Later that day...

Many objects fell on the floor as Capt. Shion Kaito was tossed against the shelf. He didn't really have a chance to sigh in relief, as Nurse Rin grabbed his neck with both of her hands. Even if the blonde nurse was one and a half heads shorter than the captain, her fury seemed to multiply her height and strength.

'Where is he?!' Nurse Rin shouted. 'Where is Len?!'

Soldiers reached to their guns and short katanas to restrain the mad nurse if necessary. The blue-haired captain however halted them by raising his hand. He placed his hand on the nurse's, trying to calm her down and in process loosen her painfully strong grip on his shoulder.

'Rin-chan, calm down...' said Miku, who was brought in by the soldiers. She was known as the only person who can stop the raging nurse.

'I'm not calming down!' Nurse Rin shouted.

Miku placed her hands on the blonde girl's shoulder and gently pulled her back. Nurse Rin let the captain's neck go, but was still sending death glares at him. Kaito brushed down the invisible dust from his uniform and straightened up.

'As it's stated in the report' Kaito said 'Private Kagamine Len was reported to be lost during mission. He abandoned his orders and went after the American fighters. This was the last time he was seen.'

'And you think this is enough reason to not even send a single scout after him?' Nurse Rin shouted.

'We don't have neither the foundings nor the manpower to search for a dead private' Capt. Kaito stated firmly.

'But you would send out a whole company if a sergeant was lost, wouldn't you?' Nurse Rin yelled.

'Rin-chan' Miku grabbed her arm. 'Let's go back to the medic tent. There is nothing we can do for Len-san here.'

The whole room fell silent. In secret, everyone knew that the blonde nurse was right. Nobody was really interested in bringing back a private who might already be dead. And nobody wanted to do anything - including the ones present.

'I don't care!' Nurse Rin yelled. 'Send out a few planes and prove me he's dead! I know he isn't!'

'Nurse Rin!' Kaito raised his voice. 'Stop this at once!'

Nurse Rin shut up. Even she had to bow in front of the power. Her social status didn't allow her to defy such an order. Even if she was about to burst out in anger, she had to remain silent.

'You are to be transferred back to Japan in three days' said Kaito.

'What?' Nurse Rin couldn't keep her voice low.

'Also' Miku stepped ahead' from today for three days you're taking the night shift. Now go and get some sleep.'

The blonde nurse was staring at the bluenette and tealette with beet red face. Then, without saying anything she angrily swiped down all the papers from Kaito's desk and rushed out of the office. Nobody noticed in the chaos that meanwhile Private Len's service papers disappeared in the blonde nurse's dirty white apron.

'Everyone, leave at once!' Capt. Kaito turned to his N.C.O.-s.

The officers nodded and left. The captain was left alone in his office; the only one who didn't leave was Miku. The teal-haired nurse stepped next to him and confrontingly held his hand.

'Weren't we a bit too harsh at her?' Miku whispered. 'I know that I'm her superior, but still...'

'This was the right thing to do' Kaito stated. 'We cannot predict what she did if she stayed here.'

'I know, but still...' Miku gave voice to her uncertainty.

Unable to find the proper words Miku didn't continue. Kaito let her hand go and confrontingly hugged her from behind. Miku's tense shoulders relaxed at her lover's touch. She hugged his arms and tenderly kissed his hand, enjoying the comfront after the hard days.

'You don't believe that Len-san is dead either, do you?' she asked quietly.

'Private Len is the best pilot I've ever seen' said Kaito. 'My skills are nothing compared to his skills. I... find hard to believe that he'd die this easily. But my moves are limited.'

'Have you been ordered to do nothing by the leaderboard?' Miku asked.

'By General Kamui himself' said the captain. 'I got a little too worked-up against him. He has his eyes on me now. The only thing I can do is making sure that Rin-san won't do anything stupid.'

'Len-san... did he really love Rin-chan?' Miku looked at Kaito in the eyes.

'He did' Kaito sighed. 'He really did.'

They both fell in silence after that statement. Kaito's arms were still around Miku's shoulders, holding her tightly. Miku didn't want to get the arms unwrapped. Like Rin, she was always afraid that the person she loves more than anything one day won't come home. Rin's fear have just became reality. Miku was afraid hers will be the next.

'I'll keep an eye on Rin-chan' Miku said. 'Time to make my position as the head nurse useful.'

But Nurse Rin didn't come to take the night shift that evening. Her room - which she shared with Miku - was found untouched and empty. Nurse Rin seemed to have wanished from the base. On the other hand, a blond soldier, dressed in a private uniform, equipped with Kagamine Len's service papers boarded a vessel towards Borneo - and was never seen again.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

1943, Tarakan, Borneo

Kanase Teto has sent three years in Borneo. Before the war, she was studying to become a news reporter and in 1930 she got a fine-paying job at a big newspaper company in Japan. She was one of the few privileged women who were allowed to freely travel into different countries. In 1936 she got married and in 1938 she gave birth to her first daughter, Miki.

