Holy crap 5 months? I've been slacking time to get back to work eh?
A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination - Nelson Mandela
Mobius snapped his head up a last second snore escaping his throat as he awakened, "What is it?"
Meia and Yellow 13 stood in front of him both of them smiling a little, "The Mobius I know wouldn't fall asleep on the job" 13 said to him, "Who are you?"
Mobius leaned forward at the table he sat at and rubbed his eyes. 13 was right lately he was going through some changes he was falling into strange habits he was talking to others more than the usual nod or two word greetings he was taking more frequent breaks from his work and even relaxing and now he was falling asleep at his desk.
Meia smiled a little more, "Do you think he's finally becoming a normal person?" she whispered just loud enough for Mobius to hear.
Mobius looked up to her, "You had to say it like that?"
Meia kept smiling and shrugged, but her lips fell in to a frown with her shoulders, "We still haven't found him yet".
The light atmosphere in the room took a 180 turn; Hibiki was lost in a recent battle against the Harvest. Checking his watch Mobius sighed loudly it had been three hours since the battle ended and they were still searching for him, no signal from him or the vanguard.
"This is a large area" he said standing up, "How many of our systems are still down?"
"Almost everything is back online" 13 told him, "We're still looking, but with each failed attempt its getting harder and Dita is taking it pretty hard".
"Of course she is" he said, "Alright what did the captain say?"
"Just keep looking" Meia answered, "She's not giving up either no one is".
"And no one will" Mobius said walking around the table and looking at the large standing map against the wall, "His last coordinates were here right?"
"Actually they were here" Meia said pointing to a spot a few inches below Mobius' indication.
"Really?" Mobius asked more for assured confirmation than a question.
Meia nodded, "Are you feeling ok?"
Mobius rubbed his eyes again, "A bit tired, alright so he was here and from our battle cams we saw him heading in this direction just before we lost contact".
Meia nodded and 13 joined them, "He fell toward this star cluster and Parfet believes the close proximity to the stars along with the damage he received may have interfered with the vanguard's systems".
Mobius tapped the map, "Have we completely searched this particular area?"
13 nodded, "Our systems didn't detect any trace of the vanguard and we do have small scouting parties out looking, but the captain isn't letting them go too far out".
"That's good" Mobius said, "In the event the enemy decides to come back at us we need all available hands on deck…What about adjacent sectors?"
"Beginning our searches now" 13 answered again, "Yukiko and I just got back from our patrol once they refuel our ships we're heading out again".
Mobius nodded, "Alright" his finger was tapping lightly, but frantically against the map, "I want to look for him too, but we need to keep a sufficient force here in case we're attacked again".
"Well there's no one better than you for that" 13 said patting his shoulder before heading for the office door, "Just be sure to stay awake for once" he joked as he closed the door behind him.
Meia forced a smirk and Mobius hung his head rubbing his eyes again, "What's wrong with me?" he muttered.
Meia's hand glided up his arm and to his shoulder, "Nothing is wrong with you you're just finally moving on from what you used to be".
"You mean work obsessed, driven, stubborn and sarcastic psychopath who blacks out and beats people to death".
Meia squeezed his shoulder, "Don't" she said quietly, "I told you that's not who you are let's focus on looking for Hibiki alright".
Mobius nodded, "Yeah…he's like me he's stubborn to die he's out there".
Hibiki was alive where the young pilot had no idea himself the people who found him treated his injuries and made him rest before answering his questions and by the time he came to as grateful he was he wasn't sure how to speak to them, of course saying thank you was always a good start.
"Thanks for helping me" he said sitting with them in a large room, the way they all sat in a large circle reminded him of the Nirvana's meeting room.
"Here drink this" a woman said handing him a bowl filled with a colored liquid.
Her words, he heard them in his head, but she never spoke them her lips never moved. He eyed each of them as he took a sip of the water, it was horrible. Immediately he spit it out and gagged his disgust over it, but the people around him smiled and the few children laughed at him.
"What was that?" he asked.
"Herbal remedies" the woman told him, "The taste is hard to get used to, but it helps"
"I can hear your voice inside my head…why is that?"
A young man sitting two spaces from Hibiki was the one to answer, "Earthlings" he said angrily, "Earthlings took our voices from us".
