Let Go

502nd Joint Fighter Wing Airbase, Petersburg, Orussia

A low rumble of thunder reverberated throughout the 502nd JFW's Airbase, shaking the building slightly as it promised the coming of a storm. Unbeknownst to nature herself, there was already a storm brewing inside of the medical wing of the building, where three people gathered to decide the fate of one.

Not the kind that would bathe the Earth in waters of life while simultaneously hurling down destructive bolts of electricity, nor was it the kind with winds so fierce that it would tear brick, mortar, and anything that wasn't nailed down and toss it up into air like it was some sort of Higher Power's play thing.

The storm began its approach on the base, sending out gusts of howling wind to sound its arrival. It did nothing to calm the internal storm that raged in her head, a chaos of emotion springing from her heart that she had so wronged. Rain began hammering at the windows relentlessly, as if it were an angry mob coming to punish her for her actions.

Winter thunderstorms were unusual occurrences, but as she sat at the bedside of her beloved, she dimly noted that this kind of situation was pretty unusual itself, and she supposed the violent weather was appropriate for the occasion.

A decision had been made that day, and the world wasn't happy about it.

Sanya Litvyak was going to let go.

It was not going to be easy. No, it was going to be one of the hardest things that she would probably ever do. But after hearing what Nipa had to say, it seemed like it was just the right thing to do. The "greater good" is what some would call it; sacrificing something of your own for the benefit of others, no matter how much it tears at you.

It would be a punishment. She had somehow hurt the one she held most dear, and now she was going to pay for it. A moment of doubt swept over her as she considered the fact that it might be too severe, to be completely removed from somebody's life, or worse, demonized and portrayed as an oppressor. These thoughts startled her, and made her start to second guess the choice she had made minutes before. She didn't want to be hated.

Nipa and her normally got along fine, although their might have been a few cases of resentment due to their shared interest in Eila. They've never really talked alone, as they both carried a degree of jealousy of each other.

Sanya was envious of all the years Eila and Nipa had shared as young Witches, sharing all those young successes, failures, and laughter. Despite this, she wouldn't have traded her place at Eila's side for anything in the world. She somberly noted that the sad fact was she had only realized this when it was about to be taken away from her forever.

On the other hand, Nipa seemed to want to be the one who Eila grew the closest to, the one who would hold her hand, and the pair that others would comment had a "special bond". When this is all over, she will have become both.

Sanya peered uncertainly over the bed in the dim light at Nipa, who sat at the opposite side. The Suomi wasn't nasty by nature, she had just been hurt because Sanya had almost gotten her good friend killed. Even now, the girl's eyes held no trace of malicious intent; instead it only held deep concern for her good friend. Although the Suomi was in the position to dish out all sorts of revenge, the Orussian believed that Nipa would not stoop that low, and mentally breathed a sigh of relief as she lowered her eyes.

Thunder crashed again outside, reminding her of the world's disapproval with her, and sending her thoughts into a whirlwind. They had elected to leave the lights off, as if would somehow help the situation, instead relying on the natural light from outside, however dreary it was. A part of Sanya was thankful for this, as it was easier to hide the pain in her face from the others.

Neither Sanya nor Nipa had said a word as of yet. They had simply walked in, and took seats on opposite sides of the bed where Eila sat. Nipa sat near the head, while Sanya took a seat a little farther away from Eila, near the foot of the bed in an act of submission. Her beloved had a look of mild of surprise, as if she was wondering why as the girl known as Aleksandra who had ran out on her a short time ago had suddenly returned.

Nipa fidgeted slightly, as if suddenly unsure of herself. Sanya remained with her head down, still not being able to look Eila in the eyes, or Nipa for that matter.

"What's wrong?" Eila asked, breaking the silence. Her curious gaze floated between the two silent girls as she searched for a reason the two had come in, "Guys?"

Nipa let out a small laugh, startling the other two. "Eila? Did you just ask 'what's wrong'? You were shot down, put into a coma, and developed retrograde amnesia! Now you're sitting in a room with what you probably think are two strangers, and you ask 'what's wrong'?"

Eila laughed shortly too, before wincing and clutching her side in pain. "Yeah, yeah, I know; everything's wrong," she said with a small smile, "but I've got to stay strong. Plenty of Neuroi to kill!" she added, adopting a boxer pose and punching imaginary Neuroi out of the air in front of her.

Sanya smiled sadly, she was happy to see her wingmate in good spirits. Eila was still Eila after all, and it had been awhile since she saw a positive one.

