Quick announcement before we get started. Spaze has completed a rendition of Kyu from my other story, DitF: Homecoming! If you've read the story and wondered what she looked like or are interested in trying for the first time follow the link below. Kyu is dressed in a modern style like the other girls wear in the endings of the anime. Don't forget to replace the [] with dot and com!

Link: imgur[]/a/yYSDXbq

"07, you have no idea how happy I am to hear your voice!" you say, not attempting to hide the grin in your voice.

In a matter of minutes, the FranXX that had been harassing the strike team are dealt with completely and the mortar quickly silenced. Shortly after the mortar goes down, the Garden's automated defenses on the walls deactivate.

A call comes over the radio. "Strike lead, this is Cobalt-1. The cannons have ceased firing and opposing forces have surrendered. Looks like we've won." "Roger that, Valkyra," Delphinium smiles. "Secure their weapons and get everyone inside. We don't want any lingering APE forces hitting us from behind."

The conversation having reached its conclusion, you bring your attention to a standard model FranXX approaching you with her hand outstretched. "You came," 07 says as the two shake. You snort in reply. "Of course, I did. Your timing is impeccable as always. Where are the others?"

"They're still inside," the boy responds. "We had to fight our way to the docking bay, and it wasn't easy. Things may be finished up here, but down not down there." "He's right," Delphinium agrees. "The commander probably had his forces on the outside stand down to avoid further damage to the Garden. We have to capture the individual buildings as well, or the battle won't truly be over."

"It's a good thing we planned for that then," you state. "Freya, patch the RD into our comms." "At once," the AI says before several new voices fill your ears. "62, you alive down there?" you shout into the mass, hoping for an answer.

"38, damn it's good to hear from you!" 62's message rings through, accompanied by gunfire. "We're holding the docking bay right now, but some help would be appreciated. APE seems to really want their FranXX back."

"Understood," you reply, and quickly open a line with the insertion force. "Futoshi, the area is secure. Get your team up here. Ichigo and I will meet you at the docking bay." "We'll be there," is the young man's steely response and the comm winks out.

"(Y/N), a moment," Freya's cool voice stops you. "What is it, Freya?" you ask. "I have intercepted APE transmissions," she says. "A call for reinforcements was placed soon after the assault began. It was responded to directly by APE Central Command. By my calculations, at least a hundred FranXX will descend on the facility in less than an hour."

Damn, that's three-to-one with our numbers before we suffered any casualties.

"Valkyra, you catch that?"

"Yes, commander," she replies. "I have already ordered my forces to move the prisoners. If I am being frank, we cannot stand against such an attack. It would be in our best interest to take what we came for and raze the facility."

"We leave and it dooms the children in the nurseries and all the mothers in the Maternal Ward," you firmly state. "We're staying." There is no hesitation on the line. "Understood, commander. I will marshal my forces and prepare to weather the coming storm."

"Futoshi," Delphinium addresses the insertion team leader, "we won't be joining you after all. APE is sending reinforcements, so all hands have to be on deck up here." You can hear him gather himself on the other end of the line. "Kokoro and all the others are waiting for us," he says. "We'll handle it, don't worry."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Inside the transport truck, Futoshi shifts his weight from side to side. The young man's heart beats at what feels like a mile a minute in anticipation. He's waited for this moment since coming to in the infirmary back at Haven a month ago. He withdraws a small photo from his pocket and speaks to the girl in the picture. "I'm coming, Kokoro. I'll save you, and then I'll never let something like this ever happen again."

"Team leader," the parasite driving the truck calls from the cab to get his attention. "We're approaching the insertion point." "Right," he nods.

Futoshi stands and makes his way to the back of the truck. The vehicle's other occupants look at him expectantly. "I… uh… I don't have a lot to say," he admits. "Just be careful and try to look out for each other. There's a lot of people counting on us."

The truck rolls to a stop and the gate falls. Futoshi and the parasites file out and gather beside those dismounting the two other trucks that have stopped nearby. There's a fresh layer of snow on the ground, and an inactive FranXX lies some hundred feet to the side next to one of several main elevators leading to the underground docking bay and hangar.

"Let's go," he says to the squad under his command. They approach the first of the elevators and press the call button. There is a chorus of clicks as their rifles' safeties are disengaged and brought to bear, ready to fire at the opening should it contain APE soldiers. The car arrives and the doors slide open, revealing an empty space.

