"Are you ready, 2B?"
"As ready as I'll ever be!"
Spring was in full swing throughout the City Ruins. Flowers had begun blooming on the trees. The wind sent cascades of petals into the water below. The usual green scenery was coming back slowly, but surely.
9S wrapped one arm around 2B's chest as she drove her scooter throughout the City Ruins. In the other, he held an empty basket. 9S had come up with the plan to make flower chains for Pascal's Village. A few machines, searching for peaceful existence, had come looking for Pascal. A2 was trying her best to help them get settled in, but she was still a bit on edge about helping machines.
The pair went around to every place they could think to find flowers blooming this time of year. The courtyard by the factory was their first stop. The entire field was covered in blossoms that had seemed to just appear overnight. There were lilies, cherry blossoms, daffodils, and even lunar tears! It didn't take long for the basket to overflow.
"There are so many flowers here! Got any ideas?"
"Any ideas about what?"
"Why there are so many flowers! Jeez, Nines! I thought you were smarter than that."
"Right, my bad. I didn't know the City Ruins could look so beautiful this time of year."
"You're absolutely right.
"It's kind of strange. I guess the flowers represent the peace that's finally blossomed forth now that all the fighting's over! There weren't this many flowers last year."
2B patted 9S's head. "I guess so!"
9S kissed 2B's cheek before walking towards the village.
"What are you doing? The scooter is much faster!"
"I seem to be really off my game today."
"Everything alright?"
"I think so. Let's just head over to the village and get this over with. I think I might need dinner and a bath."
"And maybe a nap while we're at it!"
9S hopped on the back of the scooter. 2B drove the pair went away from the collapsed buildings and rusting machines and towards the makeshift gate that was still standing after all this time. It's been one hell of a year, hasn't it? 2B thought to herself.
The village that had looked like a ghost town after it had been nearly destroyed was now bustling with activity. The new villagers were working hard on learning new trades and repairing the broken houses. A group of small stubby machines were gathered around A2, jumping up and down. "Play with us! Play with us!" They shouted, trying to get her attention.
"Quiet! I need to talk to the visitors!"
"Then will you play with us?"
"We'll see!"
A2 turned around and walked towards 2B and 9S in a huff. 2B could almost see the steam coming out of her ears. "Motherhood not suiting you, A2?"
"Hahaha, very funny. You two have no idea how stressful this is! How did Pascal ever do this?"
"I have no idea. He was just good at what he did." 2B shrugged.
"Oh, I found these for you guys. Pascal had a collection of philosophy books. I don't need 'em, so feel free to do what you'd like!"
"Thanks! I think this belongs with the rest of our collection, 2B!"
"I agree. So, how's the village coming along?"
"Well, the machines have been getting along for the most part. There's this one creepy-looking guy making swords in the house right underneath the slide with a kid that hid in his house while the village was attacked."
"That little recluse! I should go say hi! I want to see if he's gotten the courage to talk to people again."
9S handed 2B the basket of flowers and went upstairs.
"Come on, the pods have been teaching some of the kids how to weave the stems of flowers together for the chains. There's also some familiar faces."
As they climbed downstairs, a pod flew past, carrying one end of the chain in its arms. 5B was sitting amongst the machine children with 4S, making flower crowns for each other.
"Looks like we have another pair of lovebirds!" A2 teased.
5B set down her work and walked over to A2. "Says the android who has over a few dozen children!"
"Stop it, you two! We're here to celebrate! Look, 2B! I made lanterns! When the sun goes down, our pods will help light this place up like a christmas tree!"
"What's that?"
"Humans used to decorate spruce trees with lights and glass bulbs during the start of the winter season. During the night of December 24th, an old man wearing a red suit allegedly brought presents to children all over the world. But that's just a myth. Most of the time, parents bought the presents for their kids."
"Interesting. Maybe that's a tradition we should do this winter." 2B looked over at A2. "What do you think?"
"Depends on how stressed I get watching these little brats."
The androids laughed, and some of the machines joined in.
A small biped machine tapped 2B on the shoulder. 2B smiled at her. "What's up?"
"I was wondering... where do flowers come from?"
2B took a flower out of the basket before handing it to 5B. "They bloom from plants. In the spring, the air gets warmer and the flowers wake up from inside the plant. Their petals open up to attract bugs like bees and butterflies so that they can spread pollen for them and make more flowers."
"That's cool! Flowers are really pretty. Thank you for bringing them here for us, miss!"
"You're welcome!"
The machine skipped off with the flower 2B handed to her. 2B smiled as 9S slid down the ladder to meet up with the rest of the androids.
"Did I miss anything?"
"Just 2B being sappy towards a snot-nosed machine," 4S laughed.
"Ah, so the usual. It's so nice seeing this place alive!"
2B looked around a smiled at the rebirth that had begun all around them. It looked nothing like the ruins that had been there a few months ago.
"I guess we should go back out and get some more flowers. I don't think we'll be able to decorate with just these."
"Alright. See you guys later!"
2B took the basket and set Pascal's book inside of it. 9S grabbed 2B's hand as they walked out of the village together.
"You seem a lot more happy today. Did someone say something?"
"Yeah. You did." 2B grabbed 9S and pulled him close. "I hope that this peace lasts forever. This has been the best few weeks of my life."
"Mine too. Though, to be fair, I don't have as many memories of our time together as you do."
"We're working on it."
"Yeah."
After 5 trips to and from the City Ruins to find flowers, 4S decided that the flowers they had were enough. The last chain went up just before sunset. The 9 pods flew up and lit all of the lanterns once they measured that the sun was exactly halfway below the horizon. The machines cheered when they saw the Anemone had come with some of the members of the Resistance with new foods called "desserts". 9S was curious, but also slightly scared. He tried one after making sure 4S didn't shut down from any of the ingredients. A2 had revealed a project she'd been working on, a statue of Pascal. She'd used actual machine parts to build it. It looked very similar, but it couldn't possibly be Pascal.
At one point, some of the machines began playing a game with the 9S. Though, it was less of a game and more like the machines were teasing him. The flyer machines were much faster than him, so they took his bag and ran it all the way up to the top of the tree in the time it took him to climb up the ladder. Despite the pods' protests, 9S went after the bag himself. At the end, he slipped, and 2B managed to catch him.
"Nice catch."
"Don't do stupid stuff like that, Nines!"
"Yeah, yeah."
Pod 153 flew over. "One affirmation will suffice."
Everyone laughed at the pod's comment. With the remainders of the flowers, 2B and 9S returned to the Lunar Tear garden with their pods. One of the 042 units and one of the 153 units stayed with A2 to help her run the village. When the pair arrived at their destination, they set Pascal's book in the shelves of the hut, draping a small chain of flowers over it.
"Today's been an amazing day, Nines. I'm glad I got to spend the entire day with you." 2B said as the two androids snuggled together in the hut.
"Me too."
The two fell asleep in each others arms, in the graveyard filled with flowers for machines.