Nipa also had a smile lighting up her face, pleased that her friend was already seemingly back to her normal self, sans most of her memories. She opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Eila.

"Besides, someone important to me is waiting," the Suomi said, scratching the back of her head whilst blushing.

The other two froze suddenly. Perhaps it was just a selfish wish, but Sanya desperately wanted to believe Eila was talking about her, the real Sanya. Nipa must have been thinking the same thing, because she stared at Sanya with envy.

The Orussian almost threw herself on to Eila, in hopes that she could jolt her memory with surprise contact, but restrained herself when she saw Nipa throw a dissuading stare her way. Discouraged, she settled back into her chair, again questioning her own judgement.

"And I can't keep her waiting," Eila chuckled, smiling at each of them in turn, "So I better get my memories back fast!" Her smile faded when neither of her companions responded. "You … you are going to help me with it, right?"

Nipa suddenly snapped out of her silence. "O-of course! I'll do my best to help you!" she said quickly and eagerly.

"Thanks … Nikka, right?"

"Yes, that's right! I'm Nikka Edvardine Katajainen, your closest friend!" Nipa replied, happy that Eila had at least remembered her introduction. "But you always call me Nipa. How dare you forget me!"

Sanya felt a stab of resentment when Nipa suddenly reached out and took Eila's hand, cradling it softly and gazing at the Suomi's eyes. This wasn't fair at all. SHE should be the one holding Eila's hand.

"Nipa, huh? Well, with a face like that, it's no wonder I forgot who you were." Eila said back jokingly, as a playful smirk crossed her face. The Suomi turned to Sanya, who suddenly became very nervous. "And … you're Aleksandra right? Where do you come in?"

The Orussian couldn't speak for the life of her. The most important and closest person to her was asking what importance she held in the Suomi's life, when Eila was almost everything in hers. The words never ceased to hurt, and right now they were keeping Sanya's mouth closed and eyes stinging with pain.

To her horror, Nipa had not skipped a beat, and dove to answer the question, "Oh … she's just Aleksandra. She's just here to, um … support you."

Sanya winced and held back tears. So that's what Nipa wants her to be. Just Aleksandra. Nobody important, just a background person who wants to support a fellow soldier in need. Not like her and the aforementioned soldier were of any importance to each other.

It's wasn't like that every second of silence and submission that she endured was currently in the process of tearing her soul out.

"Oh, thanks Aleksandra!" Eila smiled brightly at her, "I hope you know a bit about me, so you can help me."

Sanya nodded faintly, not looking directly at her. She even tried to smile in reassurance, but it was too painful and unfitting, and came out pathetic.

Know a bit about you? How about a lot? How about the fact that I love you with every fibre of my being, but the real me, the one who you always held dear, is about to be removed from your life without you ever knowing how she felt? About how much you meant to her?

She ducked her head, ashamed for looking so pathetic in front of Eila. "Then again, I've always been weak," she thought bitterly to herself, "Although I may wield a large weapon, I'm by no means a strong person. I can't even say what I really feel."

"All right, where should we start?" Eila said eagerly, sitting up straighter, ready to rediscover what she had forgotten. Georgette had commented how much of a trooper Eila was, as she didn't seem to have the post amnesia hysteria that sometimes came with the condition. Instead of panicking about being in unfamiliar territory with no memory of how she got there, the Suomi had taken it all in stride.

"At the beginning!" Nipa replied, "Tell me everything you remember before you became a Witch."

And that's just what Eila did. Or tried to do. She told the two of her childhood in Suomus, which apparently hadn't been very exciting. She attempted to recall names and faces, but only came up with her immediate family, and a seemingly random girl who she went to school with. The rest of the stories included little adventures with people she couldn't remember the faces nor the names of. Nipa might have been one of them, because she seemed disappointed when her prod for names in a certain story was met with a shrug.

If it was a completely different situation, Sanya might have enjoyed listening to these stories. Even the storm had slowed, as if wanting to listen as well, only making occasional distant rumbles in order to remind her that it was still there.

Eila never really talked too much about her past, always waving it off with the excuse of it being "not that exciting". She always looked to the future when the two of them talked, which fit her clairvoyant magical abilities. But now Sanya was hearing stories of a more mischievous Eila, who probably never mentioned them in order to preserve her image to her fellow squadron mates.

They stayed there listening until Eila complained of being tired, at which point they decided to call it a day. They hadn't told her anything yet, or rather, lied to her yet. On the way out, they were met by Georgette, carrying some food for her patient.