Futoshi releases the breath he wasn't aware he'd been holding. Nodding forward, the group moves into the car and the doors close behind them. The parasite closest to the door selects the third level of the docking bay as their destination. The briefing Freya had given denoted that it was the level connecting to the rest of the Garden via the underground tunnels, and given that the docking bay was their only foothold, it would be best to push forward using it as their staging point.

"Futoshi," a cool voice speaks softly in his left ear as Freya makes herself known, "I am patching you into the Replacement Division's comm system. Code 02-62 is acting commander."

There is a brief moment where Futoshi is assaulted by static before it is replaced by the sound of gunfire. "Rebel squad leader, you there? Damn it, didn't the AI say they were on this frequency?"

"Uh, I'm Futoshi with the rebels," the boy says timidly, still very unused to the burden of command. "We are coming down the elevators now. Please don't shoot us."

The car shudders and the doors part. It appears to be a reception hall of some sort. Stairs are opposite the elevator shaft, and to the right are large windows that allow a view into the docking bay below. Immediately in front of the elevator, a hastily erected barricade hides several members of the Replacement Division from the gunfire coming from a hallway to the left.

"Help has arrived!" one of the girls crouched behind the barrier shouts as a grin breaks out across her face. This causes a boy further down the line to wave them over. "You the insertion team?" he asks.

"Yeah," Futoshi shouts back. The dark-haired boy smiles. "Glad you could make it. I'm RD 02-62." He nods over the barricade. "The guards don't really seem to want to get in here as much as they want to keep us out of the rest of the facility. We didn't have the manpower to make a push with half the division going topside to help. Now that you're here we can finally shake things up."

Futoshi presses his back farther against the steel as its rocked by an explosion overhead. "What do you have in mind?" he asks. "That hallway is the only way to the rest of the facility. If we can make it down there it'll split off like a spiderweb. We could get anywhere without them having a good way of stopping us," 62 explains.

"We can help with that," Futoshi says, withdrawing a cylinder from the satchel slung over his shoulder. White rings encircle the top and bottom of the container, and small wisps of the same color begin to seep from the top. Without a word, he tosses it over the barricade. It clanks off the ceiling before rolling to a stop halfway down the hall. Over the next ten seconds, a cloud of smoke envelopes the hall and the gunfire ceases momentarily.

"Now's our chance!" 62 yells, hopping over the barricade and rushing into the smoke. Futoshi hesitates for a second, still wary of running into a room filled with people wanting to kill him. The other members of the insertion team follow, as do several of the Replacement Division parasites.

On the far side of the smoke, several more cylinders roll out in a lazy circle before exploding in a brilliant flash. The unsuspecting APE guards drop their weapons and clutch at their eyes. Meanwhile the attackers, protected by the smokescreen from the blinding light, emerge with weapons at the ready. Their rifles flash and the men fall quickly.

Futoshi pauses and looks at the body of the man he'd just shot, unceremoniously draped across the base of the wall that's now stained red with splotches of the man's blood. The blank stare he offers feels as though he is looking directly into Futoshi's soul. It makes the boy want to throw up. Fighting against FranXX was one thing, as even if they were killed you never saw the bodies of the pilots inside. But looking at the man who had just been going about his day until little more than an hour ago makes him want to put down the rifle, get in the truck back to Haven, and never leave again.

"You alright?"

Futoshi is brought back to reality by a hand placed on his shoulder. 62 offers him a nod. "I don't want to leave them like this either, but we don't have time. We'll come back for them later after our friends are safe."

After 62 has walked away, Futoshi steels himself. I'm doing this for Kokoro. And because it's for her, I'll do anything.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Back on the surface, the rebel forces are attempting to close up the various holes in the defenses they themselves had just recently made.

"Damn it, Zero Two," you grumble as Delphinium pushes a steel beam against the southern gate. "If you hadn't taken out so many of the cannons…" "...Then we would still be without them because we don't have control of the defenses," Ichigo finishes your thought by ending it with her own.

"Did you see her arm?" Ichigo asks after a little while. You flinch after thinking about the wound. "Shoulder is more accurate. That was a big hole. How she kept fighting after that I have no idea." "Zero Two is tough," Delphinium says as she hefts another beam.

Tough or just plain stupid, you think to yourself, recalling how Strelitzia was refusing medical treatment in favor of staying sharp.

"She'll make it through this and come back stronger than ever." There is a distinct drop in the tone of her voice. "I don't know what we'd have done if it were me though." "I don't even want to think about that," is your only reply.

