Chapter Text
Opening her eyes, Sona quickly managed to regain control over her own body, stopping it from suddenly jerking up. Dreams and not the pleasant kind became a very regular guest in her life. It wasn't something she expected to happen, although it was only natural for them to catch up to her. Back in Kazimierz, she could sleep a few hours at best, and even that was considered a luxury. Now? Now she could listen to her doctors and sleep all those fancy hours she was expected to sleep to have proper amounts of rest. So once she relaxed and once she gave enough of an opening to those nightmares, it became natural that they started invading her dreams. Although she couldn't even remember the last time she had a nice dream. It was usually nothing or... Well, whatever woke her up right now. So why even try and keep herself from jumping? Simply put, Pinus Silvestris shared a room. And the last thing she wanted was to worry the other girls.
It's not that she didn't want to share her worries with the other three. Rather, there wasn't much they could do for her. Sona knew they would if they could, but... What was there to do? Maybe she could talk Ashley into sleeping in the same bed as her? Huh... Who knows, maybe hugging one of them would make her bad dreams go away. It was at those reoccurring night events that she regretted a request for a shared room for them. Although back then she didn't expect that the momentary peace would cause her this much distress. That there were so many pent-up thoughts and emotions that they would surface once she was able to catch a breather. If someone told her that this could have happened, she would maybe reconsider getting them a room together. No, that was a lie. Back then, she still wasn't sure what exactly did Rhodes Island stand for. Back then, she wanted to cause as few problems as possible, and in her mind, the limited space was the biggest issue those people had to crunch over, so it was only natural for her to offer that their little knightclub would simply share a room together. Not like her fellow knights complained.
She slowly moved her body up. She could feel how shaken her body was, it reminded her of all those times she ran on pure adrenaline. Awful feeling, really. Although it wasn't as intense right now and she could already feel it fading away. Deciding to distract herself, she looked around the room. They could bring some of their furniture, as long as there was a contract between them about their almost everyday availability. It was a job and from what the Radiant Knight said? It was a job worthy of a knight. Regardless, the small world they brought with them, had a calming effect. Next were the two sets of bunkbeds that they received from Rhodes Island. Well, the word received wasn't the correct term. Those beds were put in their room. She herself shared one with Justyna, who took the upper one. On the opposite side, Greynuty was at the bottom, while Iwona, currently busy with her loud snoring, occupied the upper one. All of this, it felt so... So nice. So surreal. At one point, she wanted to survive. Which turned into wanting to help those like herself. Yet ever since she met the other three, while the desire to help others was still there, an even greater force started to guide her decisions and actions. She wanted for them to have a... Happy end. Whatever that could mean for a bunch of infected. And here they were. For now, Sona couldn't think of a better end than this. There was still that thing with nobles back in Kazimierz and their business with Toland.
Sona shook her head and sat at the edge of her bed. Even now, she was reminded of just how abruptly her life turned around. Which would be what, the second time? First the Catastrophe, now this. At least this time it was nice. What reminded her of the change though? However ridiculous it would be, it was... Pajamas. Or just clothes you slept in, really. Which was called pajamas... It's not like there were rules and stipulations on how exactly pajamas should be, right? Well, regardless of that she got so used to sleeping in her armor and with a weapon nearby, that she forgot how to sleep normally. Glancing down at her own set of clothes, she had to stifle a giggle. They allowed her to choose what would suit her, and while there wasn't much to choose from, it still felt nice that even if generic, they had a few sets. The issue arose when she choose one, and the nice girl responsible for the storage, at least at the time, told her that it was for... Kids. That was probably not the best first impression to make. At least that's what she thought. While she quickly tried to apologize and find a set that was suited for her, obviously an adult of mind and body, the same girl told her that if she really wanted to, she could get one in her size. And so she did. In a way, she was glad that she did get one. It was just... Cute. She actually wore something that she deemed cute. It wasn't there to protect her, it wasn't there because she could afford it or it insulated her or was practical. No, it was just cute. A soft set in dark blue with a silly blob-like creature on the front.