As quick-thinking and adroit she was, when Japan declared war she immediately acted to protect her family. Either by nice words or a few hundred yens she managed to move her family out of Japan. However, by the time they got in Borneo both her money and her favors ran out, trapping the small family in Tarakan. Lacking the proper papers Teto had no hopes of getting her husband and daughter to America or Hong Kong, where they could seek asylum.

Well, not until now.

The noon Sun was bombing the town with its deadly rays, making the heat in the humid area even more unbearable. Teto pulled back into a shady ally between two houses to hide from the heat. Her heart was beating in her throat. She had no false hopes of Japan winning the war, and wasn't dare to risk her family's life for a failed attempt. If this deal goes well, she can save her family.

A light touch on her back made her freeze for a moment. She slowly and carefully turned around, her right hand slowly getting closer to her belt, where her knife was resting. Her shoulders conspicuously relaxed as she saw a pair of cerulean eyes.

'Do you have it?' asked the blond private quietly.

Teto nodded and reached into her bag. She pulled out a brown envelope, which seemed to be filled with many papers. The young soldier's crusty hand took it and swiftly opened it. The first thing to be pulled out was a black and white, blurry picture.

'Where was this taken?' asked the private on a hoarse voice.

'Close to an island called Bali' answered Teto. 'The picture is blurry because the reporter was shooting from a boat, using a cheap camera, but you can clearly see the-'

'I know' the private interrupted her.

Teto gulped. The private contracted her almost half a year ago, asking information about a certain disappearance. Teto dug out as many photos and pieces of civilian report as she could, inevitably becoming familiar with the case. The picture they just looked at was indeed blurry, but the smoking, falling Zero was clearly visible on it.

What Teto was expecting from the case wasn't money though. She was more interested in what the private had offered her: something she just couldn't ignore.

'Uhhm...' Teto tried to take the soldier's attention, who started examining the pictures. 'About our deal...'

A single glance from the pair of the cerulean eyes was enough to freeze the words in her throat. Something about this private made Teto feel uneasy. The soldier wasn't after money or rank, that much was clear for her. The motivations were a mystery even in front of the redhead reporter.

Keeping Teto binded with his eyes the private reached into his bag and pulled out a big white envelope. Teto unpatiently reached for it, her hands shaking with the desire that has been giving her motivation in the three years she spent at Borneo, one step away from freedom.

'Everything you asked is in there' said the private quietly. 'I filled a shipment for the three of you. You and your husband have to cross the border as Japanese spies. The soldiers should let you through without intervention. Once you arrive to Singapore, visit the American embassy and give yourselves up.'

'What about my daughter?' asked Teto. 'The soldiers will question us about why we brought her along.'

'Tell them that she's there to make your backstory as fugitives and enemies of the Empire of Japan more credible' said the soldier. 'If you act like a spy, they won't cause problems.'

Teto couldn't say anything. She was aware that Private Kagamine was working at the Foreign Affairs. As their courier and scribe, he had access to blank official papers and almost all of the imperial stamps. Three papers of transportation for her and her family... there was no way Teto would refuse such an offer.

'Don't tell about this to anyone' said the private. 'If you do, you'll rot in prison.'

'I won't' promised Teto. 'Thank you...'

But the private wasn't paying attention anymore. Teto watched the soldier turning around and leaving the alley with quick footsteps. Teto now had a vague idea of what the private's secret was. A commoner (or even a soldier) wouldn't even notice such a detail, but it caused no problem to the experienced reporter Teto. She knew exactly that a male soldier wouldn't have a butt of such shape in the military trousers.

And everyone knows that women cannot become soldiers in the Imperial Army. At least, not legally.

Kagamine Rin quickly made her way to the barrack. She hid the brown envelope in her coat, which had the name "Private Kagamine Len" on it. She could hardly stop herself from skipping and singing. This would have immediately shattered her camouflage, which she still needed.

'Bali!' she thought. 'Len must be there!'

Right after she arrived to the barrack she hurried to her bed. She was searching in her chest until she pulled out something wrapped in a pair of socks. Inside, a few papers were hiding. Those were blank writs of translocation, stamped and signaled by the local sergeant. Rin quickly filled one in Len's name, and by the evening she was sitting on a vessel towards Bali.

Meanwhile at Madang Air base...

Sgt. Shion Kaito was sitting behind his desk, writing today's reports. This was causing him minor problems, as his left arm was covered in gypsum. He broke it in a battle five days ago, when he flew too close to an anti-air cannon and a charge exploded right behind his plane. This alone couldn't have caused much problem for Kaito, but the emergency landing with a missing aileron did the trick. Since he got discharged, he's been living on paperwork and painkillers.

