I haven't published anything here in years and you might want to give me a wide berth, especially when it comes to writing. I grew attached to some characters of the series and couldn't handle their deaths so here I am. AND I figured not a lot of guys visit the IBO section and I might be ranting to myself here...

I do not own the characters portrayed in this story except for the ones unmentioned in the original material. Characters and copyrights belong to their respective owners.

"Hey," Fuuka was never one to charge into a fight without thought, so when she saw the Chryse bullies at it again, she had the two Tekkadan guys with her in on the plan. "What could it be this time?"

The bullies glared at her, from head to toe. One of them, the uglier one, wolf whistled, "What, you gonna play with us instead of this guy? Pretty sis?"

Her honey eyes narrowed. Although she is confident with herself, her beautiful two toned hair her greatest asset, these 'heathen fools' don't know anything about being delicate. Not that she was entertaining the thought of actually joining them but they could have learned to smooth talk women to contrast their dirty and ugly faces. At her silence, they pushed down their original target.

Still with an angry glare pointed at the hoodlums, Fuuka helped the fallen guy onto his feet. It was weird; the man's arms were muscular enough and he's quite heavy. The young woman thought that he was most probably a pacifist. "You guys better go and scram," was her last warning.

They were about to team up on her until two men, garbed in Tekkadan jackets, came into view. "Where'ja go, Miss Fuuka?" hollered one of them to which Fuuka answered with a wave. She had turned for barely a second but the thugs were gone as fast as Jupiter winds.

"What was that about?" asked the black haired Tekkadan member. His light blue eyes scanned the perimeter but found no traces of the thugs.

"Oh, it's those thugs again, trying to scrape some cash from this man," answered the blond woman.

"Uh, thanks." Green eyes pierced through her and a wave of painful memories wracked her mind. She never forgot how much fun they had together despite him not speaking much words. She never forgot the pain he caused when he left, and the void in their hearts could never be filled. He might have been blunt and crass at times but Fuuka knew he was kind.

But he died.

"Mr. Aston..." his name rolled off her tongue readily even after years have passed with it unused. She used to cry whenever she remembered, but that was back when she was still a child. Nowadays she would smile at their happy memories and then go on to imagine what life could have been if Aston did not die. "I'm sorry!" as she shyly tucked a strand of golden hair behind her ear.

"I should be the one who's sorry," answered the man.

"Well, please be careful around these parts!" Fuuka hurriedly left after waving goodbye at the Tekkadan guys. They, too, were perplexed.

"Hey," the dark haired man stopped the two men from leaving.

The house was still empty when she arrived. They had recently moved back to Mars. But now they have a better life. Teaching has become her passion though it was not her job that landed them back on the red planet. She goes wherever Takaki goes.

So does he.

The tablet in her hands displayed an old photo of them three. Back then, Aston was still getting used to being friends with them and would act distant at times. That one time when he was feeling friendly went to telling a story he heard from Delma. Though second-hand in nature, Fuuka religiously listened to Aston's story.

'People are reborn after they die. They can forget everything and redo their lives.'

Fuuka smiled as she gently swiped over the photo, her tears threatening to fall yet again. "Maybe fate was kinder to you this time... Look at you, no longer scruffy!" Her finger traced over Aston's facial scar. She once asked him how he got it but he grunted at her as a no. She never pried again. And she regretted it.

"Fuuka?" Takaki called from the door.

The young woman then wiped away the tears and bid goodbye to her old friend.

That night was a sleepless one for Fuuka. She sat up on her bed, alone in her room with thoughts of the man who looked like Aston. As she twirled her long golden locks in her fingers, she mentally kicked herself for calling him out; he probably thought she was weird. "But..." he looked well-off from the way he carried himself. Rather than somebody who didn't want to socialize at all, the man acted with distance to them when they were in the outskirts of Chryse. Not only that but Fuuka saw traces of disgust on his face. "Although he was stifling it... so he's still good?"

She shook her head. She barely knew Aston back then, there would be no difference now. "He's not even Aston."

"Whoa!"

"Wah, Teacher Fuuka, over here! Over here!" The children all fought for her attention.

"Alright, alright, calm down everyone!" Fuuka had a wide smile on her lips even though the children pulled at her on all directions. They were young, around ten, and those data ports were sticking out of their backs. She would shudder every time she saw it but the happiness they had right then made her forget all that.

"Play time's over!" one of the adult members of Tekkadan shouted and his voice herded the kids together. They were visually bummed out that they had to go back to practice.

Mars is a lot better nowadays but that does not stop some groups from buying human debris and turning them into soldiers. Pirates are the common source of the children that Tekkadan brings home from their excursions. The family gets on getting bigger. It might be more expensive but with the help of others, all the orphans get by.

"I see this is where you spend your free time."

Her spine shuddered. She did not want to turn and face those piercing green eyes, the phantom of a man she lost a long time ago. But then, the boss called out to her and she would not want to disrespect him.

"He asked for you to take him around. I insisted that you weren't a part of Tekkadan and have limited knowledge of the facility but, damn, he wouldn't take a no."

The green eyed man held out a hand. "I'm Aston. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Fuuka."

Though hesitant, Fuuka took the handshake. Her heart was clamoring in her chest and her mind was overrun with memories. "It's nice for us to meet again, Mr. Aston."

Hello, thank you for reaching this point! I hope you leave a message, whether it would be yay or nay, it's a-okay!

Thanks again.