"How did it go?" she inquired, hand resting on the doorknob while her gentle eyes gazed at the two, "You kept the emotional stress down, I hope? We don't want her to have a breakdown and freak out or something."

"It went well," affirmed Nipa confidently, "Just some review." At least she sounded somewhat happy about the situation.

"Good. Now go find Commander Rall, she wants to see you about something."

Nipa sighed and walked off in search of their Commander, leaving just Sanya and Georgette alone in the hall.

"And you, Sa- … Aleksandra?" asked the healer as she turned to the weary Orussian, who stood silently beside the door, eyes blank. "How did you think it went?"

For a split second, Sanya considered telling Georgette what was going to really happen. But she realized that the healer would never approve of something like that, even if it seemed like the right thing to do.

So she answered with a small smile, "Yes, I think it did," and went on her way, leaving Georgette staring after her worriedly. The healer finally shrugged and entered the medical room to check up on her patient.

Sanya wandered the halls in somewhat of a daze after that. She felt an emptiness that gnawed at her insides. Indecision continued to plague her mind, teasing her with possibilities while at the same time blasting her with guilt for her unknown wrongdoing.

But she would be strong. And she would let go.

At some point during her slow, aimless journey around the base, Sanya realized that there was a presence shadowing her. Turning her head slowly, fearful that it might be Nipa, she was dimly relieved to see that it was instead Shimohara Sadako who had joined her trip at some point. The Fusoan was trailing behind her, barely making a sound on the dark, wood panelled floors. Her hands were clasped in front of her in a very ladylike manner, and her gentle eyes watched Sanya with concern.

Sadako, realizing she had been finally spotted, increased her speed slightly until she was walking right beside Sanya. They walked in silence, not exchanging words. Sanya didn't have anything to say, while Sadako did not want to upset her companion, instead opting for comfort in the form of simple company.

It would be a while before Sadako would break the cycle, pulling her into the dining hall as the night wore on. Many of the other Witches had already gone to sleep, which left them alone in the dark, silent room.

Sadako seated Sanya at one of the benches before disappearing into the kitchen. A short time later, she reappeared with a bowl of nikujaga, one of her specialty Fusoan dishes. She sat across from Sanya and pushed the food towards her. The Night Witch really didn't feel like eating, as food would not fill what emptiness she had.

But looking into Sadako's pleading eyes, she relented, taking the bowl and starting to eat small portions slowly. It was good, but her mood dampened her senses. She could already feel herself slipping.

Finally finishing up, she allowed herself to be escorted to quarters by the caring Sadako. Dimly, she felt like she was being enveloped in a familiar aura from the Fusoan. It was a motherly, caring aura that she had felt from Aleksandra as well. She started to feel guilty that all of these Witches were worrying for her when they already had Eila to tend to. Nipa didn't need this kind of doting, but Sanya wasn't as strong as her.

She decided to shake Sadako's hands off her shoulders with an apologetic glance. She needed to stand on her own. However, the Fusoan Witch followed her all the way to her quarters.

Laying her hand on the door knob of her quarters, anxious to fall into bed, Sanya turned and gave a weak "Thank you …" to her tireless companion.

Sadako paused for a second before reaching forward and hugging the smaller girl tightly. Sanya was caught off-guard, but the sudden warmth and tight encirclement of the Fusoan's arms comforted her immensely. She returned the favour, squeezing her eyes shut to prevent any tears. It had been a long time since she had been hugged like this, and for some reason she felt as though she was needed.

Drawing back, Sadako whispered, "It'll be okay."

Sanya nodded back tearfully, releasing her companion from her arms. Odd thoughts whirled about in her head.

The Fusoan stepped back, straightened her uniform, and then gave a polite bow before turning around and disappearing into her own quarters.

The Night Witch sighed, and turned to enter her own room to embark on a journey of restless sleep.

[Distorted]

Sanya wanted to throw up.

She was back in the medical the room with Eila and Nipa, but everything felt all wrong. The room was unsettling, and she felt as though she didn't belong. Nipa was holding Eila's hand, and talking animatedly as she filled the girl's mind with repurposed memories, serving only to bring them closer together.

Sanya couldn't reach them, it was as if she was only a spectator in this cruel ordeal, watching from behind glass wall. Despite being seemingly right next to them, Sanya could not seem to reach Eila's other hand, and her choked words fell on deaf ears. Occasionally, one or both of the pair would glare at her, as if she had done something wrong.