"Tanaka" the older man sitting between him and Hibiki said sternly, "Nothing can be gained through hatred" he turned his attention to Hibiki, "Our ancestors discovered this ability. To speak with the spirits and have since passed it down through our generations, but the Earthlings who feared this power that surpassed their understanding an ability that could not be explained through any technology, stole our voices from us and left us stranded on this planet".
The bowl in his hands was shaking as he stared at his own reflection, "How could they be so cruel?"
The old man continued to smile, "Yet it was thanks to that we were able to divine the language of the heart and were able to speak with the spirits more effectively".
"I wouldn't let them get away with it" Hibiki snapped, "Why don't you fight back? They marooned you here and you just let them, what's it take to piss you people off".
"You have contacted the negative conscience haven't you?" the old man asked, just now occurring to Hibiki he must be the one in charge.
"What the hell is that?" Hibiki asked him.
"The negative conscience does not bear fruit" Tanaka, the one from before answered, "It only destroys. We do not seek fights that destroy one another. The spirits will not aide the power of hatred".
"Come on" Hibiki yelled jumping to his feet, "No matter how you look at it a fight's a fight there's no meaning if you lose".
"Regardless of how it may seem victory is not always gained by fighting" the chief told him, "It is true that your homeland and the final battle are near, but it is through that that you have contacted the negative conscience. You are hasty because of that and must speak with your inner self again. You should visit the cave of the spirits".
"And what's that?" the young pilot asked them.
Tanaka answered, "It is the place we go to train our minds and achieve oneness".
"There is nothing to fear from it" the chief told him, "You have already experienced speaking with a spirit".
Back on the Nirvana, Mobius stepped inside a small room as Meia began her report to BC, "We've confirmed the presence of several other planets in the area and we're beginning our search of them as we speak".
Misty sitting in the chair at the console turned around, "There's also a chance he was pulled away by an asteroid".
"A chance I wouldn't bet on" Mobius said tilting his head back and dropping a pair of pills into his mouth swallowing them, "My gut tells me he's on one of those planets he's too stubborn to let a flying rock take him anywhere. We've got enough of this area mapped out to launch an effective search. Start with the nearest planet surface scans if we detect anything recon team goes in with an escort if not move on".
Meia nodded to him, "I've already got Bart searching each planet from his station if he detects anything he'll inform us and we can do a more thorough search while he checks other planets".
BC nodded, "I see, alright then keep at it inform the captain and I the second you find anything" she turned to Mobius, "May I have a word with you?"
Mobius followed BC into the hall, "For the record, I knew that kid was going to cause a lot of trouble since the day I met him".
BC smirked, "True, but you've caused your fair share of it to" she looked at him as they stepped inside the elevator, "What if we don't find anything at all?"
"Then we look again" Mobius answered, "If we don't detect anything at all then we check a second time under the assumption our scanners just aren't working or are unable to pick up anything, but we do not leave until we've searched every inch of each planet out here. We will not leave without him".
BC smiled again, "It seems the captain was right about you".
Mobius raised an eyebrow at her, "Meaning?"
BC placed her hand against her hip, "The captain and I have been watching you closely in the past few weeks now ever since you first arrived here you've done nothing, but work toward the betterment of the ship and its crew, you've grown to become an irreplaceable and priceless member yourself. You're the commander of your own elite team and second in command of the dread forces as well as an officer on the ship. The captain has been considering promoting you again".
The ace pilot's first reaction was to decline the gesture he didn't work for rewards or positional advancement he worked because it needed to be done. The only reason he accepted the many demanding tasks given to him in the past is because he was either the only one who could do them or was the best choice, he didn't care about being promoted to officer the only reason he accepted it was the captain was so insistent on the matter, hell she practically made him accept him. To Mobius, promotions were headaches that yielded no reward or interest for him and to tack on another wasn't really something he wanted to deal with, but if he was promoted again that would give him the same rank as BC she and the captain were the only people above him in rank.
"So what would that make me?" he asked, "You're Magno's right hand so am I going to be her left?"
BC chuckled at his bad joke, "No she's looking for her replacement".
He hid it well, but that surprised him. Him, captain?
"Wouldn't that be you?" he asked playing off his surprise.
BC's eyes drifted away something Mobius never thought he would see in the sub-commander, "I'm not sure. I've been thinking about it and I think when the day finally comes that the captain retires I may as well neither of us are saints, but I'm interested to try my hand at a quieter life assuming we survive this to the end of course".
