Xenoblade Chronicles and all of its characters are property of Monolith Soft. All rights reserved.

Image artist: Jeff4265 on Pintrest

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It was a cool afternoon in Colony 9. People were crowding on the streets, preparing for the night life. One such group of friends spent the remainder of the sunlight wandering from place to place, finally stopping at a park to sit at the benches.

"Man, I'm still impressed by everything you can see when there are no canyon walls blocking the view!" Reyn happily comments while stretching his arms upwards.

"It's breathtaking, isn't it?" Shulk answers. "I didn't get to appreciate it all that much on Alcamoth. But, it really is something."

"This place brings back memories." Fiora adds, looking at everything with nostalgia. "I remember when Shulk and I were here."

"I remember. Your cooking is still the best, Fiora." Shulk answers with a smile, which Fiora returns.

"And where was mine that day?" Reyn jokingly cuts in.

"Well, if I knew you were there, then maybe I'd have brought you one too."

"Aw come on, Fiora; Ol' Square-stache had me doing extra drills, you can't blame me for not showing up."

"You're right, Reyn; we should blame your alarm for not going off." Shulk quips, earning laughs from Fiora and sighs from Reyn. After a few more minutes of conversing, the three go their separate ways; Shulk and Fiora one way and Reyn another way, until a certain someone spots him.

"Reyn!" A female voice calls out to Reyn from behind. He turns around and smiles.

"Sharla! What brings you here?"

"I just got back from Dunban, his arm is doing much better." Sharla answers, bringing up a medical kit. "What about you?"

"Oh, just hanging out with Shulk and Fiora. They just left." Reyn answers, pointing to their direction.

"Got any plans now?"

"Nah, I was thinking of heading home. Nothing special."

"Then, why don't you walk me back first? I could use the company."

"Sure, sounds good to me." Reyn answers, much to Sharla's glee as they begin to walk together. "So, how's Dunban doing?"

"Much better than the last two months. I'm trying to be hopeful because his right arm has great coordination again."

"Man, the monado did a number on him. Didn't it?"

"It did. But, he's a really tough guy."

"Well, I learned from the best." Reyn proudly comments as he flexes his arms, making Sharla giggle. They finally reach Sharla's house and she invites him in, much to his surprise. Once inside, Reyn comments to himself over how it looks nicer than his place. Sitting down at the dinner table, Sharla brings lemonade to Reyn, which he gladly takes.

"Thanks for walking me home, Reyn." Sharla happily states.

"Anytime. It was...relaxing."

Sharla then sits down opposite of Reyn and sighs. "Honestly, I enjoy being a doctor more than a sniper. I think the people of Colony 9 and even Colony 6 need more doctors."

"Well, with you teaching them, I bet they'll be the best of the best."

"You think so?"

"Definitely. How many times have you saved my skin through the Bionis and Mechonis? I don't think any of us would be here without you." Reyn confidently answers. "You're the best, Sharla."

Sharla, moved by Reyn's words, warmly smiles. "Well, it was because of you that I wanted to be the best. I had to keep my tough guy in top shape."

"Ah, I'm only as tough as I need to be."

"Which is 24/7?" Sharla asks with a smirk.

"That's Reyn Time." Reyn swiftly answers with a flexed arm and they both share a laugh. A few seconds later, Sharla continues the conversation.

"You know, Reyn."

"What's up?"

"I...I really appreciate everything you did for me." Sharla comments, twiddling her thumbs.

"No thanks needed. We're all friends after all-"

"No, I mean every one of you mean the world to me." Sharla quickly cuts off Reyn to explain herself. "But, you're the one that always helped to keep me going."

Surprised, Reyn blinks twice before answering. "Oh. I just...wanted you to be ok. I would never let you down."

"I know." Sharla breathes deeply before continuing. "I'd be lost without you."

Reyn and Sharla remain static after this exchange, neither one knowing what to say or do next. The only thought that both of them have is that being in the same room is completely normal and...right. Just as Reyn is about to say something, the entrance opens and in walks someone unexpected.

"I'm home- Reyn?" Gadolt, Sharla's fiancé, addresses Reyn in surprise. Reyn turns around and, surprisingly, smiles.

"Ah, Gadolt!" Reyn gets up from his seat and shakes Gadolt's hand. "How've you been, man?"

Gadolt gladly returns the handshake and smiles. "Doing great Reyn, very well! I trust you've been taking care of yourself as well?"

"I'm hitting the weights every now and then." Reyn answers, patting his biceps as proof. Nodding in acknowledgement, Gadolt then turns his sights to Sharla, who happily embraces him.

"Did you have a good day, Gadolt?"

"It was good, now it's better that you're here." Gadolt affectionately answers.

"Oh man, I'm in the way now." Reyn quips and fakes a repulse.

"Aw, I'm sorry Reyn; I shouldn't have left you out." Gadolt jokingly apologizes and opens his arms to him. The three then laugh at this exchange, enjoying the jovial atmosphere.

"Oh, well I should probably get dinner ready. Will you be joining us, Reyn?" Sharla asks before she heads into the kitchen.

"Of course he will, right Reyn?" Gadolt answers for him, expecting Reyn to confirm it.

"Yeah, I'd be happy to." Reyn answers with a thumbs up.

"Great! I'll make plenty then." Sharla happily comments before leaving the two men alone. Gadolt then motions Reyn to go out the back door and onto the deck as they wait. Now outside, they both lean on the railing and admire the sunset.

"So, you're doing good too?" Reyn asks.

"Oh yeah, much better." Gadolt answers, stretching his arms. "Sharla's a master at rehab, I thought I'd never get back in form."

"I'm glad, Gadolt." Reyn comments, content that Gadolt is healthy.

"Do you ever think about it?"

"The Mechonis? Sometimes." Reyn looks out into the distance as he answers. "It's not the best memory."

"I know. I wasn't exactly in the best...condition at the time, was I?" Gadolt responds with a sour mood. "But, I have you to thank for getting me out of there."

"You're just saying that." Reyn harmlessly dismisses Gadolt's comment.

"No, I mean it. If it hadn't been for you, I would still be stuck in that Faced Mechon and I'd never see Sharla again. I owe you a lot, Reyn." Gadolt proudly admits and Reyn has a smile that devolves into an uncertain look. "What's wrong, kiddo?"

"It's just...I don't remember how I did that."

"What, did you hit your head or something? We talked about it all the time."

"I...I guess?" Reyn answers, at a loss for words.

"Well, it doesn't matter. What's important is we came home. Don't dwell on it."

"...Yeah. You're right. Thanks Gadolt." Reyn, shaking any thoughts from his head, smiles and pats Gadolt's arm. As he does this, something feels off... "Hey Gadolt, your arm feels...weird?"

"Oh that. It's just an injury I got during training for the new recruits." Gadolt answers, though Reyn is skeptical as it felt...metallic. Though still wary, Reyn puts it aside as Gadolt makes an announcement. "Ah, there is something I wanted to tell you. Reyn; Sharla and I will be getting married at the end of next month."

"What?" Reyn, at a loss for words, questions.

"Yeah, it's finally time. We're finally free from conflict with the Mechon, we agreed that it is the best time now." Gadolt explains, clearly happy to announce this to Reyn.

"Gadolt, that...that's awesome! Congratulations!" Reyn excitedly exclaims. Despite this, he feels an unexplained twinge in his chest at this announcement. "I'm happy for you two."

"I wanted to tell you first to give you some time."

"Time? For what?"

"To find yourself a date, for the...date." Gadolt snickers at his comment. "Can you find one? Or maybe I could help you with that?"

"Ah, that might be hard. I haven't felt anything for a girl since I explored the Bionis with the others."

"Oh really?" Gadolt, clearly intrigued, raises an eyebrow. "What's this girl like?"

At being asked, Reyn happily reminisces over this girl. "She's got this can-do attitude that I can't get enough of. An almost motherly nature when it comes to kids. Not a bad fighter, if I do say so myself."

"Is she a knockout?"

"Oh Gadolt, she's beautiful; both inside and out. When someone's in trouble, she goes out of her way to help them."

Smiling, Gadolt adds yet another question. "Wow, she sounds like quite the girl. She's from Colony 6, right?"

Stunned, Reyn's smile disappears and is replaced by a nervous expression. "W-why-why would you say that?"

"I mean, the only place I can think of that had people in it besides Colony 9, not counting Alcamoth, would be Colony 6."

"Oh right! Right!" Reyn, doing his best to relax, exclaims in surprise. "Yeah, I met her there. Rather, she said she was from there. She escaped with some friends when it was attacked."

"Well, she was lucky to have run into you then."

"Sometimes, I think I'm the lucky one." Reyn comments, trying not to smile.

"Reyn, how did you let her go then?" Gadolt asks, slight disappointment present in his tone.

"It...it's complicated." Reyn hesitantly answers.

"No! You're just making it complicated. Reyn, if I were in your shoes, I'd hold her tight and swear to her that I'd NEVER let her go."

"But, what if she lost someone dear to her? Would it be right for me to, you know, come along?"

"What do you think?" Gadolt answers with a question of his own.

"I...I don't know."

"Reyn, let me give you some advice. A girl like that only appears once in a lifetime; you should not be hesitating." Gadolt relaxes himself and continues to look out towards the sunset. "If she's hurting, you need to step up and be there for her. Maybe you're the only anchor she has, why cut her loose? My advice; never let her go. NEVER." As Gadolt finishes, Reyn exhales deeply and becomes lost in thought. Maybe, Gadolt has a point... "I think Sharla would be happy if you were to be her anchor."

"Yeah, I think-" Reyn's eyes shoot open and he looks at Gadolt in quiet surprise. "What did you say...?"

"I'm just saying that Sharla would love that." Gadolt answers, still looking out towards the horizon.

"...Gadolt, I never said it was Sharla." Reyn comments, visibly uncomfortable with the direction this conversation is going. Before he can explain further, Reyn hears a metallic tapping coming from the railing. Looking down he sees that Gadolt is making that sound....with his now robotic, yellow left hand. "Gadolt?"

"You don't need to tell me that, Reyn." Gadolt retorts, sounding more serious now. "You're about as obvious as an Armu in a flock of Flamii's."

Now nervous with these events, Reyn decides that he wants to leave. "You know, I think your arm might need some more aid. I'm just gonna go fetch Sharla-"

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Gadolt, unmoving from his spot, says accusingly.

"Please, I just want to get you help. I think something's wrong with you right now." Reyn answers, now fearful. "Let me help you."

"Like you did in Agniratha?" Gadolt comments, now with a hostile tone. "It would not surprise me that you forgot. Just another Mechon that needed to be scrapped, right?"

Reyn notices that more of Gadolt's body has begun to alter, looking more robotic with each passing second, and it's beginning to drudge up bad memories. "Gadolt?!"

"You know, when I was captured, they put me through hell to make me into this." Gadolt turns around and shows Reyn his Mechon body and his right eye replaced with a red cybernetic one. "My memories of seeing Sharla again kept me going. But, what do I find? You, standing right next to her."

Breathing heavily, Reyn tries to find the words needed. "I wanted to help her find you. I wanted to...see her smile."

"And you wanted me out of the way?"

"No! That's not true!" Reyn shouts defensively. "I would never do that to Sharla."

"Because?" Gadolt, now looming towards Reyn, asks.

"N-nothing."

"Don't lie to me! I told you that you're too obvious..." Gadolt is now a foot away from Reyn. "...You love her, don't you?"

"Gadolt, please; don't do this." Reyn puts up his hands and begs Gadolt to cease this accusation. "I just..."

"No, you don't get to walk from this. Now, tell the truth." Gadolt demands, now completely hostile. "SAY IT!!!"

Reyn, now overwhelmed, drops to his knees. Breathing heavily, he finally speaks up. "I...I didn't know. I didn't think this would happen!" Reyn shouts as he punches the ground. "It just did! I didn't think I could feel this way about someone..."

"So, now you know." Gadolt confirms.

"But, I can't..."

"You're weak."

"I'm not weak! I'm supposed to be the one who never loses composure. Everyone was counting on me to be the backbone of the team. But, I'm just one man." Reyn, from his spot on the ground, looks up at Gadolt. "And Sharla makes me stronger, makes me better."

"And with me dead, even better. Right?"

"I never wanted that. I wanted to make sure she found you, then maybe I could move on from these feelings. I swear, I didn't want you to die! I'm sorry!" Reyn, now feeling guilty, vents his frustrations. Gadolt, for his part, moves away from Reyn.

"Well, you did a bang up job.....DIDN'T YOU?!?!" Gadolt unexpectedly transforms into Jade Face and overtakes a stunned Reyn...

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Reyn awakens with a start, breathing heavily as he sits up on his bed. Sitting at the left side of the bed, Reyn holds his head in an attempt to clear his mind of the nightmare, just as his alarm clock goes off. "Yeah, yeah; I'm up..." Shutting off the alarm, Reyn stands up and gets ready for the day. Wearing his usual attire, Reyn walks out the front door to see everyone getting ready for their daily routines, smiling as he walks past them. A few minutes later, he reaches his destination; a repair shop. As he walks in, the doorway rings; signaling that someone has arrived at the shop, and Shulk walks out from the back.