She began to panic as the other two seemed to gradually move farther and farther away from her. She tried to get up and pursue them, but although she ran, they got no closer, instead seemingly getting farther the faster she ran. The room began to fade into nothingness, leaving a void of white. She ran until her lungs gave out, and she collapsed onto the ground, sobbing. She could barely move.

This dream became Sanya's nightly experience, while the parts of the days that went by were spent listening to Nipa sprinkle lies about herself and Eila into the "memories" that she fed her friend. Sometimes Georgette would come in to check up on them, and Nipa would let Sanya speak to Eila for a little, stopping her with pointed looks if she said the wrong thing.

They told Eila about what they knew about her Witch career, and surprisingly, Nipa left Sanya in the stories, even staying as her wingmate, but cast her as a background character in the stories who had not really had any significant impact on Eila's life.

Meanwhile, Nipa would also talk about a lot of good times that they had had together, all while maintaining constant physical contact, as if trying to drive the point further home. Sanya wasn't sure how many of these events were true, so either Nipa had a really good memory, or was just really good at coming up with things on the fly. Eila seemed comfortable with all this, although she sometimes cast Sanya some odd looks, as if trying to remember something.

Days passed, and Sanya's hope waned. Edytha tried talking to her, but gave up eventually when Sanya became unresponsive.

Soon, Eila was able to stand and walk without pain, thanks to Georgette's healing. Commander Aleksandra then directed them to start flying and training again, so they could get the unit strength back up to speed.

Eila seemed to be overjoyed to be able to fly again. Her Strikers had been repaired by the talented Commander, who was an efficient mechanic, having lots of experience repairing Nipa's oft-wrecked Strikers. She had a smile on her face the whole time as she enjoyed the cold air.

They were out one evening, flying towards a Neuroi threat that had been reported in the area. The weather was cold as usual, but Sanya no longer minded. She was already numb from everything that had happened, and the sharp stings of cold and constant pattering of snow no longer seemed painful.

They were flying in a V formation, with Eila at the lead, searching the skies when Eila suddenly turned to Nipa, "Nipa?"

"Yeah?"

"You know my old wingmate? From the 501st?"

" … Oh .. yeah? What about her?"

"Well, where is she right now?" Eila asked, surprising Sanya, "I kind of want to see her, since we are wingmates and all …"

Why would she want to see the real Sanya? Nipa had already told her how little importance she was. Sanya herself had even began to almost believe that Nipa's version of Sanya was the real one, and if she were in Eila's boots, she would have probably not cared too much. It was amazing how much power one could have over an amnesiac.

But a small surge of hope still flickered within Sanya.

"Your former wingmate." Nipa interjected, not looking at Sanya. "She … uh … transferred wings. She abandoned you when you crashed, you know. I'm your new wingmate."

A stab of pain pierced through the Orussian in question's heart. It was true. Or it was in the process of becoming true. She was abandoning Eila, for the Suomi's sake.

"Oh." came Eila's simply reply.

They flew in silence for a few minutes more, getting closer to the reported area of the Neuroi. The visibility was low, and Sanya was relying on her magical antenna to sense the enemy. The radar remained green as she slowly swept it back and forth across the sky. The weather was getting much worse, and there was a hint of thunder in the background again.

Suddenly, there was a great blast of wind as a Neuroi tore through the cloud cover. The black metal shone menacingly, and the red hexagonal panels glowed fiercely as it prepared its attack.

"Scatter!" Eila yelled out, as all three Witches banked in different directions; Eila down, Sanya left, Nipa, right. A huge red laser tore through the air where they had just been before, leaving a singed smell that was quickly swept away in the ensuing wind.

Fixing their weapons on the Neuroi, the three Witches poured all of their firepower onto the metallic beast, being careful not to fly into each other's line of fire. All of Sanya's feelings slipped away as she took on the efficient, calculating attitude of a well-trained Witch. Adrenaline shot through her veins as the thrill of battle offered a much welcomed albeit transient relief from her own troubles. There was only one thing one her mind, and that was to destroy this beast in front of her.

That "beast" was an oddly shaped, Large type Neuroi. It was shaped like a large aircraft, but it seemed to have a tunnel down the center of it, covered by huge, fast moving blades. Many rotating emplacements covered its surface, almost like windmill blades. It was currently speeding towards the nearest coast as usual, having come from a small hive that was thought to be somewhere in the Baltic sea, and looking for places to obliterate.