"Why am I the only person who knows we're going to survive?" Mobius asked, "Actually that doesn't matter the more they think there's a chance for failure the harder they'll work. Why me?"
"Can you think of anyone else?" BC asked him, "No one works as hard as you do and no one is as focused or as dedicated as you".
"Son of a…I don't want to be captain I am not a leader".
"Not yet, but you are well on your way to becoming one. And it's not something that's going to happen now maybe another year or two down the road".
He knew better than to argue this now besides there was something far more important to be focused on. When the doors opened he asked BC to speak to the captain for him requesting a private meeting later after they found Hibiki. Once BC left Mobius took the elevator back down to the hangar wanting to return to his own work, the captain and BC were right he worked harder than anyone else, but he was a soldier and nothing more a damn good soldier, but a soldier nonetheless not a leader. He wasn't someone to appoint as the next captain, but knowing Magno also told him that she was certain of the alternative even if he wasn't himself.
When he stepped off the elevator he met Meia's eyes, "Did you have a part in this?"
"I take it she told you then" she answered, which might as well have been a yes.
"Why not you?" he asked her, "You know how I feel about something like this".
"You're better than I am" she answered immediately, "I kind of don't want to admit it, but you're better suited for it than I am. You never panic during a battle you're always steps ahead of the enemy and everyone here looks up to you that and you have far more experience than anyone here".
"I'm a soldier Meia, I can't command an entire ship and fight at the same time and if I'm not out there fighting people will die".
"You should have more faith is us" Meia told him lightly pushing him inside the elevator and closing the door behind them. She wrapped her arms behind his neck as she pushed him against the wall, "We'll manage; besides I know you. The second we came under attack you'd already be on your way to the hangar leaving whoever your second in command is to take over".
Mobius nodded his head to the side as Meia's lips drew closer to his, "That would probably be…" his words were cut short when she pressed her lips to his silencing him.
Inside what was called the cave of spirits, Hibiki stared upward toward the small light far above him as he climbed up the side of the cave wall.
"I can hardly see a thing in here; they could have given me some kind of light or something".
"Do not fear the darkness" the chief's voice told him, "Open your heart to the spirits and they will open theirs to you".
"Enough of that mumbo jumbo" Hibiki yelled back down, "I just have to climb right?" he started upward again his scrapped hands gripping the holds and pulling himself up to the next step, "Just you wait I'll make it to the top don't underestimate Hibiki Tokai".
Another step and pull upward and he heard other voices in his head, familiar voices from people he knew.
"I've lost faith in you"
"Its no use get over it shrimp"
"Ah what can you do all alone?"
Dozens of voices from all directions all of them swimming in his head and around him at once and then, they were laughing at him, mocking him. So much at once he didn't know how to react was unsure how to respond and then it became too much.
"Stop it" he said quietly at first before yelling, "Shut up, whatever the hell you are just stop it" and then he lost his grip and fell into the darkness below him.
Outside the cave the chief and Tanaka waited sensing the young pilot's struggle within.
"Chief Kokoparin, don't you think the warrior's trial is too much for that young man?"
The chief merely smiled at him as he answered, "It all depends on what's in his heart".
Tanaka wished to believe his wisdom, but a trial of this magnitude was harsh enough for mature adults and the boy they sent in although approaching maturity his contact with the negative conscience could prove to be his downfall. He wished to believe the chief's wisdom, but he had his doubts hopeful as he was there was a sliver in his mind that wanted to stop the trial so the boy would not suffer any injury physical or otherwise, but he had to stay his ground for he could not interfere. His personal thoughts were interrupted by a noise behind them, small rocks falling from the cliff edge above them he looked back and saw a tall man with pointed, hooked hair standing against the sunlight with a small furry creature next to him. Though only their silhouettes were visible he knew who they were and the chief smiled as Tanaka spoke his name.
"Sam!"
Back on the Nirvana in the ship's infirmary Duelo at his usual place in front of the massive computer was going through Hibiki's physical records so he would be ready to treat any injuries the pilot might have.
"You're awfully confident we'll find him" Mobius said from one of the beds.
"Aren't you?" Duelo asked him calmly, "You don't seem the type to give up on a comrade".
"I'm not" Mobius answered, "I'm just surprised that no one seems to have any doubt that we will find him".
"And that bothers you?"