"Morning Reyn, ready for another day of tuning up?"

"As I'll ever be." Reyn answers, flexing his wrists to prepare for work. Now ready, they both work on different machines used for harvesting crops. Roughly an hour in, Shulk stops to check on the harvesters engine to see if anything needs to be looked over, but he stops after seeing that Reyn has barely begun on his harvester.

"Reyn? You doing alright?"

"Huh?" Reyn snaps out of his stupor and looks at Shulk. "Yeah, why do you ask?"

"Well, it doesn't look like you went past opening the chassis. Usually, you finish before me; so, what is going on?"

"Ah. Sorry, Shulk." Reyn comments, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. "I had a bit of a rough night, I guess I'm still getting back in the groove."

"Oh. Well, as long you can get things done, I'm sure you'll be fine." Shulk responds, patting Reyn on the back. "Anyway, what happened? You couldn't sleep?"

"Sort of; I just had a nasty nightmare. It woke me up before my alarm."

"Huh, thank goodness for that then." Shulk quips.

"Shut up..." Reyn playfully shoves Shulk, much to his amusement. Now a bit more enthused, Reyn focuses on his harvester and has a much better pace than an hour ago. However, his confidence would soon hit a snag.

"Hey guys!" A voice calls from the entrance and Reyn goes off to answer them.

"Morning! How can we help-" Reyn's friendly smile all but disappears as he spots the customer. "Juju?"

"How's it going, Reyn?" Juju, Sharla's younger brother, greets Reyn with familiarity. "You guys working hard?"

"It's going good, Juju. How can we help you?" Shulk answers in Reyn's stead, wiping off oil on his hands with a cloth that he sets down.

"Well, I need to get my buggy looked at. I was supposed to bring it weeks ago and now it won't start. Can you guys bring it here and give it a look over?"

"Sure thing!" Shulk obliges while handing Reyn a pair of keys. "Here you go Reyn, take the lift and bring the buggy here."

"Me?" Reyn asks, somewhat apprehensive. "I-I mean, why don't you do it? I can work on the harvester while you go, let me make up for it."

"I would, but I've got an order that needs to be done before two o clock." Shulk retorts. "The quicker I can get it done, the better."

Reyn, deciding that arguing further would be pointless, reluctantly takes the keys to the lifter (a truck like vehicle with a crane/forklift arm at the back) and offers Juju a ride back home. On the way, the trip is less than silent.

"So Reyn, you doing ok? Usually, you can't stop talking." Juju questions.

"Oh, just thinking about things; you know, the shop, what I'll do tomorrow, how the guys are. Basic stuff." Reyn answers, hoping to satisfy Juju's curiosity. He soon decides to ask his own. "So...how's Sharla?"

"She's fine. She's got plans to open up her own clinic now."

"Oh yeah? That's good to hear."

"Yeah, she's just looking for a good place to get it set up. Home's not the best place, she says. It's better if the clinic is its own place." Juju explained.

"Just like the shop. I can relate to it." Reyn concurs. "Well, if she needs help, you can tell her we can scout around."

"Why don't you tell her yourself?" Juju states while pointing forward, catching Reyn's attention. His heart begins to beat quicker as he sees Sharla waiting in front of the house, waving as she stands next to the buggy.

"Oh great..." Reyn thinks to himself as he slows the lifter down as it reaches the house and Juju walks out to speak with his sister. Reyn, for his part, takes a deep breath and forces a smile as he steps out of the lifter.

"Reyn!" Sharla happily calls out as Reyn steps up to the two. "Good to see you again."

"Good morning, Sharla. It's been a while, right?" Reyn answers, trying to sound as cordial as possible. "Juju tells me that the buggy won't start?"

"Yes. It just stalled yesterday and now it won't start at all."

"Alright, no problem; I'll just load it up and we'll take a look at it." Reyn confirms as he moves the crane into position.

"Great. Oh, how much will this cost?" Juju asks.

Thinking it through, Reyn makes an unexpected declaration. "Uh, you know what? It's on the house this time."

Surprised, Sharla decides to speak up. "Oh no, Reyn! We couldn't possibly ask you to do that."

"No, it's fine! Just consider it an early gift from me." Reyn retorts, not only doing this for a friend, but remembering what Juju told him; Sharla wants to open her own clinic one day. Therefore, she needs all the money for the possible location. Not long after, he finishes loading the buggy onto the lifter.

"Thanks Reyn, really." Juju states over the free inspection.

"Aw, don't worry about it. Anything for you two." Reyn comments, patting Juju on the back. Just then, Juju gestures over to Sharla, who is about to go back inside. Knowing full well what he's implying, Reyn nods and stops her. "Hey, Sharla."

"Yes?" Sharla immediately turns around to face Reyn. "What is it?"

"Well, I heard from Juju that you're looking for a place to open up a clinic."

"Yes, that's right."

"I was wondering then if you'd like me to, you know, look around for you?" Reyn finishes his sentence quickly, trying to hide his nervousness. "What do you say?"

Surprised, Sharla stares intently at Reyn before smiling softly. "Sure. I'd appreciate that."

"Alright then, I'll look around when I'm not busy." Reyn jumps into the lifter now that he's said what he needed to say. "Well, I better head back before Shulk throws a fit. Juju, come on back before sunset to check on it."

"Got it, I'll see you guys later then." Juju acknowledges before running back in the house.

"Reyn." Sharla walks up to the drivers side and leans on it.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you, for offering to help me."

"Ah, it's what I do." Reyn states, finding it somewhat hard to keep eye contact with her.

"You know, since we haven't spoken in a while, we should do something one of these days." Sharla shyly states. "What do you think?"

Reyn stays motionless for a second, taken aback by Sharla's request. Though, he soon regains composure. "I don't think...that would be a bad idea."

At this, Sharla's meek smile becomes a full blown smile. "Great. We'll make it a date then."

"R-right. That sounds like a plan."

Satisfied with this conversation, Sharla moves away from the lifter, allowing Reyn to back up and drive off. As he's driving, Reyn looks at the rear-view mirror, seeing that Sharla is still standing in her spot, clearly wanting to wait until Reyn is completely out of sight before leaving. This small gesture leaves Reyn with a sense of happiness.

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Several hours later, back at the shop.

Reyn had spent the whole afternoon working on Juju's buggy, humming an upbeat tune while replacing parts and repairing others.

"Well, someone's happy. Did something good happen?" Shulk asks, working on another transport.

"Just having a good day." Reyn answers, still content. Putting his tools down, Reyn moves to the buggy's seat to check the ignition. "Alright, let's hope that eighth times the charm."

"Let's see. You know, I've never seen you this enthused; Are you that desperate to win against a buggy?"

"I've never been stumped by an engine before, not gonna start now." Reyn confidently remarks as he starts the ignition; starting with a long sputter before finally revving up at last. "What'd I tell you? Eighth time's the charm!"

"Don't lose your head, Reyn." Shulk comments, content that Reyn succeeded. "And not a moment too soon."

Shulk points to the entrance and Reyn looks towards it to see Juju walking up to them.

"Welcome back, Juju. It's ready." Reyn declares as he shows the now functional buggy.

Ecstatic, Juju rushes over to look it over. "Awesome! I can't imagine how long it took you to figure out what was wrong with it!"

"Eh, I got it on the first try." Reyn lied, earning an eye roll from Shulk. "Anyway, it should be good as new. You can take it back home now."

"Actually, there's something I wanted to talk to you about."

"Oh? Well, I've got time. What's up?"

Taking a seat on a stool nearby, Juju starts the conversation. "Nothing special, just about what Sharla said; you haven't seen each other in a while. Everything ok?"

Reyn, taken aback by Juju's question, tries to find the words. "N-no, nothing like that. I've just been busy these days and haven't had time lately. Sharla didn't do anything wrong, I promise."

Juju, albeit content with how he answered, feels a bit disappointed; wanting to try and mend anything that may have happened between the two. "Oh, alright then. I just saw that she was really happy to see you. Well, good to know. I'll be leaving now." Sitting down in his buggy, Juju moves to drive off, until Reyn asks some more.

"Hold up, how has Sharla been these days?"

Juju, upon hearing this, covertly smiles and exits his buggy. "You know, she's been pretty quiet most days."

"Oh? Something bothering her?" Reyn asks, clearly concerned.

"I can't say. I try to talk to her, but she says it's nothing and clams up. What should I do?" 

"Uh well..." Reyn, trying to figure out what to say, thinks it through carefully. "Oh! Maybe she just needs some time out in the field. Now that your buggy is fixed, take her to find some medicinal plants; she loves cataloging them."

"Hmm, that could work. She has been feeling cooped up lately when there's no one that needs medical aid. Some time outside could do her some good."

"Right. Another thing you could do is take her to the lakeside. I mean, it's no Eryth Sea, but she finds being near the water relaxing, I think she appreciated it when in the refugee camp on Gaur Plains, remember?"

"Yeah. She did spend a lot of time sitting near the pond by the camp. I'd find her there sometimes when she couldn't sleep. Good call." Juju adds. "Got anymore ideas?"

Reyn and Juju continue their conversation while Shulk works diligently on another transport, listening intently at everything. Seeing Reyn smile as he gives Juju ideas and Juju's body language after taking his advice to heart, Shulk realizes that Juju is asking all of this on purpose to gauge Reyn's reactions. After a few more minutes, Juju decides that he should really be going now and bids the two goodbye and drives off. On his way home, Juju can't help but smile over Reyn's answers to his set up about Sharla.

Back at the shop, Reyn breathes a sigh of relief and content as he moves back to finish up for the day. Reyn, noticing a change in the atmosphere, looks up to see Shulk looking at him with a cocky grin.

"What?" Reyn asks.

"Nothing." Shulk answers, still keeping the grin as he walks off, happy that his best friend has eyes on a girl. Only he never thought it would be Sharla.

"What did I do?!" Reyn asks in confusion, only to have Shulk laugh at his uncertainty. "Shulk, that's not funny; what is it?!"

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The next day

Reyn had spent most of the morning at the shop, sitting at his desk. It is turning out to be an incredibly slow day as no one had brought in anything in need of repairs and Shulk had to run an errand, leaving Reyn in charge of manning the shop. Therefore, he had begun to doze off, holding a newspaper in his hands. An unspecified amount of time later, he felt a hand poking at his shoulder.

"Shulk,if there's no one here for repairs, let me nap..." Reyn complains, swatting awaythe hand. Once again, that hand comes back to pester him. "Come on, there's noone else here..." Swatting it away again, the hand comes back a third time, finally annoying Reyn. "Ugh, what is your deal-" Reyn finally opens his eyes and glares at Shulk, or at least who he thought was Shulk.

"Good morning." Sharla, having been the one responsible for shaking him awake, comments with a smile.

"Sharla?!" Reyn, now wide awake, jolts up and unintentionally hits Sharla's forehead with his own. "Ow!"

"Waah!" Sharla exclaims before rubbing her forehead in discomfort.

"Sorry, Sharla..." Reyn apologizes, trying to ease his own discomfort.

"Don't worry about it. Ow..."

"So, what brings you here?"

"I was walking along and thought I should stop by to say hi. I can't?"

"No! I mean, yes! I mean, you can always come by." Reyn exclaims, trying to find his composure. "Good to see you."

"Likewise." Sharla states, almost giggling at Reyn's stumble. "Where's Shulk?"

"Oh. He had something to do, I guess he hasn't come back yet."

"So, he left you in charge?"

"Yep, shocker I know. But, someone's got to." Reyn states as he lifts up his head in mock superiority. "Anyway, how's the buggy?"

"Growling like a Volff. Thanks again for fixing it." Sharla states. "But, are you sure you don't want us to pay you?"

"Sharla, I promise; it's on the house." Reyn retorts, gently but firmly. "I don't feel right charging you." At these words, Sharla blushes; moved by the fact that Reyn truly didn't want to charge her at all for the repairs. "Sharla?"

"Oh! No, I mean, thank you then. It's...really generous of you."

"It's no big deal." Reyn comments. Soon, they find themselves staring at each other, just like in the nightmare he had two nights ago. However, this time there's no tension to be found, only two people who have a mutual understanding for each other. Yet, Reyn can't help but let his thoughts drift to a certain person....

"Reyn, I'm back!" Shulk calls out from the entrance, surprisingly accompanied by Fiora. "Oh, hey Sharla!"

"Shulk! Good to see you again!" Sharla breaks eye contact and moves to greet Shulk, as well as happily reuniting with Fiora. This moment allows Reyn to clear his mind of negative thoughts. "How have you both been?"

"Just working here, enjoying what I do." Shulk answers, waving his arm around the shop.

"I couldn't agree with you more on that front." Sharla responds, she herself content with being a doctor.

