A.N.: Update! After a while, granted this year it's going to be complicated at college. As an epilogue for the last three chapters, this one is more of a breather. I hope you enjoy, please leave your comments! Beta'ed by 1 over 0.

The sun set in its usual way, burning the sky with orange and amber as it died for the day; in its last warm moments, its glow touched the dozens of cairns, newly-risen, that stood outside Beauty Village; and as the stars took to the sky for the night, they took with them the souls of the dead that day. Straea watched the bright lights appear on the eastern sky, and for a moment it seemed to her that there were more there than there had been the night before.

"We lost six women," said Filli, breaking the silence that had reigned for most of the day. "The enemy lost more, though."

"And made sure to bury all of them." Straea looked across the impromptu cemetery, to where Nia was kneeling respectfully before one of the cairns; the majority of the mourners had left an hour ago, and yet she was still here.

"Interesting, isn't she?" commented the lady, wrapping her cloak about herself against the oncoming chill. "She insisted. And she was in the cells earlier, trying to convince the surrendering prisoners to renounce the Spiral King."

"Few, if any, will accept," responded Filli. "They are warriors."

"She asked them if they were happy, if they wanted to continue. The beastmen answered as if they never had thought about it. We'll watch them. Have you, Filli?"

The pink haired soldier remained still. Before she could reply a scene called their attention: one of the few stragglers stood from a small grave on the side; she was still for a moment, her hands clenching and unclenching at her side. Then she turned and began stalking across the cemetery. As she passed through, they caught a glimpse of raven-black hair and almond-shaped blue eyes.

"Alyosha," said Straea, with more than a touch of sadness. "Her best friend, Stephie, died during the battle."

The woman continued on her path, until she came upon the biggest pile, the one erected in honor of all the beastmen who died. She stared at it a moment, and then with a yell, she began kicking at it. It wobbled, and toppled half over.

They watched, curious, as Nia came over. She addressed the woman, not quite shouting, but firm, though her words were indistinct at that distance. Alyosha replied, yelling angrily; Nia hesitated only a moment before continuing, still firm; Alyosha responded even more harshly, her words sharp as steel even if they couldn't be made out. She picked up a stone and tossed it, angry and frustrated.

And then, unexpectedly, Nia stepped forwards and hugged the woman.

When she let go, Alyosha was still trembling, and her hands were still clenched in fists, but it was no longer the blind rage she had previously been filled with. A moment later she stalked off, and this time when they saw her face, it glistened.

"Yes, an interesting girl…" muttered Straea. "Can I help it if I want to believe in her?"

Kittan stepped up onto his chair and stomped the table for silence. When that didn't happen he stomped louder. Veins popped on his temple as the crowd still failed to give him its attention.

Finally he stepped fully onto the table, cupped his hands around his mouth, and yelled: "HEY BOZOS! LISTEN UP!" After a moment he added: "OR YOU'LL BE LISTENING TO THE KING KITTAN'S FISTS NEXT!"

This caught their attention. They stopped in their feasting and drinking and looked up at him. Pilots, crew, villagers, all turned their faces to him, smiling in the banquet's revelry. He looked out across them, and he smiled in pride. They were tired and worn, he could see that; yesterday's mass funeral hadn't helped that any. But they were alive, and they were free, and for that they celebrated.

"…Y'know, I was going to make some sort of big speech saying how proud I am of all you idiots," he began. Then he punched his fist in the air. "But y'know what? Screw that! Let's party 'till we pass out, Team Dai-Gurren!"

He was met by a roar of approval, and the party continued in earnest.

A figure pushed its way through the revelry, sliding between bodies and chairs and tables, moving towards the group at the end.

"Nia the Digger," said Straea, coming up behind the girl. "I must thank you for everything you've done." She curtsied gracefully, and the pressing crowd around her seemed to make space just so she could make the maneuver: she bowed forward slightly, bowed her legs, and lifted the skirt of her dark dress to the sides slightly as she did so. "You are a truly free spirit in this caged world."

"Ah! Oh! Please, miss Straea!" Nia bowed as well, but she forgot to get up before doing so, leading to a kind of awkward sideways-backward seated curtsy. "You did just as much as I did! So did all the villagers!"

"Kind, humble, gracious…" Straea sat next to her, and Evelynne appeared out of nowhere, clearing a space on the table and placing a plate, napkin, and a full set of cutlery before her. "You will make a great leader, Nia."

"Me? Oh, no," protested Nia, raising her hands palm-outwards. "I'll never be a leader."

"OI BOZOS! I HAVE ANOTHER ANNOUNCEMENT TO MAKE!" Kittan stepped up on the table again, swaying slightly this time due to being exactly as drunk as he wanted to be. "I'M OFFICIALLY NOMINATING NIA TO BE DAI-GURREN'S NEW LEADER! ALL IN FAVOUR!"

A deafening roar of appreciation rose up from the crowd. "NIA! NIA! NIA!"

"Wait! Ah! No! Please listen…!" Nia protested.

"ALL IN OPPOSITION! NOBODY!"

"But I…!"

"TOMORROW WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER PARTY TO CELEBRATE!"

"STOP!"

She wasn't any louder than anyone else, but somehow she was a lot more noticeable. Standing on her chair, she drew all eyes in the crowd; the only sound was the roar of the waterfall nearby.

"I will not be your leader," she said, more softly. "I can't."

"Why not?" shouted someone.

"Because it wouldn't be right!"

"Why not?"

"Because…can't Dai-Gurren be more like…a body?"

"A body?" Kittan blinked. "What do you mean, a body?"

