Disclaimer: I don't own Fafner, it and its characters belong to Xebec/Hisashi Hirai/ect.

Author's note: This is a very short little fanfic that I came up with a few days ago. And even though it's centered around Kazuki and Maya, it's still a KazuSou/SouKazu fic (whichever you like more)

Enjoy!

AFTERMATH

It was over. He was home. They'd defeated the Festum and saved the island; they'd won. But if they were the victors, then why did he feel like he'd lost everything?

Soushi wasn't there anymore... no! It wasn't true. He promised he would make it back someday... and Kazuki believed him.

And no matter how long it may take, Kazuki would stay here and protect the island, so that Soushi would have somewhere to return to.

'Soushi... I am here. I will wait here for you... forever,' Kazuki vowed silently, blank red eyes staring wistfully up at the azure sky.

Kazuki heard a faint noise from behind him, and knew that it was Maya. Turning, he saw her climbing out of her Fafner, eager to welcome them home. But...

Maya froze when she saw Kazuki standing there alone, the empty look on his face, and knew instantly what it meant.

'Minashiro-kun is... gone?' Maya thought, stunned.

A part of her, one that she hated fiercely and wished that it didn't exist within her, but at the same time she couldn't deny its existence - that part of her smiled darkly, pleased that Soushi was gone, pleased that he was out of her way. He was competition; a competitor that she felt she had no chance of beating... so it was a relief that he was gone.

And she hated herself for it.

And so Maya just smiled at Kazuki sadly, without knowing what to say.

"Soushi; he isn't dead, you know. He wouldn't just die like that," Kazuki said, breaking the silence. He smiled at her oddly, as though he was trying to convince himself of the legitimacy of his words. "He just had to go away for awhile. He'll be back one day."

"Yes, I'm sure he will," Maya choked out, moving closer. "He would never leave us; he would never leave you. He belongs here."

"But... until he does get back, I'm... I--" Kazuki started in a trembling voice, sinking to his knees beside his Fafner. "... I'm going to miss him. I'm--"

Kazuki gave in and started to cry, sobbing desperately into his hands, the trials and heartache of the day finally becoming too much for him to bear.

"Kazuki-kun," Maya whispered, wrapping her arms around him, wishing that she could take away all his pain. But she knew she wasn't the one who could heal him; but until Soushi returned, at the very least, she could cry with him.

"It's not fair," Kazuki cried into her jacket. "We were almost home... if he'd just held on a little longer, we could have both had the assimilation treatment, and he'd have been OK! But-- but, he said most of his body was gone, and that he'd go to the Festum's side, and that he'd create his existence again... and then he just faded away! And then, I felt-- I felt him-- But now he's gone... He can't be gone! He can't!"

Maya listened quietly, straining to hear his rushed, tear-filled voice, just holding him comfortingly as he poured his heart out to her.

"Kazuki-kun, I don't know what happened out there between you, but you can't give up yet. You have to hope and pray that one day he'll be back," Maya said to him.

Kazuki gazed up at her with blurred vision, and nodded slowly. "I know, and I will. I'm going to wait for him forever."

"Let's go back home, Kazuki-kun. Let's go back and wait for him together. Minashiro-kun will come back to you, I just know he will. As long as you believe."

The end