Glancing around the room, her eyes focused on the knights from her knightclub. Well, she couldn't see Justyna, so all she could do was just glance in the general direction of where the Liberi girl lay in her sleep. Pajamas huh? Ashley... Err, Greynuty, that is, took a normal set. Iwona stated first that she would sleep in her armor which quickly earned her a boring lecture from one of the doctors on the medical staff. Sona to this day believed that Iwona agreed to not sleep in her armor not because she got the point of the lecture, but because she just wanted to get it over with and avoid any future lectures. She then announced she'd just sleep naked, and the idea was vetoed almost instantly by the other three. While it took some convincing, the Kuranta finally agreed to just get a set similar to Ashlock, if only to get it over with. Justyna was the most curious of the bunch. Sona wasn't sure what really happened, but while Justyna came with a normal set after a single night she had it changed to a similar set that her leader had. After being asked, she just said that she didn't know she could get something like that.
At that point, if someone could read her mind, they would question, why even have nightmares if the most exciting thing that happened in the past weeks was choosing pajamas and other everyday necessities? The answer was simple. The events that occurred in Kazimierz.
Sona closed her eyes for a brief moment. She didn't want to bother with this, not right now. Actually, if anyone gave her a choice, she'd choose to never bother with that. Right now she needed something to distract her. A cold shower could help, but that would just wake up the others. In that case, the only alternative was to take a deep breath of some cold, night air. With a goal in mind, she stood up yet paused. Was it alright to go out like this? But if she bothered with warm clothes, this would miss the purpose of... Well, everything. Mainly not wanting to wake up any of the other three. It would be fine, right? It's not like she was wearing some sort of nightgown. Some proper pants and a shirt. And the cold wouldn't be an issue, if anything, that was the main reason she wanted to go out. To chill out a little. Hah, imagining Ashley's face if she heard that one forced Sona to muffle a giggle. Deciding she already dragged her feet enough, she quietly left the room, praying that the sliding doors wouldn't ruin her plan. Besides, at this point, it became a ritual of sorts. Since it wasn't the first time she would go out like that in the middle of the night, trying to run away from some stupid dreams.
As soon as she stepped outside the room, she felt the cold floor underneath her feet. This alone made her rethink her idea. Although it failed to change her mind. No, even if it would end up as a short walk there and back, she needed this. Not just the cold air, but some form of solitude. At least for a short while. As she began her walk towards the deck of the ship, it made her wonder if this is how Justyna felt. Well, to some degree at least. With how she liked to avoid crowds. Although she quickly learned that the Liberi girl didn't dislike the company, it was just... Too much company, that the crossbow-wielding girl wanted to avoid. If anything, she seemed very content with having a few people around. Well, as long as they weren't bickering. Which did happen between Greynuty and Iwona. From time to time.
Before she even knew it, she was greeted by the dark, starry sky. Without any lights to obscure them, they sparkled through the whole night sky. Sona looked around, her eyes gazing further than just the landship. They were... What, parked? Docked? Well, they were immobile in the middle of a wasteland. This would continue for a few more days, as there were some teams dispatched to the nearby places of interest. While She volunteered her group to join any of the groups, she was quickly informed that those would be somewhat low-risk operations in which trainees and younger operators would participate. With senior members already in place, there wasn't really much to do for them in any of those groups. Sure, they could learn a thing or two about how Rhodes Island worked in these types of operations, but the gain was minuscule at best. At least for them. As such, they were on emergency duty. In case something sudden happened, an emergency or something... Well, that's where the name for their duty came from, they would be called in to try and save those operators in trouble. While she tried taking it seriously, it just felt like a paid vacation. While Rhodes Island wasn't as colorful in attraction as Kawalierki... Well, there were still plenty of nice things about Rhodes Island. Like them being nothing like Kawalierki. Or Kazimierz in general.
Shaking her head, she felt the cold bite against her skin, but she decided that she yet haven't had enough. Her eyes scanned the surrounding area. All she needed was a spot where she could sit down and not be bothered by any random passerby. It didn't take her long. Perhaps it was her past experience from Kazimierz to quickly locate any kind of hiding spots, but she did locate a neat little place to sit and not be seen. At least not by people who wouldn't actively look for her. Which at the present, were none.