"A body is made up of a lot of parts. But they're all just as important." She looked around the crowd, pleading they made better sense of what she was saying than she did. "Every part needs to work together for the body to work."

"So what's that supposed to mean?"

"Maybe we could…all be leaders at the same time and work together?"

This was met by laughter and chuckles. Nia blushed, turning bright red; but for now the matter seemed to have been put to rest, and everyone returned to the essential task of stuffing their gullet.

"Interesting metaphor," said Straea, almost muttering. She plucked an apple out of a tray. "But she makes a direct mistake: some body parts are more important than the others. And one is more important than all the rest."

"Indeed," said Rossiu, who sat next to her and had overheard. He was excused from watching the twins thanks to a village girl named Pallas. Thus he took a break from his babysitting duties to eat with Nia and Simon. "The brain is clearly the most important organ."

"Wrong as well." Straea bit into her apple and swallowed, smiling cryptically. "That would be the heart."

"Respectfully, I disagree."

Straea raised an eyebrow and glanced to her side. "Interesting. What's your name, young man?"

"Rossiu," he replied. "Rossiu Adai. I pilot Gurren."

"Rossiu…I've heard that name before." Evelynne leaned over and whispered in her lady's ear. Straea's fingers tapped the table. "Very interesting," she said with a small smile. "Fetch her please, and meet us at the clearing."

"What is it?" asked Rossiu, as Evelynne bowed and swept away.

"Coincidence," replied Straea cryptically. She polished off her apple and stood. "Now if you would, young man, I'd be honored if you would accompany me."

"T-the honor is all mine," said the boy from Adai; but not without his distinct touch of suspiciousness.

"Do you know what this village was constructed for?" asked Straea suddenly, as they wound their way down the beaten earth path. To either side of them, thick-trunked trees stood like ancient sentinels, muffling sound and diluting the moonlight to a cool green glow.

"No, I…must confess I am not certain," said Rossiu. "I don't see any strategic value in it…why would there be a village filled only with women?"

"Well…women are, in some ways, a resource of their own." Straea continued looking straight forward. "And the King uses them as such. That is why I was sent here, his only daughter…to groom these women into a resource that he can use…

"It is not easy finding women, however. They cannot simply break into the underground villages; that is against the King's primary goals. Most of the women here are the spoils of war with those villages that are foolish enough to break into the surface. Every so often, however, we will find one wandering about the wastelands; if she is still alive, she is brought here, and becomes a member of this village.

"They are quite rare. It takes a very tough or very lucky woman to survive long enough to be found."

A moment later they emerged into a clearing. The waterfall was still audible nearby, but muted by the many layers of foliage into a pleasant background rumble. The grass was cut down to a soft mat, and edged with banks of flowers.

"Where is this?" asked Rossiu.

"This is one of my favorite places in this village," answered Straea. "You will find it is quite isolated; there are measures in place that prevent anyone from getting too close."

"Why?"

Straea smiled. "A woman needs her privacy, now and then."

The lady turned and began to walk away.

"Why did you bring me here?" asked Rossiu, still confused.

"To meet someone."

And then she disappeared back into the woods.

Rossiu stared after her a while, still confused; he sat down on the grass, uncertain of what he was to do. Then there was a rustling, and he leapt back to his feet as a woman emerged into the clearing.

"You are the Lady Straea's maid," said Rossiu, still confused. "Are you the person I'm supposed to meet?"

"No." Evelynne then turned back towards the woods and said: "You can come out."

A moment later, a second maid emerged from the woods, with long black hair and dark eyes; she was older, with more than a touch of grey at her temples, but she still moved gracefully.

Upon seeing Rossiu she blinked. She lowered her head for a moment, pressing her hands to her eyes; when she raised it again they were wet with tears.

"Rossiu," she said, as if she half-believed it to be a dream. "Rossiu, what are you doing here?"

It took a moment for Rossiu to process everything. He stepped forward, slowly, uncertainly.

"Mother?" he whispered, astonished.

For a time they just stared at each other in complete astonishment. Then, Rossiu took a hesitant step forward…and another…and then he was in his mother's arms for the first time since he was a small boy.

Tears ran silently down their cheeks. After a while they parted, and sat on the grass opposite each other.

There was a lot to catch up on.

"Ah, I'm full…" said Nia with a contented sigh. "I think I'll wander off and visit some of the others now. You don't mind, Simon?"

"No, not at all." He waved a hand dismissively. "I'll see you later, Nia."

The young digger stood and walked away; and in her wake she left a fair amount of conspicuously empty space between Prince Simon and the recently-returned Lady Straea.

Simon fiddled about in his head trying to find the best way to go about things; in the end he settled on a straightforward and simple approach.

"It is a pleasure to meet you again, Princess Straea!" he declared abruptly. "It is my honor to be in your presence."

Straea sipped at her wine. "No need to be so formal, Simon. We're siblings, not enemies." She smiled around the rim of the glass. "Though I must admit that the two are not mutually exclusive…as I'm sure you've realized lately."

Simon almost visibly deflated. The boy amused her; he was just so open, like Nia. It was a refreshing change.

"Also, I'm not a princess anymore," she told him as she set down her glass, now empty. Evelynne stepped forward to refill it. "Haven't been for quite a while now. You can thank Father for that."

"I do not understand," said the prince. "Was Father unkind to you?"

For a while Straea stared into the depths of her wine and was silent. Then, apparently reaching a decision, she lifted the cup, drained it, and set it back on the table with a thonk.

"Lordgenome," she began, "is a harsh man." She looked up at the sky. "I both despise him and pity him. I despise the way he treats me, my people, and everyone else around him as his dolls. I pity him for having lived long enough to become this way." She glanced to the side, at Simon. "Do you know why we have never met before? I was banned from Teppelin is why."