"No, I'm just not used to such optimism" the ace pilot held up a small plastic bottle in his hand and tossed them over to the young doctor, "Thanks for these by the way".
Catching the bottle Duelo placed it to the side and returned to his work, "You're welcome I'm glad their helping".
Mobius cupped his hands behind his head and fell back and then curved his leg crossing his other one over his knee, "I'm just glad headaches are the only thing I'm getting, I haven't been sick in almost four years".
"Impressive" Duelo said as blankly as ever, "You must have a healthy diet to have avoided any illness for so long".
"That's the thing I don't have any diet" Mobius said at this point talking just for conversation's sake, "So I wonder why I haven't been sick then, maybe because I was always so focused on fighting or in a way too stubborn to become ill…is that a thing?"
"The human mind is capable of extraordinary feats let's not forget that you arrived here with no memory of your past and now you remember everything except your name".
A mock chuckle escaped the pilot's mouth, "Yeah that one makes me laugh…You're a smart one any idea on that topic?"
"Only speculation" Duelo answered, "Considering how tragic your past has been it could be your sub-conscious is trying to protect itself and you from any further torment by locking away certain memories, but you've seen to come to terms with most of it so I wouldn't place too much faith in that scenario".
Mobius sighed, "After everything that I've been through I'm surprised I'm still sane after so long".
"If I may speak freely on that" Duelo said actually turning around to look at him, "Your actions of retribution in the past were signs of hysteria, insanity and extreme levels of depression and anger while I'm only a medical doctor and not a psychiatrist I would find it hard to imagine someone suffering the way you have and performing the actions you have and still come out of it with the frame of mind you've retained. I find it amazing and even impressive and though it may be the result of a horrifying experience the skills you've obtained from that have become a valuable asset to us".
"A silver lining in a dark time sort of thing?" Mobius asked a slight hint of sadness in his voice.
"Something like that" Duelo said returning to his work, "Even though I saw your dreams for myself I still can't imagine how horrible such an event must have been, to actually witness it firsthand and to lose so much".
Mobius' eyes began to feel heavy the doctor's words barely reaching him, "Hope you never have to".
"Ah so this is where you've been" Yellow 13's voice said from the doorway, "How you doing Duelo?" he said greeting the doctor.
"Keeping busy for now, any luck?"
And exhausted sigh was all the answer the doctor needed, but the ace pilot answered anyway, "Afraid not. Bart is still scanning the surrounding area and our recon teams are checking as much as they can, but with shift changes and the amount of ground er um space we have to cover everyone is starting to get tired".
"Do you think they'll last?" Duelo asked him.
13 nodded even though the doctor's back was to him, "Definitely they're getting tired, but dammit their determined not a single one of them is going to give up" he looked to Mobius and realized he was asleep, "Unless their this guy" he joked.
Duelo looked over his shoulder not noticing that Mobius had dozed off, "He has been working pretty hard lately ever since I cleared him the day after he came back from that mission station, I guess the fatigue just finally caught up with him".
"That's the thing though he never shows that he's tired and he never just falls asleep especially when there's work to be done. I mean its good that he's finally taking a break its just odd, guess I'm not used to it".
From behind 13 a gruff voice began speaking, "How ya doing Captain? Ribbit".
"Hello Paiway" 13 said tilting his head some, "Fair enough for now, you?"
The young nurse smiled, "I'm in top form as always" she looked to Duelo and raised her puppet, "And what are you doing?"
"I'm checking Hibiki's medical records" Duelo answered.
"Hibiki" a low distant voice said from the center of the room and then Pyoro hovered down to them.
"I didn't know he was here" 13 said staring at the NAVI bot as it hovered over to the console and began projecting data onto it, all of it related to Hibiki.
"What is Hibiki?" the tiny robot asked, "What proof is there that Hibiki is Hibiki?"
13 sighed, "What's wrong with the toaster this time?"
Mesmerized Duelo started at the new data the possessed robot provided making a surprising discovery about the lost pilot.
A bright blue, green light one he knows he had seen many times before and yet he still didn't know why or rather he didn't understand why. It was the light of the peksis, in times of great strife it had always helped them, him especially almost like it had chosen him or had a special fondness for him over the others. Somewhere in his heart or his mind he knew he had a connection with the strange crystal and as warm as its light was it still intimidated him a little, maybe because every time it would surround him in its light it would always show him images or echo voices from the past things he didn't want to see or hear almost like it was testing him.
