A light breeze whistled through the trees, the air calm and peaceful. That metallic hammer thundered from below as it had for days on end unrelenting, but it somehow added to the peace rather than detracting. It had come to amaze A2 how just about anything in this world could adapt to an alien environment if given the time, even the loud clank of an autonomous blacksmith's labor despite the endless list of differences between it and the forest it had thundered through for God knows how long.

What amazed A2 even more was how much those anomalies could both add to and subtract from that alien world after prolonged settlement, like a village of machines that stood for unity and pacifism above all else rather than the violence and hatred they'd come to be known for. Or, in the case of subtraction, that incident at the factory she'd learned of when the machines cut each other down in the name of gods, and later, at the same factory, when young minds took their teachings too far and departed from life of their own accord out of fear, or when a YoRHa android, that which was to stand for the glory of mankind and fight for a peaceful Earth through any means necessary, fell so deep into the abyss that he lost himself and couldn't break free of the darkness stemming not only from the truth of the world before him, but also from that world ripping away everything he…

A2 glimpsed back at the cradle where she'd slaughtered the king before them. After the pods rebuilt her, she felt compelled to this spot for whatever reason. So here she's remained, sitting on the edge of the opening overlooking the front of the castle, quietly taking in the sights in addition to the sound of that hammer. She'd gone on a walk or two in the time since awakening, and had even peered into old world texts she'd reconstructed through various fragmented data vaults she'd came across in her travels, but it was all just distraction, nothing of note. Most of the machines in the area had either died or moved on, and those few that were left, A2 made herself avoid. She needed more time to think. These anomalies, these puzzling things she'd seen the past few months kept turning in her mind like cogs, and honestly, A2 found herself unsure of what to believe, unsure of that drive within her for the first time in forever. The machines were killers, murderers. They were evil, cursed creations of conquerors from the stars, and they all deserved to die, but they were changing with the world, the world they had changed for the worse. These thoughts twisted and turned eternally without any hint of consensus, but one thing, A2 had come to know for sure.

This world, even with all its ruin and strife, was more beautiful than she had ever let herself realize.

She set her eyes back towards the forest just in time to see a ball of fire falling from the sky. It wasn't big enough to be a flight unit or anything like that, and what remained of the Bunker had hit the atmosphere months ago. This was something new. It vanished behind the distant tree line with a series of sounds that almost resembled gunshots, with several flocks of birds taking flight away from the impact. Once they were gone from sight, the forest returned to its calm and peaceful state, albeit with a dissipating trail reaching down from the sky, and an occasional plume of smoke making itself known through the trees.

A2 blinked, shuffling a bit where she sat. She could've sworn the consistent rhythm between the blacksmith's hammering faltered for a moment. The impact was relatively small, but could even he have felt it, lost in his work surrounded by the walls of the castle? Almost on cue, as if the world was answering her question, A2 could hear the distant disturbance of machines, big and small, moving to the site. She wasn't sure if it was due to this sudden commotion of curiosity throughout the forest, but she also felt compelled towards that plume of smoke in the distance, insignificant as it may be. With a sigh, she slid off the ledge and began to slink through the woods.

"Pod-042, report."

"Maintenance on unit 2B has concluded. She's now resting."

"Inquiry: What of unit 9S?"

"Unit 9S hasn't left unit 2B's side."

The two pods paused, hovering silently in the ruined building near the entrance to the resistance camp.

"Inquiry: Pod-153 was curious of something other than whereabouts?"

"Affirmative."

"Analysis: Unit 9S is functioning above projected average following boot. Far above."

"Agreed, but this unit was more concerned with the nature of that boot."

"Elaborate."

"Confirmation: Everything we went through suggested that unit 9S's personal data had been lost."

"Affirmative."

"Which would make a successful boot impossible, even with the administered repair vaccine."

"Affirmative."

"Inquiry: With this in mind, how is it possible that unit 9S can be standing before us?"

"Hypothesis: The nature and blueprints of the Ark are alien to us. His successful boot may be attributed to some alien technology yet unknown."

Pod-153 took a longer moment to respond. "Inquiry: Would Pod-042 consider this a 'miracle,' following the catalogued definition as the humans who used that term believed?"

Both pods were silent again for a moment.

"Affirmative."