"Banned?" Simon was visibly confused. "Whatever did you do to get banned?"

"I grew up." Here her tone turned truly bitter. "Do you know what it means to be a Princess, Simon?" he stared at her, unsure feelings visible at his expression, "I suppose not. You've probably only met your brothers: born and bred warriors, fighters without match, and all that. That's the life of a Prince.

"A Princess is a toy. A puppet. Another doll. They live in luxury for fourteen years; and usually, at that time, they are disposed of. Because at that time they begin to ask questions. At that time, they become defective.

"I managed to make it to twenty." Here she laughed, mocking a little herself. "Not an admirable feat in any way. I made it so long because I never really matured beyond the age of ten. At twenty I was still obsessed with jewelry and dolls and dresses and fairy tales. Pathetic, isn't it?

"But then...I don't quite remember who did it, but someone told me the truth. I was told that my life was all a lie, and that soon Father would dispose of me, and replace me with another doll.

"Of course I didn't believe them; it was like telling someone who had never seen the stars that there were lights in the sky. I took it to my Father. I thought that he'd comfort me, dispel these rumors. I was wrong, of course. He became enraged beyond my understanding at the time. I was told not to talk to him anymore.

"One of the maids came to me while I was crying in my bed. She told me to go out and collect flowers for him, as a peace offering. I did as I was told. And when I thought I had collected enough, I brought them where she told me to.

"And there I found a box. I think you know the kind of box of which I speak."

"A box?" he asked.

"Yes. There's a certain human urge that tells you when you are in danger; and so it was for me. I ran. I ran first to Sir Irenai; he refused to give me a straight answer. To this day I'm still not sure if he was trying to protect me or himself. After that I just ran.

"And then…I met Stratos.

"Before that, we'd never met; but when I saw him I knew immediately that we were of the same blood, my twin. It was like looking into a mirror at another me.

"And then, for the first time, I became truly scared. Now that I look back on it, I wasn't really afraid of Stratos. No; rather, I was afraid of myself. Because at that moment I realized who and what I really was." She stopped to blow a raspberry.

"In the end, Guame found me. He told me he could convince Father spare me if I agreed to do something for him."

"And so this was my duty, the shepherd for his harem. Keeping the lambs alive until they were needed." She stopped to sigh. "I don't know why he kept them. He never cared for them; never cared for anyone, really. But here I am, extending their lives but never able to save them."

After that she fell silent, until Simon said: "Do you ever regret it? Coming here?"

"No, not really." She chuckled. "Ironically, since I left Father, I've had more family. Every member of this village is my family; and then Stratos visits sometimes. He hasn't been around in a while, though…but I suppose you've seen him. How is he?"

"I never saw much of him either," admitted Simon. "He only appeared for specific summons. And even then he was pretty distant."

"He's a bit of a loner, that one," agreed Straea. "He's probably up in his little sky-fortress. Reading books, listening to music, or just admiring his privileged view."

"What?" gasped Simon in shock. "A sky-fortress?!"

"Yes. That reminds me." Straea stood and straightened, at once returning to her former self: cool, distant, grave. "Tomorrow, I need you to gather your allies and meet me in the palace. There are certain things you need to know about the trials you will be facing…"

"You've grown," said Hobelis, kneeling in the grass. "Magin raised you well. I'm happy."

"You knew," said Rossiu. "You knew about everything, didn't you? From the beginning."

"Knew about it?" Hobelis chuckled softly. "I planned it."

"So then why?!" exclaimed Rossiu. "Why did you leave? If you knew the draw was rigged, why did you let yourself get picked?"

The woman smiled, but she averted his gaze for a while. "Well, it wouldn't do to go against a draw that I rigged myself."

Rossiu rocked back a bit in shock. Hobelis dropped her smile, and sighed deeply.

"You don't understand because you're too young to remember."

"Remember what?"

"Before." She shuddered. "Because of accidents in generations past, our village has never had enough food to sustain any sort of growth. From what my parents told me, I gather that it happened in stages.

"The village would start with a sustainable number of people, and they would be happy. Then they would of course have children, and the village would start to grow."

"The first generation would deal with scarcity, but they would survive. Come the second, however, the village's population would burst far past its limits. First came starvation; then came fighting and stealing; then came death.

"But always, always, just enough people would survive to start over; and the cycle would begin anew."

Rossiu looked disturbed. "Is this the true will of the gods…?"

"Maybe it was, at that." She smiled again, small and sad. "Actually, something like that was what inspired Magin and myself.

"It's almost ironic, how quickly they grabbed hold of religion. It was like extending a stick to someone hanging from the edge of a cliff. Pretty soon they were hanging off his every word…though I have to give Magin some credit – he was a talented speaker.

"But then the population started to climb again, and well…it came time to make the first sacrifice. And the second… the third…"

"But why you?" asked Rossiu. "Wouldn't it make more sense for you to stay?"

"Not really," answered Hobelis. "At that point Magin was taking care of everything. And we needed someone to act as an example, so that in the future they wouldn't question it. So as my last act, I offered up myself." She smiled again, dryly. "In a way I think I really was a sacrifice; after all, the gods have seen fit to let our little village continue, hm?"

"So you left me," said Rossiu, and more than a bit of hurt stretched into his voice.

"I left you in Magin's very capable hands," replied Hobelis, just a tad sharply. "Everything was perfect. You were to be his successor. But you let your emotions overcome your rationality and now you're here."

"I'm sorry." Rossiu bowed his head apologetically.