"So Sharla, I take it you're here for the fair?" Fiora asks.

"Yeah, I was trying to get some shopping done before all the people crowd the area. Then, I wanted to attend it."

"What fair?" Reyn asks, visibly surprised and earning perplexed looks from all three of his friends.

"Seriously, Reyn?" Fiora asks, crossing her arms.

"Reyn, didn't you see the people outside moving all sorts of boxes with decorations and stalls getting set up yesterday?" Shulk explains.

"I thought they were just moving supplies."

"Oh Reyn." Fiora face palms. "The fair is today! Why did you think that no one brought their stuff to the shop?"

"I...got distracted?" Reyn gives an excuse, smiling sheepishly.

"Honestly, you're completely hopeless without us." Fiora says in resignation.

"Anyway, I was thinking of closing up shop early today so we can all attend the fair." Shulk cuts in. "That's why I ran into Fiora."

"Ah, that makes sense then, heheh..." Reyn comments.

"Oh! I have an idea; Reyn, since they're going together, why don't we do the same." Sharla suggests.

"Oh, what about Juju?" Reyn asks, not wanting to leave anyone out and possibly looking for a bail out.

"Oh, don't worry about him; he said he was going with some friends. So, it's just me."

"Come on Reyn; don't leave a lady waiting." Fiora cuts in.

"Yeah, it'll be fun." Shulk insists.

"Besides, we haven't seen each other in a while. This is the perfect time now." Sharla interjects, anxious for Reyn to agree. "Please?"

Reyn, thinking it over, finds that he can't deny Sharla this time she's asking for. Therefore, he gives his answer. "Sure, let's go." Upon confirming, Reyn notices Shulk and Fiora content with his decision. However, he can tell that Sharla is clearly ecstatic without giving much away. Bearing this in mind, he concludes that a night out can't cause too much harm.

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Late afternoon

The fair is now in full swing, just as it had been said; the people were crowding around various stalls or moving from place to place, delighted to attend the festivities. The group of friends had arrived at the same time and as they enter, they are greeted by none other than Dunban, Fiora's brother.

"Well, this is quite a surprise!" Dunban approaches the others with a smile. "Here to join the fun?"

"Hi Dunban, yep; it's a double date, sort of." Fiora answers, holding Shulk's hand. "You here for the same?"

"In a sense, I'm actually here to keep an eye on things along with Vanea and a few others. We're pretty much the security to make sure that there are no troublemakers...Reyn."

"Hey!" Reyn protests, earning scattered laughter from everyone present. "I'm not a little kid anymore; are you still mad about when I broke your fence back then?"

"That was you?!"

"No." Reyn quickly answers while looking away.

"Anyway, we're anxious to see what they have in store for us, so we should really get going. See you later, Dunban." Shulk comments as he and Fiora rush in, waving bye to Dunban. Reyn is about to do the same, but Dunban stops him.

"Hold it; what was that about my fence?" Dunban asks with a raised eyebrow.

"Uh..." Reyn tries to come up with an excuse, until Sharla comes to his rescue.

 "Come on Reyn, they're going to leave us behind!" Sharla excitedly shouts as she grabs Reyn by the arm to lead him inside, saving him from a potential scolding from Dunban. For his part, Dunban decides to let it slide and let them have fun.

Once inside, they see all manner of attractions hosted by not just Homs, but also Nopon, High Entia and Machina. Upon seeing this, Sharla could almost swear she was back in Colony 6 during its reconstruction. Not wanting to waste time, they all head to the first stall; a shooting gallery.

"I think you should go first." Reyn states, gesturing Sharla over to the seat. "Show us what you've got."

"I agree; see if you've still got it." Shulk concurs.

"Come on Sharla, wow us!" Fiora ecstatically comments, handing her the wooden rifle for the game.

"Alright, alright; let's see if I remember this." Sharla concedes, taking the rifle and sitting down as the gallery manager sets up six targets, telling her that she needs to hit at least three to earn a prize. Acknowledging this, Sharla gets the rifle into position and aims at the far off targets; grinning smugly as she hits the first, then second, third, fourth, fifth and finally sixth in rapid succession, leaving everyone present speechless. "Well, how was that?" Sharla asks, clearly feeling superior and everyone erupts in applause. The still stunned manager hands Sharla her prize; A stuffed Ardun. After playing a few rounds, though woefully unable to beat Sharla's score, they move on to the next stalls.

"Sharla, that was amazing!" Fiora exclaims.

"I should've known that you hadn't lost your aim." Reyn adds, still impressed.

"A girl needs her hobbies." Sharla quips, gripping her prize tightly.

"Best to keep it sharp, never know when you might need it." Shulk comments. "Now, what can the four of us do next?"

"Care to make it five?" A feminine voice speaks from behind them. They turn around and are elated to find an old friend smiling back at them.

"Melia!" Fiora excitedly exclaims before crushing Melia in a hug.

"F-Fiora!" Melia responds, partially strained from Fiora's hug, but otherwise happy.

"Should you really be hugging the Empress of the High Entia like that? I mean, she's our friend, but still." Sharla asks, partially concerned.

"Aw, she may be the empress, but she's still our Melia." Reyn retorts, patting Melia on the head, much to her annoyance.

"Melia, it's so good to see you again." Shulk happily remarks as Fiora separates from Melia, letting the former catch her breath. "But, what are you doing here? I thought you were too busy to come to these events."

"Usually, yes. But, believe it or not, I came here due to Tyrea's insistence. She said she'd handle the work while I come and visit. I wanted to bring Teelan along, but he refused to leave without Tyrea and she's not really interested in these sorts of things. So, here I am."

"So you and Tyrea are getting along well then?" Shulk asks. "That's good to hear."

"Now then, what sorts of things are in this fair? I'll be honest, this is the first time I've been to one." Melia asks, unsure of what to do.

"Well, there's a lot to see. We could go with- whoa!" Sharla tries to give advice to Melia, until Reyn jumps in front of her; wearing a grey mandrill like mask with red fur and orange sideburns, hollering at a stunned Sharla.

"You again?!" Fiora shouts in mock surprise as Reyn charges over to Shulk and Fiora, who are now mock streaming, as he grabs them both and pretends to beat on them. Amidst this "carnage", Sharla can't help but laugh at the silliness of it all, while Melia just stands confused. A few seconds later, the two pull off Reyn's mask and they all share a good laugh.

"Where did you get that?" Sharla asks, trying to catch her breath.

 "There's a stall that's selling all kinds of masks. I'mkeeping this one." Reyn points to a stall nearby while hanging the mask fromhis hip. He leads the others to the stall and they become enamored by thevarious masks on the racks, mostly animals and even Nopon. The stall manager, agreen Nopon designer, excitedly welcomes the five friends to try on variousmasks. Taking that into account, they all try on a mask; Shulk puts on a Volffmask (grey wolf-like with sharp teeth), Reyn his own, Fiora a Vang mask (alight lavender, eyeless bat mask with a large mouth and green ears) and Sharlawith an Arachno mask (a spider like mask with four oversized fangs and largebright red ear like appendages). Reyn decides that they should mess with peoplepassing by with their masks and they all (sans Melia) agree. Shulk goes first,posing as a mannequin wearing the Volff mask, and howls at a couple walking by,startling them. Trying to calm down from laughing, Fiora climbs up a small treeand waits as a family of three walks by, jumping down and screeching as theyjump from the shock (with the added bonus of the child laughing). With someinsistence from Reyn, Sharla ducks down behind a bush and approaches a couple sitting on a bench; clacking her teeth to resembling the fangs wiggling and scaring the couple off. Shocked that she scared them away, Sharla pulls her mask up and covers her mouth before looking at the others; Reyn starts by softly patting Sharla on her back and laughing for her commitment, while Shulk and Fiora try to keep the laughing Nopon designer from falling off of his stool. Soon, Sharla's apprehension disappears and she joins in on the laughter.

"I can't believe how fun this was!" Sharla exclaims.

"Yeah, but...." Reyn comments with his arms crossed. "We're forgetting little miss sunshine over there."

All three of them look in the direction Reyn is pointing at; Melia leaning by the stall with an indifferent expression.

"Melia, give it a shot!" Shulk declares, handing his mask over.

"I don't think so." Melia answers, declining the mask and crossing her arms.

"We all did one, you should too!" Fiora pushes.

"Everyone, this is silly!"

"That's the whole point!" Reyn interjects. "Today, you're not the empress, you're one of us!" Pulling off a brog mask (frog like creature with turquoise, lumpy skin and red eyes) from the rack, he puts it on Melia's face, despite her protests.

"Now what?" Melia asks, clearly annoyed.

"Well, you've seen brogs before; make some noise." Sharla answers, wanting to see what she's got.

"Urgh..." Melia half heartedly growls. "How was that?" The others only stare at her with uncertainty. "What?!"

"You've...got to do better than that." Reyn quietly answers.

"That was my best."

"Oh come on, I know you've got something better than that!" Fiora protests, noticing a group of kids approaching them. "Here's your chance!"

"I'm not doing this!"

"You wanted to do something fun? This is one of those moments." Reyn states. "Come on, show us another side of you!"

As the kids get closer, Reyn begins chanting Melia's name and the others join in, including the designer. The incessant chanting plus the kids ever closer chattering begin to wear on Melia's nerves and she cannot take it anymore; she raises her arms up, flaps the wings on her head and ululates as the kids walk by, much to her friends wide eyed surprise. The group of kids scream in shock before bursting into laughter at Melia's impression as they walk away. Bringing her arms down and breathing heavily, Melia looks at her friends who start cheering and gather around her; the girls embracing her while laughing.

"You win!" Reyn shouts in glee, placing his hands on Melia's shoulders.

"The wing flapping was genius!" Shulk comments, trying not to laugh.

Fiora and Sharla continue to laugh, releasing Melia from their grip and she places the mask back on the rack, revealing her red cheeks. "I feel foolish..."

Amidst their chattering, Sharla points out that the couple she accidently scared off came back....with Dunban and a few more security guards.

"I think we should go." Shulk comments.

"Seconded!" Fiora states, grabbing Shulk by the arm and leading him away.

"I think we better explain, don't you think Reyn?" Sharla sheepishly comments, looking at her Arachno mask in embarrassment.

"Nope." Reyn denies, leading Sharla away, still trying not to laugh. Melia, for her part, didn't realize that the others had wandered off; still trying to remove the heat from her face. Finally, Dunban rushes up to the mask stall and addresses Melia.

"Ah, hello Melia. Sorry to disturb you, but a pair of attendees told us that a group of people were causing trouble by this stall; did you happen to see them?" Dunban asks, trying to find these "perpetrators".

"Oh, um...." Melia, feeling that she was caught red-handed, thinks a second before answering. "Y-yes; They...they went that way." Melia points to the direction opposite from where her friends ran off.

"Excellent. Thank you Melia, we'll catch up later." Dunban acknowledges her account and runs off with his men to catch the troublemakers. Now alone, Melia's face cracks into a smile before giggling, finding it funny that she was complicit in giving false information, something others would look down on her for once upon a time.

"Theyare having a dangerous effect on me." Melia quips to herself. Before leaving,she stops abruptly as another mask catches her attention, picking it up fromthe rack and looking it over. "Hmm..." Slipping it on, she stared at her reflection in a mirror on the stall; The mask was beautiful, enchanting even. It was as though someone had taken the face of an angel and the darkness of a demon, creating the ultimate hybrid. Her eyelids and lips were now a lapis shade of blue which stood out against the ghostly pale color that the mask had painted onto her face. Her forehead was covered by a black, bat-like centerpiece that shaped her eyebrows and hairline perfectly, even reaching up to where her wings met her head. It was as if the mask were made just for her.

"Melia!" Sharla calls out, bringing Melia out from her thoughts. "We thought you were behind us! Come on, there's more to do!"

Melia waves Sharla off as she takes the mask back into her hands. "No, I don't think so." Dismissing the mask, she puts it back onto the rack and waves the designer goodbye before running off to rejoin her friends. "Coming!"

Finally reunited, the group decide to look over many attractions in the fair; Splitting up in two groups, Shulk and Fiora walk off in one direction (with the latter insisting that Melia come with them), leaving Reyn and Sharla with the other. Not long after, a commotion is heard from the path they took; an Armu had escaped from the petting zoo and had become agitated by all the people, charging down the path.

"Sharla!" Reyn shouts in alarm, grabbing Sharla and moving from the path of the incoming Armu, falling down in the process. Landing on his back, Reyn's arms unintentionally wrap around Sharla's waist and, after recomposing themselves from the impact, they stare at each other for a while. "Are...are you alright?"

"Yes...thank you." Sharla answered, almost mesmerized.

Snapping back to reality, Reyn gets Sharla back on her feet. "Um, that was crazy, wasn't it?"

"Very. I hope everyone else is ok." Sharla answers with a bit of a shaky voice.