With the gate now barred shut, Delphinium steps back to check its stability. Feeling satisfied with her work, she glances back at the surrounding walls. Several FranXX are above you on the battlements, attempting to repair the damage caused by the bombardment from Chlorophytum, Laevis, and the other ranged units.

In total, there are thirty-two FranXX capable of fighting against the incoming force of at least a hundred. Most are from the rebel force, and they are supplemented by ten piloted by the Replacement Division parasites that had defected. All of the RD FranXX have been outfitted with the kits of the fallen riflemen at 07's insistence, thanks to their previous training with the weapons.

"You ever think we should've just stayed in Haven that day?" you wonder aloud. "If we hadn't rescued Kana and Kyo's squads, APE would have never found us and we'd still be safe." Delphinium stops in shock for a moment. "You can't actually mean that," she glares at you in the cockpit. "No, I don't," you admit, "but I do worry about you. If something were to happen, I don't know what I'd do."

"Keep fighting," she says without hesitation. "I love you and want to be with you forever, but this is about more than just us. We agreed to lead this rebellion because we started it. That makes it our responsibility to see it through."

"That right there is why I love her, ladies and gentlemen," you crack a joke to lighten the tense mood. "Strong, beautiful, and loyal to a fault." Patches of pink appear on Delphinium's cheeks through the camera. "Don't go blurting that out where everyone can hear!" "What a wonderful idea!" you laugh. "That was just between us, but I think everyone should know!" Before you can even begin the broadcast, Ichigo has locked down Delphinium's communications suite and disabled her external speaker system.

You shoot her a sidelong glance. "Awh, you're no fun." "And you're an idiot," she responds with a roll of her eyes. "Sometimes," you agree. "Sometimes."

"Commander," Valkyra approaches from the side. Delphinium turns to face her as she delivers her report. "The northern wall has been repaired to the best of our ability. The eastern and western were largely untouched, so I've ordered their repairs suspended until the southern can be fixed." You stare critically at the repairs made on the northern wall for a few moments. "How much longer do we have until our guests arrive, Freya?" you ask.

"APE's forces have marshaled and are now en route," the AI answers. "Their newly estimated time of arrival is forty-five minutes from present." "Can you delay them?" Delphinium asks. "Not without revealing myself," Freya states. "How about seizing control of the Garden's systems?" Kyo inquires. There is a pause quite uncharacteristic of Freya. "No. I did not have the foresight to infiltrate the system after the attack had begun. All network access points were closed once their call for help had been placed." "Can't you just force your way in like you did at Plantation 75?" For the second time Freya is forced to admit her failure. "The network is no longer active. I cannot access it while it is offline. I am sorry." The small image of her on Delphinium's holodisplay hangs its head.

APE must have known something was up after her last stunt. "That's alright Freya, no one is perfect," you attempt to console her.

"Your sentiment is appreciated," she says. "I will do everything I can to assist in the coming battle."

"That's all we can ask."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Futoshi's earpiece crackles as he follows 62 down a hall. "Futoshi, what's your status? We don't have a lot of time until APE shows up." "Uh… we're almost to the command center," he replies to the message. 62 nods in confirmation.

Not far from the two and their squads, the hallway widens into a checkpoint separating the outer portions of the underground facility from the command center at the heart. At this point the alarms have ceased, their warning no longer necessary. Instead there is a deathly, crushing silence.

The checkpoint is staffed by twelve APE soldiers, four of which are members of some kind of special forces if their armor is any indication. The sleek grey and black armor is angular in nature and covers the body so that not even an inch of skin is exposed. Worse yet, the plates seemed sturdy enough to take multiple rounds from their weapons.

"Shit," 62 curses upon seeing them. "What is it?" Futoshi asks. "They're Schildwachen, one of APE's special forces. The command center must be on the other side of that wall," the boy answers. "That's not all, take a look."

The large room has little cover to speak of save for a series of barricades that have been set up by the guards on the far side of the room. A heavy machine gun faces the entrance, manned by one of the normal soldiers. To round off the rest of the room, metal detectors and x-ray machines provide a hurdle that the rebel forces must first cross to reach the defenders.

"Any suggestions?" 62 whispers to Futoshi. "We still have some smoke grenades left," Futoshi offers. "We could move up while they can't see us." "What about real grenades?" the other boy asks. Futoshi shakes his head. "I guess we don't have much choice then," 62 grumbles.