Even as she was about to sit down, the thought of going back briefly crossed her mind, and yet she decided to sit down and stay, at least for a bit. Even now she couldn't help but wonder how either of the girls would react to her being this... Well, irresponsible, really. Ashley would just look disappointed, Justyna's face would have that slight shift of expression, probably more worried about why she was here, instead of her actually being here. Iwona? She would probably offer her a coat or a blanket. Maybe. Actually, what would Iwona do in a situation like this? Huh, she should ask her. Although do it out of nowhere to distract the girl with additional confusion.
All those thoughts made her smile. Just how often did she think about them. Either separately or as a group. She loved them, they weren't just knights from her knightclub. They were her family. Whatever it meant for an infected to have any kind of family. That's why the events from Kawalierki haunted her so much. Even now, while she smiled from the warm thoughts about having all of them safe and alive, she couldn't stop the tears from tainting her cheeks with moisture.
"There you are." Hearing a voice, one aimed in her direction, made Sona panic. At first, her old instinct kicked in and she wanted to reach for her weapon, which wasn't there. It took her a split second to reason with herself that she was safe, and there was no need for that. No, what she had to do was to clear her eyes and face, which she tried to do as inconspicuously as possible using her sleeve. "Calm down, it's just me." With something heavy landing on her back, Sona finally glanced up. Just as the voice foretold, it was no other than Ashley.
"Whatever could you mean?" Playing dumb was the only thing she could do. Although it was just buying time from the inevitable.
"What's bothering you?" There it was, Ashley was just like her weapon Straight, direct, and to the point. No, actually that was nothing like her weapon... Huh...
"Not much, couldn't sleep so I thought I would take a short stroll around the ship." Stretching, Sona began to raise up. "So maybe we should just head back."
"You know." Greynuty began, and there was something in her tone that made Sona land back on her butt. "I always try to keep an eye on you, because I know you tend to push yourself a little bit too much. When Justyna was the one to ask me about your night trips, I was a little surprised. I mean, me and her? We're on good terms, sure it was a bit awkward and... I won't lie, it can get a bit awkward still, but we make it work out. Even then, she rarely shares her worries with me like that." As Sona listened to Greynuty, she tried to hide in the heavy coat, which was the heavy object that the other Zalak girl threw on top of her shoulders. "But you wouldn't believe just how surprised I was, when at one point even Iwona randomly commented about it, wondering if something was wrong with you."
"Ehehe..." Sona forced a laugh, so they all knew. How embarrassing. "So you got appointed to discuss this with me?"
"I told both of them that we should give you time and maybe you would talk to one of us. But since you took your sweet time, I had enough and got up to follow you. I noticed that Justyna wanted to do the same, but for whatever reason, she just nodded at me and decided to stay. I guess if there's anyone who understands the intimidating power of a crowd, it's her." Ashlock shrugged at that.
"What about Iwona?" Did they have to convince her to stay put? Knowing the Kuranta, she would rush in here and... Well, offer a duel to clear her mind or something. That sounds like a very Iwona thing to do.
"She? Eh... She gave an... Approving snore I guess." The grey squirrel girl scratched her cheek at that.
As for Sona, she couldn't help but snort at that, which was followed by a laugh. "Ahaha! I can't tell what's more amusing, the joke or that it was no other than Ashley telling it."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Already stern-looking Ashlock frowned a bit more.
"Nothing." Sona smiled and tried to cover herself more with the coat. Even if her body began to shiver, she started to feel a lot better. "I needed that, thanks."
Greynuty let out a deep sigh and soon enough, Sona felt herself being lifted up. Letting out a bunch of surprised squirrel noises, she soon was placed in front of Ashley, who hugged her from behind. "You're cold."
It was a surprise just how warm Ashlock felt. Well, physically, that is... Not that she was a cold person, quite the opposite. Even if the other Zalak girl liked to think about herself differently. "Not anymore." Sona replied playfully.
"Since I got you trapped, you might as well tell me what's going on." There it was again, straight to the point. Not even a little bit of banter. Sona let out a deep sigh at that.
"Can I ask you something before that?" Even as she asked for permission, Flametail wasn't sure if she should go down that road, yet at the moment there was something that she needed to make sure of.