"Ah, don't worry, look; security is already getting that Armu under control." Reyn points to the uniformed staff members restraining and calming the agitated Armu. "Way to go, Dunban." Reyn waves to them with a smile, until it all but disappears as one of the handlers was, inexplicably, Gadolt, who waved back at him. Frozen in place, Reyn only looks at him as all sounds disappear, save for his own heartbeat.

"-yn....eyn....Reyn!" Sharla's voice breaks through the silence as she shakes him. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Huh?" Reyn snaps out of it and looks at Sharla in surprise before looking back at the handler, who is now Dunban. "Uh, nothing. I think I'm just a little shaken."

"You? Shaken? Now that's a surprise." Sharla quips.

"I'm not made of stone. Anyway, come on, let's see what else they've got-" Reyn states before Sharla wraps her arm around his own, surprising him further. "Sharla?"

"Lead the way, my savior." Sharla comments with an almost flirtatious smile, still appreciative of his actions earlier. Shaking off his apprehension, Reyn walks Sharla down the path, enjoying the lights as the sun begins to set.

After a few hours of various attractions (ball throwing, prize grabbing, photo shoots, etc.), they both find a bench nearby to relax.

"Not a bad night, huh?" Reyn asks.

"One of the best." Sharla confirms. "Too bad they only show up rarely."

"Well, that makes them special."

"I agree. Hey, where do you think the others are?"

"They're probably on the other side, we'll be going there later so we might run into them. For now, we should get our second wind, don't wanna tire out too soon." Reyn comments and leans his back on the bench. Soon, he feels something on his shoulder and sees that Sharla is leaning on him.

"Hey Reyn?"

"Yeah?" Reyn answers, trying keep his composure.

"Thank you for coming with us; with me." Sharla states, smiling softly. "This meant a lot to me."

"I...I had a great time too, Sharla."

"I told you that I love what I do, but it doesn't hurt every once in a while to have a different spin on things."

"I get that. It's fun doing something new."

"Especially when it's with good friends." Sharla states as she snuggles Reyn, forcing him to extend his arm outward to keep it from going numb. "I'm glad you're here, Reyn."

Reyn,for his part, can't find the words now. Right now, he just feels comfortablehaving Sharla this close to him. Even the chattering of the people in the fairsounds relaxing to him. From afar, Shulk, Fiora and Melia watch as their twofriends sit very close to each other. While the latter two watch in confusion,Shulk crosses his arms and smiles. In a bolder move, Reyn finds himself slowly lowering his arm; wrapping it around Sharla's shoulder. For this moment, his night was perfect. Unfortunately, his subconscious was not as cooperative; while cradling Sharla in his arm, his smile disappears once again as he inexplicably spots Gadolt staring at him from another stall. Blinking twice, he disappears from Reyn's sight and he can mostly relax again.

"Reyn..." A voice calls out to Reyn and he turns his head to a crowd of people admiring a street performer, with Gadolt among them and staring at him again. Unlike the first time, Reyn can't blink him away and he begins to hyperventilate. Turning away, Reyn spots him again among several people, the same for another direction. The third time he turns his head, he gasps in horror, thankfully Sharla had not heard this, Gadolt appears before him in his altered form while glaring daggers at Reyn. Thinking quickly, Reyn shuts his eyes and tries to remind himself that he's just seeing things. Feeling that no one is staring at him, Reyn slowly opens his eyes and Gadolt is nowhere to be found. His relief is cut short as he looks to the left and Jade Face is staring right at him. Now alarmed, Reyn jolts up in panic; completely disregarding Sharla, who's eyes fly open as she falls on Reyn's side of the bench. Shulk's smile completely disappears as he reacts in shock over Reyn's outburst, while Fiora and Melia gasp audibly. Breathing heavily, Reyn looks around and can't spot Jade Face anywhere, but his panic turns to horror as he looks down at Sharla on the bench, clutching the left side of her head.

"Sharla!" Reyn kneels down to get Sharla seated again, rubbing the left side of her head in remorse. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. Oh man..."

"It's no big deal..." Sharla states, still a little dreary from the impact. "But, what happened? Are you alright?"

"It's just..." Reyn tries to explain himself, moving his hand from her head to her cheek in an act of tenderness. Sharla, for her part, gives him a reassuring smile to put his mind at ease. Reyn, unfortunately, feels his blood run cold as he spots Gadolt behind Sharla, this time with a disappointed expression, causing him to back away from her. "I'm sorry."

"Wha- Reyn." Sharla, now confused, stands up and reaches out as Reyn continues to back away.

"I'm sorry Sharla, I have to go now. I'm really sorry." Reyn backs away before finally running off, dodging people as he leaves.

"What's wrong?! Reyn!" Sharla calls out as Shulk and the others meet up at her spot, calling out to him as well. Their shouts fall on deaf ears as Reyn disappears from view, leaving his friends and a saddened Sharla, behind.

Running back to his house, far away from the fair, opens the door and half heartedly close it behind him. Now remorseful over his actions, Reyn turns around and bangs his head on the door once. "That...was awful. Sharla...."

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The morning after

Despite the events of last night, Reyn had awakened early and headed off to the shop. Last night had weighed heavily on him and took him a while to fall asleep, though he did not want to be late. Reaching the shop, Reyn sits at his desk and looks over the orders for the day. Just then, Shulk walks in.

"Hey Reyn." Shulk quietly greets.

"Hey." Reyn greets back, though less than enthusiastic.

"We, uh, we missed you last night."

"Sorry, I wasn't feeling well." Reyn flips through the papers as he answers. "How...how's Sharla? The others?"

"Ah. Fiora is still a little upset that you left. We showed Melia everything else the fair had to offer and we saw her off before she returned to Alcamoth, she told us to tell you that she hopes to see you again later. And Sharla...she left after a while."

"What?" Reyn puts the papers down and looks at Shulk. "Why?"

"I guess she just lost her enthusiasm." Shulk answers and thinks carefully before continuing. "Reyn...I think you hurt her."

Frustrated, Reyn slams the stack of papers on the desk, surprising Shulk. "I know, I know what I did! You don't have to tell me!" Reyn gets up and starts to move away, stopping immediately as he rubs his forehead in repentance. "...I'm sorry, Shulk. I...I didn't mean to yell."

"It's fine." Shulk gives Reyn a pat on the back, reassuring him that they're fine. "But Reyn, what's gotten into you?"

Breathing a heavy sigh, Reyn decides to tell Shulk everything; what happened in Agniratha, their encounter with Gadolt/Jade Face, how the former entrusted Sharla (his then fiancé) to him, Gadolt protecting them all from Egil's attack which led to his death and how he's been thinking about Sharla too often. Even adding that dream he had two nights ago; what he thought would've been an ideal outcome had he and Gadolt been friends.

"Oh, so that's what this is about." Shulk acknowledges.

"Wait, you knew?" Reyn asks in surprise.

"It's hard to hide things from me, Reyn."

Sitting back down, Reyn sighs in resignation. "Yeah, I figured."

"So." Shulk leans on a wall nearby with his arms crossed. "What are you going to do now?"

"I think...I should apologize to Sharla first. Then, I don't know."

Working diligently, the hours pass for the two friends in their shop as people retrieve their transports, appliances and several other machines. Finally closing up shop in the afternoon, they both leave at the same time.

"Alright, wish me luck." Reyn asks, stretching his arms upward.

"You'll be fine. Sharla's not one to hold a grudge." Shulk says reassuringly. "You've got this."

"Thanks. I mean it."

"You know, I'm rooting for the both of you; I think she's the best for you and vice versa." Shulk comments.

"Thanks for that, Shulk." Reyn answers with a half smile.

"Go get her."

"But...I can't."

Shulk's smile quickly turns into a frown. "What? Why not Reyn?"

Reyn turns around with a melancholic expression before answering in one word. "Gadolt..." Saying nothing more, Reyn heads off and Shulk tries to talk him out of it, but only sighs in exasperation.

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After a trek that felt like an eternity to him, Reyn finally reaches Sharla's house. Gearing up for any eventuality, Reyn walks up to the door and, to his surprise, Juju walks out.

"Reyn?"

"Hey Juju." Reyn greets in reluctance.

"Hey. What brings you here?" Juju asks as he closes the door behind him.

"I'm actually here to see your sister. Is she home?"

"Uh, yeah; she's off duty today. You can go on in."

"Got it, thanks." Reyn nods and moves to head in, but Juju calls out once again.

"Hey Reyn?"

"Yeah?"

"Are the two of you ok? Sharla said that you freaked out last night and ran off. Did something happen?"

Reyn turns around to face Juju, not wanting to leave anything unsaid. "No. I just had an episode and I couldn't handle it. Sharla didn't do anything wrong. If anything, I should've handled it better. That's why I'm here; I've got to make things right."

"Oh. Alright then, I trust you Reyn." Juju, satisfied with this clarity, pats Reyn on the arm. "I've got some stuff that I need to buy, so I'll be out of the house for a while. Take your time talking unbothered." With that, Juju walks off into town, leaving Reyn alone. Once more, Reyn reaches the door handle and opens it, letting himself in as per Juju's insistence. Once inside, Reyn hears the clattering of plates, indicating to him that Sharla is in the kitchen and right he was; he spots Sharla at the sink washing dishes, completely unaware of his presence. Not wanting to waste time, Reyn knocks on the wall nearby, catching Sharla's attention.

"Reyn?"

"Hi Sharla."

"Hi." Sharla moves away from the sink, drying her hands on a cloth. "How are you?"

"Never mind me; how are you doing?" Reyn asks, more concerned with her than himself.

"I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" Sharla answers. At these words, Reyn sinks his head in remorse. "Reyn?"

"I have been thinking about nothing but walking away from you last night; and I am kicking myself for it." Reyn sits down at the table nearby before continuing. "Shulk said you left early. I hurt you, didn't I?"

Sharlastays static at Reyn's account, not knowing what to say.

"It was unfair to you. My issues shouldn't ruin what we have. I'm sorry Sharla, it won't happen again. I swear." Reyn tenderly states, wanting to make his stance known. Though, his promise feels slightly insincere to himself. "Well, I should leave you alone." Reyn stands up, thanks Sharla for her time and moves to exit. As he reaches for the door, Sharla unexpectedly hugs him from behind.

"Reyn, I do forgive you." Sharla kindly states, slightly tightening her grip on a stunned Reyn. "I want you to know that whatever is bothering you, you can tell me."

"Sharla, I-"

"It doesn't have to be now, you can tell me whenever you're ready." Sharla lets go of Reyn to move in front of him and holds his hand. "Just promise me one thing; don't shut your heart out to me. I promise that I won't either."

Reyn, feeling a huge weight off of his shoulders, simply nods to Sharla's declaration. Both sides content with the current situation, Reyn peacefully leaves, waving goodbye to Sharla as she closes the door. Now alone, Sharla feels her hands shaking and her heart beating very hard, it had taken a lot of her willpower to say what she needed to say to Reyn. Walking over to the table, Sharla sits down, leans her head on her palms and breathes a heavy sigh.

Reyn, now back in the center of Colony 9, decides to sit at a bench nearby to take in some fresh air. From afar, Shulk and Fiora notice Reyn and the latter wants to confront him for last night. Thankfully, Shulk is there to reign her in.

"What are you doing? We have to call him out on this!" Fiora protests, struggling with Shulk holding her back.

"Wait a minute. There's an explanation for all this."

"Well, he can tell us. But, he can't just ditch Sharla like that, that was unacceptable!"

"I know that!" Shulk retorts and hurries Fiora behind a building as he saw that Reyn was beginning to catch on to the noise they were making. "Good, he didn't see us."

"Why are you defending what he did? I thought you'd be upset too."

"I was, but then he started talking to me." Shulk explains before getting ready to continue. "I think Reyn needs our help."

Upon hearing this, Fiora's annoyed expression turns to one of worry. "What's wrong? Is he in trouble?"

"Not exactly. Listen, there's something you should know."

With those words, Shulk explained what was going through Reyn's mind.

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Two days had passed since then and things had mostly been peacefully, save for the nightmares Reyn had been having again; always with Sharla and Gadolt. As he walked along the street, he spots an old lady struggling to hold up her bags. Reyn decides to rush over and help her.

"Hang on, let me help." Reyn catches her bags before they reach the ground and he recognizes the old lady right away. "Cheryl?"

"Oh hello, Reyn." Cheryl answers in a tired elderly voice. "Thank you for helping this old lady."

"Aw, it's no big deal. Where do you want me to take these?"

"My house is over there, if you don't mind." Cheryl points to a decently sized house and Reyn accompanies Cheryl, keeping up with her slower pace, of course. Finally reaching the house, Reyn's curiosity is peaked as he notices several boxes within. "Hey Cheryl, what's all this?"

"Oh, I didn't tell you kids, did I? I'm moving to Colony 6."

"Why?" Reyn asks, genuinely surprised as he sets the bags down on a table by the entrance.

"It's been several month's since I found out about what happened to my son. This place doesn't feel like home anymore, dear." Cheryl sadly answers. "I want to start over in a new place, there's already a new home for me in Colony 6."