Futoshi motions to his squad. "Smoke!" one of them shouts and several grenades roll into the room. APE's forces notice immediately but hold their fire. The rebels rush in, but before they can reach the first hurdle three of the twelve are gunned down by precise shots. Futoshi was the intended recipient of the fourth burst fired by the Schildwachen, whose visors allow them to see through the smoke with ease. However, he stumbles over himself as a result of his nervousness and inadvertently saves his own life.

With the wall of smoke ineffective against the armored troopers, the rebels switch to flashbangs. Unfortunately, the visors polarize in time to protect their wearers. As this occurs, one of the Schildwachen pushes aside the guard that had been responsible for the heavy machine gun and begins firing into the crowd of invaders. Two more attackers, both members of the Replacement Division, are lost to APE's unyielding defense.

From his position on the ground, Futoshi sees this unfold. He rolls to his right only to find the blank stare of one of his squad looking directly at him. A sense of overwhelming fear takes hold of him. I'm going to die. They're going to kill me. I have to get out of here!

Out of the blue, Futoshi recalls a memory from Haven. Just from a few weeks ago. A memory of Kokoro standing in the kitchen with her hair tied back in a bun and covered in flour, flashing through his mind.

No, Futoshi tells himself as the doubt begins to fade. I promised I'd protect her. And I'll protect her even if I have to die to do it!

Futoshi pushes himself off the floor to his knees. The fear of death within him has not subsided, but compared to his overwhelming love of Kokoro it is made insignificant. He reaches for the shotgun that the fallen rebel had been carrying. Ejecting the empty shell from the chamber and clambering to his feet, he jumps over an x-ray machine and charges APE's defensive line.

When the group of Schildwachen had fired at the approaching rebels moments prior, it had been with a methodical approach. The four rightmost members had been targeted and the machine gun had subsequently picked off the next two in line. With their attention firmly focused on the middle and left sides of the room, having seen Futoshi and those around him fall, his is able to make it to the barricades before APE's forces realize he's coming.

"Kokoro!" he shouts loudly, firing the weapon at the nearest guard. The man, caught unawares, is blown away by the shot. A second turns to face the new attacker only to receive the same fate. Counting Futoshi's kills, that leaves APE with eight defenders.

Futoshi's presence does not go unnoticed by one of the Schildwachen. A rifle's bark is immediately followed a blast from Futoshi's shotgun. The burst is not enough to save the elite from the point-blank shotgun shell that tears through the ceramic plating on his torso.

Futoshi fairs marginally better as what feels like a brick being pounded against his chest forces him to his knees. Instinctively he places his hand on the site of the pressure and feels something warm and wet. Withdrawing his hand, he sees a thin coating of red liquid.

I've been shot, the realization dawns on him. It doesn't actually hurt as much as I thought it would. Futoshi suddenly doubles over and begins gasping for breath. A sharp pain has set into his chest that quickly spreads to his back and left shoulder.

It takes close to thirty seconds of coughing and gagging before Futoshi is finally able to return to a normal breathing pattern. In that time, another of the guards turns his attention to the disabled boy and levels his rifle. He is hit by a shot through the neck from one of the hunkered rebels before he can fire, however, and joins Futoshi on the ground.

With great effort, as his lungs feel like they are on fire, Futoshi crawls to the corpse of the Schildwache. Right hand glued to his chest to help alleviate the pain and steady his breathing, he uses his left to dig through the man's pockets. He quickly finds what he's looking for, a spherical olive-green object.

Due to his dominant hand being occupied, Futoshi brings the fragmentation grenade to his mouth and bites down hard on the circular safety pin. Jerking his head to the side, the pin is pulled free. Squeezing the safety lever against the body of the grenade and with the strength he can muster, he throws the grenade over the barricade separating himself from the heavy machine gun.

The Schildwache using the piece of equipment is so transfixed on the rebel forces that he fails to notice the sphere clink off the steel floor beside him and come to a stop between himself and another of his brethren. It sits there for a moment the fuse burning rapidly inside. The second Schildwache does happen to notice the explosive and scoops it up to throw back toward the rebel line. It turns out to be too late as the man gets the device to his chest before it detonates. Both of the special forces are thrown back several feet but neither stirs. The pieces of fragmentation mixed with chunks of their ceramic plating see to that.