"Don't be. I don't think it was your fault, at any rate. Who could've refused this opportunity? And there's nothing that can be done about it now." Hobelis sighed and looked up at the stars. "If there's one thing my years have taught me, it's to accept things as they come. Fate can have some quite unexpected twists in store, after all…"

She was almost surprised when she found herself face-down in the dirt. Last she remembered she had been on her feet; swaying a bit, sure, but on her feet nonetheless.

She licked her lips and tasted blood. She tried to muster some spit to wash it away, but came up with nothing. The iron tang sat on her tongue and refused to budge.

She tried to stand, but it seemed the sun's rays were physically weighing down on her, crushing her flat against the ground. She compromised and crawled, heaving herself forward inch by inch on her arms.

She was dying, she knew. She'd been expecting it, of course, but it was still surprising when it came. At the very least, she comforted herself with the knowledge that Rossiu would be safe, and so would the village.

"Rossiu…"she rasped, seeing him before her in her delusion. "Rossiu…Rossiu…forgive me…"

Something pricked at the edge of her senses. The buzzing in her ears wavered slightly. A hallucination? No.

"It's a human."

"An enemy! I will smash it." A shadow fell over her; she heard a curious whirring.

"No! Don't." She felt, rather than saw, someone crouching next to her. "Milady, it is a human female. She is still alive. Crushing her now would be a waste."

Silence. Then:

"Give her water."

She felt liquid, wonderfully cool and wet, splash across her face. She turned her head towards it, felt hands help her sit up, relished the taste of it as it trickled into her mouth. She blinked and looked up through the sunlight-speckled drops that yet clung to her lashes. Three blurry figures came to her, shadows against the sun; two women, one taller than the other, and behind them a giant.

"Who are you?" she managed to rasp.

"It is customary to give your own name first," answered the taller woman. "I'll forgive you this once, due to your condition. I am the Lady Straea."

"Milady, may I make a suggestion?" The shorter woman bowed. "If you would extend your mercy a little further, we could take in this woman as one of our villagers."

"Your kindness becomes you, Evelynne, but I cannot allow just any woman to become a member of Beauty Village. And we have been stopped long enough as it is."

"Milady, look at her. Beneath the dirt she is quite beautiful." The shorter woman stepped forward, and Hobelis watched was the ground jumped away and placed itself under her feet. "And we are in need of more women –the population is in the decline at the moment. And…"

"And?"

"Did you not say just now how you desired to be a better ruler than your father?"

Hobelis just barely made out an amused smirk on the face of the Lady Straea. "You overstep yourself, Evelynne. Take care your impudence does not overstep my patience."

"My apologies."

"Bring her on the barge!" declared Straea, whirling around and moving behind the giant, where she stepped onto something that was like a massive floating platform. "Wash her, clothe her, and feed her. She has two weeks to become a maid worthy of my service." She paused. "Oh, and give her a haircut. Some bangs would be nice. Stratos could park his ganman on that forehead."

They were walking now, passing through the forest. The path exited the woods and cut along a rocky path, winding along the side of a cliff. It passed underneath a waterfall and cut through the cliff face slightly. Railings were constructed on the other side, and beyond that, a sheer drop into a blue lake.

Rossiu looked to his side, and he noticed something etched into the wall. They were drawings, he saw, crudely formed and childlike. One was of an army of monsters, fang-toothed and salivating; another was of a warrior on a mighty steed, bearing a shining crown and holding his sword aloft.

"What are these?" he asked, running a finger along the grooves.

"Art," replied Hobelis. "One of the many ways that humanity preserves its history. Those are older than even the Spiral King. I believe you didn't have time to notice, but the walls of the village have even more of them. However I want to show you some of the newer work."

They passed into a small cave; and there, lit by candles, was a series of panels, beautifully carved and painted almost a thousand years ago by hands that had since turned to dust.

"When this village was founded, just after the Spiral King came to power, the women had no books, no words, nothing," explained Hobelis. "But this was before knowledge was lost to them, and they always had their hands. It's said they learned how to create these carvings by observing the ones in the walls of the main village.

"This is how they recorded the Spiral King's story."

The first panel was cheerful and bright; it showed a number of buildings, far taller than anything Rossiu had seen, with an open sky above through which strange machines flew.

The next panel was completely different. A dark, demonic face appeared in the sky, and spat red fire on the people below. The buildings were engulfed in flames; the flying machines were struck down, crashing into the buildings. The next panel showed the buildings in ruins, under a cloudy grey sky.

But then…a man, wreathed in green, rose from the rubble, and he pointed his finger at the sky, challenging the face. Immediately after that, a company of giant humans rose towards the face, while the buildings were rebuilt, this time as towering spiral spines.

The giants fought with the face, and it seemed they were matched. Then, with no apparent reason, the same man from before reappeared, fighting against his own army. He destroyed them and descended again, this time bringing with him a new army of beasts and monsters. The tore down the buildings and threw the people deep into the earth.

The last panel showed a new building, like a spiral pointed downwards; and at the top of it sat the man from before, now king of all on the earth.

The Spiral King.

"As Lady Straea told you, lhe Spiral King created it separately, to serve as a breeding ground for his personal harem." She shrugged. "Though even that's a guess. Some of the older women suggested that the Spiral King chose to preserve this village at the surface for its beauty from an ancient age. What you see here is history as those women saw it."

Rossiu placed his hand on the painting of the Spiral King on his spiral throne, while below the earth the humans struggled to survive in their caves and holes.

"It doesn't have to be like this," he said quietly.

"What's that?"

"It doesn't have to be like this!" Rossiu turned to his mother. "We aren't the Spiral King's toys! Living only to die or be enslaved…I won't accept that! We can change things!"