Peering down the barrel of her Fliegerhammer, Sanya flew at a high speed alongside the craft. It fired a few lasers at her, to which she quickly shielded herself. The blast knocked her backwards, but she was unharmed. She noted that a few of the energy weapons were located on the in the center of the spinning blades, and one of them had started to glow.

She raised her shield once more as it fired at her. The rotating motion of the blades had given an uneven spin on the laser, instead one straight splash. This oddity took her by surprise, as it knocked her farther back than a normal laser would.

For some strange reason, it was getting harder and harder to fly closer to the Neuroi, as if a huge wind was pushing against her. She looped around back, and fired a rocket at a blade in retaliation. The rocket soared through the air, but gradually began to loop back downwards, crashing into the water below.

It's the blades? Are they generating wind?" Sanya thought worriedly. She held her fire and looped over to where she could see one of her other two comrades and see how they were faring. Visibility was poor, but she could see muzzle flares from her companions' guns. No bullet seemed to be actually striking the craft though. Sanya could only guessed they were being deflected by the winds.

"I see the core!" crackled Eila over the radio, "Inside!"

Sanya suddenly realized that Eila was referring to the inside tube of the Neuroi, which looked like a huge wind tunnel. Three layers of rotating blade emplacements seemed to be guarding each side. Catching sight of a glint of red inside, Sanya fired a few rockets, pausing between shots so that some would hopefully go through.

The rockets sped towards the tunnel, being caught in the suction. The blades blocked many of them, appearing undamaged after the explosions. The ones that did get through were just as ineffective. Caught in the powerful suction, they were directed to the center of the tunnel, where they raced past the crystal and harmlessly exploded against the blades at the rear.

"Regroup at rear left!" came Eila again.

The tunnel seemed to be sucking in the air and snow ahead of the craft as it sped forwards. Flying around to join her comrades, it seemed that all of the snow the craft had devoured was being expelled out the back in a mini snowstorm.

"What do we do?" Nipa shouted over the wind as they reunited at the back of the craft, "Our weapons can't reach it from out here! I've called for backup!"

"I know!" Eila shouted back, "We've got to go inside!"

"INSIDE?" Nipa screamed back in shock, "The only way is past those spinning blades, and they're moving WAY too fast for us to get in without getting chopped up! You're crazy if you think I'm going in there!"

"You're right! I am!" Eila replied back, already gunning her engines to head to the front. The other two of them raced in pursuit. "That's why I'm going in alone! My magic can help me dodge the blades, and I'll do a gun run inside and come out the back."

"WHAAT?!" Nipa exclaimed in disbelief, trying to catch up and stop her, but Eila had already thrown herself towards the blades, hugging her gun vertically. The blades were huge and spun rather fast; they could easily kill whoever they hit. Eila paused for a second in front the first one, fighting the suction of the craft as she timed her approach, and then darted forward when the moment came.

Sanya's heart nearly stopped when the Suomi disappeared behind the blades, Strikers almost grazing the incoming blades. The Orussian's composure was reduced to panic, and she flew to the rear of the craft, Nipa following.

"Eila! Eila!" Nipa kept yelling over the radio. She was just as distressed as Sanya was. The two started weaving around as lasers started coming their way.

"I'm fine!" came Eila's voice, and the two both sighed in relief. Gunfire was heard over the radio as Eila poured bullets into the core before an exasperated grunt was heard, "No good! There's metal that keeps reforming too fast, meet me outside! "

The two outside Witches hurriedly flew to the rear, dodging several lasers on the way. Eila emerged from the Neuroi in a blast of snow, already heading back to the front. She cleared her face of snow as she flew. "Aleksandra, you're coming with me this time! We need the rockets!"

Sanya jolted as fear crept up her spine, "B-but!"

Eila may have been able to make the trip inside, but Sanya lacked not only the magical foresight, but speed as a result of her weapon. But time was running out; the craft was nearing the coast. Although the other Witches were coming to help, this was its only weak spot.

"No time!" Eila grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards the maelstrom of snow at the head of the craft. "We can do it, Aleksandra!"

Her words inspired Sanya, and she followed along, determined to help. Her confidence took a hit when they arrived in front of the blades, and she saw how huge they really were. She had seen many terrifying things, but to dive into one of them was a first, and she began to shake nervously. How will I even get through?!

Eila apparently read Sanya's mind, because she slung her weapon over her shoulder, came up behind the Orussian, and wrapped her arms around her waist. Sanya squealed in surprise at the contact; it felt so familiar, and so right.