A polite knocking on the door made him look up from his papers. After a short "Come in!", the door opened and the light infiltrating the blinds illuminated long, teal hair.

'Miku!' Kaito gave voice to his surprise.

The called nurse placed a finger on her lips and quietly closed the door. She walked to the desk and placed a flask on the top of the papers.

'Sake!' Kaito exclaimed. Miku giggled at him.

'I figured you wanted to take a little rest after days of hard work' said Miku. 'This is also my opinion as the head nurse, so take it as a recipe!'

Using his healthy hand Kaito took the lid off the flask and quickly drank some sake. Invigorated by the drink the sergeant gladly sat back on his chair, stretched his legs and eyed his beautiful wife.

Kaito pushed his chair backwards with his legs and pointed at his lap. Miku nodded in understanding and casting aside all the etiquette she gladly hopped at her husband's lap. She let him caress her hair and giggled when he kissed her neck.

'Are there any news from Rin-chan?' enquired Miku.

Kaito shook his head. Truthfully, he hasn't been working much on that case, and Miku completely understood why. The disappereance of the blonde nurse has been bugging the higher-ups since then. General Kamui personally ordered Kaito to report any new information to him. However, since he had no intention of getting Nurse Rin into prison, Kaito decided not to rush things.

After Nurse Rin went missing, the first thing the ex-captain did was searching for Private Len's service papers in his desk. He wasn't even surprised when he didn't find them. Miku convinced him to not report the missing papers and let Rin run. After all, she was versatile enough to make such escape in front of many officers. By then, Miku had faith that Rin would be able to find Len if they left her alone.

The problems came when General Kamui started his own investigation. Kaito knew that Rin was using Len's papers, and if the warning that the papers got stolen was sent off, the fugitive nurse would have been caught in days. To avoid this, Kaito quickly graded Private Len's case into Top Secret. The rest was up to the people of the secret service, who erased every piece of evidence. That way, Kaito didn't have to account for the missing papers, ensuring Nurse Rin the chance to continue her mission.

After the evidence was cleaned up, the former captain downgraded the case from Top Secret. Just in time; hours later he recieved a call from General Kamui himself about the case's grade. Kaito apologized for "putting the check in the wrong box" and informed him that he corrected his mistake. Even the General has no control over the "swabbers" of the secret service. Stopping them or impeaching them was impossible even for him, since their direct superior was the unquestionable Emperor himself.

Kaito waited a few days before he changed the status of the "Private Len Case" back to Top Secret. The next day he was appointed into sergeant by General Kamui himself. With this clever move the general managed to make himself Kaito's direct superior, monitoring his moves personally.

Once again, Kaito was forced to do nothing.

'Time passes too quickly' Sgt. Shion sighed. 'And yet, this stupid war is still raging on. How many lives needs to be lost until they finally realize how pointless this bloodshed is?'

'Too many' answered Miku. 'On both sides.'

'Damn right' agreed Kaito and took a big sip fron the flask.

'You still believe than Len-san is alive, don't you?' asked Miku quietly.

No answer left Kaito's mouth. Yes, in secret he's been thinking about the lost private almost every day in his free time. He read every report he could without taking too much attention, but he didn't get anywhere. Nobody found the Zero's wreck, yet even the private's corpse...

'You see' Kaito spoke up. 'I had a strange dream tonight.'

'Really?' Miku smiled.

'Really!' Kaito nodded. 'In my dream, I saw Len. He was standing on the coast of some sea, staring at the smoking ruins of a plane. Yet, when he turned around, he looked perfectly fine and healthy, and... and...'

'And...?' Miku goaded him curiously.

'...he smiled at me' finished Kaito.

Only those can understand the impact this dream had on Kaito who personally knew the private. Private Len has never smiled at a soldier, not even at Kaito, whom he considered to be his best friend. But when he was looking at Nurse Rin, he smiled. And that smile fit him like a fiddle.

'We have to wait' said Miku. 'We cannot do anything else.'

Kaito groaned in agreement. Miku stood up from his lap and said on her most cheerful voice:

'Now I have to go back. Chaos must have broken out in my absence. But I want to take a look at your gypsum in the evening, so be sure to be at my office at nine, okay?'

Kaito saluted. Miku laughed and as quietly as she came in, she left the office. Sgt. Kaito watched the teal hair disappearing before he returned to his reports. Right now, he felt extremely lucky.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

Citation from an Imperial Japanese Navy report about the island of Bali:

"...the matter of invading the island is becoming more and more urgent. The power of General Cho is spreading quickly over the local tribes, successfully preventing the American forces from taking the island. He has armed the natives and trained them to be obeident and disciplined, putting them on pair with armies of smaller countries. The person of Cho is a mystery; he is presumed to be Chinese, but he was never seen personally. Until further negotiations it is adviced for Japanese soldiers to stay away from the island of Bali..."