This time it showed him images he had never seen before, he saw himself as a child probably no more than three years old memories he didn't know he had and voices he couldn't place. He didn't recognize any of these memories, but as they flashed before him he felt pieces fall into place in his mind and as the last one passed he saw others recent memories from his grandpa on Tarak to his first meeting with Dita and then Rabat and so on and the voices that came with those memories. All the people he's met, the friends he had made and then the voice of the peksis asked him the same question it had once before.
"What is Hibiki? What is the proof of your existence?"
"Who am I?" Hibiki wondered, "What is the proof of my existence? How do I know I am me? Who am I?"
It was like a pulse, an invisible force that echoed through them, Dita, Jura and Meia all at once raised their hands and pointed to a single spot on the map in front of them and in the infirmary Mobius' eyes opened and he sat up.
"I know where he is" he muttered.
Telling 13 to get ready to head out Mobius slid off the bed and hurried out of the hangar not wanting to waste another moment, he didn't know how, but he knew where Hibiki was and it was time to go get him to bring him home where he belonged.
"What did you say?" Magno almost yelled at the screen of Duelo above the bridge.
"I'm certain of it" Duelo answered her, "I've rechecked a dozen times, Hibiki is one of the first generation. What's more is he was aboard this ship during the colonization era and was one of the ones placed into cold sleep".
Magno was having a hard time grasping that revelation, "So that little baby from back then? That's the arrogant little boy we all know now?"
In the Nirvana's hangar Mobius was standing at the edge of his fighter's canopy yelling orders to the pilots around him as they scrambled.
"Jax you're in charge of the team until I get back. Meia, Dita and Jura you three are with me we're going after him. I want every pilot on this ship in the air in less than five minutes and I want a full defensive perimeter set up in ten seconds after that. In the event the enemy shows up before we return not a single one makes it back alive we're bringing home safe and sound is that understood".
A unified roger answered him from everyone in the hangar mostly on trained reaction than anything they were all surprised to see Mobius take charge like this he had never done it before always leaving command to Meia, BC or the captain, but the confidence and strength of his voice were really all that was needed to get everyone going. For a moment Meia was stunned to see him like that not at all surprised and yet impressed that he was able to command them like that where earlier he had said he had no wish to be a leader. He hated it when others thought of him as super human or something more than they could ever hope to be, but as much as he disliked it there was no denying it, he was far above anything she or anyone else could ever hope to achieve.
"No matter how I look at it there's just no catching up to him" she thought with a smile as she looked up to him, "As a pilot a soldier a leader even a person…there's no one like him Hibiki is as close as any of us are going to get and he's still not on the same level…I guess him, Jax and Mobius are just in leagues of their own ones I'll never reach and yet…I'm ok with that".
"Meia!" her boyfriend's voice called to her, "I don't want to, but I will leave you behind on this one" he smiled at her, "So hurry up yeah?"
The dread leader smiled back, "Just remember I'm in charge of the dread teams yeah?"
"Then stop spacing out" he called to her before dropping into the pilot's seat of the F-22 closing the canopy over him.
Meia turned and ran for her dread completing take off preparations the second she settled in and followed right behind Mobius as he flew from the hangar ready to retrieve their lost friend.
He reached up and grabbed another rock his scratched skin and sore muscles all yelling at him for rest as he pulled himself up another step and then another and a third and a fourth, the peksis still speaking to him.
"The ticking of time the lives of limits"
Hibiki smiled, "The ticking of time is something you don't have right? Well humans definitely have it. Maybe from your perspective we are nothing, but primal organisms. That's why we have to appreciate each day and the time we do have".
"What is Hibiki? Why does he exist?"
Hibiki stopped for a single second to catch his breath and began climbing again, "I don't know the answer to that either, but I'll live on to find out what I can".
"That is Hibiki's proof" the Peksis said more of a conclusive statement than a question.
"I hate to admit it, but I can't survive alone I can barely make it supported by an army of people I've come to know".
"Those are comrades to be valued".
"Exactly" Hibiki said, "If I lose even one I won't be able to be myself they're all important and irreplaceable to me".
"The desires of many the prayers and hope".