"I'll guide you in!" Eila shouted over the noise, "I'll call out the direction, and you fire your Strikers in that direction with me, okay?"

Sanya nodded, still shaking, and brought her weapon vertical, so it wouldn't catch on a blade and send them into a spin. She remembered doing something like this before, and the fact that she was in Eila's arms again comforted her.

"Alright! As Fusoans say, BANZAI!"

Sanya's heart stopped once more as they charged into the blades. She was gripping her weapon so tightly that her knuckles were white. All she could think of were Eila's directions.

Up, forward, left, forward, down.

She gunned her engines in tandem with Eila's as they flew through the blades. There was very little space between them, so they had to follow its path. The blades passed by at unsettling speeds, and one mistake would be all it would take for them to end up as an assortment of broken body pieces in the ocean. The snow reduced visibility, and only heightened her fear.

Thankfully, Eila knew what she was doing, and soon they passed the third blade of the Neuroi's gauntlet of death, and into relative safety. Sanya let out the breath that she didn't realize she had held throughout the ordeal.

"Brake!" Eila shouted, and let go of her as both of them swung their Strikers forward to combat the suction that threatened to spit them out of the back of the Neuroi. It's a good thing there were no energy weapons on the inside, or they would have been dead by now.

The two swung their weapons up, and fought against the air current as Eila guided them to the core, one hand on her MG42, and one holding Sanya's hand. It felt to Sanya as if this was a frozen hell. Painful, freezing winds stung her skin, and flying snow continuously hammered at her back.

"There, over there!" Eila screamed at Sanya, gesturing at the left wall. A red crystal was half embedded in the black steel, covered by a panel. The two levelled their weapons at it, and opened fired. The bullets hit the black metal, but it was instantly regenerated; leaving no trace of the damage that had been inflicted. Sanya's rockets were instantly pulled away from their target by the suction, and exploded against the rear blades once again.

"Gotta get closer!" the Suomi shouted.

As the winds tugged at their bodies, Eila dragged Sanya closer until they were close enough for the rockets to impact.

"T… the rocket explosions might hit us!" Sanya shouted worriedly, gesturing that they would be in a danger close zone. She wondered how much time they had left before the Neuroi was within striking range of the coast.

"Got it!" Eila holstered her MG and wrapped an arm around Sanya from behind once again. Raising a shield in front of them, she nodded for Sanya to fire.

The Orussian pulled the trigger and sent a salvo of rockets into the core. They detonated and shattered the red crystal, sending bits of shrapnel bouncing against the shield as well as blowing them against the far wall. Eila lost her grip of Sanya upon impact, and the two of them tumbled to the back of the craft.

Sanya slid towards the rear blades, as she barely had enough magic to brake. She squeezed her eyes tightly, but suddenly felt a hand grasp her free one, and hold her in place. She looked up to see Eila straining with all her might. One hand held onto Sanya's and the other was behind her back, trying to generate a shield to cover them from the chunks of the crumbling Neuroi they had just slain. The shield was weak, as she was low on magic, and it was her own body that was protecting Sanya. There was pain in Eila's eyes as she struggled against the onslaught, and she winced every time something struck her. Sanya couldn't even look at her like this, pain in her own heart. Eila's wounds bled on her, and she flinched under the warm liquid.

The Neuroi let out a terrifying screech, as the array that powered it was suddenly obliterated with its core's destruction. It was a sinking ship; as each consciousness left the shell and was annihilated, the main craft lost more and more control. It suddenly went into a nosedive, firing lasers wildly as its shell began disintegrating into the matter in which it was built, and then crumbled into nothingness as a shower of hundreds of white stars.

Sanya's eyes widened as the ship's frame started falling toward them. At this rate, they would be crushed under it! She spotted a widening gap in the wall, and using the last of her energies, gunned her engines, charging into Eila and carrying them out into the open and out of the way of the wall of black metal.

When the debris cleared, it revealed Sanya and her beloved, battered, but victorious. Just like it had always been, just like she wished it would always be.

"Heh …" Eila smiled, breathing hard, "Good job Aleksandra. Maybe you should be my wingmate." She released Sanya's hand, and doubled over to catch her breath.

"If you only knew." Sanya thought to herself tiredly, wobbling in the air. She could already hear the engines of the other approaching Witches as they came to their aid.

[Distorted]

The rain was falling again, back at base. The odd weather had decided to continue its torment. Sanya watched from her place on the roof of the base at a Witch down below on the ground. It was Waltrud, who was now making her way indoors to avoid the rain. Soon she disappeared from sight, and Sanya was all alone.