"Hm? Sure, ask away." Sona could feel Ashley's shoulders as the other Zalak girl shrugged.
"Why... Do you care?" While she had a specific question in mind, what left her mouth confused even Flametail. Still, the deed was done, so she had to live with the consequences or something.
That just made Ashlock sigh again. "Tell me, how can someone have those brilliant plans. Think of those clever tactics, even be able to improvise and think up solutions on the spot, yet be this dumb?"
"Hueh?" Sona found herself speechless... Maybe aside from that confused noise she just made, although that was hardly any form of speech. Even held tightly by the other Zalak, Flametail did all she could to turn around and look at the other squirrel girl.
"I know what you wanted to ask. Do I still feel responsible for what happened to you? The answer is yes. It always will be a yes. But that's no longer a reason why I worry about you." Ashley paused, her eyes glancing to the side. "I envy Iwona. Even though she was in a similar situation, she decided to just move forward, not being bothered by it. Me? I started to question all sorts of things. Sure, at first it was about nobles and knights, you know my opinion on that one. But later I... Started to wonder about family. I lost one, not in a physical sense, but in my mind and heart."
"Greynuty?" Sona asked, not sure if she should allow the other girl to continue. It felt like she tapped into something that she shouldn't.
Regardless, Ashlock continued. "All of this had me question if something like a family even exists. I know, it's stupid, a family can mean a lot of things, right? But I mean... A family that you picture inside your head when you think of one. Noble or not." With how close they were, Sona could feel Greynuty tensing quite a bit.
"Ashley! It's fine, really." Turning in her place as best as she could, Sona placed a hand on the girl's cheek. "I... I shouldn't have asked. I already know you're not doing it just out of some sense of duty."
What surprised her, was when Ashlock grabbed her hand. In a short moment, no more than a second, she could feel the other girl's strength behind the gesture. In that short moment, Ashley showed the intensity behind her feelings. "You don't." With the stern look thrown on top of everything else, it almost felt like a threat. "I'm not sure where I would end up if I continued by myself. Maybe I'd be dead by now." There was a pause in Greynuty's speech. At the same time, Sona was captured by the other girl's eyes. The look behind it was morbid and yet... What, amused? "But looking back at myself, I think there was a fate worse than just being dead."
"Like what?" Sona asked, noticing how her voice was barely audible.
Ashlock smirked at that. "That I'd end up like Ingra. That I'd just lose myself to all this bitterness inside me. Become just another butcher, with my cannonlance aimed at all those nobles." Ashley shook her head at that as if trying to clear her mind of something. "I know you well, I know that you question why would we follow you, why would we trust you this much. So here's your answer. It's because your knightclub idea gave us a little garden plot, where we could replant our humanity and nourish it back to health before it would just... Wither away."
With the topic becoming far less... Heavy, albeit not less important, Sona could let out all that air she held inside her lungs. Something she noticed just now, was how she stopped breathing at one point, listening to Ashlock. "That's a weird way to put it." She commented, trying to lighten up the mood.
Ashley had to be of the same idea, as she suddenly grabbed Flametails cheeks and stretched them. "Don't think I got distracted enough to forget. You still have to tell me what got you so bothered for the past few nights."
"Oawf! Sthop! I get it! I get it!" Sona could never win in a contest of strength, especially not with Ashley. Sure, she could outmaneuver her, but the moment she was caught? It was over. Luckily for her, the grey squirrel released her cheeks. At that the Flametail knight rubbed them, wondering if they would get permanently stretched or would actually go back to how they were.
"Unless the cold got to you, in that case..." Greynuty didn't finish, instead, she visibly clenched her jaw, waiting for a resolution from her knightclub leader.
"It's fine it's fine, you're here to warm me up." Sona grinned, and both that and her words made Ashley look to the side in embarrassment. While this just asked to tease the other girl, Sona decided against it. They probably should wrap things up, how late was it exactly? The stars were still brightly visible in the night sky and there was no sight of the sun setting in. Still, they were losing precious time they could use for sleeping. "I'm just warning you that what's troubling me might come off as simply lame and not really worth your worries."