"It's a lot to carry on my shoulders I know" Hibiki grunted, "But no matter what happens I can't allow myself to give up on it. For them when I think that they'll be sad I can't slack off I won't allow myself to. There are so many people I've come to care about and in the past I always thought I only needed myself, but I know now that that's not the case. Dita she drives me crazy, but I can't imagine going a day without seeing that bubbly smile on her face or Jura she drives me crazy to, but she always manages to keep things lively and Meia…she was one of the first to help me become who I am now she was the one who offered me her ear and advice after what happened with Rabat and then there's Mobius. I kind of don't want to admit it, but I look up to him he's the hero I want to be he's the goal I want to achieve to be as great as he is that way I can protect everyone or at the very least I can help him do it. That's why I fight so hard to keep them all safe because every single one of them mean so much to me and I refuse to lose anyone else no matter what".
"That is the circle of life, the proof of your existence".
"That's right" Hibiki said, "Its how I know I'm alive by fighting for what I believe in protecting what I care about with all that I am".
A bright light appeared above him and he smiled he was almost to the top a few more steps up and he would be finished. He pulled himself up another step and slipped the light above him suddenly turning a bright crimson and firing down at him. He held on with one hand his footing and other handhold lost he growled and glared up at the threatening crimson light hearing Mobius' voice in his head yelling for him to get up and the young pilot yelled casting aside his doubt and fear and the crimson light vanished with it leaving his path clear again. It was only a minute more and he had finally reached the top of the cave the warm sunlight a relief to his body after spending so long in the cold cave below and though he was exhausted he felt stronger than he ever had before and as he gazed out toward the setting sun he saw something glint in the horizon and as he focused on it he saw Dita's dread speeding for his position already hearing her cheery voice calling out to him as he waved.
They had finally found him; a salvage team was dispatched to retrieve the vanguard while Hibiki thanked the people of the world for helping him.
"I'm starting to think you're more trouble than you're worth" Mobius said sternly walking over to Hibiki and then smiling at him, "Welcome back Hibiki".
Hibiki smiled back to him, "Sorry I left I trust you didn't mess anything up while I was gone".
Mobius briefly raised an eyebrow to the young pilot and continued smiling, "Oh no chaotic trouble making is your department I will have no part of it".
The two pilots locked eyes for a moment before Mobius extended his hand out to him a gesture he had never done before, "Ready to go home?"
Taking his hand Hibiki nodded, "Yeah we've still got a job to do right?"
Mobius looked to the natives of the world as Hibiki walked over to Dita and her dread, "Thank you for looking after him for us".
"You're welcome" Tanaka said to him.
Surprised to hear his voice speak in his head Mobius slid his foot back, but quickly straightened himself, "If there's anything we can do to repay your kindness please let us know".
The middle aged man in the middle stepped forward, judging from the different way he was dressed Mobius assumed he was their leader, "There is no need to repay us, but may I ask you your name?"
Mobius was curious as to why he wanted to know his name, but there seemed to be no harm in telling him so long as he would be happy with the only name he knew to go by.
"I don't remember my real name" he admitted to the chief, "But for now I go by Mobius One".
"I see" the chief smiled, "It's a pleasure to meet you and may the spirits keep you all safe on your journey and your future battles".
Mobius slowly bowed his head to him, "And may they continue to watch over you as well".
With that Mobius turned around returning to his fighter a longer walk than his allies to a flat and smooth enough surface where he was able to land with the help of Barnette's transport of course.
"You sensed it as well Tanaka" the chief smiled at his subordinate as the Nirvana's crew flew off into the sky, "That one had the same spirit in him as that boy".
Tanaka looked to the chief, "He said his name was Mobius One, isn't that the same name from the legends?"
The chief smiled even wider, "They were not legends they are part of our history the history of mankind dating back to our days on Earth".
"That's impossible" Tanaka gasped, "Even if they were part of history that one was far too young to be the hero of those days".
"And yet" the chief said still smiling, "The spirits seemed to think otherwise".
The dots in the sky vanished as the crew returned to the Nirvana with Hibiki in tow everyone happy to have the knuckleheaded boy back and at long last after an exhausting day of searching they were finally able to rest easy. Hibiki however was unable to rest, so much had happened to him today so much that he was still taking it all in, he was glad to be back of course happy to see all of his friends again, but now that everyone had gone to bed he needed time to think to reflect and to prepare. The final battle was drawing closer and with his new resolve he was ready for it soon it would finally be time to put an end to the harvest.