"Rossiu…you're such a serious young man." She took his face in her hands. "Do you know what it means to fight? Are you ready to give yourself that burden?"

"Yes," he said. His dark eyes were deep with severity. "Humanity will survive. I'll do whatever it takes to make that happen."

"You make me proud, Rossiu." Hobelis knelt and embraced her son, squeezing him tightly. "Just take care that you survive as well, or I'm not sure how I'll survive…"

"I promise."

It was late. In fact, it was so late that it was getting towards early. At this late hour even the most die-hard of partyers had gone to bed, and for the moment, Beauty Village was quiet.

But even now, there were those that could not sleep. Iraak roamed the quiet paths and empty halls, dark except for the light of a waning moon, his hands stuck deep in his pockets and his expression blank as the full moon.

Eventually he wandered into the communal mess hall. There were more than a few slumbering bodies lying around, but there was also one, if not upright, then at least propped up on its elbows.

Her back was to him. He made his way over, careful not to step on anything that wasn't floor.

"May I sit?" he asked, not as the ladies' man, but as the tired, restless warrior.

"Screw off," she replied. Her words were slurred. He noted the half-empty bottle in her hand. He sat down anyway.

He peered at her out of the corner of his vision. He recognized her. He had seen her, here and there, drifting aimlessly through a crowd of people she didn't want to be with.

"You're Ayosha," he said.

"So?"

"Stephie mentioned you."

She swayed a bit, teetering between emotions. Curiosity won out in the end. "How'd you know Stephie?"

"I held her while she died."

"You fucker."

"I'm sorry."

"You couldn't protect her, could you?"

"No. I'm sorry."

She spat. "It shoulda' been me."

"What?"

"One o' you. Shoulda been me." She took a deep breath. "Shoulda been me holding her, or me bleedin' out. Not her."

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry."

"Yeah. Because I'm sure you care so damn much. Because she was your best damn friend. And you'd been best damn friends for five damn years, ever since your village got blasted to smithereens. And you'd been practically friggin' inseparable for all those five years, and then bam! One bullet, and she's gone, an' you never even got to say goodbye. I'm sure that's how you feel right now."

"…No. I'm sorry. I only knew her for maybe ten minutes," he admitted.

Oddly, this seemed to mollify her. She nodded with satisfaction and took a swig out of her bottle.

"Your leader," she said suddenly.

"Nia?"

"Her. I hate her. She's a bitch."

Iraak didn't reply.

"She did exactly what you're doing right now, only she was more honest about it. She said she understood my pain. She said she was sorry, but that Stephie still wouldn't be coming back." She grunted. "And then she hugged me, of all things. I wanted to slap her stupid dirty face. But I didn't. Because y'know what? Somehow, I knew she was telling the truth."

Liquid hit the tabletop. Iraak pretended not to notice it.

"So what've you got for me?"

"What?"

"What are you gonna do? Hug me? Kiss me? Say you're sorry again? Huh?"

Iraak searched his soul, and found something.

"Stephie's last words. She said 'Farewell, Ayosha'."

There wasn't much after that except silence. Not much else was necessary. But it was still better than it had been before; because even the greatest burdens, divided by two, feel a little bit lighter.

The hours passed, and it came to be the afternoon of the next day.

Team Dai-Gurren's leaders and pilots sat at a long table in a spacious room deep within the palace. As Littner's former chief, Dayakka was implicitly the leader; he sat at the end. Next to him lounged the Lady Straea, the center of attention. The rest of the team was arranged haphazardly about the table, with Nia seated at the opposite end and Yoko standing off to the side. Gabal and Tetsukyan were also present, by Dayakka's request.

"Sorry I'm late, dears~!" declared Leeron as he strolled into the room. "I had a late night, if you know what I mean." He winked playfully, but pouted when (through sheer practice) everyone automatically ignored him. "And I mean I was out servicing the ganmen," he added huffily.

"All right then. Now that we're finally all here," Yoko diverted her attention for a moment to glare at the mechanic, "Let's begin. I say we move out tomorrow."

This was met with a shock and outcry. "But why?" complained Kittan. "It's so nice here. I think we deserve to relax, eh?"

"I don't care if we deserve it; we can't afford to!" Yoko slammed her palm on the table, causing it to shudder. "The enemy general told me that they could've taken Littner ages ago. And based on the kind of enemies we faced here, I believe him. And I believe him as well when he said that he could have us wiped off the face of the world here and now. We've been fighting stronger and stronger enemies each time, but he could have sent them all against us from the beginning. Do you understand?"

"I understand that we're not dead yet," replied Dayakka somberly. "Why?"

"The way I see it, either Lordgenome is toying with us, in which case he's an idiot, or-"

"He's planning something," finished Simon grimly. "I know Father. He always knows exactly what he's doing."

"I disagree," interjected Straea, bringing everyone's attention back to her. "He knows exactly what he's doing, yes, but that doesn't mean he's planning something. Pardon me, Simon, when I say that I know Father far better than you do, and I know something about his playing habits." Simon bowed his head, humbled. "Lordgenome is toying with you, but not because he's an idiot. Despite everything, he still sees you as an inconsequential threat."

"So then...how strong are the forces at the Capital…?" said Yoko worriedly.

"We'll burn that bridge when we get there," cut in Dayakka. "There's no point worrying about it now, Yoko."

The sniper sighed "I know…So what's our next move?"

"That is up to you," answered Straea. "Lordgenome will not strike at you personally, or not until you reach the capital at least. He will continue sending his soldiers and Knights at you until then." She paused for a moment, apparently thinking. "Arshun and Zerael will need time to repair, so I believe you are safe from their wrath for time being. And assuming that Lordgenome continues playing by his rule of escalation…yes. Your next opponent will be my brother, Stratos, assuming you leave this village."