Reyn decides to leave it at that, remembering Cheryl's request to find her son's belongings. Though saddened by her intended departure, Reyn can't help but look around at the almost empty house; noting that it's particularly spacious. Choosing his words carefully, Reyn makes a very big request. "Hey Cheryl, did anyone buy this place yet?"

"No, not yet. Why do you ask?"

"Can I ask you to hold off on leaving yet? I think there's someone who'd love to have this place." Reyn answers, excitement clear in his voice.

"Who's that, dear?"

"Sharla."

"Sharla? Oh, you mean that lovely young lady who's a doctor?" Cheryl confirms.

"Yeah, her. She's been looking for a place to start her own clinic and this house looks perfect. Can I ask you to hold off on leaving for a bit?"

"Well...I was planning on moving in a little over two weeks." Cheryl answers. "Would that be enough time?"

"I think so. I'll tell her today and see what she says."

"Alright then, I'll be here all day."

"Great! Thanks a lot, Cheryl." Reyn happily exclaims. "Well, I better go see if she's available. See you later."

"Wait a minute, dear." Cheryl calls out, causing Reyn to stop in his tracks to give her his full attention. "You must really care about Sharla, right? To help her find a place for her clinic, even asking me to wait for her opinion."

"I-"

"Well, she's a very lucky girl to have someone like you. You make sure you treat her right." Cheryl adds, content with Reyn's decisions. Reyn simply nods before leaving. Shaking off his thoughts, Reyn goes off on his own way. A few steps away from Cheryl's house, Fiora flags Reyn down.

"Reyn!"

"Oh, hey Fiora. What's up?"

"Nothing, just wanted to meet a friend." Fiora says with an amiable smile.

"Alright then, where's Shulk?"

"He had some things to do. So it's just us two." Fiora answers, walking to Reyn's left. "Anyway, where are you heading in such a rush?"

"I was looking for Sharla. You know how she was looking for a place to open up her own clinic?" Reyn states, earning a dismissive nod from Fiora. "Oh. Well, I think I may have found one."

"That's awesome! I'm sure she'll be excited to hear that."

"Well, in the end, she's got to make the call. I'm just the messenger."

"More like her knight in shining armor." Fiora interjects with a teasing smile.

"Heh, if you want to put it that way." Reyn comments while rubbing the back of his head. "If she likes the place, then I'll be satisfied."

"Look at you, being the sensitive guy. I think all the girls might go after you once they hear that."

"Give me a break; I just want to help her out."

"Whatever you say." Fiora comments, now in the know of what Reyn is going through. The two days since Shulk had talked to Fiora had not been eventless for the two, as they had a plan to help Reyn get through his turmoil. Now was the time to put it in motion. "Oh! Is it that time already? Sorry Reyn, I have to go now; I have to meet up with Dunban."

"Oh, don't worry about it. I'll tell Sharla you said hello."

"One more thing; where is this place?"

"It's Cheryl's old house, she's moving to Colony 6." Reyn explains.

"Got it, we might stop by later. Bye Reyn!" Fiora waves goodbye to her friend as she runs off. Waving her off, Reyn continues on his way to find Sharla. Unbeknownst to him, Fiora had actually entered a café nearby to meet up with none other than Melia.

"Well, did you find out anything?" Melia asks.

"Oh yes, I think he just gave us a helping hand." Fiora answers in a mischievous tone.

"Splendid. And where's Shulk?"

"He's doing his part; he went to go talk with Dunban and Riki. He thought an older voice might help out as well."

"I just can't believe that Reyn has that kind of mind set. Why didn't he say anything sooner?"

"You know Reyn; he's supposed to be the tough guy. But, he should've known he can lean on us from time to time." Fiora explains. "If we don't do this, he might never open up."

"I can't let that happen. Let's help our friend; but where do we start?"

"Well, first; let's keep an eye on Sharla. If things go the way they need to, then I think we might be able to have a little 'girl talk'." Fiora answers, hoping that things do go according to plan.

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Some time later, Reyn reaches the doctor's office where Sharla works and the receptionist tells him that Sharla won't be free for at least another three hours, therefore he decides to wait those hours in the waiting room.

"Wow, I should've brought a book or something..." Reyn comments to himself, forgetting the fact that time passes slower when you wait without doing something. Regardless, the idea that he can give Sharla, what he hopes, is good news is enough to keep him seated while he waits. While keeping it in his thoughts, Reyn becomes unsettled as Gadolt walks out from one of the rooms after talking to a doctor. Rubbing his eyes, Reyn looks again and sees that it was just another doctor. Holding his head, Reyn tries to calm himself down. "Why do I keep seeing you....?" Reyn tries to figure out why his mind keeps wandering to Gadolt; is it perhaps that they could've been friends once upon a time? Is it because he wanted to bring him back to Sharla? Or....is it because Sharla is precious to the both of them? What? What is it?

"Reyn?" A voice calls out and Reyn looks up to see Sharla looking at him.

"Sharla?" Reyn straightens up, making sure not to bump her head again. "They said you'd be out in about three hours, did they let you go early?"

Looking at the clock, Sharla raises an eyebrow. "It was a little over three hours. I think you fell asleep."

"I did?"

"No wonder the kids said that your 'growling' scared them." Sharla states, trying not to laugh at the idea of Reyn's loud snoring. "Anyway, to what do I owe this pleasant surprise?"

"Ah right." Reyn refocuses, still unbelieving that he fell asleep for those three hours. "First, are you free now?"

"Yeah, my shift ended already. Why?"

"I want to show you something. But first, we have to go there before I say anything."

Nodding, Sharla runs back inside to change out of her doctor's uniform and into her usual attire. Meeting back at the entrance, the pair make their short trek to Cheryl's house.

"Cheryl? Is she ok, Reyn?" Sharla asks in concern. 

"Oh yeah, fit as a fiddle for an old lady. Give me a sec." Reyn answers before knocking on the door.

"Hello? Oh, Reyn." Cheryl greets, having answered the door.

"Hey Cheryl, I brought her just like I promised." Reyn states, gesturing to Sharla with his thumb.

"Hello dear. Have you been well?"

"Hello Cheryl, yes I'm doing just fine. Reyn said he had something to show me, but he didn't tell me what it is."

"Oh? Why's that, Reyn?"

"Well, since nothing is set in stone, I wanted you to be the one to maybe tell her." Reyn explained to the elderly woman.

"Tell me what?" Sharla asks, now very curious.

"Oh very well then. Come on inside, I'll get some tea ready."

"Great. I'll see you two in a bit." Reyn states and Sharla grabs him by the arm.

"You won't be joining us?" Sharla asks, almost downcast.

"Not this time. It's between the two of you." Reyn gently dismisses. Afterwards, Reyn nudges her inside. "Go on then."

"A-alright." Sharla apprehensively confirms.

"Well then, we'll see you soon, Reyn." Cheryl says as she closes the door behind her and Reyn, clapping his hands together in anticipation for what comes next, goes over to a table nearby to wait for Sharla to show up.

Roughly fifty minutes had passed and there was still no sign of Sharla, thankfully Reyn had at least magazines to read from the stalls nearby, so it wasn't as boring to wait and he didn't fall asleep. As he smiled over the free publicity for their repair shop on one of the magazines, the clicking of a door catches Reyn's attention; Sharla had finally exited Cheryl's house. Holding Sharla's hand, Cheryl bids her goodbye with a smile, before letting go and retreating back inside. Sharla turns around, remaining static with an unreadable expression as Reyn gets up off the table and meets her halfway.

"So,how did it go?" Reyn expectantly asks. "Did...you both have a good chat?" Sharlaremains motionless as Reyn's heartbeat becomes audible in his ears, wanting herto say something. Now concerned, Reyn decides to speak up; until Sharla moves her hands up to her lips and she breaks out into an almost tearful smile. "What?"

Unexpectedly, Sharla rushes over and gleefully jumps on a stunned Reyn, hugging him. "Thank you so much!"

"Whoa, what's going on?" Reyn asks, slightly returning the hug. Sharla, still not breaking contact, looks at him with a happy expression.

"She's going to let me pay it off monthly; but I've finally got my clinic!" Sharla excitedly finishes her sentence. "Thank you for helping me!"

Reyn, now filled with emotion, twirls Sharla around. "I knew it would work out!" He continues this for a few seconds, before losing balance and falling, making sure that Sharla doesn't hit the ground. Now both off of their feet, they remain seated. "Oof, that was close. Are you ok?"

Sharla simply hugs Reyn once again. "I knew you wouldn't let me down. You have no idea how much this means to me."

This time unbothered by his subconscious, Reyn at last hugs her properly. "I told you I'd find a place. Rather, I think it found me."

"It doesn't matter; you kept your word." Sharla retorts, still elated. The two remain on the floor for a while, until Reyn gets up along with her. With a very successful day, Reyn walks Sharla home, all the while chatting about what the clinic will need; equipment, tables, medications, etc. All of which Reyn will ask Shulk where to locate. Once they arrive at Sharla's home, they both stop at the front door.

"Well, I'd say this was a success." Reyn proudly proclaims.

"Very much so." Sharla happily agrees. "What will you do now?"

"I'm beat, I think I'll head on home. You and Juju have a lot to celebrate."

"I guess that's fair, it was probably tiresome for you."

"That and I've got to get ready for another day of repairs. Otherwise, I think I'd join you two." Reyn states, making Sharla smile at that remark. "Ok, I'll see you later."

Wavinggoodbye to each other, Reyn walks off with a content expression. Keeping hispromise to Sharla had left him with a sense of fulfillment. However, despitehow well the day was, it was about to get better for him; before he couldreact, Sharla had quickly caught up to him as he was less than five feet awayfrom the house and left a kiss on his cheek, before retreating to her home justas quickly. Though initially shocked, Reyn exhales heavily and goes on his way, finally giving an ear to ear smile. As he walks away, he hears a sound nearby. Stopping for a moment to hear or see if it appears again, he shrugs it off and continues returning back to his house. Now out of view, two figures rise up from the stall nearby and make their way to Sharla's house.

Sharla, still giddy from finally being able to start her own clinic and her moments with Reyn, she presses her back against the door and exhales a contented sigh. The fact that Reyn went out of his way to make sure that Sharla was the very first person to know that Cheryl had a location for sale had her heart fluttering. Just as she was about to go further inside, a knock on the door had her jolt. Under the impression that Reyn had come back, she straightened herself up and opened the door with a smile, only to be greeted by none other than Fiora and Melia. "Oh, hello girls."

"Hey Sharla, sorry for coming by unannounced; but would you mind if we come in?" Fiora greets before asking gently.

"Not at all. Come on in." Sharla moves aside to let her friends in and they all head to the living room. "Well, to what do I owe the visit?"

"Ah, we just wanted to talk to our friend." Fiora answers before immediately changing the subject. "Say, Melia; is it me, or does Sharla have a spring in her step?"

"Oh yes; girl is practically skipping." Melia answers with her arms crossed and a teasing smile. "Did something good happen?"

"Am I that obvious?" Sharla answers with her cheeks flushed. "Well, yes; I found a place where I can start my clinic."

"No way! Congratulations, Sharla!" Fiora beams.

"Good for you, Sharla." Melia adds. "Is it close by?"

"Only 15 minutes away from here. That's not all; Reyn found it for me."

"Reyn?" The two ask at the same time, feigning surprise.

"That's right. He offered to help me look and the first place he found; he made sure that I was the first to know." Sharla explains and the other two can hear her change in tone as she mentioned Reyn's name. Barely keeping back their smiles as Sharla continues to recount the days events in detail, they silently decide to ease into their real reason for being here. After she stops, Sharla notices that Fiora and Melia have expressions that she can't discern. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Deciding to go first, Fiora pats her lap before speaking. "Sharla, we're friends right? We can tell each other everything?"

"Of course. That's why we're friends. Did something happen?" Sharla asks.

"In a sense." Melia interjects. "It's...about Reyn."

"Reyn? What's going on with him?" Sharla asks, showing concern.

"Sharla, we're going to tell you everything because Reyn is either too proud or too stubborn to say anything." Fiora carefully states.

"Yes. From what Shulk told us, it's eating him up inside. We want to tell you this so that maybe you can talk to him." Melia adds. "Will you hear us out? There may be some things that are probably too personal for you."

Mulling it over carefully, Sharla closes her eyes before saying anything. After a few moments, she comes to a decision; for Reyn, it's worth it. "Tell me."

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That night

Reyn had spent the remainder of the day in his home, inexplicably at peace with all of the days events. Doing all of his personal chores felt less monotonous than most days. He took a moment to take notice of his suddenly spry attitude and came to the conclusion; it was thoughts of Sharla. He had not felt a sense of guilt in an unknown number of days while Sharla was in his thoughts this time and it was a great feeling; not having a weight over his shoulders was exactly what he needed. However, after he headed off to sleep, his dreams would convince him otherwise.....