"It's bothering you, that's enough of a reason for me to be worried." Ashlock retorted with a deadpan expression.
"It was just... Some bad dreams. Not even about anything that actually happened, you know? Just a bunch of possibilities that didn't happen." The red Zalak explained, it sounded so simple once she stated it like that. Even she herself had to admit, it wasn't really that much of an issue, now was it?
"About what?" Ashley was relentless, wasn't she? Sona wasn't sure if she should be happy about it. Probably, that meant the other girl cared, right?
Yet, here came the moment where she had to face those nightmares. Those scenes in her mind tormented her for the past weeks. "About you girls getting hurt. Getting maimed, crippled, dying. All because you followed my plan. All because I ordered you to do something. Because I miscalculated something because I forgot about an important factor." Sona paused, and she could feel the hug tightening, yet Ashley remained silent. "You won't believe what I felt inside me when I saw Iwona after I came back. How much willpower it cost me to not just throw up from all those feelings that washed over me."
"Dreams with horrible possibilities. Yeah, I get that." Ashley nodded, Sona wondered if the grey squirrel even noticed just how close they were sitting. At that point, she could feel Ashley's breath on her neck.
"You do? So what kind of horrible dreams did you have?" It just felt right to ask. To share it like that, although if Greynuty decided to not tell, Sona would be fine with that.
"Of you dying. Of that arrow piercing your heart. Of you falling off of that building and me not being able to do anything, as you crash into the concrete below. Of you not returning from that building at all. Even one where Iwona doesn't wake up." Ashley let out a deep sigh.
"How do you deal with them?" It made her feel a bit shameful that she hadn't noticed it. Did Ashley just find a way to live with them? Did they not occur that often?
"I open my eyes and see you or Justyna. Or hear Iwona's snoring. Then I just... I don't know. Focus on the good times and try to go back to sleep." Ashlock explained as she glanced to the side, clearly not comfortable talking about this.
"Anything I can do to help?" Sona asked, the idea of Ashley suffering in any way was a bit too much for her to handle.
"Stupid." Was the only response she received from the grey squirrel.
"Eh? What did I say now?" The red squirrel pouted, here she just wanted to offer some help.
"I should be the one to ask that. Asking if I could do something to help you with those nightmares." Ashlock replied, equally annoyed.
"Hmpf." The Flametail knight let out a soft grunt. What exactly could she ask for? Well, she did have that one idea. "How about sleeping with me?"
"What?!" The way Ashley leaned away while simultaneously turning red as a cherry, made Sona realize the error of her phrasing.
"Ahaha!" The red squirrel laughed, although that was merely to cover up her own embarrassment. "I didn't mean it like that! I just thought that having someone physically next to me would make it better or something." The redhead rubbed the back of her head while offering a sheepish smile.
It took a few seconds before Ashlock regain her composure, shaking her head, she let out a deep sigh. "Jokes like that make me regret..." While even initially Ashley muttered that under her breath, it was the last part that she basically mumbled out, which even the Flametail knight couldn't make out. Still, all of it sounded so... Heavy.
"Greynuty?" Sona focused her gaze on the other Zalak girl.
"It's nothing, we should head back. We already spent too much time here, and you'll catch a cold." Ashlock said while trying to get up.
Sona gritted her teeth. No, she couldn't let this slide. What did Ashley regret? Was she upset? Did she regret meeting her? Coming out here to look for her? Worrying about her? "No!" Having enough, she pounced on the other girl. While under any other circumstances Greynuty could easily withstand an attempt like this, the surprise element and perhaps weariness made her land on her back, with the red squirrel girl on top of her. Once everything settled down, Sona focused on Greynuty's eyes. "Tell me, did I upset you? I didn't mean to."
"You didn't, it's not something we should talk about." Once more, the grey squirrel blushed, as she moved her head to look anywhere but directly at the Flametail knight's face.
"See, because you're upset with me! Remember that one time..." Sona began, having a perfect example, but was quickly stopped by the other girl.
"Ah, fine! Fine, I just wish I was more like things you like, alright?" Greynuty huffed and frowned, still not looking at Sona in any way. "That's what I said."