"And what if we don't?" demanded Yoko.

Straea shrugged. "Then I can't say. Stratos will never accept to attack me, and even if Lordgenome could force him, it would be more convenient to send someone else. But pardon me if I would like you to leave as soon as convenient. My people and I will go our own way."

"No offense taken," interjected Nia graciously, before anyone else had a chance to reply. "You have been far too kind to us already. How do you suggest we go about fighting your brother?"

"I don't really know." She gave a small, apologetic smile. "Unlike the others, Stratos was never fond of showing off. In fact, he was a bit secretive about it. All he would tell me was what he saw: the sky below his sky fortress."

"What hell is that supposed to mean?" complained Kittan. "'The sky below'? What kind of crap is that?"

"I'm sorry. That's all I know. But if you do manage to defeat him, I ask you: please spare him."

"That's a big favor you're asking," replied Yoko skeptically. "We'll be fighting for our lives. I won't guarantee it."

"But we'll do our best," said Nia firmly. "My good friends, will you agree with me?"

There was a chorus of yeses, and even a grumbled "Fine" from Yoko.

"Then I believe we are finished," said Straea. She bowed her head. "My blessings are with you, such as they are."

And with that, Team Dai-Gurren left.

Nia, however, remained behind, her head lowered and her brow furrowed. Straea watched her for a moment, a small smile on her lips; then she stood, moved her chair in so that she was sitting at the head of the table, sat, rested her elbows on the table's surface, folded her hands, and looked across the table at the young digger.

"You are thinking, Nia," said the former princess, breaking the silence.

Nia started, nearly jumping out of her seat. "Uh! Yes, Lady Straea. I'm sorry, was I disturbing you?"

"You're worried about something. What is it?"

"Oh! You could tell?"

"You are not good at concealing your emotions." Straea gave a soft little smile again. "It is yet to be seen if you will get any better at it. What is on your mind, little one?"

"It never gets easier," replied the digger. "I thought that maybe, as I continued to fight, it would get easier to keep fighting. But it doesn't. I just can't understand why we have to keep on fighting. I don't think anyone really likes fighting, and I'm pretty sure the beastmen don't like dying either. So why do we keep on fighting?"

"That, I can't tell you. In a perfect world maybe we'd all be able to live in peace. Unfortunately, the world is far from perfect, and so are the people in it."

"Maybe. I think," and here she hesitated a moment, "I think that the world's fine. It's just the people that are broken."

"Really?"

"Yes!" She nodded energetically. "I think that everyone's a little bit broken. Even me. But that doesn't mean we can't become better people if we try. And if we try really hard, we can even help fix other people."

"I see." And will you be the one to fix all of them?

"What was that?"

"Oh, nothing. So is that why you fight?"

"Yes." Her gaze became firm. "I still don't like it any more than I did the first time, but I've decided I must fight. Not only to ensure that I and everyone I love survives to see a better future, but also so that I can convince our enemies to give peace a chance." She smiled. "After all, I'm never going to get a better chance to talk to them than when we're fighting."

Straea closed her eyes, still smiling. And for a moment, there was silence.

"Um, Lady Straea? Was what I said…a little silly…?"

"Oh, no. Not at all." She opened them again. "I was just thinking that you think a little too much for someone your age. You need to relax a bit. And if there's one thing Beauty Village is good for, it is relaxing people."

"Ah, I couldn't there's so much work to be done-"

"Why don't you go try the waterfall baths? This may be the last chance you get, remember."

"Oh yes!" Evelynne appeared out of nowhere, smiling gleefully. "But I don't think you have a bathing suit. Ah, that's no matter! We'll find you one, don't you worry, we've got quite the collection and I'm certain there's one in there that'll be perfect for you~!"

Straea raised an eyebrow. "You seem quite excited, Evelynne."

The maid bowed, quite seriously. "Do not worry, Ojou-sama. I am merely fulfilling my duties as a maid."

"I'm sure." Straea nodded to Nia. "How about it? Tomorrow, at sunrise. I believe you'll need at least one more day to repair your machines in any case. You can bring all your friends, of course."

"Um…okay," agreed Nia. "Thank you so much for all your aid, Lady Straea!"

"It's nothing. You are, of course, free to go now." She waved her hand. The little digger stood, bowed nervously, and quick-stepped out of the room.

After she left, there was a period of silence. Then, a small chuckle; and then laughter, full and loud.

"Ojou-sama?!" Evelynne was honestly surprised. "Are you all right? What has gotten into you?"

"Can I help it, Evelynne?" gasped the lady, one hand over her face, still chuckling. "It's all her fault. I can't help it.

"She makes me believe, Evelynne. It's such a strange feeling. Like butterflies tickling your insides."

"Behold, boys! The Black Siblings have arrived~!"

Heads turned at Kiyoh's announcement, and faces flushed upon seeing the wonderfully-fitted bathing suits that she and her sisters wore. Kittan glared and harrumphed but in the end couldn't stop his sisters from flaunting themselves for all they were worth.

"Hey, cheer up, cheer up!" urged Kidd, coming up and slapping Kittan on the back. "There'll be plenty of eye candy for you too!"

"What're you talkin' about?"

"Ta-da!" Yoko marched up to the pool and put her hands on her hips, proudly showing off the flower-print bikini she had chosen. "How's that?"

There was a moment of silence, then:

"Eeeeehhh," said Zorthy, unfazed. "She's showin' less skin than she normally does!"

"Kiyoh's is way better!" added Kidd, blowing a raspberry at her.

