Disclaimer: I don't own Bokurano.

A/N: Recently, I've gotten into this anime. It's really sad and yet its psychological aspect is really addicting. Moji-kun was always my favorite character. Anyway, there's going to be spoilers, so be warned. Oh yeah, I'm going to follow the anime canon. Just so you know. I haven't written anything in a while so this is probably not my best work. Enjoy!

Against All Odds

Just like that, it was over. All of the chaos that was caused in Zearth's wake was finally beginning to clear. Of course, it didn't happen overnight, but the relief efforts and the reconstruction were making steady progress. Spring had come, both figuratively and literally, at long last. Unfortunately, because of the government cover up, only a select few knew the sacrifice that had to be made in order to keep the earth protected. The people were ignorantly blissful, knowing only that their world had been spared from an unknown force thanks to the mysterious robot.

For two children, the spring was something that they had not anticipated welcoming together. Namoto Nagi and Hiiragi Tsubasa stood in front of their familiar school building, miraculously untouched in the battles for earth. To them, the seemingly unspectacular event of the first day of school was a miracle, because Nagi had been on the verge of death mere months earlier. Then, by the grace of some higher power, a donor had been found; not just any donor, either. A full match donor, one who would pose no immunological rejection to Nagi, suddenly appeared out of thin air. The transplantation surgery had been performed immediately, and it was a complete success. Now, though still recovering, Nagi was well enough to go to school, something he hadn't done in over a year.

Tsubasa cast a quick glance over her friend. Nagi was staring up at the building with a kind of fondness that she would never be able to comprehend. After all, she wasn't the one who had been bedridden. The simple happiness he got just from being able to go to school again brought a smile to her face. Unfortunately, the same thought also reminded her that while Nagi was standing here with her, another near and dear friend was conspicuously absent. Moji Kunihiko, the pair's childhood friend from the orphanage, had gone missing shortly after Zearth's arrival in Japan. They had asked countless people, looked in every place that they could think of where he might have gone, but Moji had vanished without a trace. The best answer authorities could come up with is that he was one of the casualties caused by one of Zearth's battles. It was a very bittersweet moment for Tsubasa; it had only been a couple of months since she and Moji had stood in this exact spot, and now, when Nagi was finally well enough to join them, Moji could not.

"Hey, Namoto! Good to have you back, man!"

Tsubasa broke out of her reverie to see one of their classmates waving cheerily as he approached. Nagi, too, seemed startled by the sudden shout, but quickly shook it off. He smiled and returned the wave.

"What are the odds of you getting a donor with so little problems?" the classmate went on. "I've been telling everyone in our class that you're a walking miracle!"

Tsubasa chuckled when Nagi blushed. "I guess so," Nagi commented with a shrug. "I still don't like the idea that someone had to die in order for me to live. But I'm grateful."

"C'est la vie, right? Balance of the universe and all that jazz. Anyway, I'll see you guys at the opening ceremony!" And with another wave, he was off.

"We should head in, too," Tsubasa said quietly.

"Yeah."

The two of them headed for the gymnasium, and Nagi received a couple more greetings from other students, and a couple teachers, as well. None of them mentioned Moji, even though it was common knowledge that the three of them could hardly be separated before Nagi fell ill. It was hard for them, knowing that they had been forced to move on without their friend, but they really didn't know what else they could do. The police were already maxed out in the search for missing persons, and though they had filed a missing persons report for Moji, they had heard nothing back since. All they could do was wait and hope.

The opening ceremony started, and it was clear that the principal's speech was not going to be the typical "welcome back to school" speech. For one thing, all of the teachers were wearing black, and it was oddly quiet in the gym. Typically, there were whispered conversations under the speaker's magnified voice. Today, there were none. The principal took a deep breath, and began to speak.

"Students and faculty, welcome back to a new year and a fresh start. We all know that the events of recent months have been taxing on our country and on our community. The otherworldly war that took place here took many lives, injuring many more, and destroying families. Many students have unfortunately passed away, and others have lost loved ones. Still others are awaiting the news on their missing friends and family, worrying over their safety. People have lost thier homes and their jobs in the destruction. However, in spite of this, we are recovering from this disaster with a flourish. And now, here we stand on this fine spring day, our doors wide open and our minds ready to learn and to teach. I ask that all of you give it your all, whether you are a student or a teacher, and to take advantage of the second chance you were given. Of course, there is a time to grieve, and a time to accept. We have special counselors available for anyone who needs their services. The black behemoth... no, Zearth has taught us a valuable lesson: celebrate life, and every moment of it, because you never know what your odds are. With that, I once again bid you welcome. Let's do our best!"

"Have you heard the rumors?"

"What rumors?"

"They say Zearth might have been piloted by a bunch of kids!"

"No way!"

"Yeah, way! I saw it in a newspaper article. It said the government didn't want us to know because it would have caused a political riot."

"Do you think it's true?"

"I don't know. Wouldn't they have bragged about it or something? That's not something you just keep quiet about. I mean, what an honor!"

"If it were me, I'd have gone around telling everyone that I helped save the world!"

"Do you really think anyone would believe you?"

"Haha, yeah, I guess you're right."

