'd want good friends to lean on."

"So any time you need to, get away from it all, instead of coming here... why don't you come to us?", suggested Makoto.

Astra smiled gratefully. "Thank you. Both of you. I really appreciate it."

◆◆◆

Walking back to the agency felt odd for Rhiannon and Makoto. Now that they had a taste of life outside these walls again, the agency didn't seem so daunting. This mission didn't seem as daunting. Not when they had each other.

"Astra!", exclaimed her friends. Oren and Imelda rugby tackled her into a hug, while Finian hung back with Faizah, waiting for their turn to hug Astra.

"Girl, I'm never letting you out of my sight again", said Imelda.

"We're so glad you're ok", said Oren, placing a hand on the back of her head as he hugged her, desperately wanting to protect and comfort her.

Faizah reached out and grabbed Rhiannon and Makoto's hands. "Thank you for bringing her back safely", she said, squeezing their hands.

"Woah, your head", said Finian, pointing to the dried blood on Rhiannon's forehead.

"I can take you to the Clinic–", offered Faizah.

"No, no it's ok", said Rhiannon, her eyes glancing at Makoto when they took her hand.

"I've got her", they smiled.

"Astra!", gasped Sophia, covering her mouth with her hand. She hurried over to her, stumbling a little. "I-I thought you left for good. Astra, I am so sorry–"

"I don't want to talk to you", interjected Astra.
"Ever again."

Hi.

Ok, ok, I know this was a sad chapter, but I had SO much fun writing the Astra & Sophia flashbacks! I did worry that they kind of ruined the pace of the chapter, but I couldn't figure out how to rectify that. I hope you enjoyed them regardless—I think they are important to getting insight on the build up to their relationship.

What did you think of the flashbacks?

RHIANNON & MAKOTO FINALLY SPOKE ABOUT EVERYTHING. I'm sorry, but I HAD to put that in all caps. They finally confided in each other, and their friendship has become much stronger as a result of it. They can finally see each other for who they really are.

What did you think of their scenes?

What are your thoughts on this chapter?

I can't wait to hear your thoughts! Yep, I'm very excited about this chapter. Two major storylines have reached a somewhat conclusion, and it makes me quite happy. There's still a lot more to get through, but the group's Agoraville mission is in sight!

LeMystical-Puffle

DoodleYeet

ruesbennett

SoniczurcX

bardsarethebest