"Yellow isn't a good color for her, I think. Maybe more of gold, to match her eyes." Iraak responded to the weird looks with, "What? A gentleman is knowledgeable in all facets of a woman's life."

"Hey, I think she looks great in yellow!" blurted Kittan. A moment later he quickly added, "The flowers are a bit tacky, though."

"Tacky?" Yoko practically fumed. She opened and closed her mouth a couple times, apparently looking for something to say, then gave a wordless noise of rage and stalked off.

"Hoo boy. You pissed her off." Kidd grinned at Kittan. "Hey, somebody send Leeron before she decides to do something stupid?"

"He's not around," answered Iraak. "Said something about making a baby and needing Dayakka and Leitte's help…"

A blank look passed over everyone's faces. A moment later it passed, and they returned to their relaxation…or as close to such as Team Dai-Gurren could get.

"MEN! IT'S TIME TO TEST YOUR COURAGE!" crowed Kittan from the top of the waterfall. "WHO HERE IS BRAVE ENOUGH TO LEAP FROM THE TOP OF THIS WATERFALL?"

"Not you!" yelled back Zorthy.

"HEY! I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW THAT KITTAN OF THE BLACK SIBLINGS IS PLENTY BRAVE ENOUGH!" shouted back the blonde. "LET'S SEE YOU SAY THAT WHEN YOU'RE UP HERE, COWARD!"

"Coward? You godddamn spikehead! Make some room; I'm comin' up!"

Soon enough all of the pilots were scrambling up the rock face to join Kittan. While the men went to test their manliness, the others also arrived.

"Do not fret, Nia," said Evelynne to the little digger, who was wrapped in a towel and looking up worriedly at the cluster of men. "They will not be hurt too bad…not probably, at any rate. They have survived too much to be put out by a simple fall into water."

Kittan decided to prove her point right at that moment, hurling himself off the cliff with all the grace of a falling brick. He hit the water with an audible smack, and for a moment he disappeared under the water…but then a second or two later he popped back up again, red all over but grinning like an idiot, and gave a gleeful thumbs-up to the others up high.

"So will you join them?" asked Evelynne. "Not on the waterfall, of course, unless you really want to."

"Ah, I'd rather wait for the Lady Straea to join us…"

"Lady Straea has decided to forgo this event in favor of remaining at the village to fulfill her duties as the village head." She gave Nia a little push, and grinned excitedly. "Go on, go on!"

"Well…all right." Nia sighed. "Here goes…"

She let the towel fall off her shoulders and stepped forward, revealing a bright silver one-piece, adorned with frills at the bottom that resembled a small skirt.

All attention was immediately drawn to her, and she received more than a few exclamations of her adorableness.

Evelynne smiled proudly and bowed slightly. "As I thought: perfect. My job here is done."

Nia stepped forward cautiously, careful to not stub her toes or step on a rock, until she was at the poolside. "Hello, Simon," she said.

"Ah! Nia!" He said it coolly, almost frigidly, but he was very clearly blushing. "It is good to see you. Will you join us?"

"Yes. What about you, though? You can't swim in a shirt. It'll be uncomfortable if it gets wet."

"I will manage," he said stiffly. Unconsciously, he tugged at one of the short sleeves, knowing full well that it didn't quite cover the end of one scar.

"…God, you two are taking forever! Simon, catch!"

Simon turned, his mouth open wide to respond to Kiyal…and caught a small wave of water with his face. He spit and spluttered.

"A surprise attack! A cowardly move!" He stood at the water's edge, still dripping, and slammed a fist into his chest. "However, as a Knight I will not respond to such roguish tactics. Commoner Nia, if you will accompany me?"

"Thank you, Simon." She took his extended hand, and the two stepped into the water.

"Oh, just a moment," said Nia suddenly. "I forgot something." She let go of his hand.

"If you wish for something I will gladly fetch it-"

A moment later he was cut short by another blast of water, this time from his side. Nia giggled and darted away, deeper into the pool.

"Betrayal now?" He regarded Nia sternly. "You would make an enemy of a sworn Knight?"

Nia giggled some more and splashed more water at him. She was smiling, he saw; and there was something about it that made him cave in.

"Then I will respond in kind!" he declared. "Have at thee!"

And, gathering all his strength, he sent a wave rushing in their direction.

The result was, literally, a wave. The small tsunami, about as much as would fit in a child's pool, very nearly knocked Nia and Kiyal off their feet.

"Ah! Nia!" Simon waded forward towards the dazed digger. "I didn't mean to…are you all right?"

"You…are very strong, Simon," she remarked, blinking water out of her eyes.

"Do forgive me, my lady."

"Forgive you?" She giggled. "You're my friend! Of course I forgive you."

"Really?"

"Really." She held out a pinkie. "Here."

"Eh?"

"Here, hold out your pinkie…no the other one…like this…and…"

They intertwined pinkies. Across the pool, Evelynne nearly had a small heart attack of happiness.

"Congratulations!" she declared. "You're now my sworn friend-knight. And that means…you're under oath to defend me against the vile Kiyal Bachika!"

"What the hell!"

The water-war that ensued was very one-sided; but nobody very much minded. Except, perhaps, Kiyal, who ended up having to get the water out of her ears with a sponge.

"Yoko Littner. You will not join in?"

"After what those jackasses said? Nope." The sniper was lounging in one of the chaises by the pool, sporting a trendy pair of sunglasses, a straw hat, and a very modest sundress. "Maybe later. I hear there's a hot spring around here…"

"Oh my gosh. That is so…hnnnnnnng."

"Evelynne?" Yoko pushed up her sunglasses and looked worriedly at the maid. "Are…are you okay?"

