For the rest of the day, mortification forced Maeyune to avoid any encounter with the sun warrior. Not even the moon could provide her any comfort that evening.

Aerylis and Clover had noticed her silence at dinner, but she had feigned a reassuring smile. Meera had evaded dinner altogether. A disconnect with a friend only further creased the knot in Maeyune's stomach.

Maeyune now walked the facility halls alone, veering past any and all people in order to deter social interaction. It was easy for her to wear a demeanor of placidness. It was a facade that disguised the real turmoil inside.

Did I read the signs entirely wrong? she asked herself, biting the inside of her cheek. Was I imagining things with Reo?

She replayed their kiss for the hundredth time in her head, absently touching her fingertips to her lips. There had been a spark between them before she had made the move. There had to have been - she was sure of it.

And when their energies had touched, in the same way as when they had fought the Wobeck together, something bright inside her had come out from hiding. In those few seconds of her lifetime, she had felt more awake than ever.

It had been so long since she had last experienced such a tingling bliss. But even back then with Deiyu, it did not compare to the one shared with Reo.

Kissing Reo had felt so...right. At least, she thought it had been.

Her shoulders drooped, and her body heaved a depressing sigh. She had made a complete and utter fool of herself.

Had she kissed him wrong? Had he not liked it? Or...did he not feel the same way?

The memory of sensing his fear stung her mind. Is he afraid of me?

As she pressed a palm to her forehead, she heard the faintest chuckle and a familiar, warm voice in the back of her head.

It whispered, Soulmates.

The melodic voice and its word belonged to Trix.

Maeyune stilled, her mind whirling with further contemplation. Was that why she found herself so irrefutably attracted to Reo? Because she was under the impression that it was destiny?

She stopped in the corridor where she had chosen to perform her incessant pacing. Leaning against the wall, she covered her face with her hands and sighed again.

How am I supposed to face Reo now?

She lost track of how long she stood alone. Footsteps alerted her attention, and she noticed a group of lively celestials making their way down the hall. Fighting through her remorse, she gave them a friendly smile as they passed. Then, she started back toward her room to yell at herself some more.

It was too late when she came across the familiar, golden glow. She turned the corner of a hall and found him at the far end.

She was still too far for him to detect her presence. But he was not alone.

He stood conversing with Sera. Maeyune saw a look of sorrow on the fire celestial's face. It was an expression so different from Sera's usual scorn that for a brief second, Maeyune thought she was more beautiful than ever.

With every breathing inch of her body, Maeyune desperately wanted to see into Sera's mind and learn the subject of their expressive conversation. The temptation called to her, beseeched her.

But it was Reo's presence that reminded her of her incapacity to eavesdrop. He would know the second she tried.

And so she was forced to watch, forced to develop her own perceptions. After Reo shared a long-winded monologue, Maeyune watched with a decaying heart as Sera wrapped her slender arms around him.

Reo pulled her close and returned her embrace.

Oh.

With shame spearing her chest, Maeyune fled.

Yes, she had been a fool.

Maeyune had not wanted morning to arrive. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, she was reluctant to rise from her narrow cot. Sleep had been near nonexistent. Darkness had given birth to poignant nightmares, and they made sure Maeyune never forgot the experiments or the vials that carried stolen blood.

But with what little sleep her body had managed, she could think a little more clearly now. Her chest felt lighter and stronger at the same time. Perhaps because she no longer had a reason to hold anything inside it, and she could turn it into a stone fortress.

Seeing Reo with Sera last night had provided some twisted sense of closure. Regret continued to haunt the corners in Maeyune's heart, but it was easier now to accept the truth that he could not return whatever affections she felt.

Well, Maeyune liked to think that it was easier.

She wished her aunt were still there. Emna would know what to say, Maeyune thought, fighting the misery that pursued those words.

She cast the remaining tinges of heartache to the side and rose from her bed. With movements more sluggish than usual, she donned one of her skin-tight battlesuits and tied her hair high above her head. She gave the tiny mirror in her room one concise glance before leaving and forcing her mind on the future. Distractions were detrimental to her task as the Moon God incarnate, anyway.

It was to be another day of responsibility. Today, she was to seize the last of the Iron Prophet arms stored away in some desert camp. It should be a fairly simple task to keep her mind occupied.

When she strode past one of the training rooms, she caught sight of a vibrant blue aura within the enclosed space. It belonged to Meera, who had taken to pummeling a padded dummy in a corner. She dealt it frenzied blows with fists and feet, immersing herself in training to abstain from communication.

Maeyune took a breath and prayed for Shivra to give her strength. If there was one thing she could do to alleviate the tension in her heart, it would be to talk to Meera.

After entering the training room, Maeyune waited until Meera stopped to catch her breath. The latter had thrown an endless round of brisk jabs. Maeyune knew it was not a desire for betterment that inspired Meera's concentration, but rather the need for a scapegoat.

When Meera finally acknowledged Maeyune with a narrowed glance, Maeyune asked, "Can we talk?"

Meera said nothing as she tossed her training gloves to the side. She tried to walk past, but Maeyune maneuvered her body to obstruct Meera's path. Maeyune stood her ground, eyes stern.

Meera let loose a sigh of irritation, and with a roll of her eyes, crossed her arms and angled her body to the side. Anger still held its grip around her, but it was not the volcanic anger from the day before. Rather, Maeyune sensed it as smoldering embers that desperately wanted to be extinguished.

"Meera," Maeyune began softly, "A lot has happened, and we all know what you are going through. But pushing us away will only make this more difficult."

Meera's glower remained unchanging, but Maeyune knew she was listening.

"I know you are angry with me, and that's alright," Maeyune continued. She held out her hands and glanced down at them as if they were unfamiliar to her. "Even with Shivra's powers, I could not save Trix or Benny. Sometimes I wonder myself what more I could have done."

She paused, allowing silence to fill the space for a short while. Then, she whispered, "I miss them, too, Meera."

As she spoke, Maeyune watched the scowl on Meera's face dissolve to grief. The water celestial loosened her posture, and her shoulders fell.

"I'm sorry," she muttered, her brow crinkling in pain. "I should have never made you feel like it was your fault. I just...I just wish I could have seen them one last time."

Her eyes watered, and she cast her gaze to the ceiling to keep tears from falling. In spite of her attempt, they slid down her cheeks. With a soft cry, she threw her arms around Maeyune and began to sob.

Surprised, Maeyune stood firm to keep them from falling over. Exhaling a slow breath of relief, she wrapped her arms around her friend and let her weep into her shoulder. Maeyune cast forth a cloak of calm around Meera, and the water celestial settled into even breathing.

Everything will be okay. Maeyune wasn't sure if she'd sent those words as a telepathic message. But they were words she told herself. As she held her friend, she felt the knot inside her stomach unwind itself.

By the time they pulled apart, Clover and Aerylis had joined them. Clover raised a hand, and in a playful nudge, twisted his knuckles on top of Meera's head. Hissing, Meera swiped his large hand away.

The big man laughed. "You can't get rid of us like that, got it?"

Meera said nothing, but her expression sobered. Aerylis gave her a reassuring smile.

In one comprehensive sweep of her eyes, Maeyune took in the sight of her friends. Aegis Team would never be the same; she acknowledged that fact. But at least its remaining members were together again.

This, her heart appreciated.

(Continued in Part 2)