By the time Futoshi has forced his way back to his feet, the other members of APE's final line of defense have fallen. Two members of the Replacement Division, along with 62, move across the no-man's-land between the barricades and metal detectors.

"You're hit," 62 says as he rushes to Futoshi's side. "Mis… on," he coughs and stumbles forward. 62 throws Futoshi's free arm over his shoulder and helps him to the door. Futoshi swipes a keycard stolen from the fallen Schildwache over the strip and the light flashes green.

"Freeze!" 62 shouts, leveling his rifle at the command center's occupants. Likewise, the two Replacement Division parasites enter the room and fan out. "How do we turn the network back on?" he demands. An especially stern-looking man glares at him but remains silent. He is the only one in the room to look unafraid as the analysts cower behind their stations.

"You!" 62 motions with his gun. "Turn the network back on right now or I'll shoot!" "You do not frighten me," the man spits. "The great ones' army will arrive soon and there is nothing you can do to stop them! My Garden will not fall to the likes of you!"

"Futoshi!" the boy's opposite says through gritted teeth. "Do it!"

Futoshi hobbles over to the central console and actives his comm. "Fre… ya," he struggles to speak through another fit of violent coughs. "The mainframe should have a large button in the upper right-hand corner," the AI instructs him. "Press and hold for five seconds to force a system restart."

"No!"

With a howl, the decorated man pulls a handgun and fires. The shot finds a mark in one of the two Replacement Division members, though they were not its intended target. The target, Futoshi, has instead collapsed against the console due to a lack of oxygen. The defense commander meets his demise by two bullets that pierce his heart, a look of grim determination still etched into his features.

With the last grips of consciousness slipping away from him, Futoshi undoes a glass cover and holds his right hand against the button. At first it's red, but then pulses a vibrant green as the words "Restart Initiated" blink across the screen. The boy smiles, knowing that Freya will have control of the Garden soon, content that he's done all that he can to rescue Kokoro.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kokoro's day had been stressful to say the least. It began with her typical routine of a cold shower followed by Shouko stepping in while she dried off. The pair had then dressed and proceeded downstairs to breakfast.

Today, Kokoro had been assigned to childcare in one of the nurseries. However, on her walk over it was abundantly clear that something was happening. Through the nursery windows she had seen FranXX hurrying about and it put her on edge. The metal machines came and went frequently, but never in groups of twenty like she had witnessed at the start of it all.

Then it began. Kokoro been with her assigned children no more than half an hour when loud cracks and booms began to shake the earth. The frightened children clung to their caretaker and begged her to make the lightning and thunder from the storm outside go away. Unlike the young ones, the blonde recognized the sounds to be something unnatural. They were cannon fire and explosions. Something, or someone, was attacking the Garden.

Kokoro was helpless, however, to stop it. Instead she did what she could to make her children feel safe. Some hid while hugging her chest, others with their heads across her legs, while more clung to her arms and back. All the while she pet their little heads and whispered words of comfort to them. She even told stories she recalled from some of their books, having read them aloud countless times in the past.

At some point power had been lost, leaving them in the dark. To make matters worse, alarms began to blare that assaulted the children's tender ears, which they covered with their hands to little effect. The room had also been bathed in swirling red light, which cast terrifying shadows across the otherwise dark room. This served to only push the children further into a state of terror.

Through all this, Kokoro remained calm and whispered in the same caring voice to the children. They would be safe. Everything would be alright. She promised.

Eventually the sounds of fighting died out and the power was restored. With the children's safety no longer a concern, Kokoro put the exhausted little tykes down for a nap. She also found herself feeling the strain of the situation but willed her body to stay awake in case the danger should return.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

A rapping on the door jolts Kokoro back to consciousness. She quickly looks to either side at the sleeping children and remembers where she is. Quietly, she stands and makes her way to the door.

Upon opening it, she is shocked to find a girl not much different in age from her wearing combat fatigues and holding a rifle. "Are you Miss Kokoro?" she asks. The blonde hesitates, "I… I am." "Please come with me," the girl says. "I can't," Kokoro states firmly.

"Miss, there is someone who–"

"I am not leaving them here by themselves," the mother-to-be motions to her current charges. "They were terrified by whatever you did to fight off whoever was attacking us. If they wake up without me or another girl here to watch them, then it will only scare them more. Plus, I never got to feed them lunch, so they'll be hungry. I'll go with you, but you need to find someone else to watch them first."

The camo-wearing young woman looks completely stupefied by what she's heard. "I… um… I'll be right back," she stammers.