"No, I'm…I'm fine." The maid was barely upright, propped up against the table, and was breathing extraordinarily hard. "Simply…a small matter…"

In the background, Kidd hit the water face-first.

"Oh, it's that, huh? Yeah, I'd be a little scared as well, if I didn't know they're about as tough as bricks. Don't worry, they'll be fine…I wouldn't be so lucky as to see one of them break a rib or two…"

"Yes. It is exactly that. Precisely." Evelynne straightened and smoothed her skirts. "How about the young ones?"

"Ah, Simon and Nia." Yoko smiled. "It's good to see them enjoying themselves. I wish I'd gotten the same kind of opportunity as a kid." She sighed. "It's too bad that, by tomorrow, this'll all be just a fond memory…but at least they have that."

"That is true."

"But if we win, maybe it'll be more than that." Yoko smiled again. "That's what I will do. Make a world where kids can have fun: the kind of childhood I never had."

Leeron's 'baby' turned out to be a horrible mutant monstrosity not fit for this world; a hideous, malformed beast, more suited to roam the dark depths of the abyss than to walk about in broad daylight. In fact, it would be better not to describe it entirely, and to proceed with the story with only a name and a form.

Nonetheless, for the sake of completeness, it will be described here. To be brief, and to spare the reader the bulk of the horror, it could be described as what would happen if Dai-Gankai's body had been forced on to Dai-Ganzan's lower half.

To be slightly more accurate, however…

In the last battle, Dai-Ganzan's bridge had been destroyed. More accurately, it had been obliterated, courtesy of Team Dai-Gurren's antics. Nothing had been salvageable. However, the war machine's lower half had been left mostly intact. A certain mechanic had come up with the bright idea of combining the Dai-Ganzan's remains with the existing Dai-Gurren, seeing as their current base was terrible for crossing land anyway.

It had been a lot easier to execute than expected; much like their smaller brethren, the Dai-Gans were obviously designed to be heavily modular, and the fusion of the two had largely repaired any individual damage due to the mutual exchange of parts and mechanisms. The end result looked more than a bit like some sort of colossal bipedal theropod, with cannons for arms and spines.

Technically, the computers gave its official designation as Dai-Ganzakai, but Leeron called it:

"The Dai-Zilla!" crooned the mechanic, presenting it to his comrades. "Isn't she just beautiful~?"

"It's hideous," said Kidd.

"Should something like that even exist?" asked Iraak of nobody in particular.

"You meanies!" sulked Leeron. "Don't insult my baby!"

"Does it work?" asked Yoko.

"Of course it does, hon~!"

She shrugged. "Good enough for me."

"Something as big and ugly as this is enough to scare off any enemy." Zorthy said.

"Let's go, Team Dai-Gurren!" announced Dayakka, who was already at the captain's post. "Pack up and hop on; the road awaits us!"

In the hustle and bustle that followed, Nia found herself hailed from afar. She made her way back to the village entrance, where Evelynne, Hobelis, and Filli were waiting and watching, along with the many other residents of the village. Simon, likewise called, jogged up next to her.

Straea at the head of the assembly. She held something long and wrapped in her right hand.

"I would give you two some parting gifts," she told them.

"Lady Straea, you've done more than enough-"

"Hush, Nia." She smiled. "Please hold out your hands."

She extended her left hand and dropped something small, round and metallic into the digger's palms.

"This brooch contains a powerful energy shield," she told the digger. "If you'd like, you can give it to your mechanic; I'm sure he'll find some sort of adaptation for its technology."

"Thank you, Lady Straea. You're too kind."

"Enough. I have not given nearly enough yet to make up for my negligence." She turned to Simon. "And as for you, brother…you very nearly forgot this."

She handed him the package. He unwrapped it, revealing his sword, the sword that he had worn since he had gotten out of the box, right up until his confrontation with Arshun.

"The sword that Father gave me," he said, soft with love, but also with sadness. He tried to hand it back. "My Lady, I do not think I wish to carry this anymore."

"What are you talking about? It is a fine blade, and a knight is nothing without his blade." She gave him a cryptic smile. "Besides, I had a couple reminders left on it."

Curious, he took the hilt in his right hand and the scabbard in his left, and drew it.

The blade of the sword had previously been engraved along its length with a series of spirals, representing who it came from, and who it ultimately belonged to. Now those same spirals had been reworked into a series of bright flames, curling down its length, and at its base, from which the flames emanated, was a finely-worked skull with a very familiar set of shades.

Simon turned the blade in the sunlight, and amber highlights flecked along the surface and from deep within the metal, setting the flames a-shifting. He reverently slid it back into its sheath.

"Thank you, Sister," he said quietly.

"It was my pleasure. Now get going, both of you! You have a lot of ground to cover."

"Thank you very much!" they both declared, bowing low to the former Princess.

Dai-Zilla's engines roared, pouring fumes into the sky, twirling toward the sun up high. Slowly, ponderously, it took one step, and then another, shaking the trees with its passage. Its tail swayed gently behind it as it moved, step by step, towards the horizon.

"There they go, Lady Straea," said Evelynne, watching their passage. She looked across at her mistress. "It's good to see you smiling, Ojou-sama."

"Yes. I find I've been doing a lot of that lately." The former Princess sighed. "I suppose I'm trying to make up lost time. It is not necessary for you to point it out at every opportunity, however."

"My apologies, Ojou-sama."

"Do not be sorry, Evelynne." The Lady Straea looked towards the horizon, and watched as the monstrous machine trailed slowly over it. She continued smiling all the while, with happiness, and satisfaction, and amusement, and, above all, hope. "Either way, at the moment I can't quite muster the will to be angry at you."