Sona couldn't help but sit back at that, freeing Ashlock in the process. "Eh?" Meeting an equally confused look from Ashley, Sona shook her head, as if that would help her clear her mind. "Like... Like what?"
Ashley sat up, rubbing her shoulder after having them hit the metal floor. "Like... Cute things that you prefer." The grey squirrel shrugged, although it seemed as if it was a gesture of defeat.
Sona wasn't sure what exactly Greynuty gave up on, but this... This was weird. "But you are that. I mean... You are cute." The Flametail knight smiled softly, feeling her cheeks light up a little. She wasn't used to giving compliments like that.
Sadly, Ashley didn't have any of it, as she simply rolled her eyes. Sona was surprised to see that. Not even a blush. Was her self-esteem so low that she could deflect her words like this? "Right, since you know, we can head back, right?"
"No!" Once more, Flametail was on the assault, as she pounced Ashley back onto the ground.
"Ugh, how many times are you going to do that?!" Ashley wasn't annoyed anymore, she looked outright pissed.
"However I need to get through that thick skull of yours!" With her on top of Greynuty like that, Sona could feel the chill of the night once more embracing her, stealing her off of all the warmth that she previously received from the grey squirrel.
What happened next shook the Flametail knight to her core. "Sona! Please... Just... Just stop." Ashlock, she sounded so... Desperate. Yet her desperation was embraced by such a level of sadness. It made the red Zalak girl back off and sit down, as she looked at the other girl in shock. "There are things you can't affect. You can't change." She finished, slowly getting up. She understood now. It wasn't a look of anger she noticed earlier. It was... Prelude to this.
Sona shook her head, she was no longer sure of what was really going on, but one thing she could be sure of. She somehow messed up. Reaching up, she grabbed Ashley's hand, afraid the other girl would just walk away. "Wait, I'm sorry. I just wanted to know what's bothering you, because I know something is! You listened to me so I just thought that... I could do the same to you."
With her back turned to her, Ashlock stood like that in silence. While Sona could be happy that the girl wasn't trying to shake her hand off or try to walk away, at the same time this... Quiet treatment was unsettling. Sona really wasn't sure just how did they get here. She made a very awkward comment, that wasn't even intended as a joke, which seemed to upset Ashley. Then they went on about her being cute and now this. If only she knew what was bothering the cannonlance-wielding girl. At this point, she wanted to know just to stop making those mistakes which apparently dug a deeper hole with each sentence she spoke to the grey squirrel.
Finally, there was some progression in the situation, as she felt Ashley's hand gently squeeze her own. "You never give up, do you?" Her tone also seemed softer, less upset.
Picking up on that, Sona did her best to offer her usual grin. "Nope, never learned how to!" Just in time for Ashlock to notice it as she glanced back.
"Even if it forced you to jump out of a window huh?" This comment just melted Sona's previous grin into a sheepish smile. Although the red squirrel remained quiet, wanting the other Zalak to continue. Which she did. "I think I understand now, all those groups and organizations who desperately try to keep the status quo. Ironic, considering I should be the one who understands the best that sometimes it's better to push yourself forward, consequences be damned."
"Ashley?" Sona blinked, not sure where exactly this was going. Whatever it was, it seemed... Heavy. A burden on the other girl's shoulders.
Ashlock Turned her head to once more look ahead of herself. "It's you." She announced unceremoniously.
"Eh?" Sona tilted her head.
"I like you." This innocence in Ashley's voice was something that Sona never heard. She could imagine her desperation from before, but this was... Bizzare, for lack of a better term.
"You like me." The Flametail knight repeated, dumbfound.
"Yes, in that way. Do you get now why I didn't want to talk about this? We should head back." Without even missing a beat, Ashley pulled Sona up.
"Wait, no no no! We're not just leaving this like that!" While she did get up, Sona definitely refused to move even an inch from this place. This... She just learned something like this! How the hell would she just go back and try to sleep?! "Why didn't you tell me? Why did I have to squeeze it out of you like that huh?"
It was Ashlock's turn to look confused, as she turned enough to be able to see the red squirrel girl. "What do you mean why? Because I know there's no point to it."