Nagi and Tsubasa were eating lunch quietly in the classroom a couple of days later when that same classmate who had first greeted them pulled up a chair and sat down. "Hi, guys! Do you mind if I sit here?"

"No, not at all!" Tsubasa replied with a kind smile.

"Thanks! I appreciate it. All the good spots were taken up today. Anyway, Namoto, I've been meaning to ask you, did the hospital ever tell you who your donor was?"

Nagi blinked in confusion. "Uhh, no... why?"

The classmate laughed. "Sorry, I know it's kind of an off the wall question. I was thinking about how you said you didn't like the fact that someone had to die for you to get a heart, and I've heard of recipients visiting the families of the donor. I guess it makes the family feel better, seeing how something so tragic could have such a good outcome. Maybe you could find your donor's family and visit them! You know, to thank them on behalf of the donor or something. That way you don't feel so bad and the family is a little reassured."

Tsubasa and Nagi sat there for a minute, stunned. After a moment, Nagi spoke. "That's... that's brilliant! I can't believe I didn't think of that before!"

"Heh heh, I thought you might like it. I just thought I'd bring it up to you, because you've been looking really glum lately. And..." he paused for a moment. "Look, I'm really sorry about what happened to Moji. It really sucks that he's not here anymore."

"He's not dead," Tsubasa said adamantly. Her tone surprised Nagi and the classmate both. "He's not dead," she repeated with more force. "The police just haven't found him yet. Do you realize how many thousands of people are still missing? And they've found a lot of them, too. We can't give up on him." The finality in her voice meant that she was not going to be argued with, and so the subject was dropped. The classmate hurriedly excused himself and left Tsubasa and Nagi sitting in silence.

"...I miss him, too, Tsubasa," Nagi finally said. He put a hand on her shoulder. "We'll find him." With a reassuring nod, the two began a plan of action on how to find out the identity of the person who donated their heart.

Two weeks, a couple of phone calls, numerous hours on hold, and one visit to the hospital later, Nagi and Tsubasa were beginning to feel like they were being stonewalled. Every person that they had contacted either told them that there were no records for the donor or that the information was classifed doctor-patient material.

"Maybe the doctors were so desperate that they bought the heart off of the black market," Nagi joked as they left the hospital where he had lived for almost a year. It was Sunday, so the two had the whole day to find any information they could.

"Don't say that!" Tsubasa scolded him, lightly punching him in the arm.

"Seriously, though, why all the effort? I mean, those nurses were friends to me all that time and now they're treating me like a criminal trying to steal someone's identity. It's kinda insulting," Nagi said thoughtfully. "What should we do now? I don't know who else to ask, or where else to go."

"What about that military hospital where they actually performed the surgery?" Tsubasa suggested. "Maybe all of those 'non-existant records' are on storage there or something."

"Good idea."

Unfortunately, the Medical University Hospital of the National Defense Force wasn't much help, either. They had a hard time even getting in the door, much less trying to find out any information from the doctors there. However, with a little coercion (rather, tears on Tsubasa's part), they managed to draw one little bit of information from a kind receptionist who offered to help them: the donor had specifically requested to remain anonymous. So, gathering conclusions from that, the donor, they figured, had known he was going to die and was not one of the casualties caused by Zearth. This was a little bit of a relief for Nagi, who was sure he had taken a heart from a family who was suddenly slammed by tragedy. Still... he would have liked to have met the family and thanked them personally, but as it were, it just was not possible.

Feeling defeated, the two slumped against the gates on the outermost boundary of the hospital to wait for the bus. "Well... at least we got some kind of an answer, right?" Tsubasa offered. She hated seeing Nagi so glum. The last time she had seen him this upset was when she turned him down, even though she promised him they would always be together. Of course, this was before learning that Moji had disappeared, but she kept true to her words, and seldom left Nagi alone.

"My, my, children, why the long faces?"

The two of them looked up to see a man in a military uniform, relatively young, standing in front of them. He had a short haircut and there was a mysterious twinkle in his eye that spoke volumes about the man's character.

"Umm... may I ask who you are?" Tsubasa questioned shyly.

"Oh! Where are my manners? I'm Seki Masamitsu. I work here."

"I'm Namoto Nagi, and this is Hiiragi Tsubasa," Nagi introduced. Seki's expression turned to a mixture of recognition and sadness.

"So you're Nagi..." he muttered. "You wouldn't, by any chance, have had a heart transplant, have you?" Seki asked.

"Eh? Yeah, I did. But how did you know that?"

Seki shrugged. "Call it a hunch. Listen, would you mind coming with me? There's someone I would like the two of you to meet." Nagi and Tsubasa exchanged wary glances. "I can understand your hesitation, following a complete stranger you just met on the street, but I give you my word you will make it home safely tonight."

"Okay..." Tsubasa reluctantly agreed, but only because she had a strange feeling about this guy. Nagi nodded his agreement, also, and so an hour later, they found themselves sitting in an apartment halfway across town waiting for this mystery person to show up while Seki served them tea.