"Still awake?" Mobius' voice called from behind him.
"Yeah" Hibiki answered quietly gazing up at the stars from the garden sector's overlook, "I'm just thinking about everything that's happened up until now with the final battle getting closer its kind of hard not to".
"I definitely know that feeling" Mobius said leaning against the railing next to him, "When the time finally came to attack Farbanti the capital of Erusea I didn't sleep the night before mostly because I knew that Yellow squadron would be there and it would be my job to shoot them down. Of course they didn't show up until after we had taken most of the city I had just enough ammo left to take them on to. And then as luck would have it even after all of that we learned that there was still one last threat out there…Megalith a massive fortress built across an entire island complete with missiles and lasers and rail guns. I can still remember how I felt while I was flying out there with my squad behind me".
"Were you scared?" Hibiki asked him.
"No" Mobius answered, "I didn't get scared back then I had no reason to be, scared, nervous I didn't experience either of those throughout the war since I joined it. The only thing I ever really felt was anger and eventually joy as I struck down one enemy after another".
The ace pilot looked up to the stars as well, "I took pride in the number of lives I ended something no one should ever do really…but I was filled with hatred and anger at the time. I still hate them for it even today and I'll never forgive them no matter how much time as passed even though anyone involved is long dead by now, but I have managed to let go of my pain…most of it".
He looked over to Hibiki and smiled, "I have you and everyone else here to thank for that and this crew needs you as much as it needs me".
Hibiki blushed and looked away, "Come on don't say stuff like that its embarrassing…but thank you and you're welcome. I know we've had our differences before, but I'm really happy that you ended up here with us. I look up to you a lot even though I doubt I'll ever become as great a pilot as you I still want to try you're a symbol to most of the people here, but to me you're a goal someone I want to be like as much as possible someone who has the strength to protect everyone and everything. That's the kind of person I want to be".
This time Mobius looked away and to Hibiki's surprise and pleasure he actually saw a bit of red in the ace pilot's face, "You're well on your way to that end".
Patting Hibiki on the shoulder Mobius turned and left returning to Meia who had been watching them.
"He's not the only one that thinks that way" she said as they returned to their room, "I also want to protect everyone here especially the one that's dearest to me".
Standing in front of their bedroom door Mobius turned to face her and gently placed his hand against her bright cheek and for the first time he didn't know what to say, several phrases came to mind, but nothing he hadn't said before. With his mind drawing a blank he decided to smile at her and leaned closer kissing her for a brief couple of seconds before their lips parted.
"What no romantic comeback?" she giggled as they stepped into her room, "No snappy one liner not even a sarcastic chuckle? You're not going soft on me are you?"
Mobius chuckled and choked it back as he grabbed her arms and pulled her close to him, "No not this time…this time I just want to admire how beautiful you are".
The dim light barely reflected off her smooth skin as they gazed into each others eyes her face brightening with color as his hands glided up to her shoulders and found their way to her back as she stepped into his embrace and kissed him again. An experience that never dulled or lost its splendor no matter how brief she loved being with him and when their lips met the world around them always felt like it had stopped nothing else existed or mattered, it was only them. Reluctantly she pulled away from him and led him to the bed before gently pushing him down and moving over on top of him slowly her hands reached up to her shoulders and she began removing her clothing. The shafts of star light that filtered into the room giving her an angelic appearance to him as she moved so gracefully in front of him. Dropping her top to the floor she leaned over him her hand resting on his stomach first before gliding up to his chest his neck and then to his cheek just as he had down to her and then she leaned closer the fabric of her bra brushing against his chest as she kissed him again.
One arm wrapped under her arm and around her back and shoulder the other finding its way to her side just next to her breast as he turned over gently dropping her next to him while their lips remained locked. His hand cupped around her breast half circling around it one two three times before moving behind her back as well and pulling her even closer and finally their lips parted again.
As she looked into his eyes again she saw something she had only seen in him a few times before tears the unmistakable glint of tears slowly falling from his eyes even as he smiled at her.
"I love you" he whispered to her, "I can never say that enough".
Meia set her hand against his cheek again and ran her thumb under his eye wiping away the tears as they came and nestled her head against his, "I'm so happy I found you" she whispered back as she closed her eyes falling asleep inside his arms with him following right after her.
A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them -John C. Maxwell