This was an idea I toyed with today while doing various other things. My only note is that you need to read until the very end. Enjoy!

"Come on, Neviril. It's just another Argentine attack," prodded Aaeru. She pulled on her flight jacket and began to fasten it, fumbling with the latches.

Neviril already wore her own flight jacket. She'd found Aaeru lounging on the observation deck of the Arcus Prima, listening to her music box. She couldn't remember why she had sought the Sibylla out as the sun had begun to set. She'd moved to speak to the girl, but then the alarm had sounded, which meant they all needed to sortie on the flight deck. Aaeru had begun to rush ahead, but she had held back, hesitant. She couldn't explain why.

Of course, Aaeru had turned around when she had noticed only her footfalls being heard. She'd looked quizzically at Neviril and called to her. Neviril shook her head to clear her thoughts. She wanted to believe Aaeru of course. It should be just like the other attacks on the Argentine forces. Their aircraft was still weak compared to the Simoun, and the Arcus Prima was currently hovering near the border. With this knowledge, she ran after Aaeru.

The kiss they shared was quick. Aaeru was eager to get into the air it seemed, to fly and do her best as the auriga. Neviril climbed into the sagitta seat and checked the various gauges. Everything seemed fine. She felt the vibrations from the helical motors and pulled the hatch shut. No sooner had she completed the task than Aaeru took off, sending them whirling into the sky. She gathered her bearings as the craft stopped spinning and headed on course.

Neviril released the speaker cables, connecting to the nearest Simoun, which was Paraietta and Kaimu's. "Keep an eye open. They've been spotted in this area."

"Right," agreed Paraietta.

"They—" Something flew past, catching her eye. She turned to look.

A group of Argentine fighters rose over the horizon suddenly, but it wasn't the usual craft they were used to see. The bumblebee swarms of small craft were easy to take out. Large numbers of them were overwhelming, but for a well-coordinated chor it was a doable task. However, these weren't the usual aircraft, even though there were only ten of them.

"Neviril, do they seem different to you?" asked Aaeru in a low voice.

"They are different. Look at them closely, Aaeru." The craft appeared to have doubled in size. The single passenger cockpit was still there, but it was as though another cockpit had been added to each side of the original. No, Neviril realized, they weren't cockpits. They were additional artillery weapons. That was when the onslaught began.

Aaeru quickly went into action. "Neviril, we need to do a Ri Majon!"

The Simoun gem hummed and a Ri Majon appeared. "Shark Ri Majon!" called Neviril. She drew the light trail and it engulfed the nearest Argentine craft, bursting in a stream of light. However, when the light cleared…

"It's not destroyed!" exclaimed Aaeru. "It's only crippled!"

"But how?" wondered Neviril. Immediately, she observed the area around her and saw the same thing occurring. Ri Majon were formed, executed to destroy the craft and yet, the craft were not destroyed. They had suffered damage, but did not incinerate.

She was pulled from her observations as Aaeru jerked the Simoun out of the path of an oncoming enemy fighter, and she began to watch, waiting for the next chance to execute a Ri Majon. The craft they had originally tried to destroy with a Ri Majon chased them, shooting.

"It's still the same gunfire," observed Aaeru.

"No, it's—" A boom cut off her reply and she glanced back. "Down!" she shouted.

The Simoun dove straight down, the large missile barely missing them.

"What the hell was that? We'll show them!" cried Aaeru.

A clang was heard against the side of the Simoun and then a voice spoke. "Two Ri Majons!" cried Rodoreamon. "It takes two to destroy the craft." She disconnected quickly and flew off, continuing to defend against the enemy.

"Let's go, Neviril!"

With renewed energy, the pair took off, following one of the Argentine pilots. The Simoun gem hummed again. "Falcon Ri Majon!" called Neviril, pulling their Simoun into the correct formation. The light trail destroyed the aircraft.

"Was that the one from before?" asked Aaeru.

"I'm not sure," answered Neviril. "It's possible."

Only two of the Argentine aircraft remained in the sky now. Most of Chor Tempest began to deal with the one, luring it away from its counterpart. The other loomed near Aaeru and Neviril, and it took off after them, shooting.

It was easy for Aaeru to dodge their fire. She laughed at their attempts and tried to maneuver the Simoun so that Neviril could perform another Ri Majon. She heard the gem hum and knew it was the right time.

"Shark Ri Majon!" cried Neviril, copying the movement yet again. It was a perfect hit, and when the light trail cleared, the Argentine craft was nowhere to be seen.

"I didn't think we'd hit that one twice," remarked Aaeru.

"I don't think we did."

"Did we destroy it?"