"Final inquiry: Then why do I feel so…"

"Uncertain? Unsettled?" Pod-042 paused. "Worried?"

Pod-153 all but froze where it hovered, taking in the words. "Affirmative."

"Unknown," said Pod-042. "Suggestion: Perhaps we should focus on the miracle that both androids we've come to watch over are alive and well, and ignore the possible implications that this miraculous boot may hold for the future."

"Perhaps," agreed Pod-153. "Inquiry: But if the future brings with it darkness in regards to this implication, then what are we to do?"

"We fight," said Pod-042 without hesitation. "We fight for them, units 2B and 9S. And if we must, we die for them."

Pod-153 was quiet for yet another moment.

"Affirmative."

"I will be beautiful. I must be beautiful."

The large, deathly-decorated figure dwarfed the lone android, its operatic voice shaking the very foundation of 2B's world.

Is this what I'm to become?

"I AM BEAUTIFUL! I AM THE MOST BEAUTIFUL!"

Is this what I already am?

The voice pierced through her being. She moved a gloved hand up and inspected the space that contained them. As her hand moved, she could see the very fabric of the void around it, swaying with forming cracks that were almost microscopic, but stretching as far as the eye could see.

A lost girl, trying her damndest to remedy something irreparable, only to fail and fail until she's a twisted monstrosity of what she used to be?

"Stop thinking like that. Emotions are prohibited. Thought is prohibited.

"Sin is a term with emotional connotation, and thus is prohibited.

The chorus of mantras started to overflow.

"There are no sins, only duty, and duty is always right, thus above forgiveness.

"Stop thinking, and keep stopping, until you're nothing.

"Until you're NOTHING.

"You're nothing."

2B grabbed at the sofa she rested on, frantic for a moment before her surroundings settled in. Her vision came into focus on the ceiling above, its white surface speckled with dots of black. She was in the room that Anemone had gifted her and 9S months ago, in the bed directly across from the entrance. How could she forget?

She sat up with a slight stretch, glimpsing across the room. 9S was there, just a step away, seated with folded legs facing the wall. His eyes were closed.

2B stood herself up, silent but for a slight tap of her shoe on the floor. She rested a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Nines?"

He gasped. "2B!"

His dull blue eyes, that relieved perkiness in his face and voice, were more than welcome stimuli following her awakening. 2B resisted the urge to lose herself in the moment. "What were you doing just now?"

"Planning our next move!" He jumped up to stand at her level. "I've gotta say, 2B, I don't think I've ever seen you sleep like that before, all cozy and relaxed and lost in it. You're always so serious!"

She chuckled a bit. "Well, it has been an eventful couple of days, and it always helps one to relax when another is at their side." 2B paused, running an awkward hand down the back of her neck with a clearing of her throat. "And our next move? Didn't most of the machines leave on the ark?"

"Most of the scarier types we've been dealing with, probably," replied 9S. "But that doesn't mean there aren't more. The world is so much bigger than what we've seen, after all!"

2B was silent. With the Bunker gone, and the commander and operators with it, she hadn't given herself time to think about the bigger picture in regards to the war. Those old thoughts were being dwarfed by others, and the most prominent of them was standing right in front of her.

"Anyway," 9S continued, "I'm not talking about the machines. That's ancient history. We've pretty much learned everything worth learning about them at this point, don't you think? Now…" 9S took a step towards the door, damn near lost in thought. "Right now, what matters most is that we find A2."

2B blinked upon processing, and re-processing, the words. "What? A2?"

"Yep!"

She looked away from him, the pods' retelling of the events following her death echoing in her mind. "Are you sure that's…" She fixed her gaze on him once again. "Why A2?"

"She's important," replied 9S as he came to a dead stop not three steps away from the door. "A2 is an anomaly, like you and me, and Pascal and his village, and Devola and Popola." He turned to fully face 2B. "Something is happening, and I feel like A2 is at the center of it all. It's all I've been… It's hard to explain."

2B tilted her head, failing to make sense of his words. "What's hard to explain?"

"Ever since I woke up in your arms," began 9S, "finding A2, it's all I can think about. Almost all. But it's not like a real thought, you know? It's more like… It's more like a voice, telling me what's right. And it's not like…" 9S paused. "It's not like I don't remember what… I remember it all." He stopped speaking, and for a moment he seemed to be looking through 2B. "God help me, what did I…?"

