Gareki was gone for so long. Captain Four-Eyes was right in saying it would take years for him to accomplish the Academy, but that was nothing for him. What really ate at him all those years in the Academy was the safety of Nai and that damn Karoku taking advantage of him. Though Nai trusted him, he couldn't do anything unless the situation prevailed, but he also couldn't do anything because he wasn't there.

He was always feeling nervousness when he went to classes or when he was studying because his mind always retracted to Nai. He had no way to contact Air Ship 2 or the people inside it, so he had to trust that time and luck would be on his side.

After a long day of training and classes and studying in the library, he walked sullenly back to his dorm room, opening the door and closing it immediately behind him. He sighed. His roommate was there, laying in the bed, "sup," he said softly, not knowing if the other boy was sleeping or not.

"Back so soon to cuddle little Nyanperona?" he teased with a smirk on his face,

"Shut up, man," Gareki waved him away and plopped his bag down on the floor.

"Ah, so you're here for your Niji train wreck then?" the other boy chuckled and grinned at him. Gareki, having no comebacks flipped him off and shook his head. He would be lying if he said he hadn't come back to cuddle with the stuffed animal that Tsukumo had made him. No one other than his roommate and the people witnessing him moving in saw the train wreck, but he loved it, it still made him think of Nai. He had been thinking a lot about Nai, it had been 10 years since he'd last seen Nai and he constantly thought about what the young child had changed into and in the next week or so, Gareki would be acing that test and putting in to Air Ship 2 and he'd be able to see his friends once again. He'd be able to see Nai, again.

Gareki collapsed into bed, since he had left, he had buffed out a little with training and he grew taller than what he used to be. He had to assume he was as tall as Karoku now and that was something he could live with. As long as he was never shorter than him, he could compete for Nai.

He barely met the guy, but with what the imposter had put them through, he had to wonder just how much of the imposter was Karoku now. Was he still that manipulator or did he change when the imposter went away? Was he being manipulated by the imposter? There were so many questions and yet in these 10 years, he hadn't heard anything that had happened and he hoped everyone was okay.

His hand reached out for the Niji and he cuddled it to his stomach, his back to his roommate so the boy wouldn't see his vulnerability, though he knew the other boy would suspect it. He had training in the morning, he had to make sure to get enough sleep to help his stamina last.

A week passed and finally he was able to take the standardized test and he knew he passed it with flying colors. He knew that he would be able to see Nai again and this time for sure.

With a huge smile on his face he walked back to his dorm to find his roommate again, "done already?" he asked, his voice was smug and happy.

"Looks like someone didn't get their cheerios pissed in today," the other smirked at Gareki and sat up a little bit, "I was done at the twenty minute mark, guess what, buddy, I'm getting out of here."

"Oh so it wasn't too long after you that I finished," Gareki grinned, "I'm getting out of here too," he walked over to his bed and looked happily at his Niji plush. He was coming home, Nai.

So after the scores were handed out, Gareki almost fainted when he noticed that he got a near perfect. He was a lieutenant, but he wondered if he could apply to Air Ship 2 with his status, since they had 2 lieutenants. He chewed on his bottom lip and thought for a moment. He had to take the chance.

Finally when he was allowed to go, he definitely told his superiors to get him paperwork for Air Ship 2. He wouldn't let them say no, but after checking, they noticed that there was a lieutenant position open. A peg of fear speared through his heart, but he put that out of his mind when he realized that he was going to have to figure it out when he got back

He was so excited to go home. He really couldn't handle it. There was a tightness I his stomach and his heart was pounding. What if they didn't see him as the friend as they did when he was younger, when they were all younger? What if he didn't take to them like he had before? What if, what if?

He was psyching himself out for nothing, he knew he was, but he just couldn't handle the stress. He had never returned back to someone or something that could feel for him. He could always leave and come back and no one would have realized that he had left, or no one was ever there to miss him. He wasn't used to the anxiety of friends waiting for him.

As he was told to pack up his belongings, he couldn't help but reminisce on the times he had here. He couldn't help but think about the friends he had made here. Some of them would follow him, and some of them would leave for different areas of the world and then some of them would have to go back and train and learn some more before they could continue on. Or they would have to leave Circus all together and never have their dream become reality.

Gareki didn't like to think about that, but he couldn't help but stall just a little bit more to stay here a little longer. When he was completely done with his things, he picked up his stuffed animals. The Nyanperona had a chain to connect it to his bag, but the Niji didn't, so he carried it close to him. He didn't want to lose it.

Boarding the ship, looking around, it was much different than the first one he was one, it was loud, but it was small, so it really didn't matter what ship he was on, just as long as it took him to the place he wanted. A question that Nai had asked him when he was still on Air Ship 2 pressed to the forefront of his memory.

If you could go to one place in the world, where would you go?

'Where would I go, huh, Nai?' He thought to himself with a smirk on his face, 'back to wherever you are.'

He felt the ship take flight, and he got completely more anxious than he was minutes ago. He was worrying on his bottom lip and fidgeting a little bit before he looked out the window.

Upon arrival, the sheep surrounded him and baa-ed at him. He smirked and chuckled, stating a "glad to be back," and that's when he heard his name.