Several minutes later she returns with another girl who agrees to take Kokoro's place as the caregiver for the children. Now satisfied, Kokoro allows herself to be led from the nursery and into the brisk afternoon.

The first thing Kokoro notices upon stepping outside is the destruction that had been wrought on her home. Holes in the Garden's walls have been hastily patched, a fire burns over by a large mortar, and most concerning, a number of inactive FranXX litter the surrounding area.

"What happened?" she whispers aloud. "We captured the Garden," her escort informs her. "Who is 'we'?" Kokoro asks tentatively. "The rebels," is her answer. "We began the assault this morning and only recently was the battle won."

A light immediately clicks on in Kokoro's head. "Does that mean (Y/N), Ichigo, and the others are here? What about Futoshi? Are they all okay?!" By now, their intended destination is clear: the large red cross denotes the building in front of them as the Garden's medical facility.

"I am taking you to Insertion Team Leader Futoshi now, ma'am," the girl tells her. "But why are we going to the medical…" Kokoro trails off. "He's hurt… no, he's hurt... tell me!" Kokoro grips the girl's arm tightly. "Tell me he isn't hurt!"

The rebel soldier stops and looks at, or rather over her, to avoid eye contact. "Miss Kokoro, I was asked to find and escort you to the Insertion Team Leader. All I know is that he is currently being treated in the medical facility."

Panic sets into Kokoro's heart after hearing the girl's vague answer. Her pace quickens and the escort is forced to take larger steps to keep up. They reach the medical facility in several minutes and are shown to a room on the second floor.

"I'll be outside ma'am," the girl says, offering her a forced smile before placing her back against the wall beside the door.

"Futoshi," Kokoro says softly as the door slides into the wall. Her heart threatens to beat of her chest, knowing that her love is on the other side of the corner. "Futoshi, I'm here."

Futoshi is shirtless in the bed while being propped up by a few pillows. Several bandages are wrapped around his upper left chest, which have been stained red. A clear mask rests over his nose and mouth that connect to a nearby supply of oxygen.

"Futoshi!" Kokoro rushes to the bedside and takes his hand, cupping it between hers. There is a slight rustling sound as the room's occupant shifts what little he can to look in the direction of the familiar voice he thought he'd never hear again. His eyes light up and he attempts to lift his left hand, but it falls flat.

The blonde chokes back tears as she speaks to her love. "Futoshi, what happened to you? I told you to be careful, didn't I?" Futoshi's eyes soften and he smiles. "You came here looking for me," Kokoro continues, though it's more of a statement than a question. The boy nods.

"Had to… find... you," Futoshi whispers. This is followed by a violent coughing fit. Kokoro's maternal instincts kick in and she does her best to prop him up again before offering him a quick drink from the cup of water beside the bed.

"It was too dangerous," Kokoro says dejectedly, looking at the floor. "You should have left me here, I could manage." The piercing gaze Futoshi gives her in response seems to say, "Never. I would do anything to protect you."

Several minutes pass in silence. The couple's hands remain intertwined as Kokoro's feelings of guilt not only for Futoshi's injury but for the others who must've suffered as well. The boy squeezes her hand seeing the drop in her expression, feeling the same sentiments.

Kokoro looks up to see someone who echoes her own being perfectly. There isn't a shred of malice or discontent in Futoshi's eyes. They only show unimaginable joy at the fact that he's been reunited with her, and the unbridled amount of love he has to give for her.

It's then that another fit of violent coughing begins. This time it is more serious and Futoshi doubles over. Kokoro stays by his side for the next minute or so as he continues to cough, but it doesn't show any signs of stopping and Futoshi's breathing becomes increasingly shorter.

Kokoro flies from the chair and into the hall. "Doctor!" she shouts, grabbing the nearest adult dressed in a white coat. "Doctor, he can't breathe!"

The man and a female nurse step into Futoshi's room, leaving Kokoro outside with the young girl who'd been her escort. It is deathly quiet as they wait. The doctor exits close to ten minutes later.

Walking over to her and stopping to explain, the doctor begins. "His left lung has completely collapsed due to a puncture wound caused by a bullet. A pocket of air has filled the resulting cavity, creating what's called a tension pneumothorax. The strain this is causing is too much for his remaining lung, which is reducing the amount of blood that is returning to his heart. Internal bleeding is also to blame. One of the rounds tumbled after hitting his ribcage, causing this haemorrhaging. Because of this, he will run out of oxygen in the next twelve hours even with the tube."