"What?! No point? But if you like someone shouldn't you tell them?" Was this some noble thing Sona didn't understand? Sure, Greynuty hated nobility ever since they threw her out, but she still was raised by them, so maybe?
"You do that when you have any hope of the other person reciprocating the feeling." Sona could feel her hand being squeezed a bit at that. It was as if Ashley forgot they were holding hands at that moment... Or maybe she was and that was precisely why she squeezed her hand?
"And who told you that I wouldn't?" Sona frowned, and as if there was a different dialogue happening just between their hands, she would squeeze that of the grey squirrel.
"Because I know myself and I know you don't like that." Sona found it baffling just how... What, forced it sounded? It's like Ashley was looking for excuses right now. Was she just afraid?
"And who told you that?!" Sona wasn't really annoyed, if anything she was tired of that attitude.
"Sona, please... Your words are giving me hope and I hate that." Ashlock's eyes lowered at that.
Sona had enough of this cat and mouse game they were playing. Jumping in front of the other girl, she grabbed both of her hands. "It's because you're being unfair!"
Ashley blinked at that, her eyes barely high enough to catch a glimpse of Sona's face. "Unfair?"
"Yes!" At that, the Flametail knight decided to go on an offensive, as she hugged the grey squirrel, at which the girl froze in place. This didn't stop Sona, as she continued. "Yes, unfair. You're not letting me properly respond to your feelings, instead you assume ridiculous things and let yourself down because of them."
"What... What does that mean? All of this?" Grabbing Sona by her shoulders, Grenuty pulled her away enough to be able to look at her properly.
Smiling as she looked back into Ashley's eyes, Sona lowered her voice. "That I think I should properly respond to those feelings."
"Those that mean..." There it was, that hope Ashlock mentioned earlier, blooming behind her eyes. This made it that much harder for Sona to continue.
"It means that I'll need time to give you my answer." Seeing life seep out of Ashley's face in front of her very own eyes, Sona quickly moved her hands to grasp Greynuty's cheeks. "Before you go back into your little negative corner, please hear me out." Closing her eyes, Ashlock took a deep breath, before she opened them again. She didn't say anything, just nodded for Sona to continue, which she did. "You're a dear person to me, Ashley. That's why I want to give you a proper answer. I want to think it over. I don't want to give you an answer that's made on the spur of the moment." Moving her hands away from Ashley's cheek, Sona once more grabbed the grey squirrel's hands. "But rest assured, whatever answer I give you, it won't change the fact that we're friends. No, we're fellow knights. Companions. Family." As Sona looked at Ashlock's face, she could see that the cannonlancer was regurgitating this information. "Alright?" Sona finally asked, just to make sure.
"Yeah that... That makes sense." Ashlock nodded. "Thanks, even if I'll be on edge for the next few days because of it."
"Ehehe..." Sona offered a troubled smile. "I guess there is that catch to it."
"Come on, let's head back. this time I'll drag you if I have to." Ashlock warned with a stern look.
"Yes, yes, I'll be a good girl this time, promise!" Sona giggled and beamed a wide smile. This in return made Ashlock smile, as she began to lead them toward their dorm room. Sona wasn't sure if Ashley forgot they were holding hands or maybe she just hoped that Sona wouldn't notice? Well, she did. And she decided to just go with it. "Hey, Ashley?"
"Yes?" Ashlock asked without even looking back.
"Will you get mad if I catch a cold because of today?" Would she really, was a better question. Maybe if she goes to the medical and asks them for some super medicine or something like that? They should have something like that, right? At least against a cold.
Ashley paused their walk, as she glanced over her shoulder. Instead of saying anything, she just shook her head with a sigh and began to walk once more.
"Huh? What's that supposed to mean?!" Sona frowned. "Hey, don't ignore me! Come on, will you or will you not get mad? Ashley? Ashleeeey!" With all that, the only thing Ashlock offered was a squeeze of their hands. Which was enough for Sona. While she didn't know how to answer her feelings, for now, she was sure of one thing. That Ashley would always remain a dear person to her and no matter how she decides to respond, she'll cherish her feelings deeply. However long they would be gifted to walk these lands together.