Suddenly, the aircraft reappeared. It had gone under the Simoun undetected and now shot out. As it rose in front of their Simoun, it opened fire. After that, everything happened too fast. Neviril found she was able to control the flight of the Simoun and pulled them up in time for another Simoun to destroy the Argentine with one last Ri Majon. She didn't check to see who. At the same time, she felt sick to her stomach when she realized that something was terribly wrong. The sagitta never gained complete control of the flight for a Simoun unless the auriga activated it. Why would Aaeru…

She couldn't see inside Aaeru's cockpit. She pulled the Simoun, which was jerky in her hands, up and away, headed for the Arcus Prima. It took all the strength she had to guide the craft, which seemed heavier than usual onto the deck to land. The helical motors barely folded in time. The Simoun slid across the deck, sparks flying as metal contacted metal. She was out of her cockpit before it completely stopped, moving to the auriga cockpit. She had to get to Aaeru. She had to—

The sight of the cockpit made her stop in her tracks. She stood, staring at the broken bits of glass strafed with bullet holes. Aaeru was in there. And she hadn't opened the hatch. Neviril wanted to know, but she feared she didn't. She pulled on the hatch, finding it was being stubborn, stuck. She gave a particularly strong tug and the hatch flew open. She was sick to her stomach. She turned her head, throwing up the contents of her stomach. She couldn't believe the sight before her.

Mechanics were all around her, clambering, but all she could do was turn around and look at Aaeru, her body as strafed as the glass had been. Aaeru, who was bleeding all over. Aaeru, who bled profusedly from where a bullet had gone through her forehead. Aaeru, who lay there lifeless, dead. She shook, unable to let it sink in. Her eyes were wide with shock. It wasn't true. It simply wasn't true. Hands grabbed at her, trying to pull her away, but she latched on to the side of the cockpit and wouldn't let go. They didn't know, didn't understand. It wasn't true.

Eventually her strength faded and strong arms pulled her away. She reached out, trying to grab and grasp, all the while wanting Aaeru, not knowing why. She couldn't bear to be away from her pair. Her pair that she loved. That had been what she had wanted to tell Aaeru before the call to sortie. She had wanted to confess her feelings. Now, she never could. Aaeru would never know how she felt. She could never tell her and show her. It was too late. Aaeru was dead. She'd lost the chance.

"Aaeru!" she cried out. "Aaeru!" Her body shook with sobs, but no tears fell.

"Aaeru!" she yelled in the darkness as she shot up. She panted heavily, and could feel her skin, sticky and hot. She felt her emotions take over her as she broke down, heaving as she sobbed.

"Neviril?" called a sleepy voice. "Neviril, what's wrong?"

Neviril didn't answer, drawing her knees up, pulling herself as tight as possible. She tried to push away the arms that wrapped around her shoulders, pushing them away roughly. She heard something fall back. There was a growl of frustration before the person tried again.

"Leave me alone," stated Neviril. "I don't want to be touched. How could you touch me after what happened?"

"What did happen?"

Slowly, Neviril realized that she recognized that voice. It was…no, couldn't be. "A-Aaeru?" she whispered, half hoping. She turned in the darkness and saw the familiar form of the blonde girl sitting near her. "Aaeru!" she cried as she wrapped her arms around the girl, sobbing into her chest. She clung tightly, not wanting to let go.

"It was a nightmare, wasn't it?" asked Aaeru, realization dawning on her. She held Neviril tightly to her.

Neviril only nodded against her chest. "You… you… you were… k-killed."

Aaeru tried to insert a bit of humor into the situation. "I don't die so easily, Neviril." Neviril only sobbed harder, and she realized it wasn't the best tactic to try.

"Don't let go. Don't let go," whispered Neviril, need ringing her request. Aaeru had never heard her speak this way before. To have affected Neviril this way, the nightmare had to have been pretty real.

"I won't," she whispered, stroking her fingers through Neviril's hair. "I'll hold you." She laid down, pulling Neviril with her. It was awkward at first to hold Neviril, who kept her face against Aaeru's chest, but she didn't mind. She felt Neviril intertwine her legs with her so that she was connected to Aaeru in some fashion.

After some time, Neviril's sobs began to soften and turn into sniffles. "Aaeru?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

"I know you do, Neviril. I love you too."

"No… no I have to tell you. I never got to tell you in my nightmare and then you were killed… I don't want that to happen." Neviril looked up at Aaeru, the puffiness in her face visible even in the darkness.

"It won't," promised Aaeru. "It won't happen. You and I will make sure of that." Aaeru meant it with every fiber of her body. She never wanted to see Neviril so scared and vulnerable. It hurt to see the one she loved that way, and she'd make sure to keep her promise, so that Neviril would never have to worry.