"Is there nothing you can do for him?!" Kokoro shouts.

The doctor slowly shakes his head. "I'm sorry. We simply have too many patients to attend to and nowhere near enough staff. We cannot treat someone whose prognosis is this grim while others who can be saved need our help."

Kokoro cries large warm tears as the man says his final words before moving to leave. "If you remove the mask, he will pass quickly and it will be relatively painless. The decision is yours."

Kokoro stands there frozen. The doctor told her the Futoshi was going to die and that nothing can be done about it. This isn't right. This isn't fair. He was supposed to be my knight in shining armor, riding in to carry me away from this place. Not leaving me here alone.

In the midst of feeling sorry for herself, the young woman approaches Kokoro. "Miss Kokoro, if you'll forgive me for intruding, I think the team leader would like it if he could spend his final minutes with you. He always told us you were his reason for leading us and training as hard as he did."

She's right. I need to be with him right now.

"Thank you," Kokoro says, wiping away the tears. She walks to the door and presses the panel to the side. It slides open and she enters the room.

Futoshi is just as she'd left him, though the color in his face is deeper than before and tiny beads of sweat are forming on his forehead. The veins in his arms have begun to turn blue as well.

Kokoro stands beside the bed and puts on a smile. "Futoshi, there is something I want to show you." The girl lifts the hem of her dress to expose her midsection. Because it's a single piece of clothing, it means she is nearly standing in front of Futoshi in only her underwear. Because it's him, she isn't embarrassed.

The same can't be said for Futoshi, who averted his eyes as soon as Kokoro began to pull up on the garment.

Kokoro takes Futoshi's hand and guides it to the small bulge in her stomach. His hands are rough and cold against her fair skin, but she ensures that his entire hand comes to rest against her. Futoshi looks uncertain as to what Kokoro is doing but allows her to lead him, a testament to his faith in his partner.

Of his own accord, Futoshi runs his hand over the bump. His eyes jump from Kokoro's to the bump and back again in an unspoken question. "I'm having a baby," she finally says. "It's our child."

A single tear rolls down the young man's cheek. His touch grows softer and he caresses the smooth area. Kokoro giggles lightly in response and places her hand over his to hold it there. In reality, both of them are aware that the child does not actually belong to Futoshi. However, by saying what she has, Kokoro made it abundantly clear that she wished it to be.

The bed is just wide enough that Kokoro is able to squeeze in and lay beside Futoshi. She plants a loving kiss on his cheek and rests her head against his shoulder, wanting desperately to wrap him in a hug and never let go. Futoshi's breathing remains steady, though still weak. His pulse is greatly accelerated as Kokoro shows her affection for him. She'd always been so shy, but to finally have her acting like this in the open was a dream come true.

"Futoshi," Kokoro begins softly, "I'll stay with you. But if it hurts too much, I want you to tell me." He slowly nods, with his left hand coming to rest on her stomach.

The pair lay there for a time unknown. Eventually, Futoshi's breathing becomes so shallow that Kokoro worries he's gone. The moment she moves, his eyes flicker open and lock on to her. However, Kokoro can see the pain in them.

Steeling herself for what she's about to do, Kokoro stands up and walks to the side of the bed Futoshi is closest to. "Futoshi, I'm going to take off your mask." The young man clearly understands what will happen when it is removed and squeezes her hand lightly, though Kokoro knows it's with all the strength he can muster. A soft murmur of "I love you" escapes his lips.

Kokoro wipes away the hair matted with sweat from Futoshi's forehead and plants a kiss there. "I love you too. I have for so, so long."

Using her remaining hand Kokoro removes the mask supplying Futoshi with oxygen. She sets it on the table and leans over, gently placing her lips against his. It is Futoshi and Kokoro's first real kiss, and it is fated to be their last.

He can barely feel the few scattered droplets of water hitting his cheeks as Kokoro fights to hold back her tears. Instead, she masks it by staring into Futoshi's eyes while holding him gently.

It is no more than three minutes later that the grip on Kokoro's hand grows faint and the palm held against her abdomen slowly falls back to the white linen sheets.

In slow motion, Kokoro's legs give out beneath her and she gently slides to her knees beside the bed. Holding the hand of her beloved close to her chest with both of hers, she lays her head beside him. In an otherwise silent room, Kokoro finally begins to cry.