"I'm sorry to make you both come out of your way," he was saying. "It may sound strange, but the person you're going to see will explain everything to you. You came to the hospital asking about your donor, correct?" When Nagi gave another surprised nod, he continued. "Yes, Kana-chan will be able to explain better than I could. In fact, that should be her now..." He trailed off as the doorbell rang. Nagi and Tsubasa exchanged another look as Seki got up to answer the door. They heard a hushed conversation drifting down the hallway but couldn't make out anything that would give them a heads up about this so called explanation. Needless to say, they weren't expecting a young girl, younger than they, to enter the room.

"Namoto-san, Hiiragi-san, this is Kana-chan. I daresay you're quite confused right now, so I'll let her do all the talking."

"Nice to meet you," Kana greeted quietly.

"What's this all about?" Nagi prompted. "We've been dragged across the city without so much as a single answer, and now we're told that a little girl is going to solve all of our problems?"

"Nagi-kun..." Tsubasa started, but the little girl shook her head.

"It's okay, I understand. Um, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to tell you about Zearth. I don't know if you know anything about it..." Kana paused.

"They say that it was supposedly piloted by a bunch of kids," Nagi answered. "But that's just a rumor."

"Actually, it's the truth," Seki interjected.

Nagi and Tsubasa's eyes widened. "Ehh!" They looked to Kana, who confirmed it.

"There were fifteen children chosen to fight fifteen enemy robots in order to defend Earth. All but one agreed," Seki continued, "and that one is Kana-chan, here."

Tsubasa and Nagi were stunned into silence, which Kana took to continue. "My onii-chan wouldn't let me in the contract to pilot Zearth. But we thought it was a game. A man called Kokopelli told us that we would sign a contract and fight aliens in a giant robot. Of course, we all though he was talking about a video game, and so we had no idea what we had gotten ourselves into. Kokopelli demonstrated the first battle, where we learned that it was definitely not just a game. After Kokopelli fought, each one of the contracted pilots was randomly chosen to fight the next battle. Later, a little machine called "Dung Beetle" came and explained a lot of the rules. He told us that if we lost, our world would be destroyed. If we didn't win within 48 hours, our world would be destroyed. If we chose not to fight, our world would be destroyed. However, there were a few things that we had to learn on our own. We didn't know that we were fighting against humans from other Earths parallel to our own, who were fighting for the survival of their Earth. However, while these things were awful, there was one thing that scared us most."

"...and that was...?" Nagi pressed. Kana smiled sadly.

"That Zearth was only able to move because it used the life force of the person who piloted it."

Tsubasa clasped her hands to her mouth, and Nagi gasped. "You mean...?"

"Even if they won the battle, the pilot died shortly thereafter," Seki finished. "All fourteen children who were contracted have passed away. There were a couple of people who were contracted after that original contract because of extrenous circumstances, but neither of them ever piloted Zearth."

"...why are you telling this to us?" Tsubasa asked quietly after a tense silence. "We didn't know about any of this until we met Seki-san today."

"That brings me to you, Namoto-san," Kana continued. "You were told that your donor wished to remain anonymous, right?"

"Yes, but how would you know who my donor was?" Nagi questioned. Her words were running through his head over and over again. "Wait a minute... don't tell me your brother..."

"No, Onii-chan wasn't your donor. But yes, one of the pilots of Zearth knew they were going to die, and asked that his heart be transplanted into you."

All of this information was overwhelming to Tsubasa and Nagi. Here they were, getting the true story behind the giant enigma that protected Earth from its doom, and learning that one of the pilots was kind enough to take his own death in stride and help someone else after he had died. Nagi was feeling dizzy from the surreality of it all.

"Can you... can you tell me who my donor was? I want to thank his family," Nagi pleaded. "Please. I know he wanted to remain anonymous, but..."

Kana looked to Seki with a worried glance. She was unsure whether or not he, or Tsubasa, for that matter, could handle the truth. Seki seemed to pick up on her worry. "It's up to you, Kana-chan. You were the one who was there for all of the battles. If you can live with telling them, go ahead. I don't think he'd mind now."

The little girl sighed. "I'm really sorry to be the one to have to tell you this, Namoto-san, Hiiragi-san, but... Your friend Moji-kun was a Zearth pilot."

Nagi bolted up in his bed, panting and sweating. A quick glance to the clock told him it was well after midnight. The full moon shone through the window of his bedroom in the orphanage, lighting it with a soft flourescent glow. After catching his breath, Nagi climbed out of bed.

"Moji, you'll never believe the dream I just had..." he started, making to peek up in the top bunk. But the bed was empty. Unnerved, Nagi made his way to the light switch. Since they were older now, he and Moji were the only ones in the room, not forced to share with the younger elementary school kids. Now, the emptiness of the room was making him nervous. His eyes scanned the room, until they rested on the envelope sitting on his desk. "That's odd... I don't remember seeing that before I went to sleep..."

The envelope was address to him from the National Defense Force University Hospital. His fingers were trembling as he opened it and pulled out an official looking form. He quickly scanned it, seeing his name and information at the top of the page. It was his medical record of the transplant. Further down the page was a box that had the donor information. When Nagi read it, his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he passed out on the spot.

Under the box labeled 'donor name,' was written 'Moji Kunihiko.'