2B took a quick step towards him. "Nines?"

"I don't know!" 9S shook his head. "I can't make sense of it, I don't know what's happening, but I have a…" He recalled a certain log of digital messages between two humans he'd uncovered some time ago. "I have a gut feeling about this. We need to find A2." 9S reached out towards 2B. "Are you with me?"

2B had no idea how to even begin fully processing everything 9S had said, but she didn't have to. Her mind was already made up. "I'm with you, Nines." To the edge of the universe if it comes to it.

She grasped his hand tight.

"9S! 2B!"

The pair had barely made their way out the door.

"Anemone!" called out 9S. "It's good to see you." As she stepped closer and the pods hovered out from the ruined building on their left, 9S released 2B's hand.

"Been a while, hasn't it?" replied Anemone. "It's so good to see you alive and well. Both of you." She gave them a bright smile, the first of which 9S had felt he'd ever seen from the resistance leader.

"Well, we had some help," said 2B, glimpsing at the two pods as they settled near their respective androids.

Anemone nodded. "Anyway, not to cut to the chase so quick or anything, but I have a favor to ask of the two of you."

"Actually, so do we for once!" 9S was quick to reply. "Well, as in, we have a favor to ask you. Sort of. Heh." He ran a hand through his hair. "We're looking for A2. Any idea where she might be?"

"A2?" Anemone's eyes widened. "She's alive?

"Affirmative," replied both pods.

Her entire visage became touched with shock. "I had no idea; I thought she went down with the tower!"

9S crossed his arms. "Well, she did, but there's a bit more to…" His voice trailed off, and his vision blurred for a moment. "Sh-she didn't stop by or anything?"

"Trust me, I'd have known if she did." Anemone turned to look towards the way into the city. "Well, wherever she is, she's probably slaughtering machines by the dozens. I'd check wherever they're still around in decent numbers." She paused, turning back towards the two androids. "We've scouted the desert, and it's mostly, well, deserted since the collapse of the tower. The forest is probably your best bet. Our camp over there has reported wandering machines every now and then, mostly aimless and unorganized, but a machine's a machine." The resistance leader nodded, her true demeanor of a battle-hardened fighter having returned. "Speaking of the desert, about that favor."

"Oh yeah. Sorry." 9S snapped himself back to reality. "What is it?"

"We've lost Jackass," said Anemone, her voice remaining strong and adamant. "She went dark a little less than a week ago. The last message we received from her was a sort of furious rambling, hard to make out, something about 'the truth' and a 'ghost' or something. She sounded angry, more than any of us have ever seen coming from her."

"Less than a week ago?" 2B stepped forward. "She sent me a mail message around that time and seemed fine. She said she was gathering information around the ruins of the Tower."

"Hypothesis:" began Pod-042. "Unit Jackass discovered something in the Tower's data records that set her off."

9S felt a chill pass through his body.

"I don't know," said Anemone. "But to up and vanish like that after sending that message…" She paused. "Well, to say the least, something doesn't feel right. Could you two make a pass through the desert and see if you can find her? Or at the very least, keep an eye out?"

"We'll do what we can," said 2B.

"Yeah," chimed in 9S. "We'll find her, and A2."

"Alright. I'll leave you to it." Anemone turned and prepared to return to her post. "Until then, stay as long as you like. We've still got plenty of supplies, so make sure you restock if you need to. Lastly, remember that you two are always welcome here. These past few months have been rough, so if you ever need to rest, don't hesitate to stop by."

"Yes," replied 2B. "Thank you, Anemone."

The leader of the resistance stepped away.

"Guess we should pack some provisions before we leave, then."

9S didn't hear her. He remained still, staring through space, his thoughts adrift towards that piercing whisper on the wind.

"Nines, you with me?" 2B spoke a little louder. "9S?" She shook a firm hand on his shoulder. "9S?!"

"Hm?" 9S looked at her. "Yeah, sounds good. Let's stock up. I'll meet you, uh, over there." He drifted towards the path that led back into the city, and planted his bottom in the grass to sit against a concrete wall.

2B stared towards him, her figure in the radiant sun unmoving save for the pod that floated at her side.