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Mechonis Capital Agniratha, Central Tower

Reyn stood at the top of the central tower, leaning on the railing as he observed the abandoned Machina city. From behind him, the elevator door opens and out steps an unseen person that joins Reyn.

"Hello again, Reyn." Gadolt greets in his unaltered appearance.

"Hey Gadolt." Reyn responds, giving Gadolt a soft smile.

"Back again?"

"I guess. This is where we found you, remember?"

"YesI do. You know, we've all heard stories about how dangerous the Mechonis was incomparison to the Bionis. But, I never would've expected to see something likethis. Look out there; breathtaking, isn't it?" Gadolt asks, marveling at the landscape of the city.

"Well, we didn't know that the Machina existed; we thought it was just the Mechon. To think there were other beings like the Homs here."

After that exchange, both Reyn and Gadolt say nothing else and continue observing the city, even spotting several Mechon peacefully roaming it. Finally, Reyn decides to continue talking.

"Hey Gadolt, can I ask you something?"

"What's on your mind, Reyn?"

"Do you think...we could've been friends?"

"What do you think?" Gadolt unsarcastically asks.

"Well, I had hoped we could've been, had things gone ideally." Suddenly, the lighting flickers and when Reyn's eyes refocus, he sees Gadolt in his altered state. Though visibly unnerved, Reyn remains in his spot.

"Well, what are you going to do?" Gadolt asks rhetorically.

Sighing, Reyn tries to move along with the conversation "I meant it when I said I'd get you help, like we did with Fiora, had we all escaped."

"But...you are aware that, once I had been restored, I'd have gone back to Sharla. Would you have accepted that?" Gadolt asks, turning his head to face Reyn. "Well?"

"I...just wanted her to be happy."

"Even if you're removed from the picture?"

Thinking briefly, Reyn nods.

"Heh, I knew I was right to leave her in your care. You even found her a place so that she can open up a clinic, good work."

"You know about that?" Reyn asks in surprise.

"Come now, we both understand how I know." Gadolt retorts, subtly pointing out that this is all happening in Reyn's mind.

"Oh, right."

"Honestly though, seeing Sharla like that has to be one of the best things ever, doesn't it?"

"No argument there; she lights up the room, Gadolt."

"And now?"

"And now what?"

"What comes next, Reyn?"

"N-nothing."

Frustrated, Gadolt pushes further. "Argh, we're not doing this again Reyn; your feelings for her are genuine. Everyone already knows that, so don't try to deny it." At these words, Reyn shuts his eyes, unable to deny the truth. "But, you forgot something."

"And what is that?"

"Does she feel the same?"

Reyn's eyes slowly open up. Gadolt was right; he hadn't thought of that at all. Could it be possible that his infatuation is completely one sided? But wait, her affection during the day was one of genuine happiness at Reyn's actions. Was she perhaps....

"The point is, Reyn, you're really willing to go on without knowing what she feels? That doesn't seem like a good idea."

"Wait a minute; Gadolt, why are you giving me this kind of advice?" Reyn asks, clearly confused as to why Gadolt of all people would try to help him with Sharla, if he was engaged to her.

"Why indeed..."

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Reyn awakens, somewhat peacefully to the sounds of his alarm going off. However, this dream remained in his head; from the moment he woke up, to the trek to the shop and the first hours of him working there.

"Hey Reyn, you alright?" Shulk asks. "You're kind of staring off into space."

"Huh? Oh, yeah I'm good. Better than last time." Reyn confirms. "Anyway, Fiora said you went out of town. Did you find what you needed?"

"Oh yeah; new tools." Shulk points to a new tool box. "From Frontier Village, Nopon make really good ones."

"Oh yeah, wow." Reyn comments, marveling at the quality of the new tools Shulk brought. "Gonna break these in, I tell you!"

"Let's not get carried away though, Reyn. You know how far Frontier Village is." Shulk states. "Anyway, how did things go in my absence? Were you bored?"

"Oh yes, my beloved; I was lost without you." Reyn jokingly comments, leading to them both laughing. "No, I had good day. Guess what; I found a place for Sharla to open up her clinic."

"Now that's what I wanted to hear! Awesome work, Reyn!" Shulk excitedly proclaims.

"You should've been there, Shulk; I haven't seen her smile like that in a long time. Now, it'll probably start after two weeks, so she needs to find equipment. Think you can help find them?"

"Yeah, I could look around. Maybe the Machina Village has some good ones or better ones."

"Great. After work, I'll go and ask what she needs."

"That would be best." Shulk says with a thumbs up.

The rest of the day went by and Shulk closed up shop. Reyn and Shulk go their separate ways, with the latter smiling as the former leaves. From behind, Shulk notices that he has company.

"How is he doing?" Dunban, now moving to Shulk's right side, asks.

"He's looking better. I think he just needs one more push." Shulk answers.

"I suppose that's where I come in. Me and Riki."

"He'll be here in about an hour or two. From there, you both do the rest."

"Leave it to us, we'll get through to him."

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Reaching Sharla's house, Reyn knocks on the door and Juju answers. "Reyn! What's up?"

"Hey Juju. Is Sharla home? I've got some things to ask her."

"Oh...She's not here. She had to step out for a bit." 

"Oh. Do you know when she'll be back?" Reyn asks before looking at the garage. "Hey, where's the buggy?"

"Uh....Sharla took it." Juju answers, as if caught doing something wrong.

"You know, I'm sure it's normal for her to drive it too. So, why are you so fidgety?"

"Dang it, I'm sorry Reyn; Sharla made me promise not to tell you."

Surprised, Reyn decides to press on. "Tell me what?"

"She drove off to Gaur Plains, she didn't want anyone to know."

"Why?"

"I don't know, she said she wanted a change of scenery to think. What I don't know."

That was odd to Reyn, why would Sharla want to leave Colony 9 just to think? And at Gaur Plains no less. "Is she alright, Juju? Did Cheryl take back the offer?"

"No, nothing like that. She was being very tight lipped about everything. So, I'm just as in the dark as you are."

"Ah....Alright then. Well, when she gets back, can you tell her I stopped by?" Reyn asked, now resigned.

"Sure. I'll let her know." Juju nods in acknowledgement.

"Ok. Well, bye Juju." Reyn waves goodbye to Juju, who waves back, and he walks away. Now, the thoughts of Sharla's reasons for going to such an out of the way location occupy his mind. What could she be doing there?

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Gaur Plains, morning hours

The quiet and ambient sounds of Gaur Plains were disrupted by the sounds of a motor and tires barreling through the grass. Sharla had taken the buggy all the way here and to a very particular point that she hoped still existed. Driving through a small wooded area and down a hill, Sharla is relieved to see that the place she was looking for is still there; the now abandoned refugee camp. Slowing the buggy down to a halt, Sharla exits the jeep with Gadolt's rifle, which she had conserved since she recovered it, with the intent of using it to keep violent wildlife away. Standing at the small creek, she sets the rifle down next to her and sits down. Her thoughts have been very cloudy since Fiora and Melia spoke to her last night and she needed to get away to hopefully get all of them in order.

"Reyn..." Sharla whispers Reyn's name as she looks at her reflection in the pond. She still couldn't believe what she was told, how much Reyn was holding in and away from everyone, including her. What truly phased her was knowing that it was Gadolt who kept him shut in. He hadn't known him for long, but Gadolt left an impact on Reyn, even showing up in his dreams. But that's not it, Gadolt mainly appeared in his mind whenever Reyn got too close to Sharla, as if it was forbidden.

Sharla wanted to come here because it was where she first met Reyn and Shulk, it was an important place in that regard. Though Shulk was very kind to her, Reyn was different; he treated Juju as if he were his own brother, even reprimanding him for running off that one time, protecting her from so many dangers as they made their way to the Mechonis, promising her that he'll bring Gadolt back to her...as well as making sure she could handle his death afterwards. All of this went through her head in circles and all of it focused solely on Reyn. Bearing that in mind, her thoughts drifted to better days; Reyn personally coming to fix the buggy, going to the fair with her and finding a location for her coveted clinic. These thoughts plus the ones during their adventures were among the most precious to her and after at least three hours of going through it all and smiling meekly, a new thought or rather a revelation has Sharla burying her face into her knees.......When was the exact moment that she fell in love with him?

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It was finally evening and Reyn had stayed home since he came back from Sharla's house, who still had not returned. This left him feeling anxious; even though she could take care of herself, it bothered Reyn to know that Sharla was all alone out there. After pacing aimlessly for a while, Reyn observes his old gunlance on the wall and gets the intention of taking it and going off to Gaur Plains, even if Sharla might get upset with him being there in spite of Juju being told not to tell anyone. Silently apologizing to Juju, Reyn moves to pick up the gunlance until a knock on his door interrupts him. Answering the door, he's surprised to see Dunban standing there.

"Good evening, Reyn."

"Dunban, hey." Reyn responds in surprise.

"Were you expecting someone else."

"Uh, no. Not particularly." Reyn answers in uncertainty, actually hoping that Dunban was "someone else". "Did you want to step in?"

"Actually, we came to see if you wanted chat with us outside."

"We? Us?"

"Yes Reyn! We and us!" Reyn looks down to see his old friend Riki, the "legendary heropon".

"Riki! What are you doing here?" Reyn asks ecstatically.

"Riki was in town and ran into Dundun! Then we come to see Reyn!"

"You're not busy, are you?" Dunban asks.

Thinking this would be a good chance to clear his head, Reyn nods. "Yeah sure, I've got nothing better to do."

Satisfied, all three of them go out and walk among the lights and scattered people in the streets.

"So, you do this often, Dunban?" Reyn asks.

"Most of the time at night. I find that a nightly walk can clear my head when too many thoughts cloud my mind. In short, it helps me think." Dunban explains.

"Riki understands; when familypon gets too noisy, alone time can be good for head!" Riki adds, hopping up and down.

"There's that too. Though being with a friend can make it better, or with that special someone. What do you think Reyn?"

"You know, this is kind of relaxing. I'll give you that." Reyn nods, truly at peace with this walk. "Yeah, company does make it better."

"Dundun also right; Riki and Wifeypon should do this more often when not caring for littlepon."

"I bet she'd love that, Riki." Dunban states.

"What about Reyn? No plans for you and girly?"

"Not that I can see, Riki. Sorry."

"Shame. Reyn and Sharla would be good for walking, just like Riki and Wifeypon." Riki states in a saddened voice. For his part, Dunban observes Reyn's reaction to this comment.

"Sharla? Riki, I think your imagination is going crazy; there's nothing going on with me and Sharla." Reyn dismissively retorts.

"Why not?"

"Well, Riki, it's because..." Reyn begins to explain, but recants. "Forget it."

"Forget what? Why Reyn clamming up?" Riki pushes.

"No, it's nothing. Let's just drop it."

Now having him where they want him, Dunban decides that it's the right moment. "...Is it because of Gadolt?"

Stopping in his tracks immediately, Reyn remains static at Dunban's question, letting Dunban and Riki prepare for whatever comes next. Soon, Reyn turns around to face them. "...What?"

"Reyn worried about what Gadolt made Reyn promise, right?" Riki asks.

"Why do you two know that?" Reyn, growing nervous, asks in return.

"Reyn, that's exactly why we came to see you. Before you ask, yes; Shulk told us." Dunban confirms.

"Don't be mad; Shulk-shulk told us because he knew Reyn is too stubborn to talk." Riki adds.

"Guys, I don't know what Shulk told you, but it's probably just blown out of proportion." Reyn tries to get out of this conversation by deviating from what they know. "I promise."

"Reyn." Dunban places his left hand on Reyn's shoulder before continuing. "Don't keep this in."

"We friends, Reyn. Not keep us away." Riki states.

Reyn tries to retort, but he can't find the words now that he's been cornered. Bearing that in mind, Dunban continues.

"Right now, this isn't about Sharla; it's about you." Dunban states as he lowers his hand from Reyn's shoulder. "Reyn, Gadolt made his choice. You have nothing to feel guilty about."

"But-"

"Reyn promised to bring Gadolt back to Sharla, yes. But, Gadolt had to save not just Sharla, but all friends too." Riki states. "Gadolt chose Reyn to protect Sharla, you keep promise."

"Reyn,it was commendable that you wanted to save him for her, but there are somethings you just can't change. Believe me, I know." Dunban states, gripping hisown right arm, remembering what had happened because of his inability and how it cost Fiora greatly.

Reyn takes all of these words in and does his best to come up with a counter argument, but finds that he can't. "But, what if things had gone differently?"

"Not matter anymore. Reyn can't live in past, Reyn must move on." Riki comments. "If not, Reyn hurt Sharla. That worse than any monster we fight before."

Finally beginning to focus because of their words, and everything that happened the past few days, Reyn finds that the weight on his shoulders is beginning to lift ever so slowly. Maybe...they were right; from what Sharla described to them about Gadolt, he would've wanted her to be happy and if Reyn can at least protect her in his stead, then that should be enough. His feelings should come last and keeping her safe from harm should be his priority. "What if I'm not strong enough?"