She had done it again, she had gotten Eila hurt at her expense. Eila had suffered a lot of shrapnel wounds from flying debris, but was otherwise alright, and still in high spirits although she had to be carried back to base. Edytha and Sadako had helped Sanya along.

Georgette had done a good job of healing Eila, although she was a little regretful that she hesitatingly had approved of Eila's combat readiness when Aleksandra had asked. Sanya was just thankful that Nipa was too concerned for Eila that she didn't have time to shoot any glares at her.

The pain on Eila's face during the ordeal had been just as painful to Sanya as if it were her own wounds. She hated seeing her beloved like that, and guilt that she had once again caused her suffering resurfaced.

The rain began to fall harder as she weighed her options. She could leave as soon as possible, and avoid hurting Eila further. But she was hesitant, did she really want to do that? On one hand it would save her the pain of seeing Eila but not being able to be close to her. She probably would not want to be near Eila and Nipa if they became really close.

On the other hand, she really did not want to leave Eila. She meant the world to her, and the pain of separation would be much too great.

But, then again, all pain eventually fades. With time, she might be able to move on, and forget the girl who once meant everything to her. And maybe she was never anything special to Eila anyway.

The cold, incessant rain did nothing but drive her into further sadness. She longed for the comfort of Perrine's words, who would surely know what to do in this situation. Thunder crashed loudly as the storm continued.

But thinking of Eila, overrun with all the scars Sanya's actions had left, she made up her mind. She would do it. Nipa was right all along; Sanya only brought pain to Eila. Eila deserved to be happy.

Sanya would do it. As tears ran down her face in the midst of the rain, she promised herself that tomorrow she would walk up to Commander Rall and request a transfer to a different Orussian squadron. Or better yet, one farther away, so she couldn't hurt Eila any longer. Nipa would get her wish; Sanya would disappear forever from Eila's life.

Eila's caring face kept appearing in her mind though, and it was driving her crazy with indecision. "Please!" she sobbed, finally breaking down, "Go away! Please erase yourself from my mind!" she choked out, as if she could do such a thing with simple words.

"I've already experienced many pains, but this still hurts!" She thought bitterly and cursed the world for her as tears streamed down her face, mixing with the rainwater that enveloped her in its cold embrace. "I can't go on."

For a split second, she raised her tear filled eyes, and looked to the edge of the roof. For a brief moment, her mind went under, and she rose to her feet. Staring down at the ground far below. Thunder crashed once again. She closed her eyes.

"Hey."

Sanya's eyes snapped open, and she stepped backwards with a gasp, shocked at what had went through her mind at that moment. Slowly turning around, she beheld the sight of an equally drenched Eila. The Suomi was still bandaged from their skirmish a few hours ago.

"You're out too?" Eila raised a hand in greeting. She apparently didn't know what had been going on, nor did she see Sanya's tears in the dark rain. "Can I sit here too?"

Sanya nodded shakily, and sat down in her original spot. Eila sat down, with her legs dangling off the edge. The Orussian's mind raced.

"Are you okay?" Eila asked, looking at Sanya's downcast face.

Sanya hesitated, but then realized this was as a good time as ever, "I'm … I'm sorry I got you hurt for protecting me …" she said, tearily. There was a moment of silence.

"Is that all?" Eila replied with a hint of amusement in her voice. Sanya looked up, surprised. "Don't even worry about it! You stuck with me, and did a great job." Eila smiled, holding up a fist. "Plus, I would've owed you one, anyway."

"Huh..?" Sanya replied, confused, "Owe me ... for what?" Wounds aren't good things, you know.

"Well, you got us out of there in one piece!" Eila said in disbelief, "You were there weren't you? I barely had enough magic to fly, and we probably would've died if you hadn't gotten us through that gap. You protected us." Eila smiled, "We're even."

"Oh …" Sanya said. I might have protected you from that, but I've done a much worse thing to you, and you might not ever know …

The two sat in silence for few minutes. Sanya peeked at her companion. Eila had her head tilted back, and was looking straight up at the sky. She seemed to be enjoying the rain, although it was extremely cold.

"I want to ask you something." Eila said suddenly, "Is Nipa really the closest one to me?" Without waiting for a response, she continued, "She's in a lot of the stories she's been telling me, and she claims to be the one who I shared the closest bond with."

"But it just doesn't seem right. I look at her, and I feel like she's a really close person to me, but there was someone else. I have no idea who it is, but I just know that Nipa's not that person. Do you know?"

Sanya was at an impasse. She could tell Eila the truth: that the closest person to her was sitting right in front of her, but would she even believe her? And Sanya had already resolved to leave Eila. However, her resolve was crumbling, as the flicker of hope returned. Eila was seeing through the illusion. Two forces clashed in her mind, and although she tried to speak, no words came out for either side.

"Haha, don't worry about it," Eila smiled and got up, stretching. "I should probably get to sleep: Lemare would kill me herself if she found me up here in this downpour." She walked back to the ladder that would lead her back down, "Good night Aleksandra." she tossed over her shoulder.

"Good night …" Sanya replied weakly. She watched Eila start climbing down, before pausing and looking back up at the Orussian.

"Almost forgot. Aleksandra, since you're from Orussia," she called out to Sanya, "If you ever come across my old wingmate, Sanya … I believe she had good reasons for what she apparently did, but …"

The real Sanya held her breath.

" … Tell I her that I have forgiven her for whatever she did, and would like to see her again. I miss her."

With that, she gave another smile, and climbed down the ladder, disappearing from view and leaving Sanya all on her own, more conflicted than ever.

I wished for you to erase yourself from my mind … and yet, how come you're holding onto me so tightly …?

[Distorted]

Sanya was back in the room. Where Eila couldn't hear her, and Eila and Nipa kept getting farther and farther away the faster she ran. She collapsed in defeat once more, gasping hard for air.

A pair of pristine white Suomi boots appeared in front of her, and she looked up through her tears to see what she thought was a taller and older version of Eila in front of her, with duller purple eyes.

The girl in front of her just looked at her, with a disappointed, almost sad look on her face. She had cascading white hair that framed her narrow eyes. Nipa and the other Eila had stopped moving away from her, and continued their conversation by the bed a short distance away.

"Why?" came a voice that seemed to echo from everywhere at once. It seemed like many familiar voices had been joined and now spoke in chorus, shaking Sanya to her core. She could hear traces of her squadmates' voices in it. The girl's mouth had not moved, but Sanya knew it had come from her.

"B-because it's for the best!" Sanya screamed back at her in anguish from her place on the ground, clenching her fists painfully. Curse this girl! What does she know?! "I did THAT." She pointed angrily at Eila and Nipa with a badly shaking hand, "I deserve THIS."

As she pointed her own finger at herself, she realized with horror that she was beginning to fade. Little particles of energy were slowly detaching itself from herself, floating away before fading into nothingness. Just like Neuroi when they are destroyed. Tears began to flow freely, and she looked back up at the girl for help.

The girl was fading as well, tears gathering at the side of her eyes. "The best?" came the multitude of voices again, almost knocking Sanya back down with their power. The girl reached towards Sanya with one open hand. The Orussian desperately reached for it, but found that they could not make contact. As her hand passed through the other's, she felt a transient sensation of extreme cold, chilling her entire body.

"For who?" the girl whispered quietly as she faded away completely. All the voices were gone, leaving only a single one. Eila's.

Both Eila and Nipa at the bed had stopped speaking, instead they were now sitting, frozen in place.

Sanya sobbed from her place on the floor, "I'm weak …" she whispered softly. She looked up tearily at the other two, sitting just beyond her reach.

The Eila sitting on the bed looked up and met her eyes. Sanya saw confusion and loneliness swirling around her purple orbs, and wanted nothing more than to wipe them away.

Sanya began to crawl weakly towards Eila. This time, the other two didn't move away. Her fading hands grasped the bedside.

There was that voice again.

"It takes a strong person to deny what is right in front of them. Even now, after everything that's happened, you can still make it right."

"Lucky you."

[Distorted – End of Chapter Eight – Let Go]

Hello. It has been over a year since I updated this, but now I think I am ready to continue. This is the longest chapter yet, as an apology.

Also! Please note that Chapter One has received a "quality of life" update, where I've brought up the par of writing. Hopefully. Wow! Wonderful! Great!

May as well call this an "angstfic" now, because there's an inordinate amount of wallowing in sadness being done here. I've also corrected "Alexsandra" to the correct version of "Aleksandra". That's right! There are two Aleksandras!

Today's chapter is brought to you by the song "LET GO" by M-FLO ft. YOSHIKA. (And no! Not Miyafuji! She can't sing!)

OK! Let's become better friends tomorrow!

미나