"Hah! That's a laugh," Dunban proclaims. "You're the strongest grunt I ever saw during your time in the Defense Force."

"Reyn may not be very smart, but very tough!" Riki shouts, much to Reyn's annoyance. "Riki not know any Hom-Hom stronger than Reyn!"

"I think you just need to sleep on it now. After this walk, I'm sure you'll see things clearer tomorrow."

"You think so?" Reyn asks, finally sounding more confident.

"We know so. No more cloudy head; now think better!" Riki hops up and pokes Reyn's head. Getting all this out now, Dunban and Riki beckon Reyn to follow them and finish their walk, which he does gladly. After about 30 minutes of tranquil walking, Reyn returns home and bids the others good night, the latter of which look on with hope that they got through to him before taking their leave. Now alone, Reyn takes the time to go over everything that was told to him and what he's experienced these past days. Though still saddened by the fact that he couldn't keep his word, Reyn surprisingly can't feel that guilt that was plaguing him as of late, because seeing Sharla smile in spite of it all was what truly mattered to him. Closing his eyes and breathing deeply, he slowly begins to smile, at long last barely feeling that heavy weight. Even if his feelings have to remain unanswered, her happiness comes first.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Itwas early morning and Reyn left his house with a much happier and calmerdisposition. Although thoughts of Sharla being gone all day still bothered him,he knew for a fact that she'd be able to handle herself in a pinch. Finallyreaching the shop, Reyn notices that there isn't anything new to do inside and unbeknownst to him, an unseen figure looks on from behind one of the shops outer corners.

"Hey Shulk. Is there a holiday today or something? No one dropped off anything." Reyn calls out, yet no one answers him. Closing the gate in the assumption that no one has to bring in anything, Reyn looks into the presumably empty shop. "Who left this place open then? Hey Shulk!" Reyn calls out again, but no one answers. "Shulk?" Though unnerved, the clacking of footsteps catches his attention and out from the back comes a very unexpected person. "Sharla?"

"Reyn? What's going on?" Sharla asks.

"What do you mean?"

"Shulk said he had to for out for a bit, so I waited in the back office. Now the gate is closed, what's all this about?"

"I just got here myself, I thought there was a holiday." Reyn explains. "Well anyway, what are you doing here this early-" Before Reyn can finish asking, the lights suddenly go out and the only light source is from the windows above the walls letting in sunlight, giving enough visibility. "Hey! What gives?!"

"What's happening now?" Sharla asks, slightly annoyed.

Reyn goes over to the gate to open it, but it doesn't budge. "Great. I forgot that the gate uses electricity to remain open or closed." Reyn comments before banging on the gate and calling out in hopes that someone will hear them. "Argh, forget it; at this hour no one passes by."

"It's fine, let's just wait for Shulk to get back." Sharla states, patting Reyn's back to calm him down.

"You're right; sorry." Reyn relents and sits down at his desk. Taking a seat at the other side of the desk, Sharla leans her hands on it. After 5 minutes of waiting, the silence has become deafening and Reyn decides to ask what was on his mind. "Hey Sharla, you were out all day yesterday; where'd you go?"

"Oh. That's why I came today; I had to do a lot of thinking."

"Oh? What about?"

Sharla pauses for several seconds, leaving Reyn in silence, before gathering the courage to speak her mind. "First, do you remember what I told you? To never keep anything from me if it's bothering you?"

"...Yeah. I remember." Reyn confirms, wondering where this conversation is going.

"So...tell me now."

Reyn cocks his head to the side in confusion. "Sharla, I don't know what you mean. I'm doing great."

Sharla, completely unimpressed, taps her fingers on the desk in annoyance. Exhaling, she stands up and moves over to Reyn's side of the desk with an undiscernible expression.

"What's up?" Reyn, trying to figure out what's going through Sharla's head, asks nervously. She responds by balling up her fist and driving it into Reyn's shoulder. "Ow! What's that for?!"

"-olt." Sharla quietly says.

"What?" Reyn asks, rubbing his shoulder in discomfort.

"Gadolt." Sharla says in a clearer voice, catching Reyn off guard.

"I don't...know what you're talking about-"

"The girls told me already, Reyn!" Sharla shouts in frustration. "Why are you lying?!"

"How could they know about that?!" Reyn responds in kind, kicking himself for indirectly confirming that. "I mean-"

"You see? I know already! Why didn't you come to me for this?"

Reeling from this revelation, Reyn tries to figure out what to say next. "Alright, fine; you're right. But, what would I say to you? I can't exactly say thay I had your fiancé haunting me, I just thought I could handle it myself."

"Well, clearly, you can't!" Sharla shouts. "Nightmares? You've been seeing him around? Reyn, why are you letting this affect you so much?"

"I just..."

"No one blames you for what happened in Agniratha, Reyn. Why would they? I miss him, of course. But he, in all honesty, meant nothing to you. So why?"

Reyn finally reaches a boiling point, though not aimed at Sharla but to himself. "What was I supposed to do?! I made a promise to bring him back to you! But, I didn't. He had to save us all and that means I couldn't keep my promise."

"Reyn..."

"I never wanted him to die, I swear. If he came back to you, I could live with that." Reyn quietly comments and Sharla picks up on this tone. "Now, I could barely look at you without having him in my mind, staring with disappointment."

"Wait a minute, Reyn. What happened at the fair; was that...?"

"Yes, it was." Reyn answers, seeing no reason to continue making excuses. "I saw him when we sat on that bench, when I left you there. I should've gone back, I hated myself for hurting you like that."

"But, why me?" Sharla, wanting to know why she's associated with that, asks.

Reyn stands up and walks less than two feet away. "Like Shulk, Fiora is my best friend too and Melia, if she ever needs me, I'll never be far away." Reyn pauses for a second before continuing. "But Sharla...you're different. You mean a lot more to me, the only thing that makes me happy is seeing you happy."

Sharla, shocked by what Reyn is saying, begins thinking about these words. Reyn cares about her in a very deep sense, not just with helping her out, but wanting nothing more than to be happy. Even being torn up by her losing her beloved and expressing (unfounded) guilt for it. But, what really gets her attention is that Reyn effectively is saying that Sharla is precious to him. Could it be....?

"I'm sorry that I'm not up to the same level as Gadolt. But I promise, I'll do my best to be better than this." Reyn quietly concludes his talk. Sharla, after hearing it all, breathes deeply and decides to take a leap of faith, wanting to clear the air as well.

"Reyn, thank you for telling me all of this. But, I want you to understand something; I've already cried my tears for Gadolt." Sharla confirms with a soft voice. "He meant the world to me and while I miss him, I can put him to rest at last."

Reyn, while still not looking at Sharla, nods in acknowledgement; finding some comfort in that statement.

"It was difficult, very. But, with time, it became easier to do. Do you want to know why?"

Putting his hands on his hips, Reyn looks up at the ceiling. "Why?"

"Because I had my brother, my friends and my new home to ease the pain. But, that's not all..." Sharla felt her cheeks blush as she twiddled with her hands. "I don't know when it happened, but...I fell in love with someone else." Sharla had finally said what she wanted to say for a while now, turning back was no longer an option.

"Oh. That...that's good to hear. I'm sure this guy will be the luckiest man in Colony 9." Reyn states, trying to hide the sadness he feels now.

"No, I'm the lucky one." Sharla, gaining more confidence, corrects Reyn. "He's strong, brave, a good friend and the most amazing person I've ever met. He saved my life so many times over and He's the one that pushes me to follow my dreams. Words are not enough to describe how much he means to me."

"He sounds like the whole package..."

"Oh yes." Sharla decides that it is finally time, no more waiting. "....You are."

With his head down, Reyn slowly lifts it back up, surprised and unsure of what he just heard. Slowly, Reyn turns around to face Sharla, who now has a hopeful expression. "What? What did you say...?"

"You didn't hear that wrong. It is you." Sharla confirms, walking ever so calmly to Reyn.

"Sharla, I..."

Wanting to be more direct, Sharla takes Reyn's hands into her own. "I don't want you to be like Gadolt. I want you to be who you've always been. The man I fell in love with; Reyn."

Though nervous, Reyn tries to steady his breathing and thinks through all of this information. He couldn't believe it; here was Sharla, opening her heart to him. That was something Reyn never expected her to do and lo and behold; she expressed her love for him. Reyn's mind kept telling him that he shouldn't do this, that it isn't correct. But, for the first time in he doesn't know how long, he no longer cares. Removing his hands from Sharla's, Reyn walks away again, leaving a sad expression on Sharla's face, who thinks he's rejecting her.

"Sharla, for these past months, I've been trying to avoid you. I admit it." Reyn remorsefully confirms. "I thought it would be best to keep everything bottled in, hopefully it would go away and I could move on. But, I'm realizing now; I'm being pretty stupid." Hearing this, Sharla gasps softly. "I don't know what will happen later on and honestly, I don't care anymore." Reyn turns around to face Sharla once more, now with his apprehension completely gone. "The worst thing I can do now...is not say I love you too."

Swearing that she felt her heart stop, Sharla stands paralyzed. Soon enough, her eyes tear up and she begins to smile. Breaking out into a small giggle, an elated Sharla jumps into Reyn's open arms. The two remain connected, embracing ever so lovingly. The thoughts of guilt that Reyn had plaguing him have finally disappeared, now replaced with thoughts of Sharla; his partner, his friend and now his beloved.

"Reyn." Sharla speaks up, still snuggling with Reyn. "You know what else you are to me?"

"Go ahead and tell me." Reyn answers and Sharla responds quietly, unable to be heard by him. "What was that?"

Sharla separates from Reyn slightly to be face to face with Reyn, bringing a hand to his check. "You're my miracle, Reyn."

Reyn, continuing to feel that ecstatic emotion, decides to seal it completely; he wraps his arms around Sharla's back and brings her lips close to his. The now enamored Sharla closes her eyes and wraps her arms around the back of Reyn's head and neck, wanting to be as close as possible; neither wanting this moment to end.

However, the silence is broken by the sound of someone clearing their throat. Both opening their eyes, Reyn and Sharla look over to the now open gate to see their friends standing in front of it; Shulk and Dunban nodding in approval, Fiora with a red face and a smile, Melia fanning herself with the flat side of her world ender staff and Riki jumping up and down in happiness.

".....Guys?" Reyn, almost feeling himself turn pale, sets Sharla down to face them.

"H-hello everyone." Sharla, feeling the heat go to her face, greets everyone with her hands behind her.

"So, good thing the gate mysteriously closed and the lights went out, wouldn't you agree?" Fiora quips.

"What?" Reyn asks before immediately realizing the truth. "Wait a minute; you planned this. Shulk?"

"Well, we have been meaning to change the cables for a while now, I guess I just felt like doing so....after you two got stuck inside." Shulk answers with a devious grin.

"You guys!" Sharla exclaims, burying her face into her hands in embarrassment.

"Really Shulk, this was low." Reyn protests, trying to hide his blush as well.

"Oh come on; how else were we supposed to get you to open up?" Fiora asks with her hands on her hips.

"I told you the walk would help, didn't I?" Dunban adds.

"And our chat really put things into perspective, didn't it Sharla?" Melia states, making Sharla lower her hands slightly.

"Riki was right all along! Riki knew Reyn want to walk with Sharla at night!" Riki excitedly beams.

"What does that mean?" Sharla asks to Reyn.

"A-anyway, how long have you five been planning this 'ambush' for the two of us?" Reyn asks the others, ignoring Riki's remark.

"It was after you and I had that talk in regards to the night of the fair. You know me; I plan ahead." Shulk casually explains. Explaining that Fiora and Melia went off to talk to Sharla with the knowledge about Reyn's nightmares, Dunban and Riki getting Reyn to open up and give their own thoughts on it and the locked gate was Shulk's idea.

"And what about Sharla? Who got her to come here?" Reyn asks and Sharla gasps with her mouth closed.

"Uh, no one. She showed up this morning by herself, I was surprised that happened." Shulk says. "I knew you'd arrive in a few minutes, so I took advantage of the situation."

"Really?" Reyn states in surprise, concluding that Sharla came to tell him this in the first place. Looking at her direction, Sharla looks away, knowing full well that she was caught. "Well, I don't mind how things turned out." Reyn happily states while holding Sharla's hand, much to her delight. Now with the air clear, the other five surround them (Fiora and Melia with Sharla, Shulk and Dunban with Reyn and Riki once again hopping in glee). With the chatter dying down, Reyn speaks up. "Hey Shulk, thanks."

"Heh, what are friends for, if not for giving you a kick in the rear when he's being dumb." Shulk quips. 8"Really though, you think you'll be ok now?"

Looking at Shulk, Dunban and Riki, who are all smiling at him, then at the girls chatting amongst themselves, especially at a glowing Sharla, Reyn smiles slightly and gives an answer. "You know, I think I will be."

Satisfied with how things turned out, the seven friends decide to spend the whole day together out and about in Colony 9, with Reyn and Sharla being the center of attention of course. However, Reyn's last hurdle would begin tonight; only now, he felt ready.

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1st Zebrai Bulkhead, Mechonis Field

Reynfinds himself in a very familiar location, though he's alone this time, noteven a single Mechon in sight. From behind, he hears large metallic footstepsgrowing closer. Gripping his gunlance tightly, Reyn turns around and sees JadeFace approaching him, weapon systems fully armed. Gearing up for anything, Reyn stands about three feet away from Jade Face.

"Hello Gadolt. Looks like we're back here now too." Reyn states, taking in the environment. "I guess it's time now." Upon hearing this, Jade Face lowers himself to be at eye level with Reyn. "I've been living with guilt since that day in Agniratha. I had hoped that I could keep my promise to Sharla and, by extension, you. But, I couldn't." Reyn finally drops his gunlance, much to Jade Face's confusion. "My friends helped me to realize that it was never my fault and now I agree with them. Gadolt, I'm not taking care of Sharla because you entrusted her to me; I'm taking care of Sharla...because I love her. I'm not afraid to say that anymore, Gadolt. I can promise you two things; one is that I'll always respect you, even if we've never actually been friends. And the other is...I will never let Sharla go."

After Reyn finishes his declaration, Jade Face rises back up, taking into account that Reyn stands unflinching and not breaking eye contact. After about ten minutes of tense staring, Reyn notices the sound of metal groaning; culminating in parts of Jade Face gradually falling off. Eventually, Jade Face falls apart and collapses on the ground with resounding thuds. Reyn coughs as the dust flows over to him and he hears the sound of footsteps echoing in the hall. As the dust clears, Reyn sees the origin of the footsteps; an unaltered Gadolt approaching him. Now less than two feet away, they both stare at each other until Gadolt places a hand on Reyn's shoulder and proudly smiles.

"I knew you had it in you. You're a good man, Reyn." Gadolt declares. "Sharla is in your care now. You treat her right and look out for Juju as well." Upon giving his declaration, Gadolt fades away, leaving Reyn alone to contemplate this. Smiling, Reyn nods in conviction as the bulkhead behind him opens up, letting in a bright light.

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Reyn awakens, this time peacefully, in his house. Sitting up on his bed, Reyn smiles after recalling his final meeting with Gadolt, fully aware that these negative thoughts are at last gone. Now reinvigorated, Reyn get ready for yet another day of repairs, only now with a better outlook on everything. Reaching the front door, Reyn opens it and is surprised to see Sharla close to knocking on it.

"Oh, morning." Reyn happily greets.

"Good morning, I guess you read my mind." Sharla answers, jokingly bringing up how Reyn answered before she could knock on his door. "Anyway, I wanted to walk with you to the shop before I head off to the clinic. Would you like to?"

Reyn simply walks outside and offers his arm. "No need to ask." Hooking her arm around his, Reyn and Sharla casually walk along the path and chat about their individual plans for the day, even missing the shop for a second because they were so engrossed in the conversation. Going back, Reyn and Sharla reach the shop and they break away from each other. Bidding each other goodbye, Reyn retreats into the shop and Sharla goes on her way. Barely three feet away, Sharla is grabbed from behind, spun around and brought face to face with Reyn, who promptly kisses a surprised Sharla. "I knew I forgot something."

"Wholly....appreciated." Sharla, still star struck, comments before smiling. Now with that settled, they both go on their way, under happier circumstances. Finally back in the shop, Reyn spots his and Shulk's latest damaged vehicle; a mobile artillery turret.

"Uh Shulk, why is this thing here?"

Coming out from behind the turret, Shulk twiddles with one of his new wrenches in his right hand. "Ah, you noticed? Vangarre came early this morning with the new recruits with it. He said that he needs it looked at because it won't start up."

"What does Ol' Square-stache want with this now?"

"He said it's for keeping the wild creatures at bay, from entering town, you know?"

Nodding dismissively, Reyn looks at the vehicle. "Doesn't he know that there are other ways of keeping them out?"

"I know, but he said 'it's to keep these young whippersnappers from getting' too soft!' and he does have a point, Reyn. Who knows what one could find in the future; that's why I keep the Monado REX at home or here." Shulk gestures to the red, blade like weapon hanging on the wall behind his desk. "I'd rather have it there and not need it, than not have it at all."

Reyn reflects on those words, remembering that he has his gunlance like a trophy on his wall. On second thought, maybe bringing it as well might not be a bad idea, especially to protect not just Shulk, but Sharla as well. "Hmm..."

"Also....He said that if we don't get this done by tonight, he'll make sure you do drills along with the new recruits." Shulk quickly states, much to Reyn's wide eyed surprise.

"What?! He can't do that; I'm not even with the defense force anymore!"

"Oh yeah? Tell him that." Shulk replies, handing Reyn the tool box.

Resigned, Reyn takes the tool box. "...Where do we start?"

"Glad you asked; let's start with the treads." Shulk comments and they get to work on the mobile artillery turret. Roughly an hour in, they spark up another conversation. "So, may I ask how you're doing now?"

Reyn finishes tightening some bolts and smiles at Shulk's question. "If I'm being honest, I'm doing so much better. It's like a breath of fresh air, I was just thinking too hard."

"That is dangerous coming from you." Shulk quips and Reyn scoffs at it. "Really though, I'm glad to see you're in good spirits again."

"Yeah, thanks to you all, I know that I was trying to hope for something that was out of my hands. All of it is in the past, I have to look at the future now, right?"

"That's the right way of looking at it. So, what's in the future for you?"

Reyn thinks for a minute before giving his answer. "First thing's first; I still have someone who needs me to fulfill her dream." Reyn concludes and he and Shulk continue working on the mobile artillery, the latter smiling in confidence at the former's idea.

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Five weeks later

The days came and went and while the days at the repair shop were mostly the same, the biggest event came with Cheryl moving to Colony 6, leaving Sharla with her old house becoming a new clinic or at least as a work in progress. It was a slow start, but several boxes have been moved into the empty building, mostly supplies (gauze, alcohol, syringes, etc.) that every clinic would need, as well as a few beds and chairs.

"Alright, that's it for now." Reyn states, putting the last box inside. "What comes next?"

"Dunban said that a transport from the Machina Village would be bringing in a new machine used for blood analysis today." Sharla answers, standing next to Reyn. "I wonder how good it is?"

"I'm guessing it's better than what you could hope for; the Machina have some of the best stuff around."

As Reyn says this, a small transport with a Machina pilot drops off a decently sized wooden box, waves goodbye and flies off, much to their confusion.

"Hang on, weren't we supposed to sign something? Now that I think about it, we weren't even billed." Reyn states.

"Wait, there's a message on it." Sharla pulls off a piece of paper that reads "Free of charge. Regards, Vanea."

"Well, that's awesome." Reyn comments before moving the box inside as well. "We've definitely got to give Vanea a big thank you when we see her again."

Finally having the current items inside, Reyn grabs a duffle bag from the counter before leaving and Sharla locks the door from the outside. As they leave, they're intercepted by Fiora and Shulk.

"Done for the day?" Fiora asks, approaching the two.

"Hi guys, I didn't think that so many items would arrive so suddenly." Sharla comments. "I'm just glad Reyn was here to bring them in."

"There's nothing to it. I've lifted heavier than that." Reyn proudly comments. "But man...it took longer than I thought."

"You've been here since this morning, right?" Shulk asks and the two nod. "Wow, it's a few hours past noon. Have you guys eaten at least?"

"There's a stall across from us, they were our lifesavers." Sharla point to a stall selling pastries.

"Alrighty, then today was a success." Fiora happily states. "So, are you guys free today?"

"Actually, we we're going to spend the rest of the day organizing plans for the clinic. Sharla wants it done as quickly as possible." Reyn explains.

"At your place, I assume?" Shulk asks and Reyn answers with a nod.

"Ooh." Fiora suggestively exclaims and Reyn pats her head.

"Mind out of the gutter now, please."

"Anyway, what do you guys have planned?" Sharla asks, ignoring the heat on her face.

"Ah, just a night out. Since we've both been working hard, it seems like a good idea." Shulk answers. "Though, promise us that we'll have a group outing one day."

"Yeah, it's no fun if it's just us two all the time. Promise?" Fiora adds.

Reyn and Sharla look at each other before answering at the same time. "Next week?"

Shulk and Reyn shake hands to confirm it, while Fiora and Sharla do the same. With that cleared up, the two pairs go their separate ways.

"You know, one of them could've made a quick stop at the bakery; I'd have had something ready in a snap." Fiora claims.

"I know, but I guess Reyn didn't think that far ahead. You know how he is." Shulk answers, remembering the old days.

"Yeah, but I guess he's doing better without us bailing him out."

"Well, he's got a good inspiration now. I'm kind of proud of him." Shulk states, slinging an arm around Fiora, who happily leans her head on his shoulder. "Now, I think he'll do just fine without us."

"I doubt it." Fiora quickly answers. "He's hopeless without us, we've got to stick together, you know?"

"Heheh, yeah I know."

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Reyn's house, late afternoon

"You know, I don't think I've ever been here before." Sharla states, looking around the inside.

"Yeah, I don't usually bring people over. I think the only one was Shulk and that was for plans on the shop." Reyn explains, setting the duffle bag on a coach nearby. "What do you think?"

"Honestly, it's less messy than I thought it would be. Good for you on keeping it clean." Sharla gives her honest opinion.

"Gee, thanks mom..." Reyn quips. Opening up the duffle bag, Reyn pulls out some large rolled up papers. "Well then, where should we do this?"

"Hmm...here is good." Sharla points to the table and Reyn quickly clears it out. Finally, they both set the papers down, revealed to be floor plans for the clinic.

"This is going to take a while. You ready?" Reyn asks.

"Very much so." Sharla answers, twirling a pen in her hand. The time passes as they both discuss what goes where in the first and second floor (waiting room, analysis room, storage, operating rooms, etc.). Usually, Reyn wouldn't enjoy doing this kind of thing, finding it boring. However, seeing Sharla's eyes light up over getting the clinic up off the ground makes it all worth it, even going so far as to suggest where some things should go and Sharla agrees. They became so engrossed in the planning that they don't notice the lack of light from outside. Stopping, Sharla overlooks their work.

"Alright, it's not too bad, it works."

"Wow, you can really plan things out though." Reyn states, marveling at all of the changes made on the floor plans, almost being unrecognizable.

"Well, I couldn't have done it without my number one guy." Sharla sweetly says, wrapping her arms around Reyn.

"I better go tell him that then." Reyn quips while slinging an arm around her, much to Sharla's amusement.

Oh Reyn, look." Sharla points outside and Reyn notices that it's night out. "it really was all day."

"Eh, we had nothing else to do, so no matter." Reyn states. "Besides, Juju knows already, so he won't worry."

"True." Sharla yawns before continuing. "I think we've earned our rest now. Tomorrow's a new day."

"Here's to that." Reyn stretches his arms up, clearly tired as well. "Well, the bathroom is over there. You can change there."

"Great." Sharla picks up the duffle bag, revealed to actually be hers, and walks off. "I knew this was a smart move."

Moments later, Reyn (in a black shirt and pants) throws himself onto his bed, relieved to be lying down after a long day. Seconds later, Sharla walks in (wearing a dark blue nightgown) and joins Reyn on the bed, lying down to his right side.

"Are you comfortable?" Reyn asks quietly.

"Very." Sharla answers.

"Good, because I'm not moving."

Giggling, Sharla moves in closer, allowing Reyn to wrap his arm behind her back. "Hey Reyn?"

"Yeah?"

"You're the best."

"And you're the best that's ever happened to me." Reyn faces Sharla. "You know, I used to wonder what life would be like with another person, now I can't imagine life without you."

"Reyn..." Sharla kisses Reyn on the cheek. "That's the sweetest thing you've said all day."

"I'm serious though. I'm always going to be there for you, no one or nothing will stop me. I swear it."

Now overflowing with emotion, Sharla brings up her hand to make Reyn face her. Smiling, she speaks up. "Reyn?"

"I'm listening." Reyn answers with the same smile.

"Never let me go."

Before answering, Reyn strokes the right side of her face ever so tenderly. "Never."

"I love you." Sharla quietly days, moving closer.

"And I love you."

With that, they brought their lips together in a tender and passionate kiss before they fall asleep in each other's embrace. The nightmares have ended for Reyn and he would dream only of his new life with Sharla; his own miracle.

The End

Author's note: Well, this is the first time I've ever done something like this, but I had it on my mind for quite some time and with Xenoblade Chronicles being released on July 29th of this year, I thought I should finally bite the bullet and have it written. Unfortunately, I had some setbacks and I'm releasing this a few days later. XD I'd like to personally thank PandaWolf180 for all her help in getting this off the ground and for her editing the image I chose for the title. Alright guys/girls, take care. :)